Big Band Leaders: Top 50+

Big Band Leaders: Top 50+

Big band was a popular form of music in the first half of the 20th century. It was essentially a jazz orchestra, typically comprised of ten or more musiicans including saxophonists, trumpeters, trombonists, and a rhythm section which might tconsist of guitar, piano, double bass, and drums. By the mid-1930s, swing music, which had a more supple feel than early jazz, became increasingly popular. On the charts, such bands were generally credited to the bandleaders with featured vocalists noted. This list focuses on those most popular band leaders. It was comprised by aggregating 16 lists focused on the best big band leaders of all time. The list here includes all individuals appearing on 4 or more lists. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. 15 lists: 1. Benny Goodman 2. Count Basie 13 lists: 3. Glenn Miller 4. Duke Ellington 10 lists: 5. Artie Shaw 9 lists: 6. Tommy Dorsey 7. Cab Calloway 8 lists: 8. Louis Armstrong 9. Jimmy Dorsey 10. Harry James 11. Woody Herman 7 lists: 12. Gene Krupa 13. Chick Webb 6 lists: 14. Lionel Hampton 15. 20. Earl Hines 5 lists: 16. Fats Waller 17. Eddy Duchin 18. Kay Kyser 19. Glen Gray 20. Bob Crosby 21. Ozzie Nelson 22. Buddy Rich 23. Fletcher Henderson 24. Jimmie Lunceford 25. Jack Teagarden 26. Charlie Spivak 4 lists: 27. Paul Whiteman 28. Sammy Kaye 29. Isham Jones 30. Freddy Martin 31. Louis Jordan 32. Hal Kemp 33. Ray Noble 34. Russ Morgan 35. Horace Heidt 36. Ted Weems 37. Dizzy Gillespie 38. Stan Kenton 39. Benny Carter 40. Les Brown 41. Frankie Carle 42. Xavier Cugat 43. Bunny Berigan 44. Will Bradley 45. Andy Kirk 46. Red Norvo 47. Claude Thornhill 48. Eddie DeLange 49. Erskine Hawkins 50. Ina Ray Hutton 51. Tony Pastor 52. Jan Savitt Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories Dave’s Music Database: Big Band: Top 100 Songs First posted 6/23/2026.

 

On This Day in Music (1942): The American Federation of Musicians’ Strike

August 1, 1942 The American Federation of Musicians Strike

On August 1, 1942, the American Federation of Musicians went on strike against the major American recording companies over disagreements regarding royalty payments. This meant no union musician could record for any record company, WK but it did not prohibit performances on live radio shows or in concert. WK While the move was seen as advantageous for musicians who wanted payment each time their songs were played in jukeboxes or on radio, PBS FCC chair James Fly suggested the 60% of the country’s radio stations could go out of business. DB As the ban approached, numerous artists rushed to get in last-minute recordings in July 1942. Among them were Count Basie, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, and Glenn Miller. WK When this stockpile was exhausted, record companies turned to older recordings – some as far back as the dawn of the recording era in the mid-1920s. One of the most successful releases was Harry James’ “All Or Nothing at All”, which featured Frank Sinatra before he became famous. WK After October 27, 1943, special recordings known as V-Discs were exempt as they were intended for the armed forces and not the general public. WK In addition, some record companies, including Decca and Capitol, caved that 1943 while Victor and Columbia, the two largest companies, held out until November 11, 1944. WK One unintended consequence of the strike was the hastening of the swing era’s decline and the rise of the “sing era” as the music industry shifted from a focus on big bands to singers. WK The ban only applied to musicians; singers were not union members. Therefore, they could still record a cappella songs consisting of vocal quartets or soloists backed by choruses. PBS As historian Peter Soderbergh put it, “Until the war most singers were props. After the war they became the stars and the role of the bands was gradually subordinated.” WK For more important days in music history, check out the Dave’s Music Database history page. Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “History Index” DB Down Beat All Recording Stops Today by Mike Levin (8/1/1942). As posted on SwingMusic.net. PBS PBS.org Recording Ban (exerpted from Jazz: A History of America’s Music SM SwingMusic.net Big Band Era Jazz History: The 1942 Recording Band WK Wikipedia.org 1942-44 musicians’ strike First posted 8/1/2011; updated 8/24/2023.

 

Frank Sinatra's Top 100 Songs

Frank Sinatra Top 100 Songs

Singer born Francis Albert Sinatra on 12/12/1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Died 5/14/1998. “Ol’ Blue Eyes” is one of the premiere pop crooners and traditional pop artists of all time. His personal life was tabloid fodder thanks to several high-profile marriages and divorces and his alleged association with the Mafia. He began professionally singing as a teenager. Worked with the Hoboken Four (35-39), the Harry James’ Orchestra (39), and Tommy Dorsey’s Orchestra (39-42) before going solo on 9/3/42. On 6/1/43, he signed with Columbia Records and on 3/13/53 to Capitol Records, where he recorded a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful themed albums. He was a residency performer with the Rat Pack in Las Vegas in the early 1950s and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity. Formed his own record label, Reprise Records, in 1960 and sold it to Warner Brothers in 1963. “I’ll Never Smile Again,” which featured Sinatra on lead vocals with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Rock Era, 1890-1953. Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Frank Sinatra DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Tommy Dorsey DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Harry James DMDB profile page for Frank Sinatra official site Facebook Wikipedia Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists”

Awards:

Top 100 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. Notes: TD = Tommy Dorsey’s Orchestra. Sinatra landed 40 songs at #1 on various charts, including the U.S. pre-Billboard pop charts (US), Hit Parade (HP), adult contemporary charts (AC), the UK charts (UK), the Canadian charts (CN), and the Australian charts (AU). DMDB Top 1%: 1. I’ll Never Smile Again (w/ TD & the Pied Pipers, 1940) #1 US, HP 2. All or Nothing at All (w/ Harry James’ Orchestra, 1939) #1 US, HP 3. Strangers in the Night (1966) #1 US, AC, UK, AU 4. There Are Such Things (w/ TD & the Pied Pipers (1942) #1 US, HP 5. My Way (1969) DMDB Top 5%: 6. Five Minutes More (1946) #1 US, HP, AU 7. Somethin’ Stupid (w/ Nancy Sinatra, 1967) #1 US, AC, UK, CN, AU 8. You’ll Never Walk Alone (w/ the Ken Lane Singers, 1945) 9. Theme from ‘New York, New York’ (1980) 10. One for My Baby and One for the Road (1949) 11. White Christmas (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1949) 12. In the Blue of the Evening (w/ TD, 1942) #1 US 13. Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week (1944) 14. They Say It’s Wonderful (1946) #1 HP 15. Stardust (w/ TD & the Pied Pipers, 1940) 16. Learnin’ the Blues (1955) #1 US, HP, AU 17. Young at Heart (1954) #1 HP, AU 18. Night and Day (w/ Axel Stordahl’s Orchestra, 1942) 19. I’ve Got You Under My Skin (1956) 20. Oh! What It Seemed to Be (1946) #1 US, HP 21. I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1944) #1 HP 22. Oh, Look at Me Now (w/ TD, Connie Haines, & the Pied Pipers, 1941) 23. All the Way (1957) 24. I’ll Be Seeing You (w/ TD, 1940) #1 HP 25. How About You? (w/ TD, 1942) 26. Almost Like Being in Love (1947) 27. Autumn in New York (1949) 28. Love and Marriage (1955) 29. But Beautiful (1948) 30. I’ve Got a Crush on You (w/ Bobby Hackett, 1948) 31. A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1944) #1 AU 32. Goodnight Irene (w/ the Mitch Miller Singers, 1950) #1 HP, UK 33. Mam’selle (1947) #1 US, HP, AU 34. Some Enchanted Evening (1949) #1 HP 35. Time After Time (1947) 36. People Will Say We’re in Love (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1943) #1 HP 37. You’ll Never Know (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1943) #1 HP 38. This Love of Mine (w/ TD & the Pied Pipers, 1941) 39. Nancy with the Laughing Face (1945) 40. Call Me Irresponsible (1963) 41. Love Is the Tender Trap (1955) 42. It Was a Very Good Year (1965) #1 AC 43. Stardust (1962) 44. Begin the Beguine (1946) DMDB Top 10%: 45. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1943) 46. Everything Happens to Me (w/ TD, 1941) 47. High Hopes (w/ A Bunch O Kids, 1959) 48. September Song (1946) 49. Sunday, Monday or Always (w/ the Bobby Tucker Singers, 1943) #1 HP, AU 50. Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) #1 HP, UK, AU 51. Imagination (w/ TD, 1940) #1 HP 52. Polka Dots and Moonbeams (w/ TD, 1940) 53. It’s Always You (w/ TD, 1943) 54. I Get a Kick Out of You (1953) 55. Witchcraft (1957) 56. Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread (w/ TD, 1940) #1 HP 57. Summer Wind (1966) #1 AC 58. My Funny Valentine (1954) 59. Here’s That Rainy Day (1959) 60. It Started All Over Again (w/ TD, 1943) 61. Dream (When You’re Feeling Blue) (1945) #1 HP 62. That’s Life (1966) #1 AC 63. Come Fly with Me (1958) 64. Nature Boy (1948) #1 HP 65. If I Loved You (1945) 66. Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time) (w/ the Ken Lane Singers, 1945) 67. I’ve Got the World on a String (1953) 68. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me) (w/ TD, 1940) #1 HP 69. The Second Time Around (1961) 70. It Only Happens When I Dance with You (1948) 71. I’m Walking Behind You (1953) #1 HP, AU 72. Just As Though You Were Here (w/ TD, 1942) 73. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (1955) 74. Day by Day (1946) 75. The Way You Look Tonight (1964) 76. Take Me (w/ TD, 1942) 77. Nice ‘N’ Easy (1960) 78. I Only Have Eyes for You (1949) 79. Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town) (1957) 80. All of Me (1948) 81. I’m a Fool to Want You (1951) 82. Fly Me to the Moon (1964) 83. They Can’t Take That Away from Me (1954) 84. Nevertheless I’m in Love with You (1950) #1 HP 85. Granada (1961) 86. Do I Worry? (w/ TD, 1941) 87. You and I (w/ TD, 1941) 88. Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me) (1958) 89. New York, New York (w/ Gene Kelly, 1949) 90. Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy (1950) #1 HP DMDB Top 20%: 91. I’ve Got You Under My Skin (w/ Bono, 1993) 92. Dolores (w/ TD, 1941) #1 US 93. I’ll Be Seeing You (re-recording w/ TD, 1961) 94. All Through the Day (1946) #1 HP 95. Be Careful, It’s My Heart (w/ TD, 1942) 96. What’ll I Do? (1948) 97. Say It Over and Over Again (w/ TD, 1940) 98. Me and My Shadow (w/ Sammy Davis, Jr., 1962) 99. The Birth of the Blues (1952) 100. Our Love Affair (w/ TD, 1940) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Frank Sinatra DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Tommy Dorsey DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Harry James Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 12/12/2015; last updated 12/6/2023.

Today in Music (1950): Nat “King” Cole hit #1 with “Mona Lisa”

Mona Lisa Nat “King” Cole

Writer(s): Jay Livingston (music), Ray Evans (words) (see lyrics here) Recorded: March 11, 1950 First Charted: June 10, 1950 Peak: 18 BB, 15 BA, 18 DJ, 15 JB, 18 HP, 14 CB, 14 RB, 15 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 3.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 13.97 video, 34.98 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting, Ray Evans and Jay Livingston (who also wrote “Silver Bells,” “Buttons and Bows,” and “Que Sera Sera”) penned this tune about her “mystic smile,” TY1 pondering if it was intended to “tempt a lover or to hide a broken heart.” TY1 The song was used in the 1949 movie Captain Carey, U.S.A. starring Alan Ladd. In the movie a street musician was to play a specific melody to warn when the Germans were coming. SF The few fragments of “Mona Lisa” featured in the movie were in Italian, TY1 but it was enough to merit an Academy Award win for Best Song in 1950. Of course, the song is most strongly associated with Nat “King” Cole. DJ He only agreed to record the song after the writers practically begged him. TY1 Nelson Riddle arranged the song and Les Baxter’s Orchestra provided the orchestral backing. WK The result was one of the ten best sellers of the first half of the century. PM It became an instant standard – nine versions of the song charted in 1950 alone. Victor Young, Harry James, Art Lund, Ralph Flanagan, Charlie Spivak, and Dennis Day all hit the pop charts with it and Moon Mullican and Jimmy Wakely took it to the top ten of the country charts. In 1959, Conway Twitty recorded a version initially intended only as an album cut, but it got enough attention it was released as a single WK which went top 25 in the U.S. and hit #5 in the U.K. That year, Sun Records’ Sam Phillips also signed Carl Mann to record a rockabilly version. WK It reached the top 25 on the pop and R&B charts. Three decades later, Willie Nelson just missed the top ten on the country charts with his #11 version. Harry Connick Jr., Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, The Neville Brothers, Elvis Presley, Shakin’ Stevens, and Cole’s daughter Natalie all recorded the song as well. WK In 1954, the song plays in the background of a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and the song resurfaced again as the theme to the 1986 British film Mona Lisa. WK Resources: DJ David Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 135. SF Songfacts.com TY1 Don Tyler (1985). Hit Parade 1920-1955. Quill: New York, NY. Page 143. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Page 631. WK Wikipedia.org Related Links: First posted 7/8/2012; last updated 5/15/2025.

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