Playlists

1953 Popular Music: Crooners, Movie Songs, R&B, Country Heartbreak, Novelty Records, and Early Rock Signals In 1953, popular music still lived mostly in the world of crooners, orchestras, vocal groups, movie themes, Broadway songs, and radio-friendly pop. This was the era of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Eddie Fisher, Patti Page, Frankie Laine, Kay

1952 Popular Music: Crooners, Movie Musicals, Country Crossovers, R&B, Novelty Songs, and Early Rock Sparks 1952 popular music still belonged largely to crooners, orchestras, movie themes, country-pop ballads, and sentimental radio hits, but the future was already sneaking in through rhythm and blues, jump blues, and early rock and roll. This was the year of

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