1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar.
January
- January: The Bee Gees begin recording the Trafalgar album.
- January 28: "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is recorded
February
- February 12: The Bee Gees play at the Albany Palace Theatre in New York City, the first concert of their ''2 Years On'' Tour.
- February 21: Concert in Portland, Oregon
March
- March: Drummer Geoff Bridgeford joins the Bee Gees
- March 23: "Dearest" is recorded
- March 29: "Walking Back to Waterloo" is recorded
- March 30: The "Lonely Days" single is certified as gold in the US
May
- May 10: 2 Years On enters the Japanese charts
June
- June 5: The Bee Gees appear on British television show "Top of the Pops"
- June 10: The Melody soundtrack enters the Japanese charts
- June 12: "You Know It's For You" is recorded
- June 26: "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" enters the US charts
July
- July 10: Concert in Brisbane, Australia
- July 11: Concert in Sydney, Australia
- July 12: Concert in Canberra, Australia
- July 14: Concert in Hobart, Australia
- July 15: Concert at the Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia
- July 16: Concert in Adelaide, Australia
- July 17: Concert in Perth, Australia
- July 31: "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" reaches No. 1 in Canada
August
- August 7: "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" reaches No.1 in the US
- August 26: The "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" single is certified gold in the US
- August 28: The Bee Gees begin their ''Trafalgar'' Tour in the US.
September
- September: Trafalgar is released
- September 5: Concert in New Jersey
- September 13: Concert at the Philharmonic Hall in New York City
October
- October 1: Concert in St. Louis, Missouri
- October 13: "My World" is recorded
- October 21: "Alive" is recorded
- October 23: "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself" enters the US charts
November
- November: Hugh and Barbara Gibb move to Ibiza, Spain with son Andy and adopted daughter, Beri.
- November 6: "Lonely Days" is released
- November 8: "Anywhere" is recorded
December
- December: The single "Don't wanna live inside myself" / "Walking back to Waterloo" is released