The 100 Most Enjoyable Recordings Of The 40's

[M.Maestro]

Arguably the most musically productive decade of the 20th century, here is one man's opinion of the most enjoyable of the lot.


100. And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine (Stan Kenton/Anita O'Day) - 1944
99. Sunday, Monday, Or Always (Bing Crosby) - 1943
98. Drumboogie (Gene Krupa/Irene Daye) - 1941
97. I'll Buy That Dream (Helen Forrest/Dick Haymes) - 1945
96. On A Slow Boat To China (Kay Kyser/Harry Babbitt/Gloria Wood - 1948
95. Brazil (Xavier Cugat) - 1943
94. Open The Door, Richard (Count Basie/Harry Edwards) - 1947
93. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Ink Spots) - 1943
92. Love Somebody (Doris Day/Buddy Clark) - 1948
91. The Trolley Song (Pied Pipers) - 1944
90. Oh, What It Seemed To Be (Frankie Carle/Majorie Hughes) - 1946
89. Elmer's Tune (Glenn Miller/Ray Eberly) -1941
88. Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar (Will Bradley) - 1940
87. That Lucky Old Sun (Frankie Laine) - 1949
86. Peg O' My Heart (Harmonicats) - 1947
85. Blues In The Night (Woody Herman) - 1941
84. Nature Boy (Nat King Cole)
83. Till The End Of Time (Perry Como) - 1945
82. G.I. Jive (Louis Jordan) - 1944
81. Yes, Indeed! (Tommy Dorsey/Jo Stafford/Sy Oliver) - 1941
80. My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time (Les Brown/Doris Day) - 1945
79. Cocktails For Two (Spike Jones) - 1944
78. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (Nat King Cole) - 1946
77. Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette (Tex Williams) - 1947
76. Why Don't You Do Right? (Benny Goodman/Peggy Lee) - 1942
75. Dream (Pied Pipers) - 1945
74. Slippin' Around ( Margaret Whiting/Jimmy Wakely) - 1949
73. Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief (Betty Hutton) - 1946
72. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, & Me) (Ink Spots) - 1940
71. Alexander's Ragtime Band (Bing Crosby/Al Jolson) - 1947
70. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet (King Sisters) - 1944
69. Chickery Chick (Sammy Kaye/Nancy Norman/Billy Williams) - 1945
68. Jingle, Jangle, Jingle (Kay Kyser/Harry Babbitt/Julie Conway) - 1942
67. Linda (Ray Noble/Buddy Clark) - 1947
66. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 (Nat King Cole) - 1946
65. The Hut-Sut Song (Freddy Martin/Eddie Stone) - 1941
64. Ac-cent-u-ate The Positive (Johnny Mercer) - 1945
63. Pistol Packin' Mama (Al Dexter) - 1943
62. Who Wouldn't Love You? (Kay Kyser/Harry Babbitt) - 1942
61. Tampico (Stan Kenton/June Christy) - 1945
60. Cruisin' Down The River (Russ Morgan/The Skylarks) - 1949
59. Five Minutes More (Frank Sinatra) - 1946
58. I'll Get By(As Long As I Have You) (Harry James/Dick Haymes) - 1944
57. Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me (Glenn Miller/Marion Hutton/Tex Beneke) - 1942
56. I'm Beginning To See The Light (Harry James/Kitty Kallen) - 1945
55. To Each His Own (Ink Spots) - 1946
54. Heartaches (Ted Weems) - 1947
53. Moonlight Cocktail (Glenn Miller/Ray Eberly) - 1942
52. Lovesick Blues (Hank Williams Sr.) - 1949
51. Straighten Up & Fly Right (King Cole Trio) - 1943
50. There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere (Jimmy Wakely) - 1942
49. Ghost Riders In The Sky (Vaughn Monroe) - 1949
48. Manana (Is Soon Enough For Me) (Peggy Lee) - 1948
47. Anniversary Song (Al Jolson) - 1947
46. I Can't Begin To Tell You (Bing Crosby) - 1946
45. There! I've Said It Again (Vaughn Monroe) - 1945
44. Mairzy Doats (Merry Macs) - 1944
43. All Or Nothing At All (Harry James/Frank Sinatra) - 1943
42. Tangerine (Jimmy Dorsey/Bob Eberly/Helen O'Connell) - 1942
41. Walking The Floor Over You (Ernest Tubb) - 1941
40. When You Wish Upon A Star (Glenn Miller/Ray Eberly) - 1940
39. Ruldolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer (Gene Autry) - 1949
38. Flying Home (Lionel Hampton) - 1942
37. (I've Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo (Glenn Miller/Tex Beneke/Marion Hutton) - 1942
36. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (Louis Jordan) - 1946
35. Green Eyes (Jimmy Dorsey/Bob Eberly/Helen O'Connell) - 1941
34. Some Enchanted Evening (Perry Como) - 1949
33. You Always Hurt The One You Love (Mills Brothers) - 1944
32. Der Fuerher's Face (Spike Jones & His City Slickers) - 1942
31. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (Andrews Sisters) - 1941
30. Jukebox Saturday Night (Glenn Miller/Tex Beneke/Modernaires) - 1942
29. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Les Brown) - 1949
28. Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammunition (Kay Kyser) - 1942
27. Buttons And Bows (Dinah Shore) - 1948
26. Gotta Be This Or That-Parts I & II (Benny Goodman) - 1945
25. A String Of Pearls (Glenn Miller) - 1941
24. San Fernando Valley (Bing Crosby) -1944
23. Ballerina (Vaughn Monroe) - 1947
22. Tuxedo Junction (Glenn Miller) - 1940
21. Jersey Bounce (Benny Goodman) - 1942
20. On The Atchinson, Topeka, & Santa Fe (Johnny Mercer) - 1945
19. Piano Concerto In B Flat (Freddy Martin) - 1941
18. Pennsylvania 6-5000 (Glenn Miller) - 1940
17. It's Been A Long, Long Time (Harry James/Kitty Kallen) - 1945
16. As Time Goes By (Rudy Vallee) - 1943
15. Opus One (Tommy Dorsey) - 1945
14. The Gypsy (Ink Spots) - 1946
13. I've Heard That Song Before (Harry James/Helen Forrest) - 1943
12. Rum And Coca-Cola (Andrews Sisters) - 1945
11. Take The 'A' Train (Duke Ellington) - 1941
10. Don't Fence Me In (Bing Crosby/Andrews Sisters) - 1944
9. Chattanooga Choo Choo (Glenn Miller/Tex Beneke/Modernaires) - 1941
8. I'll Never Smile Again (Tommy Dorsey/Frank Sinatra) - 1940
7. Swinging On A Star (Bing Crosby) - 1944
6. Paper Doll (Mills Brothers)
5. Sentimental Journey (Les Brown/Doris Day) - 1945
4. Stardust (Artie Shaw) - 1941
3. Near You (Francis Craig/Bob Lamm) - 1947
2. White Christmas (Bing Crosby) - 1942
1. In The Mood (Glenn Miller) - 1940

[carol]

The 1940's is my favourite decade. The movies, the music, the fashion... If I could go back in time, I'd go back to the 40's. I'm a big fan of many of these songs. 1, 5, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 31, 40, 48, 53, 91, 100 are some of my favourites. I wish you could have included Moonlight sereande, but there are quite a few Glenn Miller songs here so no problem ;D

[M.Maestro]

Oct 3, 2010 7:39:24 GMT -8 carol said:

The 1940's is my favourite decade. The movies, the music, the fashion... If I could go back in time, I'd go back to the 40's. I'm a big fan of many of these songs. 1, 5, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 31, 40, 48, 53, 91, 100 are some of my favourites. I wish you could have included Moonlight sereande, but there are quite a few Glenn Miller songs here so no problem ;D

The ONLY reason why "Moonlight Serenade" isn't here, Carol---it was recorded on April 4, 1939, and was a #3 pop hit in the summer of 1939---a little bit early to be considered a 40's hit-----but nevertheless, my #2 single from the decade of the 30's(The Chick Webb/Ella Fitzgerald classic, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket is my #1 single from the 30's---1938)