Saturday, January 28, 2023

USA: #1 Pop Songs, 1920-1929

USA’s #1 Pop Songs:

1920-1929

These are the #1 pop songs on the United States pop charts from 1920 to 1929. Songs could have hit #1 on either of these charts:

The date indicates the song’s first appearance at #1, regardless of which chart it was. The act associated with the song is then listed. The Gardner book does not indicate specific artists, so the artists identified here are those which also hit #1 on another chart, are the highest-ranked version according to Dave’s Music Database, or are spotlighted as the top version by Gardner.

Then come the letter codes indicating which charts the song topped. The number following that is the number of weeks at #1. The Gardner charts are monthly and not weekly so the #of weeks has been adjusted by multiplying the song’s number of months at #1 by 4. Meanwhile the Sharon Mawer charts are bi-weekly (dated the first and fifteenth of the month) so to reflect a more accurate depiction of how many weeks the song spent at #1, the original # was doubled.

Click here to access a full list of #1 songs from 1890 to present. See other chart-based lists here.

1920:

  1. 1/15: Elizabeth Spencer & Charles Hart “Let the Rest of the World Go By” (GA: 12, SM: 8)
  2. 1/17: Al Jolson “I’ve Got My Captain Working for Me Now” (PM: 2)
  3. 1/31: Ben Selvin “Dardanella” (PM: 13, SM: 6, GA: 4)
  4. 5/1: Ted Lewis “When My Baby Smiles at Me” (PM: 7, SM: 2)
  5. 5/1: Edith Day “Alice Blue Gown” (PM: 1)
  6. 5/8: Al Jolson “Swanee” (PM: 9, SM: 4, GA: 4)
  7. 6/15: Henry Burr “Rose of Washington Square” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  8. 7/15: Art Hickman “Hold Me” (GA: 8, PM: 3)
  9. 9/15: John Steel “The Love Nest” (GA: 8, PM: 4, SM: 4)
  10. 9/25: Marion Harris “St. Louis Blues” (PM: 3)
  11. 10/15: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Whispering” (PM: 11, SM: 10, GA: 8)
  12. 10/16: Art Hickman “The Love Nest” (PM: 2)
  13. 12/11: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “The Japanese Sandman” (PM: 2)

1921:

  1. 1/1: Al Jolson “Avalon” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  2. 1/29: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Wang Wang Blues” (PM: 6)
  3. 2/1: Gene Rodemich “Margie” (GA: 8, SM: 8)
  4. 2/28: Eddie Cantor “Margie” (GA: 8, PM: 5)
  5. 2/28: Al Jolson “Yoo-Hoo” (GA: 4)
  6. 4/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Bright Eyes” (SM: 6, GA: 4)
  7. 4/16: Al Jolson “O-H-I-O (O-My! O!)” (PM: 4)
  8. 5/14: Marion Harris “Look for the Silver Lining” (PM: 3)
  9. 5/15: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “My Mammy” (GA: 8, SM: 6, PM: 5)
  10. 7/1: Van & Schenck “Ain’t We Got Fun?” (SM: 6, GA: 4, PM: 2)
  11. 7/8: Nora Bayes “Make Believe” (PM: 3)
  12. 7/30: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Cherie” (PM: 6)
  13. 8/15: Ted Lewis “All by Myself” (SM: 10, GA: 8, PM: 4)
  14. 8/31: Billy Jones as Victor Roberts “Peggy O’Neil” (GA: 1)
  15. 9/24: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Song of India” (PM: 5)
  16. 11/1: Ted Lewis “Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  17. 11/26: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Say It with Music” (GA: 8, SM: 6, PM: 5)
  18. 12/31: Isham Jones “Wabash Blues” (PM: 6, SM: 2)

1922:

  1. 2/1: Al Jolson “April Showers” (PM: 11, SM: 2)
  2. 2/15: Ray Miller “The Sheik of Araby” (SM: 8, GA: 4)
  3. 3/25: Fanny Brice “My Man” (PM: 1)
  4. 4/15: Ray Miller “On the Gin-Gin-Ginny Shore” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  5. 5/1: Al Jolson “Angel Child” (PM: 5, GA: 4, SM: 4)
  6. 6/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Three O’Clock in the Morning” (SM: 14, GA: 12, PM: 8)
  7. 6/10: Isham Jones “On the Alamo” (PM: 4)
  8. 7/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Stumbling” (SM: 8, GA: 8, PM: 6)
  9. 7/8: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Do It Again” (PM: 2)
  10. 9/2: Ernest Hare & Billy Jones “Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Shean” (GA: 8, PM: 2)
  11. 9/16: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Hot Lips” (PM: 6)
  12. 10/28: Gallagher & Shean “Mr. Gallagher & Mr. Shean” (GA: 8, PM: 6, SM: 4)
  13. 12/9: Henry Burr “My Buddy” (SM: 2, PM: 1)

1923:

  1. 1/1: Van & Schenck “Carolina in the Morning” (GA: 8, SM: 8, PM: 3)
  2. 1/6: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” (PM: 1)
  3. 1/13: Al Jolson “Toot Toot Tootsie (Goo’bye)” (PM: 4)
  4. 3/1: Nora Bayes “Lovin’ Sam, the Sheik of Alabam’” (SM: 2)
  5. 3/15: Paul Specht “When Hearts Are Young” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  6. 4/1: Marion Harris “Aggravatin’ Papa” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  7. 4/7: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” (PM: 7)
  8. 5/1: Sophie Tucker “You’ve Got to See Mama Ev’ry Night or You Can’t See Mama at All” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  9. 5/15: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Bambalina” (SM: 2, PM: 1)
  10. 5/26: Carl Fenton “Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses” (PM: 3)
  11. 6/1: Isham Jones “Who’s Sorry Now” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  12. 6/23: Art Landry “Dreamy Melody” (PM: 3)
  13. 7/1: Billy Jones “Yes! We Have No Bananas” (SM: 10, GA: 8, PM: 5)
  14. 7/14: Bessie Smith “Down Hearted Blues” (PM: 4)
  15. 7/31: Ben Selvin “Yes! We Have No Bananas” (GA: 8, PM: 2)
  16. 8/11: Isham Jones “Swingin’ Down the Lane” (PM: 6)
  17. 9/15: Henry Burr “Just a Girl That Men Forget” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  18. 10/1: Billy Murray & Ed Smalle “That Old Gang of Mine” (GA: 8, SM: 8, PM: 6)
  19. 12/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “I Love You” (SM: 10, GA: 8)
  20. 12/22: Eddie Cantor “No, No, Nora” (PM: 2)

1924:

  1. 1/5: Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians “Sleep” (PM: 5)
  2. 1/26: Arthur Gibbs “Charleston” (PM: 1)
  3. 2/15: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Linger Awhile” (GA: 8, SM: 6, PM: 4)
  4. 2/16: Wendell Hall “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’” (GA: 8, PM: 6, SM: 4)
  5. 3/29: Ted Weems “Somebody Stole My Gal” (PM: 5)
  6. 4/1: Al Jolson “California, Here I Come!” (PM: 6, SM: 6, GA: 4)
  7. 6/15: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “What’ll I Do?” (SM: 16, GA: 12, PM: 5)
  8. 7/19: Isham Jones “Spain” (PM: 2)
  9. 9/6: Isham Jones “It Had to Be You” (PM: 5)
  10. 10/11: Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians “Memory Lane” (PM: 5)
  11. 10/15: International Novelty Orchestra with Billy Murray “Charley, My Boy” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  12. 11/15: Al Jolson “I Wonder What’s Become of Sally?” (GA: 12, SM: 8, PM: 3)
  13. 12/6: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Somebody Loves Me” (PM: 5)

1925:

  1. 1/10: Al Jolson “All Alone” (SM: 12, GA: 8, PM: 5)
  2. 2/7: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “All Alone” (PM: 3)
  3. 2/28: Marion Harris “Tea for Two” (PM: 3)
  4. 3/21: Johm McCormack “All Alone” (PM: 2)
  5. 4/4: Isham Jones with Ray Miller’s Orchestra “I’ll See You in My Dreams” (PM: 7, GA: 4, SM: 4)
  6. 5/15: Blossom Seeley “Alabamy Bound” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  7. 5/23: Ted Lewis “O! Katharina” (PM: 1)
  8. 5/30: Vernon Dalhart “The Prisoner’s Song” (PM: 12, GA: 8, SM: 8)
  9. 6/15: Gene Austin “Yearning Just for You” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  10. 7/4: Ben Bernie “Sweet Georgia Brown” (PM: 5)
  11. 7/15: Eddie Cantor “If You Knew Susie” (GA: 8, PM: 5, SM: 4)
  12. 8/15: Fred Waring “Collegiate” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  13. 9/12: Gene Austin with Billy Carpenter “Yes Sir! That’s My Baby” (SM: 8, PM: 7, GA: 4)
  14. 10/31: Ben Selvin “Oh, How I Miss You Tonight” (PM: 3)
  15. 11/15: Isham Jones “Remember” (SM: 6, GA: 4, PM: 1)
  16. 11/21: Ben Selvin “Manhattan” (PM: 4)
  17. 11/30: John McCormack “Moonlight and Roses Bring Mem’ries of You” (GA: 1)

1926:

  1. 2/13: George Olsen “Who?” (PM: 6)
  2. 3/15: Cliff Edwards “Dinah” (SM: 2)
  3. 3/27: Ben Bernie “Sleepy Time Gal” (PM: 4)
  4. 4/17: Al Jolson “I’m Sitting on Top of the World” (PM: 2)
  5. 4/30: George Olsen with Fran Frey, Bob Rice, & Edward Joyce “Always” (GA: 12, SM: 10, PM: 3)
  6. 4/30: Vincent Lopez “Always” (GA: 12, PM: 2)
  7. 5/22: Gene Austin “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” (PM: 1)
  8. 6/15: Gene Austin with Fran Frey “Horses” (SM: 4)
  9. 6/19: “Whispering” Jack Smith “Gimme a Lil’ Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?” (PM: 2)
  10. 7/3: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra with Franklyn Baur “Valencia (A Song of Spain)” (PM: 11, GA: 8, SM: 4)
  11. 7/31: Al Jolson “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain if I Knew I’d Find You” (GA: 4)
  12. 9/4: Gene Austin “Bye Bye, Blackbird” (GA: 4, SM: 4, PM: 3)
  13. 10/2: Al Jolson “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin’ Along” (PM: 2)
  14. 10/15: Jan Garber with Benny Davis “Baby Face” (PM: 6, SM: 6, GA: 4)
  15. 11/27: Johnny Marvin “Breezin’ Along with the Breeze” (PM: 2)
  16. 12/1: Johnny Hamp “Black Bottom” (SM: 2)
  17. 12/11: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “The Birth of the Blues” (PM: 4)
  18. 12/15: Henry Burr “Because I Love You” (GA: 4, SM: 2)

1927:

  1. 1/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra with Jack Fulton “In a Little Spanish Town” (SM: 10, GA: 8, PM: 8)
  2. 3/5: Sophie Tucker with Ted Lewis “Some of These Days” (PM: 5)
  3. 3/15: Ben Selvin “Blue Skies” (GA: 8, SM: 6, PM: 2)
  4. 4/9: Gene Austin “Tonight You Belong to Me” (PM: 3)
  5. 5/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “It All Depends on You” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  6. 5/14: Ben Bernie “Ain’t She Sweet?” (PM: 4)
  7. 6/1: Nick Lucas “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  8. 6/11: George Olsen “At Sundown (When Love Is Calling Me Home)” (PM: 3)
  9. 7/1: Roger Wolfe Kahn “Russian Lullaby” (GA: 4, SM: 4, PM: 3)
  10. 7/2: Moran & Mack “Two Black Crows – Parts 1 & 2 (The Early Bird Catches the Worm)” (PM: 5)
  11. 8/1: “Whispering” Jack Smith “Me and My Shadow” (GA: 4, PM: 4, SM: 4)
  12. 8/6: Gene Austin “Forgive Me” (PM: 1)
  13. 9/1: Guy Lombardo “Charmaine!” (SM: 10, GA: 8, PM: 7)
  14. 11/15: Ben Selvin “Miss Annabelle Lee (Who’s Wonderful, Who’s Marvelous)” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  15. 11/19: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “My Blue Heaven” (PM: 1)
  16. 11/26: Red Nichols “Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider” (PM: 3)
  17. 12/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Just a Memory” (GA: 4, SM: 4)
  18. 12/17: Gene Austin “My Blue Heaven” (PM: 13, GA: 8, SM: 8)

1928:

  1. 3/1: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Among My Souvenirs” (SM: 6, GA: 4, PM: 4)
  2. 4/14: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Together” (GA: 4, PM: 2, SM: 2)
  3. 4/28: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Ol’ Man River” (PM: 1)
  4. 5/1: Gene Austin “Ramona” (GA: 12, SM: 12, PM: 8)
  5. 5/5: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Ramona” (GA: 12, PM: 3)
  6. 7/21: Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians “Laugh, Clown, Laugh!” (PM: 1)
  7. 7/28: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “My Angel (Angela Mia)” (GA: 8, PM: 6)
  8. 8/1: Vincent Lopez “My Angel (Angela Mia)” (GA: 8, SM: 8)
  9. 9/8: Gene Austin “Jeannine (I Dream of Lilac Time)” (GA: 8, SM: 6, PM: 5)
  10. 10/13: Cliff Edwards as Ukelele Ike “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (PM: 1)
  11. 10/20: Al Jolson “Sonny Boy” (PM: 12, GA: 8, SM: 8)
  12. 12/1: Al Jolson “There’s a Rainbow Round My Shoulder” (PM: 2)

1929:

  1. 1/15: Ben Selvin with Jack Palmer “You’re the Cream in My Coffee” (SM: 2)
  2. 1/26: Guy Lombardo with Carmen Lombardo “Sweethearts on Parade” (GA: 4, SM: 4, PM: 3)
  3. 2/16: Gene Austin “Carolina Moon” (PM: 7, GA: 4, SM: 4)
  4. 3/1: Ruth Etting “I’ll Get by As Long As I Have You” (SM: 2)
  5. 3/23: George Olsen with Ethel Sutta “A Precious Little Thing Called Love” (PM: 2, SM: 4)
  6. 4/15: Rudy Vallee “Weary River” (GA: 4, SM: 2)
  7. 4/20: Rudy Vallee “Honey” (PM: 8, SM: 2)
  8. 5/31: Leo Reisman “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” (GA: 8, PM: 4, SM: 4)
  9. 7/1: Bob Haring with the Copley Plaza Orchestra “Pagan Love Song” (GA: 8, SM: 8, PM: 4)
  10. 8/10: Cliff Edwards as Ukelele Ike “Singin’ in the Rain” (PM: 3)
  11. 8/31: Al Jolson “Little Pal” (PM: 5)
  12. 9/1: Ethel Waters “Am I Blue?” (GA: 8, SM: 6, PM: 2)
  13. 10/15: Nick Lucas “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” (SM: 12, PM: 10, GA: 8)
  14. 12/28: Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra “Great Day” (PM: 2)

Resources/Related Links:

First posted 1/28/2023.

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