James Lyon (July 1, 1735 – October 12, 1794) was an American composer of the colonial and Federal eras in New England.
Lyon became a Presbyterian minister, and left from Philadelphia for Nova Scotia, but he was unable to support his family, and subsequently accepted a job at the new settlement of Machias, Maine.
In 1761, when a candidate for a master's degree at the College of Philadelphia, one of his works was performed on the same program as an Ode by Francis Hopkinson.
While living in Philadelphia, Lyon produced his Urania, or A Choice Collection of Psalm-Tunes, Anthems and Hymns in 1761.
Though many early historians stated that Urania was a failure, it was the first music collection compiled by an American composer and rather progressive and influential.