The year 1642 in music involved some significant events.

• Bartolomeo Montalbano becomes Kapellmeister at San Francesco in Bologna.

• Christoph Demantius – Morgenröthe for five voices (Freiberg: Georg Beuther), written for the funeral of Hedwig on May 30
• Johannes Eccard & Johann Stobaeus – Part 1 of Der Preussischen Fest-Lieder/ vom Advent an biß Ostern (The Prussian Feast-day Songs: From Advent to Easter) for five, six, and eight voices (Elbing: Wendel Bodenhausen)
• Claudio Monteverdi – Selva morale e spirituale
• Nicodemo Parisi – Messa e salmi concertati a 5 voci facili da cantarsi... (Venice: Bartolomeo Magni), collected by his brother, Filippo Parisi, and including two of his compositions
• Johann Rist – Des Daphnis aus Cimbrien Galathee (Hamburg: Jacob Rebenlein), a collection of pastoral songs, music by Heinrich Pape

• Jean de Brébeuf – "Huron Carol" (Canada's oldest Christmas song)^[1]

• Cornelis Padbrué – Synphonia in nuptias..., written for the wedding of Mathaeus Steyn and Maria van Napels

• Francesco Cavalli – Amore innamorato
• Claudio Monteverdi – L'incoronazione di Poppea
• Luigi Rossi – Il Palazzo incantato

• 11 January – Johann Friedrich Alberti, German composer and organist
• 23 September – Giovanni Maria Bononcini, Italian composer (died 1678)
• 6 December – Johann Christoph Bach, composer (died 1703)
• date unknown – Benedictus Buns, Dutch composer

• date unknown
  • Giovanni Battista Buonamente, Italian composer and violinist (born c.1595)
  • Johann Daniel Mylius, composer for the lute (born c.1583)
• probable – Nicolas Vallet, lutenist and composer (born c.1583)