Most important songs 1900-1959 (HURRY please!!!)

Cafe Society
21

Here are some more ideas.

20s:

The Sheik of Araby - Inspired by the silent movie The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino. It might be worth pointing out that, in the twenties, Arabs were considered sexy in this country.

Canal Street Blues - King Oliver’s first record. An important milestone in the history of jazz.

King Porter Stomp - Another Jelly Roll Morton composition. This one became popular again in the swing era.

Star Dust - Hoagy Carmichael’s most-recorded song. A real classic.

Happy Days Are Here Again - Written in 1929 before the stock market crash. It was the theme song of the Democratic Party for decades, until Bill Clinton replaced it with Don’t Stop in 1992.

30s:

St. James Infirmary - Best-known recording is by Cab Calloway.

Night and Day - Gotta have something by Cole Porter!

Summertime - Widely-recorded Gershwin song from Porgy and Bess. Great instrumental version by Sidney Bechet.

Sing, Sing, Sing/Christopher Columbus - Benny Goodman mixed these two compositions into one in a 1937 recording, and also in his 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. A centerpiece of the swing era.

In the Mood - Andy Razaf and Joe Garland took a riff from the Wingy Manone composition Tar Paper Stomp when they wrote this number, which became Glenn Miller’s biggest hit.

40s:

Take the “A” Train - If you use this, be sure to credit composer Billy Strayhorn.

Der Fuehrer’s Face - First featured in the Disney cartoon Donald Duck in Nutsy Land. Spike Jones had a hit with this song. While it’s not a milestone in the history of music, it’s funny and historically interesting.

I’ll Be Seeing You - This is one of the best of many homesickness songs written during World War II - a response to the war’s separation of people from their loved ones.

50s:

Rocket “88” - Claimed by some to be the first rock ‘n’ roll song.

Jambalaya - An early Hank Williams hit.

Ain’t That a Shame - Fats Domino’s first hit, and the introduction of the New Orleans piano sound to the rest of the country.

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash’s first hit.

Maybellene - Chuck Berry’s first hit.

22

Ok. I think it’s time to post a revised list. Outstanding suggestions so far -I wish I could add all of them.

I’m making these decisions based on what I think fits my friend’s needs the most. She isn’t teaching a music history lesson, so I’m still leaving out some songs and musicians that are essential to American music history in favor of some songs that impacted/reflected our actual history. As a result, George M. Cohan makes this list twice but Irving Berlin doesn’t make it once. Bill Haley makes it, but Chuck Berry doesn’t. And so on…

I’m also placing a limit of three songs for each decade (although many, if not all of your suggestions will still get relayed to her so that she can make a final decision).

With that in mind:

1900s:
Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin (pub. 1899, but whatever)
Give My Regards To Broadway - George M. Cohan (1904)
Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Norworth/Von Tilzer (pub. 1908)

1910s:
The Preacher And The Slave - Joe Hill (1911)
St. Louis Blues - W.C. Handy (1912)
Over There - George M. Cohan (comp. 1917)

1920s:
Potato Head Blues - Louis Armstrong (1927)*
Rhapsody In Blue - Gershwin (1924)
Happy Days Are Here Again - Ager/Yellen (1929)

*This one seems to be arguable, but it predates West End Blues by one year and is also famous for being (arguably) the best Armstrong solo -or at least one of his most important ones. More nudging might change my mind, but for now I’m sticking with it.

1930s:
Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson (1937)
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime? - Hapburg/Gorney (1931)
Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman (1938 from the Carnegie Hall Concert)

1940s:
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday (1939, but it gained fame in the 40s)
Koko - Charlie Parker (1945)
This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie (1940)

1950s:
Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley And His Comets (1954)
Ain’t That A Shame - Fats Domino (1955)
So What - Miles Davis (1959)

I still wish that I could fit in some classical and country music, but I still haven’t come across anything that reflects the culture at the time. “Take The A Train” might replace “Sing, Sing, Sing” because of the Harlem Renaissance, but the composition was much more in reaction to the movement than a part of it.

So what do you guys think now? Any happier? Did I make it worse?

23

1920s: The Prisoner’s Song. One of the first million-selling songs and represents the underrecognized country/hillbilly genre.

24

I would say either Haley or the Carl Perkins release of Blue Suede Shoes which preceded the Elvis recording. Perkins’ songs were the definitive examples of rockabilly music, the precursor to rock & roll.

James Brown established funk music in 1956 with Please, Please, Please, and could arguably be called the father of soul music along with the likes of Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.