Most popular dance tunes that Influenced what we listen to.

[Billo_Really]

Let's do it old school!

 

[LittleNipper]

1936 gave us another standard from Hollywood. The song won an Oscar for best movie song that year. Very danceable and oh so romantic ----- THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT.


And the Record

The Big Band era was picking up in a BIG WAY and this was another hit of that year! It would reappear in the Rock'n Roll era years later.
As an extra, here is the 1957 version I remember Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers!

 

[LittleNipper]

The year is not 1937 and a new tune for that year is Count Basie's ONE O'CLOCK JUMP.

Fred Astaire would have another hit of movie origin --- THEY CANT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!

 

[LittleNipper]

1938 seems to be a time of looking back. Begin the Beguine, Bei Mir Bist du Schejn, A Tisket A Tasket were older tunes that became big hits in '38 (1,2,3 spots on the chart) Bob Hope's THANKS for the MEMORIES would become his signature HIT and was new that year:

I love Begin the Beguine, and it was "old" when I was a little kid in the 50's. It's a genuine classic. And NO ONE played it better than Artie SHAW! It's a fantastic dance tune. So, though it was an earlier tune, Shaw's rendition from 1938 has a real timelessness about it.

 

[LittleNipper]

1939 marked the introduction of one of the greatest dance melodies of the Big Band Era --- MOONLIGHT SERENADE by Glenn Miller.This recording highlights Miller's masterful artistry:

And then there is BODY AND SOUL another classic

 

[fncceo]

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

 

[LittleNipper]

Well, again it's GLENN MILLER in 1940 with IN THE MOOD. Again it must be realized that this was recorded in one shot ---- any mistakes and the master was discarded and a retake was necessary. There were no overdubs, multichannel takes. It was all or nothing!

Artie Shaw was right up there in the 2nd spot with FENESIE


And the 3rd spot was a slow romantic ballad with Tommy Dorsey and featuring a young Frank Sinatra with I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN

 

[LittleNipper]

!941 Gave us the CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO

Also at number 2 was DADDY --- So swing and sway with Sammy Kaye!

 

[LittleNipper]

1942 saw US in the middle of a war we didn't want but was necessary... The number one tune that year was WHITE CHRISTMAS, a very nostalgic and romantically danceable melody. Through the years this record has sold MILLIONS!

 

[LittleNipper]

In 1943 Several versions of PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA climbed the Carts. Here is the original performer and writer of the song in number 2 spot

The Bing Crosby & the Andrew Sister's version made 9 that same year!

Harry James would have a hit with I'VE HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE

 

[LittleNipper]

!944 would have us SWINGING on a STAR

And Dinah Shore would wait for her soldier boy to return in I'LL WALK ALONE

 

[LittleNipper]

In 1945 The Andrew Sisters had a big hit with RUM and COCA COLA. The reality is that it was a rather suggestive song but the lyrics went over the heads of not only the Andrew Sisters but the general public. The reference to --- "both mother and daughter working for the Yankee dollar", might seem most obvious today; however, back then most people only imagined that they waited tables or then like today ---- the lyrics were barely noticed... My grandmother didn't like this song and so I can assume that perhaps people were not all that naive back in the day...

The song was eventually banned from the air but not for its suggestiveness but rather because Coca Cola was getting free advertising ---- or so this was what the general public was told...



Perry Como (a barber) had a hit with TILL THE END OF TIME (based on Chopin's Polonaise). There would come other songs based on classical music --- guess there is really nothing new under the sun!

 

[LittleNipper]

In 1946, at number 1, we have a revival of an older tune from the 30's with Perry Como --- Prisoner of Love.
But at number 2 we have a brand new tune FIVE MINUTES MORE, sung by Sinatra.

And at 3 Were the INK SPOTS with TO EACH HIS OWN --- a lovely nice slow dance tune --- sung only the way the INK SPOTS could do it ...

And introduced this year is another very danceable seasonal hit that gets yearly replay!

 

[LittleNipper]

!947 brings us BALLERINA by Vaughn Monroe

No less than 5 versions of MAM'SELLE reached the top ten in 1947. The top being Sinatra

 

[LittleNipper]

It does appear that the immediate post war years were all about the revival of older hits and reminiscing. Margaret Whiting introduced a big hit with A TREE IN THE MEADOW which was again a look at what once was...

Kay Kyser Would also introduce another new tune, ON A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA in 1948.

 

[LittleNipper]

Frankie Laine Had a Giant hit in 1949 With THAT LUCKY OLD SUN. That was topped the charts for 22 weeks.

And then there was SOME ENCHANTED EVENING from the Broadway play SOUTH PACIFIC sung by Perry Como

 

[LittleNipper]

Now we arrive at 1950, and everything was about to change. I've been sticking to hit dance tunes that were hits the year they were published. However, this melody, tune, what have you, was a hit in Britain in December of 1949 and then hit the United States to rise to the top of the charts in 1950. Who could imagine that Austrian/German zither music could climb the charts at such a rate and remain there for weeks. In the UK it was called HARRY LIME THEME, while in the US it was known as THE THIRD MAN THEME 11 weeks @ #1 And it is very danceable --- especially if one is German! Guy Lombardo also made it to the charts with his version that year! #1 Song On May 3, 1950

FOUR other versions also charted that same year! Freddy Martin (#17), Hugo -Winterhalter (#21), Victor Young (#22), and Owen Bradley (#23)

MONA LISA sung by Nat King Cole remained on the charts for 8 weeks.

 

[LittleNipper]

Slow dance ballads were to be tops in 1951. Nat King Cole ---- TOO YOUNG would be #1


Johnny Ray & the Four LAds would be #2 with CRY ---https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfoqXwQlsmc

The list of Ballad singers that year would also include Mario Lanza, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como, and Dina Shore --- among others...

 

[LittleNipper]

1952 would again see more romantic ballads and YOU BELONG TO ME would be at the top of the heap!

And AUF WIEDERSEH'N SWEETHEART would be the first hit to reach the top of the charts in the US sung by a foreigner