Music of the 1940’s – The Essential List
Gramophone
There were some major setbacks for the music industry in the 1940s. Shellac, the material used for 78 RPMs before vinyl, was needed for World War II military purposes. Also, there were two strikes by the musician’s union during the ‘40s that halted the production of new records. The big band era gave way to bebop, while Bob Wills and Louis Jordan taught white and black audiences how to dance and laugh simultaneously. Meanwhile, with songs like “Fat Gal” and “So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed,” Merle Travis showed an appreciation for BBWs that popular music wouldn’t hear again until Sir Mix-a-Lot gave the world “Baby Got Back.” Oh my God, Merle, look at her butt.
1940
Body and Soul, Billie Holiday
Do Re Mi, Woody Guthrie
Down the Road A Piece, Will Bradley Trio
Five O’ Clock Whistle, Ella Fitzgerald
In the Mood, Glenn Miller
New San Antonio Rose, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Only Forever, Bing Crosby
Pipeliner Blues, Moon Mullican
Pretty Boy Floyd, Woody Guthrie
You Are My Sunshine, Jimmie Davis
When You Wish Upon a Star, Cliff Edwards
1941
Blues in the Night, The Benny Goodman Sextet ft. Peggy Lee
The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (Of Company B), The Andrew Sisters
Chattanooga Choo Choo, The Glenn Miller Orchestra ft. Tex Beneke & The Modernaires
Cherokee Maiden, Bob Wills and His Texas Playbos
Gloomy Sunday, Billie Holiday
God Bless the Child, Billie Holiday
Key to the Highway, Big Bill Broonzy
Oh Look At Me Now, Tommy Dorsey/Frank Sinatra
Take Me Back to Tulsa, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Take the ‘A’ Train, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
Walking the Floor Over You, Ernest Tubb
Why Don’t You Do Right?, Lil Green & Her Trio
1942
Ain’t Misbehavin’, Fats Waller & His Rhythm
Born to Lose, Ted Daffan’s Texans
Cow Cow Boogie, Freddie Slack/Ella Mae Morse
Five Guys Named Moe, Louis Jordan
Jingle Jangle Jingle, Gene Autry
Travelin’ Light, Billie Holiday
White Christmas, Bing Crosby
1943
Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer, Song Spinners
Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You, Nat King Cole Quartet
Paper Doll, The Mills Brothers
Pistol Packin’ Mama, Al Dexter and His Troopers
1944
Born to Lose, Ted Daffan’s Texans
Down by the Riverside, Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby, Louis Jordan
Share Cropper Blues, Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra
She Broke My Heart in Three Places, The Hoosier Hotshots
Swing on a Star, Bing Crosby
Till Then, The Mills Brothers
Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Leadbelly
1945
Be-Baba-Leba, Helen Humes & The Bill Doggett Octet
Caldonia, Louis Jordan
Don’t Fence Me In, Gene Autry
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66, The King Cole Trio
The Honeydripper, Joe Liggins
La Vie en rose, Edith Piaf
Lover Man (Where Can You Be?), Billie Holiday
Oklahoma Hills, Jack Guthrie
On the Atchison, Topeka, and The Sante Fe, Johnny Mercer
Pacific Coast Blues, Dinah Washington & Lucky Thompson’s All-Stars
1946
Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens, Louis Jordan
Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, Louis Jordan
The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole Trio
Divorce Me C.O.D, Merle Travis
The House of Blue Lights, Freddie Slack & His Rhythm ft. Ella Mae Morse
Jole Blon, Harry Choates
Ko-Ko, Charlie Parker’s Ri Bop Boys
Let the Good Times Roll, Louis Jordan
Lonesome Hearted Blues, Moon Mullican’s Showboys
Nuages, Django Reinhardt & Stephanie Grappelli
Roly Poly, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Skylark, Maxine Sullivan
Stay A Little Longer, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
1947
Blue Moon of Kentucky, Bill Monroe
Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee, Stick McGhee
Fat Gal, Merle Travis
Good Rocking Tonight, Roy Brown
How High the Moon, Ella Fitzgerald & The Daydreamers
I Cover the Waterfront, Billie Holiday
I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky, Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys
Jack, You’re Dead, Louis Jordan
Move It On Over, Hank Williams
Fat Girl, Merle Travis
Nobody Loves Me, Memphis Slim
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette, Tex Williams & His Western Caravan
So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed, Merle Travis
Stormy Monday, T-Bone Walker
Sugar Moon, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
This Land is Your Land, Woody Guthrie
Tired, Pearl Bailey
Write Me a Letter, The Ravens
1948
All She Wants to Do is Rock, Wynonie Harris
Bewildered, Amos Milburn
Boogie Chillen, John Lee Hooker
Chicken Shack Boogie, Amos Milburn
Cocaine Blues, Roy Hogsed
Honky Tonkin’, Hank Williams
I Can’t Be Satisfied, Muddy Waters
I Saw the Light, Hank Williams
Tomorrow Night, Lonnie Johnson
Up Above My Head, I Hear Music in the Air, Sister Rosetta Tharpe
1949
Beans and Cornbread, Louis Jordan
Blues Stay Away from Me, Delmore Brothers
The Fat Man, Fats Domino
Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams
Little Maggie, The Stanley Brothers
Lost Highway, Hank Williams
Mule Train, Frankie Laine
Rock Awhile, Goree Carter
Rock This Joint, Jimmy Preston
Saturday Night Fish Fry, Louis Jordan
Trouble Blues, Charles Brown
Venus De Milo, Miles Davis & His Orchestra
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve, Orioles
