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Baritone singer Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby, Jr. was born on 5/2/1903 in Tacoma, Washington. He died 10/14/1977. He became the most popular entertainer of the first half of the 20th century, thanks in part to recording innovations which allowed him to sing in a more intimate style.
In 1923, he joined a band, including Al Rinker, who performed at dances. Two years later the pair went to California, where they were hired by bandleader Paul Whiteman. They partnered with Harry Barris in New York to form the Rhythm Boys. In 1930, they split from Whiteman and worked with the Gus Arnheim Orchestra and in 1931, Crosby signed a solo recording contract. Over the next three decades, Crosby sold over 300 million records and appeared in over 50 movies (including the 1944 Academy Award for Going My Way).
“Silent Night,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Swinging on a Star,” and “White Christmas” – the number 1 song of all time according to the DMDB – are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1954.
For a complete list of this act’s songs and albums honored by the DMDB, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.
Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards.
Notes: AS = Andrews Sisters, GA = Gus Arnheim’s Orchestra, GS = George Stoll Orchestra, JST = John Scott Trotter Orchestra, KD = the Ken Darby Singers, LH = Lennie Hayton’s Orchestra, PW = Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra, RB = Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, & Harry Barris), VS = Vic Schoen Orchestra, VY = Victor Young’s Orchestra. Crosby’s had 41 #1 songs (noted below) on the U.S. pre-Billboard Hot 100 chart, more than double the Beatles’ 20 chart-toppers in the rock era.
DMDB Top 1%:
1. White Christmas (w/ KD & JST, 1942) #1
2. Pennies from Heaven (w/ GS, 1936) #1
3. I’ll Be Seeing You (w/ JST, 1944) #1
4. Swinging on a Star (w/ the Williams Brothers Quartet & JST, 1944) #1
5. Don’t Fence Me In (w/ AS & VS, 1944) #1
6. Silent Night (w/ the Guardsmen Quartette, 1935)
7. Sweet Leilani (w/ Lani McIntyre & His Hawaiians, 1937) #1
8. Sunday, Monday or Always (w/ KD, 1943) #1
9. Dinah (w/ the Mills Brothers, 1932) #1
10. People Will Say We’re in Love (w/ Trudy Erwin & the Sportsmen Glee Club, 1943)
11. Now Is the Hour (w/ KD, 1948) #1
12. It’s Been a Long, Long Time (w/ the Les Paul Trio, 1945) #1
13. Out of Nowhere (w/ VY, 1931) #1
14. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ (w/ Trudy Erwin & the Sportsmen Glee Club, 1943)
15. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (w/ JST, 1943)
16. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby (w/ Bob Crosby, 1938) #1
17. June in January (w/ GS, 1934) #1
18. Three Little Words (Duke Ellington with RB, 1930) #1
19. Side by Side (PW with RB, 1927)
20. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (w/ AS & VS, 1947)
21. Too Marvelous for Words (w/ Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1937) #1
DMDB Top 5%:
22. I Love You (w/ JST, 1944) #1
23. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (w/ Connee Boswell & JST, 1938) #1
24. You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me (w/ Guy Lombardo’s Orchestra, 1933) #1
25. Only Forever (1940) #1
26. Moonlight Becomes You (w/ JST, 1942) #1
27. Love in Bloom (w/ Irving Aaronson’s Orchestra, 1934) #1
28. Shadow Waltz (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1933) #1
29. Great Day (w/ PW, 1929) #1
30. I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams (w/ JST, 1938) #1
31. I Can’t Begin to Tell You (w/ Carmen Cavallaro’s Orchestra, 1945) #1
32. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (w/ LH, 1932) #1
33. Please (w/ Anson Weeks’ Orchestra, 1932) #1
34. Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day (1932)
35. What’s New? (1939)
36. Without a Song (w/ PW, 1929)
37. Ol’ Man River (w/ PW, 1928) #1
38. Jingle Bells (w/ AS & VS, 1943)
39. South America, Take It Away (w/ AS & VS, 1945)
40. Sioux City Sue (w/ the Jesters & Bob Haggart’s Orchestra, 1946)
41. I Surrender Dear (w/ GA, 1931)
42. Galway Bay (w/ VY, 1949)
43. Sierra Sue (w/ JST, 1940) #1
44. Dear Hearts and Gentle People (w/ Perry Botkin’s Orchestra, 1949)
45. Soon (w/ GS, 1935) #1
46. I’m an Old Cowhand from the Rio Grande (w/ Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1936)
47. It’s Easy to Remember (w/ GS, 1935) #1
48. Home on the Range (w/ LH, 1933)
49. Some Enchanted Evening (1949)
50. True Love (w/ Grace Kelly, 1956)
51. Little Dutch Mill (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1934) #1
52. San Fernando Valley (w/ JST, 1944) #1
53. I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You (1933)
54. Just One More Chance (w/ VY, 1931) #1
55. The Whiffenpoof Song (w/ Fred Waring’s Glee Club, 1947)
56. Stardust (1931)
57. Trade Winds (w/ Dick McIntyre’s Orchestra, 1940) #1
58. Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?) (w/ Connee Boswell & JST, 1937) #1
59. Just an Echo in the Valley (1933)
60. The Moon Got in My Eyes (w/ JST, 1937) #1
61. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (w/ Al Jolson & Morris Stoloff’s Orchestra, 1947)
62. You Took Advantage of Me (w/ PW, Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, and Austin Young, 1928)
63. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (w/ AS & VS, 1945)
64. Amor (w/ JST, 1944)
65. You Belong to My Heart (w/ Xavier Cugat’s Orchestra, 1945)
66. Pistol Packin’ Mama (w/ AS & VS, 1943)
67. Night and Day (1946)
68. At Your Command (1931) #1
69. McNamara’s Band (w/ the Jesters & Bob Haggart’s Orchestra, 1946)
70. An Apple for the Teacher (w/ Connee Boswell, 1939)
71. Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby) (w/ JST, 1944)
72. Remember Me? (w/ JST, 1937) #1
73. Be Careful, It’s My Heart (w/ JST, 1942)
74. Long Ago and Far Away (w/ JST, 1944)
75. Love Thy Neighbor (w/ Nat Finston’s Orchestra, 1934)
76. Dancing in the Dark (1931)
77. Small Fry (w/ Johnny Mercer & VY, 1938)
78. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (w/ Six Hits and a Miss & JST, 1945)
79. There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Town of Berlin When the Yanks Go Marching In (w/ AS & VS, 1944) #1
80. I’m Coming Virginia (PW with RB, 1927)
81. Symphony (w/ VY, 1946)
82. Robins and Roses (1936)
83. Mexicali Rose (w/ JST, 1938)
84. Red Sails in the Sunset (w/ VY, 1935) #1
85. Ol’ Man River (w/ the Buddy Cole Trio, 1956)
86. Dolores (1941)
87. Far Away Places (w/ KD, 1949)
88. There’s No Business Like Show Business (w/ AS & VS, 1947)
89. I Don’t Want to Walk without You (w/ JST, 1942)
90. In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening (w/ Jane Wyman, 1951)
91. The Day You Came Along (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1933)
92. Silver Bells (w/ Carol Richards, 1952)
93. Love Me Tonight (1932)
94. I’m Through with Love (1931)
DMDB Top 10%:
95. Along the Navajo Trail (w/ AS & Vic Schoen’s Orchestra, 1945)
96. Deep Purple (w/ Matty Malneck’s Orchestra, 1939)
97. My Melancholy Baby (1939)
98. God Bless America (1939)
99. Thanks (w/ Jimmy Grier’s Orchestra, 1933)
100. Never in a Million Years (w/ Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra, 1937)
Awards:
