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1945 Popular Music, Songs and Artists

Perry Como

If I Loved You
One of the most beloved songs from Carousel (1945), If I Loved You is a duet between Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan, where they shyly explore their feelings for each other. Perry Como’s smooth rendition brought the song beyond Broadway to mainstream popularity. The conversational structure of the song made it a unique and poignant expression of unspoken love, cementing it as a Broadway standard.

Billy Bigelow

Soliloquy
Billy Bigelow sings this powerful seven-minute song as he contemplates his impending fatherhood. Starting with excitement over having a son and transitioning to fear about raising a daughter, Soliloquy explores Billy’s hopes, dreams, and insecurities. Rodgers and Hammerstein originally wrote it to fill time during a scene change, but it became a standout moment in the musical. In the 1956 film adaptation, Gordon MacRae performed the song against the backdrop of Maine’s coastline, further emphasizing Billy’s introspection.

Frank Sinatra

You’ll Never Walk Alone
A timeless anthem of comfort and resilience, You’ll Never Walk Alone is sung by Nettie Fowler to Julie Jordan after Billy’s death, assuring her that she will find strength in her darkest moments. Frank Sinatra’s iconic recording brought the song into broader cultural awareness. The song has since been adopted by Christian hymnals and sports fans worldwide, notably becoming the anthem for Liverpool Football Club.

Dick Haymes

It Might as Well Be Spring
From Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair (1945), It Might as Well Be Spring captures Margy Frake’s yearning for something more in life. Dick Haymes’s heartfelt rendition earned the song an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Its reflective, wistful lyrics make it a standout from this family-friendly musical.

Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive
Written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer in 1944, this upbeat tune blends humor and optimism with biblical references to Noah and Jonah. Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters turned it into a chart-topping hit, encouraging audiences to focus on the positive even during tough times. Its infectious rhythm and memorable lyrics have kept it popular for decades.

The Andrews Sisters

Rum and Coca-Cola
Lord Invader and Lionel Belasco wrote this calypso-inspired tune and became a major hit for The Andrews Sisters in 1945. Despite copyright controversies, the song spent ten weeks at the top of the Billboard charts. Its playful lyrics and catchy melody made it an enduring favorite, albeit with some criticism for its subtle nods to cultural issues in the Caribbean.

Harry James

It’s Been a Long, Long Time
This romantic ballad, written by Jule Styne with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, captures the joy of lovers reuniting after World War II. Harry James’s version, featuring vocals by Kitty Kallen, topped the charts in 1945. Bing Crosby and Les Paul’s duet also became a hit, with its emotional delivery resonating deeply with post-war audiences.

Les Brown and Doris Day

Sentimental Journey
Released in 1945, this song was written by Les Brown and Ben Homer with lyrics by Arthur Green. Doris Day’s vocals turned Sentimental Journey into an instant classic, becoming a favorite among soldiers returning home after the war. Its nostalgic tone and uplifting melody kept it on the charts for 23 weeks.

Vaughn Monroe

There I’ve Said It Again
Written by Redd Evans and David Mann, this romantic ballad became a hit for Vaughn Monroe in 1945. The song saw a resurgence in 1963 when Bobby Vinton’s version reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking a transition in music history. It was the last chart-topper of the pre-Beatles era, paving the way for the modern rock revolution with I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Judy Garland

On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
This lively tune from The Harvey Girls (1946), written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer, showcases the excitement of westward expansion. Judy Garland led the vibrant production number, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The film, which also starred Ray Bolger and Angela Lansbury, celebrated the women who worked at Harvey House Restaurants across the American railroad.

Top Artists and Songs of 1945

Andrews Sisters
Rum and Coca-Cola
The Blonde Sailer
Benny Goodman
Gotta Be This Or that
Big Maceo Merriweather
Chicago Breakdown
Billie Holiday
Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)
Billy Butterfield
My Ideal
Bing Crosby and Les Paul
It’s Been a Long Ling Time
Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
I Can’t Begin To Tell You
Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
Ac-Cent-tchu-ate the Positive
Along the Navajo Trail
Bing Crosby
A Friend of Yours
Amor, Amor
I Can’t Begin To Tell You
On The Atchison, Topeka and the Sante Fe
You Belong To My Heart
Carmen Cavallaro
Chopin’s Polonaise
Charlie Parker
Billie’s Bounce
Coleman Hawkins
Rifftide
Cootie Williams
Somebody’s Gotta Go
Dick Haymes
It Might As well Be Spring
Laura
Love Letters
The More I See You
Till The End of Time
Dick Thomas
Sioux City Sue
Dizzy Gillespie
Groovin High
Salt Peanuts
Duke Ellington
I’m Beginning To See The Light
Eddie Heywood
Begin The Beguine
Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots
I’m Beginning To See The Light
Erskine Hawkins
Tippin’ In
Frank Sinatra
A Friend of Yours
Dream (When You’re Feeling Blue
I Dream of You
Nancy With The Laughing face
Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night)
Try A Little Tenderness
You’ll Never Walk Alone
Frankie Carle Orchestra (With Paul Allen)
A Little On The Lonely Side
Betty Grable
I Can’t Begin To Tell You
Guy Lombardo
Bell Bottom Trousers
Harry James
I’ll Buy That Dream
I’m Beginning To See The Light
It’s Been A Long, Long Time
Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes
I’ll Buy That Dream
Jo Stafford
Symphony
That’s For Me
Joe Liggins
The Honeydripper (parts 1 & 2)
Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford
Candy
Johnny Mercer
Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
Judy Garland
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
Les Brown and Doris Day
Sentimental Journey
Les Brown
My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time
Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
Caledonia
Louis Prima
Angelina
Bell Bottom Trousers
Lucky Millinder
Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well
Peggy Lee
Waiting For The Train To Come In
Pied Pipers
Dream
Perry Como
(Did You Ever Get) That Feeling In The Moonlight
Dig You Later (A-Hubba Hubba Hubba)
I’m Gonna Love That Gal
If I Loved You
Till The End of Time
Phil Moore Four
My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time
Roosevelt Sykes
I Wonder
Russ Morgan
There Goes That Song Again
Sammy Kaye
Chickery Chick
Spike Jones
Cocktails For Two
Stan Kenton
Tampico
Tex Ritter
You Two-Timed Once Too Often
You Will Have To pay
The Mills Brothers
I Wish
Tommy Dorsey
Opus One
Tony Pastor and his Orchestra
Bell Bottom Blues
Vaughn Monroe
There! I’ve said It Again
Woody Herman
Caledonia
Laura