Louis Armstrong - Happy 100th Birthday!: Top 50 Songs

Louis Armstrong Top 50 Songs

Jazz great Louis Armstrong is easily one of the most important American musical figures of all time. He ranks in the top ten of the DMDB’s Top 100 Music Makers of the Pre-Rock Era list. The renouned singer and trumpet player was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901 and died of heart failure on July 6, 1971. By 1918 he was protégé of King Oliver and when Armstrong went to Chicago to join Olivier’s band, it was at the dawn of a new jazz age. By 1926, “Satchmo” formed his own band and recorded songs which helped create a new international audience for jazz. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. 1. St. Louis Blues (with Bessie Smith, 1925) 2. What a Wonderful World (1967) 3. Hello, Dolly! (1964) 4. Stardust (1931) * 5. West End Blues (1928) 6. St. Louis Blues (1930) * 7. All of Me (1932) 8. When the Saints Go Marching In (1939) 9. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1937) * 10. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1929) * 11. I Got Rhythm (1932) * 12. I’m in the Mood for Love (1935) * 13. Summertime (with Ella Fitzgerald, 1960) * 14. Body and Soul (1932) * 15. Cabaret (1968) 16. After You’ve Gone (1932) * 17. Mack the Knife (1956) * 18. Memories of You (1930) 19. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues (1933) 20. Potato Head Blues (1927) 21. Heebie Jeebies (1926) 22. St. James Infirmary (1929) 23. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (1932) 24. Struttin’ with Some Barbeque (1928) 25. When You’re Smiling (1929) * 26. Red Sails in the Sunset (1936) * 27. The Peanut Vendor (El Manciero) (1931) * 28. La Vie En Rose (1950) * 29. Chinatown, My Chinatown (1932) * 30. Basin Street Blues (with Earl Hines and Mancy Cara, 1938) * 31. A Kiss to Build a Dream On (1951) 32. Jeepers Creepers (1939) * 33. Love Walked In (1938) 34. Muskrat Ramble (1926) 35. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (1929) * 36. What a Wonderful World (with Kenny G, 1999) * 37. Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now (1932) 38. Rockin’ Chair (with Hoagy Carmichael, 1932) 39. Weather Bird (with Earl Hines, 1928) 40. Hotter Than That (1928) 41. Blueberry Hill (1956) * 42. That Lucky Old Sun (1949) * 43. If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight (1930) * 44. You Can Depend on Me (1932) 45. Love You Funny Thing (1932) 46. Lazy River (1931) 47. You Are My Lucky Star (1935) * 48. Once in a While (1938) * 49. Shine (1932) 50. Darling Nellie Gray (with the Mills Brothers, 1937) * In the event of multiple versions of a song, the DMDB typically recognizes only the highest ranked version. These songs, while all recorded by Armstrong, were recorded by other artists who had higher ranked versions. Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Louis Armstrong Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 8/4/2012; last updated 6/5/2022.