Showing posts with label Fred Astaire. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Top 100 Songs from 1930-1939

First posted 4/4/2012; last updated 3/25/2020.

Top 100 Songs of the Decade:

1930-1939

These are the top 100 songs from the 1930s according to Dave’s Music Database. Rankings are figured by combining sales figures, chart data, radio airplay, video airplay, streaming figures, awards, and appearances on best-of lists.

1. Over the Rainbow...Judy Garland (1939)
2. Night and Day...Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman (1932)
3. In the Mood...Glenn Miller (1939)
4. Cheek to Cheek...Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman (1935)
5. Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)...Ethel Waters (1933)
6. Begin the Beguine...Artie Shaw (1938)
7. The Way You Look Tonight...Fred Astaire with Johnny Green (1936)
8. Pennies from Heaven...Bing Crosby with George Stoll (1936)
9. A-Tisket, A-Tasket...Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb (1938)
10. All the Things You Are...Tommy Dorsey with Jack Leonard (1939)

11. Silent Night...Bing Crosby (1935)
12. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes…Paul Whiteman with Bob Lawrence (1933)
13. Mood Indigo...Duke Ellington (1931)
14. I Got Rhythm...Red Nichols (1930)
15. Deep Purple...Larry Clinton with Bea Wain (1939)
16. Happy Days Are Here Again...Ben Selvin (1930)
17. God Bless America...Kate Smith (1939)
18. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?...Rudy Vallee (1932)
19. Blue Moon…Glen Gray with Kenny Sargent (1935)
20. I’m in the Mood for Love...Little Jack Little (1935)

21. Strange Fruit...Billie Holiday (1939)
22. On the Sunny Side of the Street...Ted Lewis & His Band (1930)
23. Minnie the Moocher (The Ho De Ho Song)...Cab Calloway (1931)
24. Puttin’ on the Ritz...Harry Richman with Earl Burtnett & His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra (1930)
25. They Can’t Take That Away from Me...Fred Astaire with Johnny Green (1937)
26. The Last Round-Up...George Olsen with Joe Morrison (1933)
27. If I Didn’t Care...The Ink Spots (1939)
28. I’ve Got You Under My Skin...Ray Noble (1936)
29. Sweet Leilani...Bing Crosby with Lani McIntire & His Hawaiians (1937)
30. All or Nothing at All...Harry James with Frank Sinatra (1939)

31. The Peanut Vendor (El Manisero)...Don Azpiazu with Antonio Machin (1930)
32. Sophisticated Lady...Duke Ellington (1933)
33. In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town...Ted Lewis & His Band (1932)
34. Stein Song (University of Maine)...Rudy Vallee (1930)
35. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon (Means That You’re Grand)...The Andrews Sisters (1938)
36. Dinah…Bing Crosby & the Mills Brothers (1932)
37. All of Me...Louis Armstrong (1932)
38. Summertime…Billie Holiday (1936)
39. Moonlight Serenade...Glenn Miller (1939)
40. Goodnight, Sweetheart…Wayne King with Ernie Birchill (1931)

41. 42nd Street...Don Bestor with Dudley Mecum (1933)
42. Let’s Fall in Love...Eddy Duchin with Lew Sherwood (1934)
43. Lover…Paul Whiteman with Jack Fulton (1933)
44. I Can’t Get Started...Bunny Berigan (1938)
45. September Song...Walter Huston (1939)
46. Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)...Benny Goodman (1938)
47. The Very Thought of You...Ray Noble with Al Bowlly (1934)
48. That Old Feeling...Shep Fields with Bob Goday (1937)
49. Winter Wonderland...Guy Lombardo (1934)
50. Wabash Cannonball...Roy Acuff & the Smoky Mountain Boys (1938)

51. Honeysuckle Rose...Thomas “Fats” Waller (1935)
52. Stars Fell on Alabama...Guy Lombardo with Carmen Lombardo (1934)
53. It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing...Duke Ellington (1932)
54. These Foolish Things Remind Me of You...Benny Goodman with Helen Ward (1936)
55. Lullaby of Broadway...The Dorsey Brothers with Bob Crosby (1935)
56. Jeepers Creepers...Al Donahue with Paula Kelly (1938)
57. How Deep Is the Ocean?...Guy Lombardo with Carmen Lombardo (1932)
58. Once in a While...Tommy Dorsey (1937)
59. September in the Rain…Guy & Carmen Lombardo (1937)
60. Lazy Bones…Ted Lewis (1933)

61. A Fine Romance (A Sarcastic Love Song)…Fred Astaire with Johnny Green & His Orchestra (1936)
62. My Reverie…Larry Clinton with Bea Wain (1938)
63. Isle of Capri…Ray Noble with Al Bowlly (1934)
64. South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)...Shep Fields with Hal Derwin (1939)
65. Out of Nowhere...Bing Crosby with Victor Young (1931)
66. Embraceable You...Red Nichols (1930)
67. June in January…Bing Crosby with George Stoll’s Orchestra (1934)
68. Whistle While You Work...The Seven Dwarfs (1938)
69. What Is This Thing Called Love?...Leo Reisman (1930)
70. Paradise…Leo Reisman with Frances Maddux (1932)

71. Red Sails in the Sunset…Guy & Carmen Lombardo (1935)
72. Where or When…Hal Kemp with Bob Allen (1937)
73. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby…Bing Crosby (1938)
74. The Continental (You Kiss While We’re Dancing)…Leo Reisman (1934)
75. Tumbling Tumbleweeds...Sons of the Pioneers (1934)
76. One O’Clock Jump...Count Basie (1937)
77. Little White Lies…Fred Waring with Clare Hanlon (1930)
78. The Old Spinning Wheel...Ray Noble with Al Bowlly (1933)
79. Sweet and Lovely…Gus Arnheim with Donald Novis (1931)
80. Goody Goody…Benny Goodman with Helen Ward (1936)

81. Beer Barrell Polka...Will Glahe (1939)
82. Dream a Little Dream of Me...Wayne King with Ernie Birchill (1931)
83. Alone…Tommy Dorsey with Cliff Weston (1936)
84. Three Little Words...Duke Ellington (1930)
85. And the Angels Sing …Benny Goodman with Martha Tilton (1939)
86. I’ll String Along with You…Ted Fio Rito with Muzzy Marcellino (1934)
87. Music, Maestro, Please...Tommy Dorsey with Edythe Wright (1938)
88. Thanks for the Memory…Shep Fields with Bob Goday (1937)
89. Love for Sale…Libby Holman with Dick Robertson (1931)
90. I Get a Kick Out of You...Johnny Green with Ethel Merman (1934)

91. When the Saints Go Marching In...Louis Armstrong (1939)
92. I Found a Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent Store...Fred Waring with Clare Hanlon (1931)
93. You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me…Bing Crosby with Guy Lombardo’s Orchestra (1933)
94. Cocktails for Two…Duke Ellington (1934)
95. Marie...Tommy Dorsey (1937)
96. Too Marvelous for Words…Bing Crosby with Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra (1937)
97. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?...Bing Crosby with Lennie Hayton’s Orchestra (1932)
98. Exactly Like You...Ruth Etting (1930)
99. The Carioca…Enric Madriguera with Patricia Gillmore (1934)
100. Willow Weep for Me…Paul Whiteman with Irene Taylor (1932)

Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era (1890-1953)

Book:

The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1953

Also available through DavesMusicDatabase.com.

The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1953 book is available through Amazon or through DavesMusicDatabase.com.

This is a companion book to The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999, available at DavesMusicDatabase.com as a standard book or ebook! In the beginning stages of writing that book, my intent was to write a “top 100 songs of all time” book. As I quickly discovered, most lists proclaiming to highlight “the best of all time” seem to be under the impression that music didn’t exist prior to 1950. I decided to retool my project to focus on the rock era and put together another book focused on the “forgotten years.”

This is the result. As always with DMDB lists, the rankings are determined by aggregating multiple best-of lists and factoring in songs’ sales, chart stats, and awards. It should be noted that in the pre-rock era there were often multiple versions of a song. In fact, some best-of lists did not list a specific version. When the latter occurred, all versions of a song were given points. Once all points were compiled, only the top version of a song was included in this list.

1. Bing Crosby “White Christmas” (1942)
2. Judy Garland “Over the Rainbow” (1939)
3. Fre Astaire “Night and Day” (1932)
4. Arthur Collins with Byron Harlan “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911)
5. Glenn Miller “In the Mood” (1939)
6. Artie Shaw “Stardust” (1941)
7. Fred Astaire “Cheek to Cheek” (1935)
8. Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong “St. Louis Blues” (1925)
9. Gene Austin “My Blue Heaven” (1927)
10. Artie Shaw “Begin the Beguine” (1938)

11. American Quartet “Over There” (1917)
12. Paul Whiteman “Whispering” (1920)
13. Al Jolson “Swanee” (1920)
14. Al Jolson “April Showers” (1922)
15. Ethel Waters “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933)
16. Billy Murray “You’re a Grand Old Flag (aka “The Grand Old Rag”)” (1906)
17. Peerless Quartet “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1911)
18. Tommy Dorsey with Jack Leonard “All the Things You Are” (1939)
19. Fred Astaire “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936)
20. Haydn Quartet “Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart)” (1904)

21. Gene Autry “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1949)
22. Patti Page “Tennessee Waltz” (1950)
23. Bing Crosby “Pennies from Heaven” (1936)
24. The Harmonicats “Peg O’ My Heart” (1947)
25. Dooley Wilson “As Time Goes By” (1942)
26. The Mills Brothers “Paper Doll” (1942)
27. Paul Robeson “Ol’ Man River” (1928)
28. Al Jolson “You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)” (1913)
29. Billy Murray with the Haydn Quartet “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908)
30. Coleman Hawkins “Body and Soul” (1940)

31. American Quartet “Moonlight Bay” (1912)
32. Ben Selvin “Dardanella” (1920)
33. Billy Murray “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” (1904)
34. Billy Murray “Give My Regards to Broadway” (1905)
35. Jo Stafford “You Belong to Me” (1952)
36. Billy Murray with Haydn Quartet “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” (1910)
37. Thomas “Fats” Waller “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929)
38. The Weavers “Goodnight Irene” (1950)
39. Marion Harris “Tea for Two” (1925)
40. Ella Ftizgerald with Chick Webb “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938)

41. Duke Ellington “Mood Indigo” (1931)
42. Vernon Dalhart “The Prisoner’s Song” (1925)
43. Vaughn Monroe “Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)” (1949)
44. Haydn Quartet “In the Good Old Summertime” (1903)
45. Les Brown with Doris Day “Sentimental Journey” (1945)
46. Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra “I’ll Never Smile Again” (1940)
47. Francis Craig with Bob Lamm “Near You” (1947)
48. Cliff Edwards I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928)
49. Harry MacDonough with Miss Walton “Shine on, Harvest Moon” (1909)
50. Byron Harlan “School Days (When We Were a Couple of Kids)” (1907)

51. Glenn Miller “Chattanooga Choo Choo” (1941)
52. Nat “King” Cole “The Christmas Song” (1946)
53. Isham Jones “It Had to Be You” (1924)
54. Cliff Edwards “When You Wish Upon a Star” (1940)
55. Ben Selvin “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1930)
56. Paul Whiteman with Bob Lawrence “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933)
57. Original Dixieland Jazz Band “Tiger Rag” (1918)
58. Kate Smith “God Bless America” (1939)
59. Les Paul with Mary Ford “How High the Moon” (1951)
60. Glen Gray with Kenny Sargent “Blue Moon” (1935)

61. Red Nichols “I Got Rhythm” (1930)
62. Nat “King” Cole “Mona Lisa” (1950)
63. Dinah Shore & Her Harper Valley Boys “Buttons and Bows” (1948)
64. Billy Murray “Yankee Doodle Boy” (1905)
65. Henry Burr with Albert Campbell “Till We Meet Again” (1919)
66. Bing Crosby “I’ll Be Seeing You” (1944)
67. Chauncey Olcott “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” (1913)
68. Arthur Collins “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home” (1902)
69. John McCormack “It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary” (1915)
70. George Olsen with Fran Frey, Bob Rice, & Edward Joye “Always” (1926)

71. Larry Clinton with Bea Wain “Deep Purple” (1939)
72. The Ink Spots “The Gypsy” (1946)
73. Billie Holiday “Strange Fruit” (1939)
74. Al Jolson “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” (1918)
75. Byron Harlan “My Gal Sal” (1907)
76. Bing Crosby “Swinging on a Star” (1944)
77. Al Jolson “Sonny Boy” (1928)
78. Byron Harlan “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” (1906)
79. Van & Schenck “Ain’t We Got Fun?” (1921)
80. Harry James with Helen Forrest “I’ve Heard That Song Before” (1943)

81. Artie Shaw “Frenesi” (1940)
82. American Quartet with Billy Murray “Casey Jones” (1910)
83. Ted Lewis “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930)
84. Little Jack Little “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935)
85. Gertrude Lawrence “Someone to Watch Over Me” (1927)
86. Pee Wee Hunt “Twelfth Street Rag” (1948)
87. Marion Harris “After You’ve Gone” (1919)
88. Perry Como “Some Enchanted Evening” (1949)
89. Judy Garland with Gene Kelly “For Me and My Gal” (1942)
90. Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1918)

91. Gene Austin “My Melancholy Baby” (1928)
92. Woody Herman “Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me)” (1941)
93. Henry Burr “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” (1909)
94. Bing Crosby “Silent Night” (1935)
95. Haydn Quartet “Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet” (1909)
96. Billy Murray “In My Merry Oldsmobile” (1905)
97. Harry MacDonough “Down by the Old Mill Stream” (1911)
98. Ben Selvin “Blue Skies” (1927)
99. Rudy Vallee “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932)
100. Duke Ellington “Take the ‘A’ Train” (1941)

Resources and Related Links:

Originally posted 6/23/2012. Last updated 4/3/2021.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Irving Berlin was born: May 11, 1888

image from musicradar.com

He was born Israel Isidore Baline in Tyumen, Russia on May 11, 1888. He became a renowned composer and lyricist in America. George Gershwin called him “the greatest songwriter who ever lived.” Jerome Kern said, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music – he is American music.” A 2001 Time magazine article estimated Berlin has written around 1250 songs. 25 have reached #1 on the pop charts.

He wrote 17 complete scores for Broadway musicals and revues including Call Me Madam and Annie Get Your Gun. The latter is one of the top 1000 albums of all time, was rated best album of the year by the DMDB, and is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Berlin’s first notable hit was in 1911 with Alexander’s Ragtime Band. While covered many times, it was Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan’s version which garnered the most praise. It ranks in the DMDB’s top 1000 songs of all time and NPR ranked it one of the most Important American musical works of the 20th century.

Alexander’s Ragtime Band

“Ragtime” was also named to the Grammy Hall of Fame, as were “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (Earl Burtnett & His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra with Harry Richman, 1930), “Cheek to Cheek” (Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra, 1935), “Marie” (Tommy Dorsey, 1937), “God Bless America” (Kate Smith, 1939), and “White Christmas” (Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers, 1942).

Cheek to Cheek

All Told, Berlin landed 15 songs in the DMDB’s top 1000 songs of all time. In addition to the above titles are “When I Lost You” (Henry Burr, 1913), “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (Arthur Fields, 1918), “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” (John Steel, 1919), “What’ll I Do?” (Paul Whiteman, 1924), and “All Alone” (Al Jolson, 1925). Also rating in the elite 1000 list are “Blue Skies” (Ben Selvin, 1927), “How Deep Is the Ocean?” (Guy Lombardo with Carmen Lombardo, 1932), “Easter Parade” (Leo Reisman with Clifton Webb, 1933), and “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (Les Brown, 1948).

“Ragtime,” “All Alone,” and “White Christmas” all earned distinction as DMDB Songs of the Year. “Ragtime,” “Christmas,” and “Cheek to Cheek” rank amongst the the biggest #1 pop songs in U.S. chart history. “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Cheek,” and “Christmas” are all in the American Film Institute’s list 100 Years…100 Songs">. “God Bless America” and “Christmas” are also in the National Recording Registry.

God Bless America

Of course, no song is bigger than Berlin’s “White Christmas” as recorded by Bing Crosby. It doesn’t just rank as one of the top 100 best-selling songs in the world, but tops that list. Its 56 million in worldwide sales put it nearly 20 million ahead of its closest competition, Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997.” The song went to #1 for 11 weeks in 1942 and then recharted eleven times over the next dozen years, even picking up three more weeks atop the charts. All told, it looged over 100 weeks on the pop charts over 20 Christmas seasons. Berlin , who was often insecure about his work, referred to the song not just as the best one he’d ever written, but the best anyone had ever written. ^LW Dave’s Music Database concurs, ranking it the #1 song of all time.

White Christmas

Awards:

Amazon.com Widgets

Resources and Related Links:

Irving Berlin’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band” hit #1: September 16, 1911 (9/16/11)
Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” hit #1: October 31, 1942 (10/31/11)
^LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 84.
Wikipedia.org: List of Irving Berlin songs

Saturday, September 26, 1998

George Gershwin: Top 50 Songs

First posted 12/7/2019.

Composer and pianist George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershowitz on this day 100 years ago - 9/26/1898 - in Brooklyn, NY. Died 7/11/1937 of a brain tumor. Worked with popular and classical music. Collaborated with his brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin, on more than a dozen Broadway shows. His songs “Swanee,” “I Got Rhythm,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me” are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1953. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

Top 50 Songs

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. Many of these songs have been recorded multiple times. Only the highest-ranked version in Dave’s Music Database is included in this list. There are also some songs not identified as being by any particular artist. Additionally, songs which hit #1 on the following charts are noted: United States’ pop charts (US) and Hit Parade (HP).

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Swanee (Al Jolson with Charles Prince’s Orchestra, 1920) #1 US
2. I Got Rhythm (Red Nichols, 1930)
3. Someone to Watch Over Me (Gertrude Lawrence, 1926)
4. Rhapsody in Blue (Paul Whiteman with George Gershwin, 1924)
5. They Can’t Take That Away from Me (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937) #1 US
6. The Man I Love (Marion Harris, 1928)
7. Summertime (Billie Holiday, 1936)
8. Somebody Loves Me (Paul Whiteman, (1924) #1 US
9. Embraceable You (Red Nichols with Dick Robertson, 1930)

DMDB Top 5%:

10. Oh, Lady Be Good (Paul Whiteman, 1925)
11. Fascinating Rhythm (Cliff Edwards, 1925)
12. Nice Work if You Can Get It (Fred Astaire with Ray Noble’s Orchestra, 1937) #1 US
13. Do It Again (Paul Whiteman, 1922) #1 US
14. I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise (Paul Whiteman, 1922) #1 US
15. Love Walked In (Sammy Kaye with Tommy Ryan, 1938) #1 US, HP
16. Strike Up the Band (Red Nichols, 1930)
17. Do Do Do (Gertrude Lawrence, 1927)
18. Love Is Here to Stay (Larry Clinton with Bea Wain, 1938)
19. S’ Wonderful (Sarah Vaughan, 1927)
20. But Not for Me (Ella Fitzgerald, 1959)

21. Sweet and Low Down (Harry Archer & His Orchestra, 1926)
22. A Foggy Day in London Town (Fred Astaire with Ray Noble’s Orchestra, 1937)
23. Clap Yo’ Hands (Roger Wolfe Kahn, 1927)
24. It Ain’t Necessarily So (Leo Reisman, 1935)
25. Of Thee I Sing ( Ben Selvin, 1932)
26. Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937)
27. Mine (Emil Coleman, 1933)
28. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) (Al Jolson with Bob Haring’s Orchestra, 1929)
29. That Certain Feeling (Paul Whiteman, 1929)
30. Yankee Doodle Blues (Billy Murray with Ed Smalle, 1922)
31. I’ve Got a Crush on You (Frank Sinatra, 1948)

DMDB Top 10%:

32. Bidin’ My Time (Foursome, 1930)
33. They All Laughed (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937)
34. Funny Face (Arden-Ohman Orchestra with Johnny Marvin, 1928)
35. My One and Only (Jane Green with Nat Shilkret’s Orchestra, 1928)
36. I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ (Leo Reisman, 1935)
37. An American in Paris (George Gershwin with Nat Shilkret & the Victor Symphony Orchestra, 1929)

DMDB Top 10%:

38. Shall We Dance? (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937)
39. Things Are Looking Up (Fred Astaire with Ray Noble’s Orchestra, 1937)
40. For You, for Me, Forevermore (Dick Haymes with Judy Garland & the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra, 1947)
41. Bess, You Is My Woman (Porgy and Bess cast, 1935)
42. I Loves You, Porgy (Porgy and Bess cast, 1935)

DMDB Top 10%:

43. How Long Has This Been Going On? (Bobbe Arnst with Mary O’Brien, 1927)
44. Isn’t It a Pity? (George Givot with Josephine Huston, 1932)
45. Slap That Bass (Fred Astaire with Dudley Dickerson, 1937)
46. I Was Doing All Right (Ella Logan, 1938)
47. He Loves and She Loves (Ella Fitzgerald, 1959)
48. Maybe (Nat Shilkret, 1926)
49. Anything for You (1921)
50. Love Is in the Air (1925)

Awards:

Friday, May 1, 1987

Today in Music (1937): Fred Astaire hit #1 with “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”

They Can’t Take That Away from Me

Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra

Writer(s): George Gershwin (music), Ira Gershwin (lyrics) (see lyrics here)

Recorded: March 14, 1937

First Charted: April 17, 1937

Peak: 1¹ PM, 6 GA, 6 HP (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1.8 video, 1.76 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Fred Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska. From 1917 to 1931, he and his sister Adele were featured in ten major Broadway musicals. He established himself as “America’s greatest song and dance man” ^PM with “some thirty unforgettable musicals over the next four decades.” ^PM

“They Can’t Take That Away from Me” was written by the famed Gerswhin brothers for the film Shall We Dance?, the seventh of ten film starring Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Sadly, George Gershwin died from a brain tumor just a few months later at age 38. Biographer Deena Rosenberg called it one of their “most haunting songs,” explaining that for the Gerswhins “each song is a personal and original expression of a universal feeling, mood or frame of mind." ^DR

Author Don Tyler called the song “a ballad of affectionate reminiscene, full of small iagmes that evoke the intimate side of a relationship now obviously in the past.” ^TY2 The singer “requests permission to list a few of the things ‘that will keep me loving you.’ Among them are the way you wear your hat and sip your tea. He also loves your smile and ‘the way you sing off key.’ All these things and more that he loved about her can’t be taken away.” ^TY2

Astaire took the song to #1 in 1937. It was his sixth of eight trips to the pinnacle. Ozzie Nelson (#6), Tommy Dorsey (#11), and Billie Holiday (#12) also charted with the song that year. ^PM The song was nominated for an Academy Award. Astaire reprised it for the 1949 film The Barkleys of Broadway, another film starring him and Rogers.

Resources:

^DJ David Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 194.
^DR Deena Rosenberg (1997). Fascinating Rhythm: The Collaboration of George & Ira Gershwin. University of Michigan Press. Pages 344-47.
^SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 529.
^TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 231.
^PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Pages 37 and 594.

Friday, October 3, 1986

50 years ago: Fred Astaire hit #1 with “The Way You Look Tonight”