Music

1951 Popular Music: Crooners, Pop Standards, R&B, Country Crossovers, Novelty Records, and Pre-Rock Sparks 1951 popular music still sat firmly in the early-1950s world of crooners, orchestras, vocal groups, movie songs, country crossovers, and radio-ready ballads. This was the year of Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable and Too Young, Mario Lanza’s Be My Love, Tony Bennett’s […]

1950 Popular Music: Crooners, Movie Themes, Novelty Hits, Country Crossovers, R&B, and the Sound Before Rock Took Over 1950 popular music sat right at the edge of a major cultural shift. The mainstream still belonged to crooners, vocal groups, orchestras, movie themes, Broadway songs, and novelty records, but rhythm and blues, country, jump blues, mambo,

1949 Popular Music: Broadway, Crooners, Western Songs, Country Heartbreak, Jump Blues, and Postwar Radio 1949 popular music was still shaped by radio crooners, orchestras, Broadway, Hollywood musicals, Western songs, country heartbreak, and vocal-group pop. The year belonged to songs like Some Enchanted Evening, Baby, It’s Cold Outside, Mule Train, That Lucky Old Sun, Dear Hearts

1948 Popular Music: Big Band’s Last Glow, Crooners, Cartoon Songs, Country Crossovers, R&B, and Early Rock Sparks 1948 popular music sat in a fascinating postwar pocket. Big band music had not fully disappeared, crooners and vocal groups still ruled much of the mainstream, movie songs were everywhere, and novelty records could still become major hits.

1947 Popular Music: Broadway Dreams, Crooners, Folk Standards, Jazz, Country Boogie, R&B, and Postwar Novelty Hits1947 popular music sat in the postwar world of crooners, Broadway songs, movie music, vocal groups, country boogie, jump blues, jazz, and novelty records. The year’s familiar songs included Some Enchanted Evening, Anniversary Song, Always, How Are Things in Glocca

1946 Popular Music: Broadway Boom, Crooners, Big Bands, Gospel, Bebop, Country Boogie, and Postwar Optimism 1946 popular music sounded like America stepping out of World War II and trying to decide whether to dance, settle down, go to the movies, or buy a train ticket west. The year was full of crooners, big bands, Broadway

1945 Popular Music: Victory Songs, Broadway Ballads, Big Bands, Jazz, Wartime Homecomings, and the Sound of a World Turning 1945 popular music carried the sound of a world moving from war toward peace. World War II ended in 1945, and the year’s biggest songs often reflected longing, reunion, optimism, exhaustion, romance, and homecoming. Songs like

1944 Popular Music: Wartime Songs, Movie Musicals, Big Bands, Novelty Hits, Jazz, Country, and the Soundtrack Before Victory 1944 popular music was still deeply shaped by World War II. The songs of the year balanced wartime longing, home-front humor, movie-musical escape, big band swing, patriotic energy, romantic ballads, and novelty records that gave listeners a

1943 Popular Music: Wartime Ballads, Movie Musicals, Big Bands, Jump Blues, Country Boogie, and the Songs America Remembered1943 popular music was shaped by World War II, Hollywood musicals, big band radio, crooners, vocal groups, jump blues, country crossover songs, and records that gave listeners a break from the headlines. Songs like Paper Doll, As Time

1942 Popular Music: Wartime Songs, Big Bands, Hollywood Hits, Blues, Country, and the Sound of America After Pearl Harbor1942 popular music was shaped by World War II, big band radio, Hollywood musicals, patriotic songs, romantic ballads, blues, country crossover records, and novelty hits that helped Americans process a fast-changing world. Songs like Don’t Sit Under

1941 Popular Music: Big Bands, Wartime Signals, Jazz Standards, Blues, Country, Movie Songs, and the Sound Before America Entered World War II1941 popular music sat at a turning point. Much of the year still sounded like the late swing era, filled with big bands, crooners, movie songs, novelty records, and romantic ballads. By December, after

1940 Popular Music: Big Bands, Disney Magic, Jazz Standards, Country Classics, Latin Flavor, Blues, and the Soundtrack Before Wartime America1940 popular music still belonged largely to big bands, romantic vocal groups, movie songs, jazz standards, country and Western voices, novelty records, blues, and Latin-influenced dance music. Songs like When You Wish Upon a Star, I’ll

1938 Popular Music: Swing, Disney Songs, Jazz Standards, Broadway, Novelty Hits, Blues, Latin Flavor, and Songs That Echoed for Decades 1938 popular music was packed with big bands, jazz standards, movie songs, Broadway wit, novelty records, blues, vocal-group favorites, and early signs of the pop-culture afterlife many songs would enjoy decades later. Songs like A-Tisket,

1937 Popular Music: Swing, Movie Songs, Broadway Standards, Jazz Classics, Blues, Country, and Songs That Kept Coming Back1937 popular music was packed with swing, jazz standards, movie songs, Broadway favorites, romantic ballads, novelty themes, blues, country-Western sounds, and records that later found second lives in film, television, cartoons, jazz culture, and rock history. Songs like

1936 Popular Music: Swing, Movie Songs, Broadway Standards, Blues, Gospel, Country, and the Great American Songbook1936 popular music brought together swing, movie musicals, Broadway standards, blues, gospel, country, romantic ballads, and early roots records that later became much more famous. Songs like Pennies from Heaven, The Way You Look Tonight, I’ve Got You Under My

1934 Popular Music: Movie Musicals, Broadway Standards, Swing, Jazz, Blues, Cowboy Songs, and the Great American Songbook1934 popular music was filled with movie-musical songs, Broadway standards, early swing, jazz classics, blues, cowboy music, novelty records, and romantic ballads that kept returning for decades. Songs like I Only Have Eyes for You, Smoke Gets in Your

1933 Popular Music: Movie Musicals, Disney’s First Song Hit, Jazz Standards, Broadway Songs, Crooners, and Depression-Era Escapism1933 popular music was strongly shaped by movie musicals, Broadway songs, jazz standards, crooners, novelty records, and Depression-era escapism. Songs like Stormy Weather, We’re in the Money, Shuffle Off to Buffalo, You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me,

1932 Popular Music: Depression-Era Songs, Jazz Standards, Crooners, Broadway, Gospel, and the Great American Songbook1932 popular music carried the weight of the Great Depression while still giving listeners romance, swing, jazz, Broadway sophistication, comic relief, and sacred comfort. Songs like Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, Night and Day, I’ve Got the World on a

1931 Popular Music: Depression-Era Standards, Jazz, Crooners, Broadway Songs, Blues, Country, and Early Cartoon Music 1931 popular music mixed Depression-era feeling with jazz, Broadway songs, crooners, blues, country, dance orchestras, and early cartoon music. Songs like Minnie the Moocher, As Time Goes By, Dancing in the Dark, I Got Rhythm, Love for Sale, Lazy River,

1930 Popular Music: Depression-Era Standards, Broadway Songs, Jazz, Blues, Crooners, and Early Pop Culture Echoes 1930 popular music arrived at the start of a difficult decade, but the songs were anything but one-note. The year brought Broadway standards, jazz classics, blues recordings, crooner favorites, dance-band hits, novelty songs, and early Depression-era optimism. Songs like Happy

1929 Popular Music: Early Talkies, Jazz Standards, Blues, Novelty Songs, Crooners, and the Soundtrack at the Edge of the Depression1929 popular music stood at a dramatic turning point. Talking pictures were changing entertainment, jazz and blues were producing records with long futures, novelty songs were thriving, and the stock market crash late in the year

1928 Popular Music: Early Sound Films, Broadway Standards, Jazz, Blues, Country, Novelty Songs, and the Roots of Pop Memory1928 popular music captured a major transition in entertainment. Sound films were rising fast, Broadway standards were spreading through records and radio, jazz was producing landmark recordings, blues and country were building deep roots, and novelty songs

1927 Popular Music: Jazz Age Standards, Early Country, Blues, Broadway Songs, Radio Crooners, and Songs That Lasted for Generations1927 popular music was a rich Jazz Age mix of Broadway standards, radio crooners, early country records, blues landmarks, jazz instrumentals, novelty songs, and event-driven music. Songs like Blue Skies, Stardust, Someone to Watch Over Me, Ain’t

1926 Popular Music: Jazz Age Standards, Blues, Early Country, Dance Crazes, Crooners, and Songs That Kept Coming Back1926 popular music was pure Jazz Age motion, with crooners, dance bands, blues singers, early country performers, novelty songs, Broadway standards, and hot jazz all competing for attention. Songs like Bye Bye Blackbird, Always, Baby Face, When the

1925 Popular Music: Jazz Age Dance Songs, Broadway Standards, Blues, Spirituals, Early Country, and Songs That Became American Classics1925 popular music was a lively mix of Jazz Age dance songs, Broadway hits, blues recordings, spirituals, early country, sentimental ballads, and novelty numbers. Songs like Sweet Georgia Brown, Tea for Two, Charleston, Yes Sir! That’s My

1924 Popular Music: Jazz Age Standards, Broadway Songs, Blues, Early Country, Novelty Hits, and Rhapsody in Blue1924 popular music was a lively mix of Jazz Age standards, Broadway songs, early country records, blues, novelty hits, dance-band favorites, and one major concert work that changed the way people heard American music. Songs like California, Here I

1923 Popular Music: Jazz Age Novelty Songs, Blues Breakthroughs, Tin Pan Alley Standards, Early Country, and Songs Built to Last1923 popular music captured a lively moment in the early Jazz Age, with novelty songs, blues records, Tin Pan Alley standards, early country recordings, jazz landmarks, vaudeville performers, and dance-band favorites all moving through American popular