The school was founded in 1939 on the initiative of Hugo Hammarström (1891–1974) and offered the first music classes in Sweden, based on models such as King's College, Cambridge England, Die Städtische Singschule,[a] Augsburg, Germany, and the Copenhagen Boys Choir in Denmark.

[5] In 1982–83, the school was the focus of a heated controversy, AF-striden (literally The AF fight), between those who felt that special classes of any kind and Adolf Fredrik's Music School in particular represent an "elitist" approach, and those who felt that all students have a right to develop their abilities as far as possible.

One factor that inflamed the battle was a study of similar music classes in Norrköping, where it could be shown that the pupils' parents mostly, but not exclusively, had high status occupations.

The Swedish Nobel Prize laureate, sociologist and politician Alva Myrdal took a strong stance on the issue in an interview in Svenska Dagbladet by Mats Johansson on 14 July 1983.

The school has mostly been housed in the present city campus location, but periodically there have also been branch operations in Mariaskolan, Eriksdalsskolan, Vasa Real and finally the Swedish National Defence College's old premises at Valhallavägen.

[9] On the site of the present buildings, roughly at the intersection Dalagatan/Rådmansgatan, a windmill called Nya Rörstrandskvarnen and nicknamed Stora Tisan was constructed sometime between 1747 and 1751.

[10] The main building of the City campus with street address Tegnérgatan 44–46 in Stockholm has housed various school forms over the years.

From 1939 Stockholm's music classes has concentrated the major part of its activities to the building that is presently named Adolf Fredrik's Music School, a name that may thus refer both to the institution with two campuses and to the City campus building.

The main building was erected in 1907–10 as a folkskola (people's school), originally for a capacity of 2,360 pupils, based on drawings by architect Georg A.

This building formerly housed Åhlinska skolan and is now used for younger children without a specific music curriculum.

Practices are held almost every school day, and each class-choir has a substantial concert program schedule (at churches and auditoriums and other venues).

Students at the school will have sung in class choirs (often a cappella) for 1200 hours by the time they graduate at age 16.

[f] The third festival was held in 2015 with a total of 1,400 young choral singers, including choirs from Bulgaria, Finland, the Philippines, Russia, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Second, the Parent Teacher Organization (AFFF – Adolf Fredriks Föräldraförening) is very active in different ways to promote the school and enhance its academic and musical curriculum.

During the AF fight referred to above AFFF played a very important lobbying role (see external links).

The Student council applies voluntary membership, is student-driven, democratic, and has equal voting rights for all members.

[25] The Team councils are each headed by a President aided by a Secretary, elected at the first meeting of the new school year.

[3][28] In 1999 Per-Åke Byström and Bo Johansson published the Swedish language book Tidernas körklang : en bok om Adolf Fredriks musikklasser, Stockholms musikgymnasium och mycket annat about the choral sound and tradition of Adolf Fredrik's Music School and Stockholms Musikgymnasium.