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.

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Top 50 Songs

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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)

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Awards:

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Ira Gershwin: Top 50 Songs

Ira Gershwin Top 50 Songs

Ira Gershwin was a classical/musical theater composer born Israel Gershowitz on this day one hundred years ago – 12/6/1896 – in New York City, NY. He died 8/17/1983. Most of the time he collaborated with his brother, George Gershwin His songs “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. Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Ira Gershwin DMDB Encyclopedia entry for George Gershwin Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists”

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 1%: 1. I Got Rhythm (Red Nichols, 1930) 2. Someone to Watch Over Me (Gertrude Lawrence, 1926) 3. They Can’t Take That Away from Me (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937) #1 US 4. The Man I Love (Marion Harris, 1928) 5. Summertime (Billie Holiday, 1936) 6. I Can’t Get Started (Buny Berigan, 1938) 7. Embraceable You (Red Nichols with Dick Robertson, 1930) DMDB Top 5%: 8. Oh, Lady Be Good (Paul Whiteman, 1925) 9. Fascinating Rhythm (Cliff Edwards, 1925) 10. Nice Work if You Can Get It (Fred Astaire with Ray Noble’s Orchestra, 1937) #1 US 11. Love Walked In (Sammy Kaye with Tommy Ryan, 1938) #1 US, HP 12. Strike Up the Band (Red Nichols, 1930) 13. Do Do Do (Gertrude Lawrence, 1927) 14. Love Is Here to Stay (Larry Clinton with Bea Wain, 1938) 15. S’ Wonderful (Sarah Vaughan, 1927) 16. But Not for Me (Ella Fitzgerald, 1959) 17. Sweet and Low Down (Harry Archer & His Orchestra, 1926) 18. A Foggy Day in London Town (Fred Astaire with Ray Noble’s Orchestra, 1937) 19. Clap Yo’ Hands (Roger Wolfe Kahn, 1927) 20. It Ain’t Necessarily So (Leo Reisman, 1935) 21. Of Thee I Sing ( Ben Selvin, 1932) 22. Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937) 23. Mine (Emil Coleman, 1933) 24. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) (Al Jolson with Bob Haring’s Orchestra, 1929) 25. That Certain Feeling (Paul Whiteman, 1929) 26. You’re a Builder Upper (Harold Arlen with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra, 1934) 27. I’ve Got a Crush on You (Frank Sinatra, 1948) DMDB Top 10%: 28. The Man That Got Away (Judy Garland with Ray Heindorf & the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra, 1954) 29. Bidin’ My Time (Foursome, 1930) 30. They All Laughed (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937) 31. Funny Face (Arden-Ohman Orchestra with Johnny Marvin, 1928) 32. My One and Only (Jane Green with Nat Shilkret’s Orchestra, 1928) 33. I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ (Leo Reisman, 1935) 34. Fun to Be Fooled (Henry King with Joe Study, 1934) DMDB Top 20%: 35. Shall We Dance? (Fred Astaire with Johnny Greer’s Orchestra, 1937) 36. Things Are Looking Up (Fred Astaire with Ray Noble’s Orchestra, 1937) 37. For You, for Me, Forevermore (Dick Haymes with Judy Garland & the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra, 1947) 38. Bess, You Is My Woman (Porgy and Bess cast, 1935) 39. I Loves You, Porgy (Porgy and Bess cast, 1935) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 40. How Long Has This Been Going On? (Bobbe Arnst with Mary O’Brien, 1927) 41. Isn’t It a Pity? (George Givot with Josephine Huston, 1932) 42. Let’s Take a Walk Around the Block (1934) 43. Slap That Bass (Fred Astaire with Dudley Dickerson, 1937) 44. I Was Doing All Right (Ella Logan, 1938) 45. He Loves and She Loves (Ella Fitzgerald, 1959) 46. Maybe (Nat Shilkret, 1926) 47. Anything for You (1921) 48. Love Is in the Air (1925) 49. Somebody Stole My Heart Away (1929) 50. Ask Me Again (1930) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Ira Gershwin DMDB Encyclopedia entry for George Gershwin Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 12/12/2019; last updated 12/4/2023.

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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. Related Links: First posted 4/20/2025.