Showing posts with label Body and Soul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Body and Soul. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2026

Joe Jackson: A Retrospective (1978-2026)

Joe Jackson

A Retrospective: 1978-2026

Overview:

Singer/songwriter and musician Joe Jackson was born David Ian Jackson on August 11, 1954, in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. He started learning to play the violin at age 11, but switched to piano after a couple of years. When he was 16, he started playing piano in bars. At 18, he won a scholarship to study musical composition at London’s Royal Academy of Music.

He was signed to A&M Records in 1978. His debut album, Look Sharp!, produced the memorable new wave hit “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” and earned him comparisons with contemporaries such as Elvis Costello and Graham Parker. However, he veered more toward jazz with his next few albums.

Jackson found his greatest success in 1982 with Night and Day. The album reached the top 10 in the U.S. and UK, supported by the top-10 hit “Steppin’ Out” and top-20 hit “Breaking Us in Two.” He had another top-20 hit in 1984 with “You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want” from his 1984 Body and Soul album.

1989 marked Jackson’s last album (Blaze of Glory) with A&M Records. It capped his most commercial, pop-oriented years. In the ‘90s, he would venture into classical music, even signing with Sony Classical and releasing three albums with them.

He returned to more rock-oriented fare with 2003’s Volume 4 after signing with Rykodisc. After one more album with them, however, Jackson switched labels yet again, this time signing with Ear Music. He once again retreated to another familiar genre – jazz. He released The Duke, a tribute to Duke Ellington, in 2012. As of 2026, Jackson has released five studio albums with the label.


Links

Compilations


Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted. If the song charted, the date of the song’s release or first chart appearance and its chart peaks are noted in parentheses. Click for codes to charts.


Spotify Playlist

Check out my Spotify playlist Joe Jackson 1978-1989 to get all the songs from Stepping Out: The Very Best of, Greatest Hits, and Steppin’ Out: The Collection in one playlist.

Look Sharp! (1979):

  • Is She Really Going Out with Him? (Oct. ’78, 21 BB, 21 CB, 16 HR, 17 RR, 6 CL, 2 CO, 13 UK, 9 CN, 15 AU, 3 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Sunday Papers (Feb. ’79, 42 CL, 6 CO, 14 DF) GH, TI, UC, CT
  • One More Time (5/18/79, 46 CL, 33 CO) TI, UC
  • Fools in Love (June ’79, 21, CL, 36 CO) VB, TI, UC, CT
  • Pretty Girls (single, 21 CL, 36 CO)
  • Look Sharp! (19 CL, 36 CO, 21 DF) GH, TI, CT
  • Got the Time TI, CT


I’m the Man (1979):

  • I’m the Man (9/25/79, 45 CL, 8 CO, 23 CN, 21 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Come On (live) (9/25/79, B-side of “I’m the Man”) * UC, CT
  • It’s Different for Girls (11/30/79, 5 UK, 85 AU, 14 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Kinda Kute (3/12/80, 91 CN) UC
  • On Your Radio TI, CT
  • Amateur Hour TI
  • Get That Girl CT
  • Don’t Wanna Be Like That TI
  • Friday (single, 22 CL, 36 CO)

* not on the original album but added later as a bonus track


“The Harder They Come” (single, 1980):

  • The Harder They Come (June ’80) UC, CT
  • Tilt (June ’80, B-side of “The Harder They Come”) TI, CT


Beat Crazy (1980):

  • Mad at You (10/3/80) UC, CT
  • Pretty Boys (Nov. ’80) UC
  • One to One (Nov. ’80) TI, UC, CT
  • Beat Crazy (Jan. ’81, 47 CL, 38 CO, 21 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Biology TI, CT
  • Someone Up There TI


Jumpin’ Jive (1981):

  • Jumpin’ Jive (June ’81, 28 CO, 43 UK, 61 AU) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Jack, You’re Dead (Aug. ’81) UC, CT
  • What’s the Use of Getting Sober When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again TI, CT
  • Is You is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby CT
  • Five Guys Named Moe CT


Night and Day (1982):

  • Real Men (6/11/82, 89 UK, 6 AU, 8 DF) TI, UC, CT
  • Breaking Us in Two (8/13/82, 18 BB, 17 CB, 8 RR, 8 AC, 4 CO, 59 U, 40 CN, 90 AU, 11 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Steppin’ Out (Aug. ’82, 6 BB, 5 CB, 2 RR, 4 AC, 7 AR, 2 CO, 6 UK, 5 CN, 30 AU, 1 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Another World (Oct. ’82) TI, UC, CT
  • A Slow Song (May ’83, 12 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Chinatown TI
  • Cancer (18 CO, 16 DF)


Mike’s Murder (soundtrack, 1983):

  • Cosmopolitan (Aug. ’83, 26 DF) CT
  • Memphis (Nov. ’83, 85 BB, 35 CO, 15 DF) GH
  • Moonlight (single, 24 DF)
  • 1-2-3 Go (This Town’s a Fairground) CT
  • Laundromat Monday CT


Body and Soul (1984):

  • You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want (3/31/84, 15 BB, 19 CB, 13 RR, 13 AC, 12 AR, 4 CO, 77 UK, 30 CN, 96 AU, 8 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Happy Ending (with Elaine Caswell) (4/20/1984, 57 BB, 14 CO, 58 UK, 47 AU, 24 DF) TI, UC, CT
  • Be My Number Two (June ’84, 35 CO, 70 UK, 19 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Cha Cha Loco (single) UC, CT
  • Not Here, Not Now (24 DF) TI, CT
  • Go for It (single, 24 DF)
  • The Verdict (single)


Big World (1986):

  • Right and Wrong (4/12/86, 11 AR, 25 CO, 90 UK, 64 AU, 20 DF) VB, GH, TI, CT
  • Home Town (June ’86, 27 DF) VB, GH, TI, CT
  • The Jet Set (July ’86)
  • Tango Atlantico (single)
  • It’s a Big World (27 DF) CT
  • Forty Years CT
  • Precious Time TI
  • Wild West (single) TI


Pretty in Pink (soundtrack, 1986):

  • Left of Center (with Suzanne Vega) (5/26/86, 6 CO, 32 UK, 36 AU, 3 DF)


Will Power (1987):

  • Nocturne (May ’87)
  • Will Power CT


Tucker (soundtrack, 1988):

  • He’s a Shape in a Drape (11/14/88, 73 CN, 95 AU) UC, CT


Blaze of Glory (1989):

  • Nineteen Forever (4/22/89, 16 AR, 4 MR, 59 CN, 80 AU, 17 DF) VB, GH, TI, UC, CT
  • Down to London (10/2/89, 27 DF) VB, GH, TI, CT
  • Blaze of Glory (Dec. ’89, 24 DF)
  • The Human Touch (34 DF) TI, CT
  • Me and You Against the World (37 DF) TI, CT

Stepping Out: The Very Best of

Joe Jackson


Recorded: 1979-1989


Released: September 3, 1990

Peak: -- US, 7 UK, -- CN, 13 AU


Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.10 UK


Genre: new wave

Tracks:

(1) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (2) Fools in Love (3) I’m the Man (4) It’s Different for Girls (5) Beat Crazy (6) Jumpin’ Jive (7) Breaking Us in Two (8) Steppin’ Out (9) A Slow Song (live) (10) You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want (11) Be My Number Two (12) Right and Wrong (13) Home Town (14) Down to London (15) Nineteen Forever


About the Album:

Joe Jackson’s first compilation is a pretty good overview of his A&M years from 1979 to 1989, although the 1996 Greatest Hits is a superior collection.

Greatest Hits

Joe Jackson


Recorded: 1979-1989


Released: May 7, 1996

Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: new wave

Tracks:

(1) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (2) Look Sharp! (3) Sunday Papers (4) I’m the Man (5) It’s Different for Girls (6) Beat Crazy (7) Jumpin’ Jive (8) Breaking Us in Two (9) Steppin’ Out (10) A Slow Song (live) (11) Memphis (12) You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want (13) Be My Number Two (14) Right and Wrong (15) Home Town (16) Down to London (17) Nineteen Forever


About the Album:

This is essentially a retread of the 1990 collection Stepping Out: The Very Best of, although this is the superior collection, adding songs like “Sunday Papers” and “Memphis” that weren’t on the first collection.

This Is It! (The A&M Years)

Joe Jackson


Recorded: 1979-1989


Released: March 1997

Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: new wave

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (2) Fools in Love (3) One More Time (4) Sunday Papers (5) Look Sharp! (6) Got the Time (live) (7) On Your Radio (8) It’s Different for Girls (9) Don’t Wanna Be Like That (10) Amateur Hour (11) I’m the Man (12) Tilt (13) Someone Up There (14) One to One (15) Beat Crazy (16) Biology (17) Jumpin’ Jive (18) What’s the Use of Getting Sober When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again (19) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (live a cappella version) (20) Another World

Tracks, Disc 2:

(1) Breaking Us in Two (2) Chinatown (3) Real Men (4) Steppin’ Out (5) A Slow Song (6) You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want (7) Not Here, Not Now (8) Be My Number Two (9) Happy Ending (with Elaine Caswell) (10) Wild West (11) Right and Wrong (12) Home Town (13) Precious Time (14) Me and You Against the World (15) Down to London (16) Nineteen Forever (17) The Human Touch


About the Album:

Jackson doesn’t have enough hits to warrant a double anthology, making this collection fairly unnecessary. What’s more, it skips over several of his albums (Mike’s Murder, Will Power, Tucker) from this period entirely.

Steppin’ Out: The Collection

Joe Jackson


Recorded: 1979-1989


Released: September 29, 2014

Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: new wave

Tracks:

(1) One More Time (2) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (3) Sunday Papers (4) Got the Time (5) It’s Different for Girls (6) I’m the Man (7) Beat Crazy (8) Mad at You (9) Jumpin’ Jive (10) Real Men (11) Steppin’ Out (12) Breaking Us in Two (13) Memphis (14) You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want (15) Be My Number Two (16) Right and Wrong (17) Home Town (18) Down to London (19) Nineteen Forever


About the Album:

The fourth compilation covering Jackson’s A&M years from 1979 to 1989. The Greatest Hits set from 1996 is the best bet.

Laughter & Lust (1991):

  • Stranger Than Fiction (4/8/91, 79 CN) UC, CT
  • Obvious Song (5/4/91, 28 AR, 2 MR)
  • Hit Single (May ’91, --)
  • Oh Well (Sept. ’91, 25 AR, 20 MR)
  • When You’re Not Around CT


Night Music (1994):

  • Ever After (single)


A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC (various artists, 1995):

  • Statue of Liberty (single, 24 DF)


Heaven & Hell (1997):

  • Angel (Lust) (single)
  • Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice (Sloth)


Summer in the City: Live in New York City (live, 2000):

  • Summer in the City CT
  • The In-Crowd CT


Night and Day II (2000):

  • Stranger Than You (single) UC, CT
  • Glamour and Pain (with Dale DeVere) (single) CT
  • Happyland CT

The Ultimate Collection

Joe Jackson


Recorded: 1979-2000


Released: September 29, 2003

Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: new wave

Tracks:, Disc 1

(1) Fools in Love (2) Is She Really Going Out with Him (3) One More Time (4) Sunday Papers (5) I’m the Man (6) Come On (live) (7) Kinda Kute (8) It’s Different for Girls (9) One to One (10) Pretty Boys (11) Mad at You (12) The Harder They Come (13) Beat Crazy (14) Jack You’re Dead (15) Jumpin’ Jive

Tracks, Disc 2:

(1) Another World (2) Steppin’ Out (3) Real Men (4) A Slow Song (5) Breaking Us in Two (6) Cha Cha Loco (7) Be My Number Two (8) You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You Want (9) Happy Ending (with Elaine Caswell) (10) Is She Really Going Out with Him (live a cappella) (11) Jumpin’ Jive (live) (12) He’s a Shape in a Drape (13) Nineteen Forever (14) Stranger Than Fiction (15) Stranger Than You (live)


About the Album:

This two-disc collection would seemingly add another decade’s worth of material since it stretches to 2000 while previous sets stopped in 1989. Alas, that’s barely the case considering there are only two post-1989 songs. Also, for no clear reason, this set was paired with Jackson’s 1983 Mike’s Murder soundtrack.


Volume 4 (2003):

  • Awkward Age (2/17/03)
  • Chrome (7/14/03)

  • In 20-0-3 (non-album single, 2/16/04)


Rain (2008):

  • Invisible Man (1/17/08)
  • King Pleasure (11/17/08) CT
  • Too Tough (single) CT

Collected

Joe Jackson


Recorded: 1979-2008


Released: October 5, 2010

Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: new wave

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) Fools in Love (2) Is She Really Going Out with Him (3) Look Sharp! (4) Got the Time (5) Sunday Papers (6) It’s Different for Girls (7) I’m the Man (8) On Your Radio (9) Get That Girl (10) Tilt (11) Biology (12) Mad at You (13) Beat Crazy (14) One to One (15) The Harder They Come (16) Jack, You’re Dead (17) Jumpin’ Jive (18) Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby (19) Five Guys Named Moe (20) What’s the Use of Getting Sober When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again

Tracks, Disc 2:

(1) Another World (2) Steppin’ Out (3) Real Men (4) A Slow Song (5) Breaking Us in Two (6) Cosmopolitan (7) 1-2-3 Go (This Town’s a Fairground) (8) Laundromat Monday (9) Cha Cha Loco (10) Be My Number Two (11) You Can’t Get What You Want Till You Know What You What (12) Happy Ending (with Elaine Caswell) (13) Not Here, Not Now (14) Will Power (15) He’s a Shape in a Drape (16) Nineteen Forever (17) Down to London

Tracks, Disc 3:

(1) The Human Touch (2) Me and You Against the World (3) When You’re Not Around (4) Stranger Than Fiction (5) Glamour and Pain (with Dale DeVere) (6) Happyland (7) Too Tough (8) King Pleasure Time (9) Come On (live) (10) Right and Wrong (live) (11) It’s a Big World (live) (12) Forty Years (live) (13) Home Town (live) (14) Is She Really Going Out with Him? (live a cappella) (15) Jumpin’ Jive (live) (16) Summer in the City (live) (17) The In-Crowd/Down to London (live) (18) Stranger Than You (live)


About the Album:

It took a box set in 2010 to finally recognize that Joe Jackson had a career beyond 1989. This three-disc set devotes nearly a full disc to Jackson’s post-1989 work.


Fast Forward (2015):

  • Fast Forward (8/14/15)
  • The Blue Time (9/4/15)
  • Ode to Joy (9/18/15)
  • If It Wasn’t for You (10/2/15)
  • A Little Smile (2/19/16)


Fool (2019):

  • Fabulously Absolute (10/9/18)
  • Strange Land (11/30/18)
  • Friend Better (1/8/19)
  • Night by Night (single)
  • Peter Gunn (single)


What a Racket! (2023):

  • Health & Safety (9/27/23)
  • What a Racket! (10/25/23)


Hope and Fury (2026):

  • Welcome to Burning-by-Sea (12/10/25)
  • Fabulous People (2/4/26, 1 DF)
  • After All This Time (3/18/26)

Resources/References:


Related DMDB Links:


First posted 5/10/2026.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Most-Recorded Songs, 1890-1954: Top 100

Most-Recorded Songs, 1890-1954:

Top 100 Songs

This list comes from Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954. As it says in the book, “During the pre-rock era, one of the most important indicators of a song’s enduring musical greatness was the number of artists to record it. This list represents the most comprehensive survey ever made of the pre-1955 songs which have been recorded by the most artists (multiple versions by an artist do not count). It encompasses: Edison and Columbia cylinders; all 78s in the extensive collections of the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, and the Syracuse, Stanford and Yale Uniiversity Libraries; and all new Recordaid listings from the 1950s to the present. Songs written before 1955 but most popular later, such as ‘Misty’ and ‘Autumn Leaves,’ are not included. The year published and the songwriters are shown after the title.”

Note: click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

1. “Silent Night” (1818) by Joseph Muhr and Franz Gruber
2. “St. Louis Blues” (1914) by W.C. Handy
3. “Stardust” (1929) by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish
4. “Body and Soul” (1930) by Johnny Green, Ed Heyman, Robert Sauer, and Frank Eyton
5. “Summertime” (1935) by George Gershwin and Dubose Heyward
6. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851) by Stephen Foster
7. “Tea for Two” (1925) by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar
8. “White Christmas” (1942) by Irving Berlin
9. “All the Things You Are” (1939) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
10. “Night and Day” (1932) by Cole Porter

11. “Begin the Beguine” (1935) by Cole Porter
12. “Danny Boy” (1913) by Fred Weatherly (adapted from “Londonberry Air”)
13. “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925) by Maceo Pinkard, Keneth Casey, and Ben Bernie
14. “The Man I Love” (1924) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
15. “Over the Rainbow” (1939) by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
16. “Caravan” (1937) by Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol, and Irving Mills
17. “After You’ve Gone” (1918) by Turner Layton and Harry Creamer
18. “Yesterdays” (1933) by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach
19. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929) by Fats Waller, Harry Brooks, and Andy Razaf
20. “Lover, Come Back to Me” (1928) by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II

21. “What Is This Thing Called Love?” (1930) by Cole Porter
22. “I Can’t Get Started” (1936) by Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin
23. “Jingle Bells” (1857) by J.S. Pierpont
24. “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928) by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
25. “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853) by Stephen Foster
26. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1896) by James Black and Katharine Purvis
27. “Tenderly” (1947) by Walter Gross and Jack Lawrence
28. “Blue Skies” (1927) by Irving Berlin
29. “September Song” (1938) by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson
30. “My Blue Heaven” (1927) by Walter Donaldson and George Whiting

31. “Always” (1925) by Irving Berlin
32. “Tiger Rag” (1917) by Harry DeCosta and Original Dixieland Jazz Band
33. “The Rosary” (1898) by Ethelbert Nevins and Robert Cameron Rogers
34. “Home, Sweet Home” (1823) by Henry Bishop and John Howard Payne
35. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (1933) by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach
36. “These Foolish Things Remind Me of You” (1936) by Jack Strachey, Harry Link, and Holt Marvell
37. “Ol’ Man River” (1928) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
38. “Limehouse Blues” (1924) by Philip Braham and Douglas Furber
39. “Sheik of Araby” (1923) by Ted Snyder, Harry B. Smith, and Francis Wheeler
40. “Embraceable You” (1930) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin

41. “My Funny Valentine” (1937) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
42. “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933) by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
43. “Twelfth Street Rag” (1914) by Euday L. Bowman
44. “Blue Moon” (1935) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
45. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (1863) by Julia Ward Howe and William Steffe
46. “My Melancholy Baby” (1913) by Ernie Burnett and George Norton
47. “I Got Rhythm” (1930) by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
48. “Honeysuckle Rose” (1929) by Fats Waller and Anzy Razaf
49. “Love’s Old Sweet Song” (1884) by G. Clifton Bingham and James Mulloy
50. “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (1896) by John Philip Sousa

51. “Where or When” (1937) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
52. “Laura” (1945) by David Raskin and Johnny Mercer
53. “Mood Indigo” (1931) by Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, and Irving Mills
54. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (1946) by Mel Torme and Robert Wells
55. “Love for Sale” (1930) by Cole Porter
56. “Georgia on My Mind” (1930) by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell
57. “San Antonio Rose” (1938) by Bob Wills
58. “How High the Moon” (1940) by Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton
59. “Someone to Watch Over Me” (1926) by George Gershwin and Ira Gerswhin
60. “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1934) by Harry Warren and Al Dublin

61. “Sweet Sue, Just You” (1928) by Victor Young and Will Harris
62. “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1917) by Shelton Brooks
63. “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930) by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
64. “Silver Threads Among the Gold” (1877) by Hart P. Danks and Eben Rexford
65. “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935) by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
66. “Deep Purple” (1933) by Peter DeRose and Mitchell Parish
67. “Sometimes I’m Happy” (1925) by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar
68. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1934) by Cole Porter
69. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814) by Francis Scott Key
70. “Easy to Love” (1936) by Cole Porter

71. “Avalon” (1921) by B.G. DeSylva, Vincent Rose, and Al Jolson
72. “Willow Weep for Me” (1932) by Ann Ronell
73. “Dinah” (1925) by Harry Akst, Sam Lewis, and Joe Young
74. “Moonglow” (1934) by Will Hudson, Eddie DeLange, and Irving Mills
75. “Auld Lang Syne” (1711) adapted by Robert Burns
76. “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” (1879) by James A. Bland
77. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) by Irving Berlin
78. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1934) by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie
79. “Basin Street Blues” (1929) by Spencer Williams
80. “Sweet Lorraine” (1935) by Clifford Burwell and Mitchell Parish

81. “I’ll Remember April” (1942) by Don Raye, Gene DePaul, and Patricia Johnston
82. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949) by Johnny Marks
83. “Solitude” (1934) by Duke Ellington
84. “Some of These Days” (1910) by Shelton Brooks
85. “Stella by Starlight” (1947) by Victor Young and Ned Washington
86. “Maple Leaf Rag” (1899) by Scott Joplin
87. “Lover” (1933) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
88. “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936) by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields
89. “Pennies from Heaven” (1936) by Arthur Johnston and John Burke
90. “Dancing in the Dark” (1931) by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz

91. “Indiana” (1917) by James Hanley and Ballad MacDonald
92. “April in Paris” (1932) by Vernon Duke
93. “As Time Goes By” (1931) by Herman Hupfield
94. “Royal Garden Blues” (1923) by Spencer Williams and Clarence Williams
95. “The Very Thought of You” (1934) by Ray Noble
96. “Lover Man” (1942) by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, and Jimmy Sherman
97. “Round Midnight” (1947) by Thelonious Monk and Cootie Williams
98. “Perdido” (1942) by Juan Tizol, Ervin Drake, and Hans Lengsfelder
99. “All of Me” (1931) by Seymour Simons and Gerald Marks
100. “What’s New?” (1939) by Johnny Burke and Robert Haggart


Resources and Related Links:
  • Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists
  • Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research, Inc. Pages 632-33.

First posted 1/24/2020; last updated 4/13/2021.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Dave's Music Database: Song Inductees (January 2020)

Originally posted 1/22/2020.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the DMDB blog on January 22, 2019, Dave’s Music Database launched its own Hall of Fame. This is the fifth set of song inductees. These are the ten most-recorded songs from 1890-1954, according to Pop Memories. See full list here. While the list is not focused on a specific act for each song, the inductees are the highest-rated versions of the song in Dave’s Music Database. Not listed here is previous inductee “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby.

Fred Astaire “Night and Day” (1932)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

When it comes to standards, this song, which has been called “one of the greatest love ballads ever written,” NPR stands second only to “Star Dust.” MM Cole Porter, whose name is “almost a generic term for witty show songs,” LW wrote it for the Broadway musical Gay Divorce. After Fred Astaire performed it for the show and film, his recording became the first and most successful of seven charting versions between 1932 and 1946. PM Read more.

Bing Crosby “Silent Night” (1935)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

Father Joseph Mohr wrote a poem called “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht” and his friend Franz Gruber worked it up for guitar SF for performance at the 1818 Christmas Eve service. Since then, it has been translated into more than 44 languages, WK and became the most recorded song of the first half of the 20th century. PM The best known version is the 1935 recording by Bing Crosby with sales estimated as high as 30 million. PM Read more.

Tommy Dorsey “All the Things You Are” (1939)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

The Broadway musical comedy Very Warm for May was the last hurrah for famed composer Jerome Kern. Sadly, it was a commercial failure, closing after only 59 performances. SB However, “All the Things You Are” from the show became a #1 hit for Tommy Dorsey and was followed by two more charted version in 1940. In a 1964 Saturday Review poll, more composers named the song as their favorite than any other. TY Read more.

Marion Harris “Tea for Two” (1925)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

This was introduced by Louise Groody and John Barker in the Broadway musical comedy No, No, Nanette. JA Marion Harris had the first charted version, taking it to #1 in 1925. It “is one of the most recorded standards of Tin Pan Alley,” JA having been covered by musicians as diverse as Russian classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich and jazz pianist Art Tatum (#18, 1939). Read more.

Coleman Hawkins “Body and Soul” (1940)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

“Body and Soul” is “an all-time classic torch song” SF and “the most recorded jazz standard.” WK Multiple versions were recorded, but it was an instrumental version by Coleman Hawkins, who has been called “the father of the tenor saxophone,” NPR’09 which ranks highest. He showed “it was possible to modernize well-worn Tin Pan Alley standards” NPR and it “became one of the most important jazz recordings of all time.” JA Read more.

Billie Holiday “Summertime” (1936)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

It has been widely reported and accepted for years that the Beatles’ “Yesterday” is the most recorded song of all time, but its four thousand or so recordings pale compared to the 67,000 of “Summertime,” GW written originally for folk opera Porgy and Bess. The only version to chart in the pre-rock era was Billie Holiday’s 1936 recording (#12). Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim called the lyrics for this and “My Man’s Gone Now” “the best lyrics in the musical theater.” WM Read more.

Vess Ossman “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1900)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

Stephen Foster wrote and published this minstrel song (also known as “Swanee River”) in 1851. It was the most popular song ever published at that time WM with sheet music sales estimated as high as 20 million. PM Nine versions charted between 1892 and 1937, with Len Spencer being first (#1, 1892). Vess Ossman, however, had the highest-ranked version with his #2 banjo instrumental take on the song. It became Florida’s state song in 1935. Read more.

Artie Shaw “Stardust” (1941)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

Hoagy Carmichael’s first major songwriting success NRR was first written as “an up-tempo dance instrumental” NPR but Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1929. Isham Jones took it to #1 in 1931, but Artie Shaw’s version was rated the favorite record of all time in a 1956 Billboad poll of disc jockeys. PM It has been recorded more than 2000 times LW in more than forty languages. RCG Read more.

Bessie Smith & Louis Armstrong “St. Louis Blues” (1925)

Inducted January 2020 as “Top 10 Most-Recorded Songs from 1890-1954.”

This has been called “the most important blues song ever written.” LW William Christopher Handy, who became known as “The Father of the Blues,” wrote it in 1914 after hearing a St. Louis woman complaining about her cheating husband. LW 15 versions charted over the next forty years. PM Marion Harris had the greatest success with it in 1920 (#1), PM but Bessie Smith’s version with Louis Armstrong is the highest ranked version. Read more.

Monday, December 31, 2018

Café Songbook: Top 100 Songs

Café Songbook:

Top 100 Songs

The Café Songbook “Catalog of Songs in the Great American Songbook” is an online catalog of more than 850 standards written primarily by professional songwriters between 1910 and 1965. The website itself appears to have last been updated in 2018, as the copyright is listed as 2009-2018.

The website doesn’t rank the songs but I have created a top 100 ranking by looking at how many other lists the songs are featured on. Publication years for songs and the songwriters are indicated, but no specific artist is attached to each song.

Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.

1. “White Christmas” (1942) by Irving Berlin
2. “Stardust” (1927) by Hoagy Carmichael & Mitchell Parish
3. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) by Irving Berlin
4. “St. Louis Blues” (1914) by W.C. Handy
5. “Summertime” (1935) by George Gerswhin, Ira Gershwin, & Dubose Heyward
6. Judy Garland “Over the Rainbow” (1939) by Harold Arlen & E.Y. “Yip” Harburg
7. “Body and Soul” (1930) by Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sou, and Frank Eyton
8. “Night and Day” (1932) by Cole Porter
9. “Begin the Beguine” (1938) by Cole Porter
10. “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930) by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields

11. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929) by Fats Waller
12. “Take the ‘A’ Train” (1941) by Billy Strayhorn
13. “All the Things You Are” (1939) by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
14. “The Christmas Song” (1946) by Mel Tormé & Robert Wells
15. “Georgia on My Mind” (1930) by Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell
16. “Tea for Two” (1924) by Vincent Youmans & Irving Caesar
17. “Cheek to Cheek” (1935) by Irving Berlin
18. “The Man I Love” (1928) by George & Ira Gershwin
19. “April in Paris” (1932) by Vernon Duke & E.Y. “Yip” Harburg
20. “I Got Rhythm” (1930) by George & Ira Gershwin

21. “My Funny Valentine” (1937) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
22. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (1945) by Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn
23. “Winter Wonderland” (1934) by Felix Bernard & Richard B. Smith
24. “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933) by Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler
25. “You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)” (1913) by Jimmy Monaco & Joseph McCarthy
26. “Mack the Knife” (1928) by Kurt Weill, Mark Blitzstein, & Berthold Brecht
27. “Sophisticated Lady” (1933) by Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, & Irving Mills
28. “Mood Indigo” (1931) by Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, Irving Mills, & Mitchell Parish
29. “Some of These Days” (1910) by Shelton Brooks
30. “Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me)” (1941) by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer

31. “Swanee” (1920) by George Gershwin & Iving Caesar
32. “As Time Goes By” (1931) by Herman Hupfield
33. “All of Me” (1931) by Seymour Simons & Gerald Marks
34. “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938) by Ella Fitzgerald & Al Feldman
35. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1944) by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
36. “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935) by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
37. “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925) by Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, & Maceo Pinkard
38. “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928) by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
39. “Autumn Leaves” (1955) by Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer, & Jacques Prevert
40. “Bye Bye Blackbird” (1926) by Ray Henderson & Mort Dixon

41. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936) by Cole Porter
42. “My Blue Heaven” (1927) by Walter Donaldson & George A. Whiting
43. “I Can’t Get Started” (1938) by Vernon Duke & Ira Gershwin
44. “Chattanooga Choo Choo” (1941) by Hary Warren & Mack Gordon
45. “Moonlight Serenade” (1939) by Glenn Miller & Mitchell Parish
46. “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (1934) by Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Chick Webb, & Andy Razaf
47. “My Melancholy Baby” (1928) by Ernie Burnett & George A. Norton
48. “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936) by Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields
49. “Blue Skies” (1927) by Irving Berlin
50. “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing” (1932) by Duke Ellington & Irving Mills

51. “It Had to Be You” (1924) by Isham Jones & Gus Kahn
52. “Someone to Watch Over Me” (1926) by George & Ira Gershwin
53. “September Song” (1939) by Kurt Weill & Maxwell Anderson
54. “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933) by Jerome Kern & Otto Harbach
55. “Blue Moon” (1935) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
56. “Tenderly” (1947) by Walter Gross & Jack Lawrence
57. “Dancing in the Dark” (1931) by Athur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
58. “Satin Doll” (1953) by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, & Johnny Mercer
59. “Ol’ Man River” (1927) by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
60. “Everybody Loves My Baby” (1924) by Spencer Williams & Jack Palmer

61. “After You’ve Gone” (1918) by Turner Layton & Henry Creamer
62. “I’ll Be Seeing You” (1940) by Sammy Fain & Irving Kahal
63. “Oh Lady Be Good” (1924) by George & Ira Gershwin
64. “Always” (1926) by Irving Berlin
65. “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” (1911) by Nat D. Ayer & Seymour Brown
66. “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (1937) by George & Ira Gerswhin
67. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (1949) by Frank Loesser
68. “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1930) by Milton Ager & Jack Yellen
69. “It Might As Well Be Spring” (1945) by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
70. “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (1930) by Irving Berlin

71. “Honeysuckle Rose” (1935) by Fats Walle & Andy Razaf
72. “How High the Moon” (1951) by Morgan Lewis & Nancy Hamilton
73. “I’ll Never Smile Again” (1940) by Ruth Lowe
74. “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (1941) by Don Raye & Hughie Prince
75. “Fly Me to the Moon” (1964) by Bart Howard
76. “My Favorite Things” (1959) by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
77. “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (1918) by Irving Berlin
78. “What Is This Thing Called Love” (1930) by Cole Porter
79. “Come Rain or Come Shine” (1946) by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
80. “Sometimes I’m Happy” (1935) by Vincent Youmans & Irving Caesar

81. “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (1933) by Harold Arlen, E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, & Billy Rose
82. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (1943) by Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, & Buck Ram
83. “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959) by Harry Warren & Al Dubin
84. “Pennies from Heaven” (1936) by Arthur Johnston & Johnny Burke
85. “Dinah” (1932) by Harry Akst, Sam M. Lewis, & Joe Young
86. “The Nearness of You” (1937) by Hoagy Carmichael & Ned Washington
87. “Tangerine” (1942) by Victor Schertzinger & Johnny Mercer
88. “Ain’t We Got Fun?” (1921) by Gus Kahn, Raymond B. Egan, & Richard A. Whiting
89. “Till We Meet Again” (1919) by Richard A. Whiting & Raymond B. Egan
90. “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” (1922) by Fred Fisher

91. “My Buddy” (1922) by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn
92. “Lover” (1933) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
93. “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1934) by Cole Porter
94. “Laura” (1945) by David Raskin & Johnny Mercer
95. “How Deep Is the Ocean?” (1932) by Irving Berlin
96. “Where or When” (1937) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
97. “Makin’ Whoopee” (1928) by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn
98. “Ain’t She Sweet?” (1927) by Mitlon Ager & Jack Yellen
99. “Our Love Is Here to Stay” (1938) by George & Ira Gershwin
100. “Misty” (1954) by Erroll Garner & Johnny Burke


Resources/Related Links:


First posted 12/19/2025.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

James J. Fuld The Book of World-Famous Music

James J. Fuld:

The Book of World-Famous Music

First published in 1966, this book offers insights into more than 700 standards. While the songs aren’t ranked, I have created a top 100 ranking by looking at how many other lists the songs in this book appeared on. Publication years for songs are indicated, but no specific artist is attached to each song.

Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.

1. “White Christmas” (1942) 2. “Stardust” (1927)
3. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911)
4. “St. Louis Blues” (1914)
5. “Summertime” (1935)
6. “Over the Rainbow” (1939)
7. “Body and Soul” (1930)
8. “Night and Day” (1932)
9. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908)
10. “Begin the Beguine” (1935)

11. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929)
12. “All the Things You Are” (1939)
13. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka ‘Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!’)” (1861)
14. “God Bless America” (1939)
15. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1880)
16. “Over There” (1917)
17. “You’re a Grand Old Flag (aka “The Grand Old Rag”)” (1906)
18. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)
19. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814)
20. “Tea for Two” (1924)

21. “The Man I Love” (1928)
22. “April in Paris” (1932)
23. “Silent Night” (1818)
24. “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” (1902)
25. “Home on the Range” (1873)
26. “I Got Rhythm” (1930)
27. “America the Beautiful” (1895)
28. “Give My Regards to Broadway” (1904)
29. “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933)
30. “You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)” (1913)

31. “Mack the Knife” (1928)
32. “Sophisticated Lady” (1933)
33. “Jingle Bells” (1857)
34. “Yankee Doodle (aka ‘Yankee Doodle Went to Town’)” (1754)
35. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806)
36. “Oh! Susanna” (1846)
37. “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1917)
38. “Some of These Days” (1911)
39. “Shine on Harvest Moon” (1908)
40. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)

41. “Swanee” (1920)
42. “Hello Ma Baby” (1899)
43. “After the Ball” (1892)
44. “As Time Goes By” (1931)
45. “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938)
46. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (1863)
47. “Tiger Rag” (1918)
48. “Twelfth Street Rag” (1916)
49. “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928)
50. “Dixie” (1859)

51. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936)
52. “My Blue Heaven” (1927)
53. “My Melancholy Baby” (1928)
54. “Rhapsody in Blue” (1924)
55. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894)
56. “Someone to Watch Over Me” (1926)
57. “September Song” (1939)
58. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (1751)
59. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850)
60. “April Showers” (1921)

61. “For Me and My Gal” (1917)
62. “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933)
63. “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” (1909)
64. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1910)
65. “In the Good Old Summertime” (1902)
66. “Dancing in the Dark” (1941)
67. “Joy to the World” (1719)
68. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (1852)
69. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853)
70. “Ol’ Man River” (1927)

71. “Peg O’ My Heart” (1913)
72. “Anchors Aweigh (U.S. Navy Song)” (1906)
73. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739)
74. “Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart)” (1903)
75. “Whispering” (1920)
76. “Always” (1926)
77. “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” (1911)
78. “Auld Lang Syne” (1799)
79. “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (1892)
80. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1873)

81. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841)
82. “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” (1899)
83. “Clementine” (1884)
84. “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1930)
85. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
86. “London Bridge is Falling Down” (1744)
87. “Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780)
88. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851)
89. “Home Sweet Home” (1823)
90. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820)

91. “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” (1922)
92. “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853)
93. “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (1918)
94. “Happy Birthday to You” (1893)
95. “What Is This Thing Called Love?” (1930)
96. “I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad” (1911)
97. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)
98. “Sometimes I’m Happy” (1927)
99. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1846)
100. “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” (1909)


Resources/Related Links:


First posted 12/10/2025.

Friday, May 30, 2003

50 years ago: Jackie Gleason hit #1 for 1st of 23 weeks

First posted 4/6/2008; updated 9/29/2020.

Music for Lovers Only

Jackie Gleason


Charted: January 17, 1953


Peak: 123 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, -- UK, 0.5 world (includes US and UK)


Genre: orchestral pop


Tracks:

Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. Alone Together (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz) [3:05]
  2. My Funny Valentine (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) [3:22]
  3. But Not for Me (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) [2:49]
  4. Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere) (Edmund Goulding, Elsie Janis) [2:41]
  5. I’m in the Mood for Love (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) [3:30]
  6. Love Is Here to Stay (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) [3:22]
  7. I Only Have Eyes for You (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) [3:19]
  8. Body and Soul (Johnny Green, Ed Heyman, Robert Sau, Frank Eyton) [3:16]

    Added to the 1953 12” LP:

  9. Little Girl [3:22]
  10. I Cover the Waterfront [3:42]
  11. Some Day [3:26]
  12. If I Had You [3:30]
  13. When a Man Loves a Woman [2:26]
  14. A Stranger in Town [2:44]
  15. There Ought to Be a Moonlight Saving Time [2:27]
  16. My Love for Carmen [3:20]


Total Running Time: 50 minutes

Rating:

4.154 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings)


Quotable: One can practically “smell cigarette smoke mingled with perfume and champagne.” – PopDose.com


Awards:

About the Album:

While known mostly as a comedic actor, Jackie Gleason also released a series of orchestral “mood music” albums (i.e. “background music for making out on the couch” SA) in the ‘50s and ‘60s. He couldn’t read or write music SA and was neither a composer nor conductor in the traditional sense, but had a deep music appreciation and took an active hand in the music that appeared in his television shows. PD He often sat at the piano “painstakingly working on melodies one note at a time while a musical director took notes and translated.” PD

His first album was Music for Lovers Only, originally released as a 10”, eight-song LP in 1952. It was expanded to a 12” in 1953 and eight more tracks were added. JG “Listeners liked how Gleason smoothed down the tunes.” SA It was a massively successful collection which spent three years on the Billboard album chart, including more than five months at #1.

Gleason’s work is now “viewed more often as collective kitsch than as music to be enjoyed on its own merits,” PD but it “is perfectly enjoyable. It’s vintage orchestral pop, neatly arranged and played with professionalism.” PD When listening to it, one can practically “smell cigarette smoke mingled with perfume and champagne.” PD The liner notes, if not the album cover itself, make it clear that was exactly Gleason’s intent in describing the “entrancing setting” for his music as “a wisp of cigarette smoke in the soft lamplight, the tinkle of a glass, a hushed whisper.” JG Gleason said, “The only thing better than one of my songs is one of my songs with a glass of scotch.” SA

The album features jazz cornetist Bobby Hackett, who worked with Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman in the ‘30s and ‘40s. PD “Highlights include My Funny Valentine, I’m in the Mood for Love, and I Only Have Eyes for You,” JG the latter of which became a huge doo-wop hit later in the decade. Earlier versions of “I’m in the Mood for Love” and Body and Soul are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1953.

Resources and Related Links:

Friday, April 27, 1990

Alec Wilder American Popular Song

Alec Wilder:

American Popular Song

Alec Wilder’s book American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 offers a nice snapshot into the pre-rock and roll era when songwriters and performers were largely viewed as separate entities. This book highlights the songwriters and offers a look at more than 850 songs.

The book doesn’t rank the songs but I have created a top 100 ranking by looking at how many other lists the songs are featured on. Publication years for songs and the songwriters are indicated, but no specific artist is attached to each song.

Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations

  1. White Christmas” (1942) by Irving Berlin
  2. Stardust” (1927) by Hoagy Carmichael & Mitchell Parish
  3. Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) by Irving Berlin
  4. St. Louis Blues” (1914) by W.C. Handy
  5. Over the Rainbow” (1939) by Harold Arlen & E.Y. “Yip” Harburg
  6. Body and Soul” (1930) by Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, and Frank Eyton
  7. Night and Day” (1932) by Cole Porter
  8. Begin the Beguine” (1938) by Cole Porter
  9. On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930) by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
  10. Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929) by Fats Waller

  11. Take the ‘A’ Train” (1941) by Billy Strayhorn
  12. All the Things You Are” (1939) by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
  13. God Bless America” (1939) by Irving Berlin
  14. Georgia on My Mind” (1930) by Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell
  15. Over There” (1917) by Geoge M. Cohan
  16. Tea for Two” (1924) by Vincent Youmans & Irving Caesar
  17. Cheek to Cheek” (1935) by Irving Berlin
  18. The Man I Love” (1928) by George & Ira Gershwin
  19. April in Paris” (1932) by Vernon Duke & E.Y. “Yip” Harburg
  20. Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” (1902) by Hughie Cannon & Johnnie Queen

  21. I Got Rhythm” (1930) by George & Ira Gershwin
  22. My Funny Valentine” (1937) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
  23. Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933) by Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler
  24. Mack the Knife” (1928) by Kurt Weill, Mark Blitzstein, & Berthold Brecht
  25. Sophisticated Lady” (1933) by Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, & Irving Mills
  26. Oh! Susanna” (1847) by Stephen Foster
  27. Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1917) by Shelton Brooks
  28. Some of These Days” (1910) by Shelton Brooks
  29. Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me)” (1941) by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
  30. Swanee” (1920) by George Gershwin & Iving Caesar

  31. Hello Ma Baby” (1899) by Joseph E. Howard & Ida Emerson
  32. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1944) by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
  33. I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935) by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields
  34. Sweet Georgia Brown” (1925) by Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, & Maceo Pinkard
  35. I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936) by Cole Porter
  36. My Blue Heaven” (1927) by Walter Donaldson & George A. Whiting
  37. I Can’t Get Started” (1938) by Vernon Duke & Ira Gershwin
  38. The Way You Look Tonight” (1936) by Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields
  39. My Melancholy Baby” (1928) by Ernie Burnett & George A. Norton
  40. Blue Skies” (1927) by Irving Berlin

  41. Rhapsody in Blue” (1924) by George Gershwin
  42. It Had to Be You” (1924) by Isham Jones & Gus Kahn
  43. Someone to Watch Over Me” (1926) by George & Ira Gershwin
  44. September Song” (1939) by Kurt Weill & Maxwell Anderson
  45. Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850) by Stephen Foster
  46. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933) by Jerome Kern & Otto Harbach
  47. For Me and My Gal” (1917) by George Meyer, Edgar Leslie & E. Ray Goetz
  48. Carolina in the Morning” (1923) by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn
  49. Blue Moon” (1935) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
  50. “Tenderly” (1947) by Walter Gross & Jack Lawrence

  51. “Dancing in the Dark” (1931) by Athur Schwartz & Howard Dietz
  52. “Satin Doll” (1953) by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, & Johnny Mercer
  53. April Showers” (1921) by Buddy DeSylva & Louis Silvers
  54. I’ll Be Seeing You” (1940) by Sammy Fain & Irving Kahal
  55. “Everybody Loves My Baby” (1924) by Spencer Williams & Jack Palmer
  56. Peg O’ My Heart” (1913) by Alfred Bryan & Fred Fisher
  57. After You’ve Gone” (1918) by Turner Layton & Henry Creamer
  58. Ol’ Man River” (1927) by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
  59. “Oh Lady Be Good” (1924) by George & Ira Gershwin
  60. Whispering” (1920) by John Schonberger, Richard Coburn, & Vincent Rose

  61. Auld Lang Syne” (1799) adapted by Robert Burns
  62. Always” (1926) by Irving Berlin
  63. They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (1937) by George & Ira Gerswhin
  64. Baby It’s Cold Outside” (1949) by Frank Loesser
  65. “The Memphis Blues” (1912) by W.C. Handy, George A. Norton, Charles Tobias, & Peter DeRose
  66. “Fly Me to the Moon” (1964) by Bart Howard
  67. “It Might As Well Be Spring” (1945) by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
  68. Puttin’ on the Ritz” (1930) by Irving Berlin
  69. How High the Moon” (1951) by Morgan Lewis & Nancy Hamilton
  70. “My Favorite Things” (1959) by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

  71. The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851) by Stephen Foster
  72. Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (1918) by Irving Berlin
  73. “Come Rain or Come Shine” (1946) by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer
  74. Turkey in the Straw” (1820) by George Washington Dixon, Bob Farrell, & Otto Bunell/traditional
  75. “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” (1922) by Turner Layton & Henry Creamer
  76. “What Is This Thing Called Love?” (1930) by Cole Porter
  77. “Sometimes I’m Happy” (1935) by Vincent Youmans & Irving Caesar
  78. “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (1933) by Harold Arlen, E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, & Billy Rose
  79. “Moonglow” (1934) by Will Hudson, Eddie DeLange, & Irving Mills
  80. The Japanese Sandman” (1920) by Richard A. Whiting & Ray Egan

  81. Ballin’ the Jack” (1914) by James Henry Burris & Chris Smith
  82. I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959) by Harry Warren & Al Dubin
  83. “Dinah” (1932) by Harry Akst, Sam M. Lewis, & Joe Young
  84. “The Nearness of You” (1937) by Hoagy Carmichael & Ned Washington
  85. “Where or When” (1937) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
  86. My Buddy” (1922) by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn
  87. “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” (1922) by Fred Fisher
  88. “Lover” (1933) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
  89. “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1934) by Cole Porter
  90. “Laura” (1945) by David Raskin & Johnny Mercer

  91. “How Deep Is the Ocean?” (1932) by Irving Berlin
  92. “Our Love Is Here to Stay” (1938) by George & Ira Gershwin
  93. “Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be!)” (1945) by Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, & Jimmy Sherman
  94. “Sweet Sue, Just You” (1928) by Victor Young & Will Harris
  95. In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” (1905) by Harry H. Williams & Egbert Van Alstyne
  96. My Gal Sal” (1905) by Paul Dresser
  97. A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” (1919) by Irving Berlin
  98. Manhattan” (1925) by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
  99. “Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread” (1940) by Rube Bloom & Johnny Mercer
  100. Sentimental Journey” by Ben Homer, Les Brown, & Bud Green

Resources/Related Links:


First posted 12/22/2025.