Popular Music In The Time of Big Band & Swing:
The Greatest Songs of The Swing Era (1935-1945) & Its Legacy of Style
Background: The Swing Era was when big band swing music was at its most popular in America between
the years 1935-1945. This music was heard in 3 places mainly. (1) mainstream AM radio ("Your Hit Parade"
as so many formats were entitled back then), (2) the dance and concert halls where the big bands played,
or soloists like Crosby sang & (3) the Armed Forces USO's & canteens.
Symbols: (v) and (I) stand for vocal (present in recording) and Instrumental (all instrumental) respectively. Noted vocalists or instrumental soloists mentioned made an out-sized contribution to the recording.
Criteria: This list is made up mostly of songs within the "Golden Age of Swing" (1935-1945), plus a few songs from some of the same artists in the same style recorded shortly after the "Golden Age".
(See below the list for more details.)
Edited By: Tom B./John B.
Last Updated 08-07-09
1. Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1937) 2. Take The A Train - Duke Ellington (1941) 3. In The Mood - Glenn Miller Band (1939) 4. Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1938) 5. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) - Billie Holiday (1944) 6. White Christmas - Bing Crosby (1942) 7. Stardust - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940) 8. I'll Never Smile Again - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra & the Pied Pipers (v) (1940) 9. Mack The Knife - Louis Armstrong (1955) 10. Chattanooga Choo-Choo - Glenn Miller Band, w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (v) (1941) 11. String of Pearls - Glenn Miller Band (1942) 12. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon - The Andrews Sisters (1937) 13. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - The Andrews Sisters (1941) 14. At The Woodchoppers Ball - Woody Herman Orchestra (1939, Decca) 15. Jumpin' At The Woodside - Count Basie Orchestra (1938) 16. T'Ain't Whatcha Do - Jimmie Lunceford Band (1939) 17. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie Orchestra (1937) 18. Flying Home - Lionel Hampton Band (1942) 19. Blues In The Night - Woody Herman w/his Orchestra (v) (1941) 20. Tenderly - Randy Brooks & His Orchestra (1946) 21. Sentimental Journey - Les Brown Band w/Doris Day (v) (1945) 22. Sometimes I'm Happy - Lester Young (I) (1943) 23. Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1938) 24. Stardust - Charlie Spivak Orchestra (1943-aircheck) 25. The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me - Sidney Bechet & His Hot Six (1951) 26. Satin Doll - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1953) 27. Solitude - Billie Holiday (1940) 28. Why Don't You Do Right? - Benny Goodman Band w/Peggy Lee (v) (1942) 29. The Man I Love - Benny Goodman Quartet (I) (1937) 30. Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland (1939) 31. It's Only A Paper Moon - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1944) 32. Where Or When - Benny Goodman Trio (I) (1937) 33. Deep Purple - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain, (v) (1938) 34. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire - The Ink Spots (1941) 35. I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan (1937) 36. Nuages - Django Reinhardt (1940) 37. It Might As Well Be Spring - Dick Haymes (1945) 38. Hep Hep The Jumpin' Jive - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1939) 39. Rum and Coca-Cola - The Andrews Sisters (1945, Decca version) 40. Marie - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jack Leonard, vocal (1937) 41. God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday (1941) 42. Stormy Monday Blues - Earl Hines Orchestra, w/Billy Eckstine, vocal (1942) 43. The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole (1946) 44. A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald w/Chick Webb Band (1937) 45. Oh! Look At Me Now - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers (1941) 46. Summertime - Billie Holiday (v) (1936) / Artie Shaw & Orchestra (I) (1945) 47. Glow-Worm - The Mills Brothers (1952) 48. Frenesi - Artie Shaw & Orchestra, (1940) 49. Body & Soul - Coleman Hawkins (1939) 50. I'll Be Seeing You - Tommy Dorsey (Orchestra) w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940-s, 1944-r) 51. If I Loved You - Perry Como (1945) 52. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller (1936) 53. September Song - Sarah Vaughn (v) w/Teddy Wilson Quartet (1946) 54. The Trolley Song - Judy Garland (1944) 55. Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey Band w/Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell (v) (1941) 56. Perfidia - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (1941) 57. Straighten Up & Fly Right - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1942) 58. Let's Get Away From It All - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Frank Sinatra, & The Pied Pipers (1941) 59. Stompin' At The Savoy - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1937) 60. And The Angels Sing - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Ziggy Elman (I) & Martha Tilton (v) (1939) 61. Taking A Chance On Love - Benny Goodman w/Helen Forrest (v) (1940-s, 1943-r) 62. Yes Indeed! - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jo Stafford (v) (1941) 63. Nature Boy - Nat "King" Cole (1948) 64. Night And Day - Billie Holiday (1939) 65. Song of India - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1937) 66. You Always Hurt The One You Love - The Mills Brothers (1944) 67. Moonglow - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940) 68. The Man I Love - Billie Holiday (live, 1946) / (studio, 1939) 69. On The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe - Johnny Mercer (1945) / Judy Garland (1945) [competing versions] 70. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Tommy Dorsey Band w/The Clark Sisters (v) (1944) 71. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie - Fats Waller (1936) 72. Lady Day - Artie Shaw Orchestra w/Roy Eldridge (I) (1944) 73. Choo-Choo Ch'Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1946) 74. Celery Stalks At Midnight - Will Bradley Orchestra (1940) 75. Skyliner - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra (1944) 76. All The Things You Are - Artie Shaw w/Helen Forrest (v) (1939) 77. Long Ago And Far Away - Dick Haymes & Helen Forrest (1944) 78. One For My Baby and One More For The Road - Frank Sinatra (1947) 79. I've Heard That Song Before - Harry James Band w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942) 80. Cherokee - Charlie Barnet (1939) 81. Salt Peanuts - Dizzy Gillespie w/Charlie Parker (1945) 82. Perdido - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1942) 83. With The Wind and The Rain In Your Hair - Bob Chester Band w/Delores O'Neill (v) (1940) 84. All Or Nothing At All - Harry James Band w/Frank Sinatra (1939) 85. Candy - Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford (v) (1945) 86. The Gypsy - The Ink Spots (1946) 87. Artistry In Rhythm - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1943) 88. Opus One - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1944) 89. The House Of Blue Lights - Ella Mae Morse w/Freddy Slack Orchestra (1946) 90. Mr. Five By Five - Ella Mae Morse w/Freddy Slack Band (v) (1942) 91. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson (1931, re-issued 1942) 92. Skylark - Harry James Band w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942) / Maxine Sullivan (v) (1943) 93. Personality - Johnny Mercer (1945) 94. Moonlight In Vermont - Billy Butterfield & His Orchestra w/Margaret Whiting (v) (1945) 95. Fools Rush In - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940) 96. The Mole - Harry James Orchestra (1941) 97. Sweet Lorraine - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1941) 98. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo - Glenn Miller Band, w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (1942) 99. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Les Brown Orchestra (1946-s, 1949-r) 100. Green Eyes - Jimmy Dorsey Band w/Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell (v) (1941) 101. This Nearly Was Mine - Tommy Dorsey w/Victor Young (I) (1950) 102. Tabu - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945) 103. The Man With A Horn - Harry James & His Orchestra (I) (1946) 104. Do You Know What It Means To New Orleans? - Louis Armstrong & His Dixieland Seven (1946, Victor) 105. Early Autumn - Woody Herman Band w/Stan Getz (I) (1948) 106. With A Song In My Heart - Doris Day (v) w/Harry James (1950) 107. After Hours - Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra (1940) 108. The Song Is You - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v)
(Sinatra's farewell to Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, radio broadcast, 1942) 109. These Foolish Things - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Helen Ward (v) (1936) 110. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Fred Astaire (v) / Benny Goodman Trio (I) (live broadcast) (1937, both) 111. I'll Walk Alone - Dinah Shore (1943) 112. Tuxedo Junction - Erskine Hawkins (1939) 113. After You've Gone - Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys (1936) 114. Stormy Weather - Ethel Waters (1933) 115. Tampico - Stan Kenton Orchestra w/June Christy (v) (1945) 116. Besame Mucho - Andy Russell (1944) 117. Going to Chicago - Count Basie Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1941) 118. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues - Jack Teagarden (1939) 119. Sent For You Yesterday and Here You Come Today - Count Basie Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1938) 120. Paper Doll - The Mills Brothers (1942) 121. The White Cliffs Of Dover - Vera Lynn (1942) 122. Night and Day - Fred Astaire (1933) 123. Get Your Kicks On Route 66 - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1942) 124. When It's Sleepytime Down South - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (1931) 125. Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby (1944) 126. If I Didn't Care - The Ink Spots (1939) 127. Not So Quiet, Please - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Buddy Rich (I) (1942) 128. Polka Dots & Moonbeams - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (1940) 129. Prisoner of Love - Perry Como (1945) 130. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday (1939) 131. Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1940) 132. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life - Billie Holiday (1937) 133. My Reverie - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938) 134. Love Walked In - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra w/Bob Eberly (v) (1938) 135. I'll Get By - Dick Haymes w/Harry James Orchestra (1941) 136. Jukebox Saturday Night - Glenn Miller Band w/Tex Benecke & The Modernaires (1942) 137. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire (v) (1935) / Count Basie Orchestra (I) (1949) 138. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire (1937) 139. That's The Way It Is - Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots (1945) 140. Rockin' In Rhythm - Duke Ellington/The Jungle Band (1931, Decca/Brunswick version) 141. Brazil - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra (1942) 142. Exactly Like You - Benny Goodman Quartet w/Lionel Hampton (v) (1936) 143. Loch Lomond - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Martha Tilton (v) (1937) 144. Let Me Off Uptown - Gene Krupa Orchestra w/Roy Eldridge (I) & Anita O'Day (v) (1946) 145. Any Old Time - Billie Holiday (v) w/Artie Shaw Orchestra (1938) 146. For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942) 147. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons - Nat "King" Cole Trio (1946) 148. Ramona - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1942) 149. Cow Cow Boogie - Ella Mae Morse (v) w/Freddy Slack Band (1942) 150. Under An Orange-Colored Sky - Nat "King" Cole Trio w/Stan Kenton Orchestra (1950) 151. Eager Beaver - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1943) 152. Little John Special - Lucky Millinder Orchestra w/Dizzy Gillespie (I) (1942) 153. Some Enchanted Evening - Jo Stafford (1949) 154. Don't Take Your Love From Me - Artie Shaw Band w/Lena Horne (v) (1941) 155. Heaven Can Wait - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Jack Leonard (v) (1939) 156. September Song - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945) 157. The Maid With A Flaccid Air - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1945) 158. The Way You Look Tonight - Fred Astaire (1936) 159. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1937) 160. My Blue Heaven - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940) 161. I Cover The Waterfront - Louis Armstrong & Band (1933) / Billie Holiday (1941) 162. Dear Old Southland - Noble Sissle & His Orchestra w/Sidney Bechet (I) (1937) 163. Tippin' In - Erskine Hawkins (1945) 164. Hit The Road To Dreamland - Betty Hutton (1954) 165. Accentuate The Positive - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters (1944) 166. You'll Never Know - Dick Haymes (1943) 167. Sand In My Shoes - Connie Boswell (1937) 168. The Coffee Song - Frank Sinatra (1946) 169. Basin Street Blues - Benny Goodman Orchestra w/Joe Harris (v) (1934) 170. Summertime - Sidney Bechet (I) (1937) 171. Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1933) 172. Flamingo - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Herb Jeffries (v) (1940) 173. Jeep's Blues - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Johnny Hodges (I) (1938) 174. Sophisticated Lady - Duke Ellington Orchestra (1950 version) 175. Caravan - Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra (1937, Columbia) 176. Harlem Congo - Chick Webb & His Orchestra (1937) 177. Let's Dance - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1939) 178. Serenade Of The Bells - Jo Stafford (1947) 179. All God's Chillin' Got Rhythm - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1937) 180. Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) - Bing Crosby & Connie Boswell (1937) 181. What A Difference A Day Made - Kay Starr (v) w/Charlie Barnet Orchestra (1944) 182. Night and Day - Frank Sinatra (v) w/Axel Stohdahl Orchestra (1943) 183. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good - Duke Ellington Orchestra w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1941) 184. It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing - Duke Ellington Band w/Ivie Anderson (v) (1932) 185. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller Orchestra (1939) 186. The Very Thought of You - Ray Noble Orchestra w/Al Bowlly (v) (1934) 187. Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/Benny Carter Orchestra (1943) 188. If I Had You - Benny Goodman Sextet (1942) 189. Pennsylvania 6-5000 - Glenn Miller Orchestra (1940) 190. Leap Frog - Les Brown Orchestra (1946) 191. Laura - Freddy Martin & His Orchestra (I) (1945) 192. The World Is Waiting For A Sunrise - Mel Powell Sextet w/Benny Goodman (I) (1942) 193. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/The Modernaires /
The Andrews Sisters (1942) [competing versions] 194. I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen - Sammy Kaye Orchestra w/Don Cornell (v) (1943) 195. Well, Git It! - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (I) (1942) 196. East Of The Sun - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1940) 197. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Ella Mae Morse (1943) 198. Diga Diga Doo - Artie Shaw & His Band (live broadcast-1939) 199. Elks Parade - Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra (1942) 200. Daddy - Sammy Kaye Orchestra w/The Kay-Dettes (v) (1941) 201. Intermission Riff - Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1947) 202. Contrasts - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (1940) 203. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington Orchestra (Bluebird/RCA, 1940) 204. Thanks For The Memories - Bob Hope & Shirley Ross (1938) 205. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart - Judy Garland (1938) 206. Rock Me To Sleep - Les Brown Brown w/Lucy Ann Polk (v) (1950) 207. I Got Rhythm - Ethel Waters (1930) 208. Corner Pocket - Count Basie Orchestra (1955) 209. Get On Board, Little Children - Ella Mae Morse (1943) 210. Avalon - Benny Goodman Quartet (1937) 211. I Didn't Know What Time It Is - Artie Shaw, w/Helen Forrest (v) (1939) 212. Flat Foot Floogie - Slim and Slam (1938) 213. Play A Simple Melody - Bing Crosby w/Gary Crosby (1950) 214. I've Got The Sun In The Morning - Les Brown Band w/Doris Day (1946) 215. It Had To Be You - Betty Hutton (1944) 216. The Music Goes Round and Round - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Edythe Wright (v) (1935) 217. In The Still Of The Night - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Jack Leonard (v) (1937) 218. Adios, Maraquita Linda - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940) 219. Night Train - Buddy Morrow (1952) 220. Stardust - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Edythe Wright (v) (1937) 221. Across The Alley From The Alamo - The Mills Brothers (1946) 222. Sunday Kind Of Love - Fran Warren (v) w/The Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1947) 223. Little Joe From Chicago - Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds of Joy (I) (1938) 224. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Red Norvo Orchestra w/Mildred Bailey (v) (1937) 225. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, & Me) - The Ink Spots (1940) 226. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1944) 227. Snowfall - Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1941) 228. The Man I Love - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (I) (1945) 229. The Blues (Part 1 & Part 2) - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1936, Columbia) 230. Finesse (Night Wind) - Rex Stewart w/Django Reinhardt (1939) 231. Fascinating Rhythm - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Arthur Schutt, piano (I) (1943) 232. Jungle Drums - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (I) (1938) 233. Once In A While - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/The Sentimentalists (v) (1937) 234. 720 In The Books - Jan Savitt & His Top-Hatters (1939) 235. I Wish I Knew - Dick Haymes (v) (1945) 236. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano - Glenn Miller Band w/Ray Eberle (v) (1940) 237. Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1930) 238. I'm Free (What's New ?) - Bob Crosby Orchestra w/Billy Butterfield (v) (1938) 239. South Rampart Street Parade - Bob Crosby & His Orchestra (I) (1937) 240. St. James Infirmary - Artie Shaw Orchestra w/"Hot Lips" Paige (v) (1941) 241. Jingle Jangle Jingle - Kay Kyser & His College Of Musical Knowledge (1942) 242. Lover Come Back To Me - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939) 243. Are You Hep To The Jive? - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra (1940) 244. You'll Never Walk Alone - Judy Garland (1945) 245. Cross Your Heart - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940) 246. Smoke Rings - Glen Gray & His Casa Loma Orchestra (1937) 247. Darn That Dream - Mildred Bailey (v)/Benny Goodman Band (1939) 248. He's Funny That Way - Billie Holiday (1937) 249. In A Persian Market - Larry Clinton Orchestra (I) (1938) 250. Dancing In The Dark - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1940) 251. This Year's Kisses - Billie Holiday (v) w/Lester Young (1937) 252. The Woodpecker Song - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/Marion Hutton & The Modernaires (v) (1940) 253. Sugar Blues - Clyde McCoy & His Orchestra (I) (1935) 254. I Hear A Rhapsody - Charlie Barnet Orchestra w/Bob Carroll (v) (1941) 255. Frim Fram Sauce - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald (1946) 256. I Get Along Without You Very Well - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938) 257. 'S Wonderful - Benny Goodman Quartet (1938) 258. Summit Ridge Drive - Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five (1940) 259. Amor - Andy Russell (1944) 260. Gotta Be This Or That - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1945) 261. I Love You - Jo Stafford (1944) 262. You Go To My Head - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938) 263. Blues In The Night - Jimmie Lunceford Band (1942) 264. Dinah - Pee Wee Russell & His Rhythm Makers (1939) 265. It All Comes Back To Me Now - Hal Kemp Orchestra w/Bob Allen (v) (1940) 266. The Nearness Of You - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Helen Southern (v) (1940) 267. G. I. Jive - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1944) 268. I'm Glad There Is You - Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra w/Bob Eberly (v) (1941) 269. He Ain't Got Rhythm - Benny Goodman Band w/Jimmy Rushing (v) (1936) 270. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting (1949) 271. My Heart Stood Still - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra (1939) 272. Pennsylvania Polka - The Andrews Sisters (1942) 273. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evenng - Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman (1951) 274. Drum Boogie - Gene Krupa Orchestra w/Irene Day (v) (1941) 275. Let The Good Times Roll - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1946) 276. Without A Song - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1941) 277. King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1935) 278. South Bayou Shuffle - Hal McIntyre & His Orchestra (1942) 279. Blue Skies - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1941) 280. Elmer's Tune - Glenn Miller Orchestra w/The Modernaires (v) (1939) 281. The Lamp Is Low - Tommy Dorsey Band w/Jack Leonard (v) (1939) 282. When The Saints Go Marching In - Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars (1938) 283. Our Love Is Here To Stay - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1938) 284. I Double Dare You - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (1937) 285. Bounce Me, Brother, With A Solid Four - Will Bradley Orchestra w/Ray McKinley (v) (1941) 286. It Could Happen To You - Jo Stafford (1944) 287. I Remember You - Harry James Orchestra w/Helen Forrest (v) (1942) 288. Back Bay Shuffle - Artie Shaw Orchestra (1938) 289. In The Blue Of Evening - Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/Frank Sinatra (v) (1942) 290. Jersey Bounce - Benny Goodman Orchestra (1942) 291. Willow Weep For Me - Stan Kenton Orchestra w/June Christy (v) (1946) 292. Perfidia - Xavier Cugat Orchestra (I) (1943) 293. Time Waits For No One - Helen Forrest (1944) 294. Pompton Turnpike - Charlie Barnet Orchestra (1940) 295. Big Noise From Winnetka - Members of The Bob Crosby Orchestra (I) (1938) 296. Just A Little Bit South Of North Carolina - Gene Krupa Band w/Anita O' Day (1941) 297. Heartaches - Ted Weems Orchestra w/Elmo Tanner (s-1933, r-1947) 298. Music Makers - Harry James & His Orchestra (1941) 299. Cocktails For Two - Spike Jones & His City Slickers (N) (1944) 300. The Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton Orchestra w/Bea Wain (v) (aircheck-1937)
Criteria:
I. This list is not a pure Top 40 or Top 100 list from this
era; for example, there is no Country & Western or
much in the way of Blues records on this list.
II. The main, or criteria #1, was: Were these songs
likely to be heard or sung in the main big dance halls
of the day, from Coast to Coast, where dancers did the
swing dances like the Lindy, Jitterbug, L.A. Balboa,
or just hung-out for boy-meets-girl purposes?
III. Why are pure pop songs like "Over The Rainbow"
and others included? Well, for one, many of the
famous big bands of the day, like Glenn Miller, or
Larry Clinton, for example, just to name two, came up
with their own versions of the songs, and surely these
were played and performed and sung before their
audiences and dancers. Bea Wain's version with Larry
Clinton big band made it to #10 on the Hit Parade,
even though of course, only Judy Garland's is
remembered, her mega-selling #1 from the movie.
IV. It is not supposed to be a pure Jazz list,
and that's why even some pure jazz influential and
significant records of historical jazz importance are
not included. This list is all about "Your Hit
Parade" radio formats, and the live dance or concert
hall (some many numerous ones throughout the country
at the time, like the Glen Island Casino or Rouge Room
at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York, just to name
two of thousands of performance and dance venues, and
music played or records spun at USO's serving the
fighting GI's overseas.
V. The record has to have either lasting importance
to jazz (and mostly danceable jazz - the big band
stuff mainly), to popular music as a whole, or had to
have been influential to fellow musicians and
songwriters of the day; or it had to have some lasting
impact or critical accolade. Artie Shaw's "Stardust"
was voted #1 popular record of all time by a national
survey of radio DJ's in 1955, for example.
alexa
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stated criteria, and revised considering the competent suggestions of visitors to this website only.
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