100 Greatest Songs From 1940
Criteria: These songs from 1940 were chosen and ranked based on their initial & lasting popularity, and on their impact on the overall scope of musical history.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Star Dust
Artie Shaw / Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
2. New San Antonio Rose
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
3. I'll Never Smile Again
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers)
4. You Are My Sunshine
Jimmie Davis
5. Tuxedo Junction
Glenn Miller
6. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)
Ink Spots / Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
7. Frenesi
Artie Shaw
8. Pennsylvania 6-5000
Glenn Miller
9. When You Wish Upon A Star
Cliff Edwards / Glenn Miller
10. All or Nothing at All
Harry James (Frank Sinatra)
11. Maybe
Ink Spots
12. The Breeze And I
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
13. Java Jive
Ink Spots
14. Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar
Glenn Miller / Andrews Sisters
15. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano
Ink Spots / Glenn Miller (Ray Eberle)
16. Body And Soul
Billie Holiday
17. Summit Ridge Drive
Artie Shaw
18. Five O'Clock Whistle
Glenn Miller / Erskine Hawkins / Ella Fitzgerald
19. Pompton Turnpike
Charlie Barnet / Louis Jordan
20. Talking Dust Bowl Blues
Woody Guthrie
21. Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)
Ink Spots
22. Mule Skinner Blues
Bill Monroe
23. Never No Lament
Duke Ellington
24. Night And Day
Billie Holiday
25. Key To The Highway
Jazz Gillum
26. Romance In The Dark
Lil Green
27. In A Mellotone
Duke Ellington
28. It Hurts Me Too
Tampa Red
29. Nuages
Django Reinhardt
30. Boog It
Glenn Miller (Marion Hutton) / Gene Krupa (Irene Day) / Cab Calloway
31. Step It Up And Go
Blind Boy Fuller
32. I Miss You So
Cats and the Fiddle
33. After Hours
Erskine Hawkins
34. Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues
Earl Hines
35. Red Wagon
Count Basie
36. Stop Pretending (So Hep You See)
Ink Spots / Buddy Johnson (Mack Sisters)
37. Down The Road A-Piece
Will Bradley (Ray McKinley)
38. Ko-Ko
Duke Ellington
39. The Great Dust Storm
Woody Guthrie
40. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)
Glenn Miller
41. Slow Freight
Glenn Miller / Benny Carter
42. The Man I Love
Billie Holiday
43. On The Sunny Side of The Street
King Cole Trio
44. L'accordeoniste
Edith Piaf
45. The Woodpecker Song
Glenn Miller / Andrews Sisters
46. Corrine, Corrina
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
47. Cotton Tail
Duke Ellington
48. Imagination
Glenn Miller / Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
49. Blueberry Hill
Glenn Miller
50. I've Been Dealing With The Devil
Sonny Boy Williamson
51. So Long
Charioteers
52. The Flight of the Bumble Bee
Harry James
53. Flying Home
Lionel Hampton (Ziggy Elman - trumpet)
54. Concerto for Cootie
Duke Ellington
55. I Ain't Got No Home in This World Anymore
Woody Guthrie
56. Wham (Re-Bop Boom Bam)
Jimmie Lunceford / Andy Kirk / Teddy Wilson
57. Please Mr. Johnson
Buddy & Ella Johnson
58. Make Believe Ballroom Time
Glenn Miller
59. Rhumboogie
Andrews Sisters
60. Big Beaver
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
61. Don't You Lie To Me
Tampa Red
62. You Run Your Mouth and I'll Run My Business
Louis Jordan
63. Number 19
Earl Hines
64. Raining on The Mountain
Delmore Brothers
65. Do I Worry?
Ink Spots
66. Old Black Joe
Mills Brothers
67. A Chicken Ain't Nothin But A Bird
Louis Jordan
68. Celery Stalks at Midnight
Will Bradley
69. Only Forever
Bing Crosby
70. Where Was I
Charlie Barnet
71. Sierra Sue
Bing Crosby
72. I'm Nobody's Baby
Judy Garland
73. Scrub Me Mama, With A Boogie Beat
Will Bradley (Ray McKinley)
74. Dolemite
Erskine Hawkins
75. Juneteenth Jamboree
Louis Jordan
76. Chain Gang Blues
Champion Jack Dupree
77. I Hear a Rhapsody
Charlie Barnet (Bob Carroll)
78. Trade Winds
Bing Crosby
79. Ferryboat Serenade
Andrews Sisters
80. Deep Forest
Earl Hines
81. Sleep
Benny Carter
82. How High The Moon
Benny Goodman (Helen Forrest)
83. Central Avenue Breakdown
Lionel Hampton
84. Jack The Bellboy
Lionel Hampton
85. No Name Jive
Glen Gray
86. Fixin' To Die Blues
Bukka White
87. I Want A Little Girl
Count Basie
88. Junction Blues
Erskine Hawkins
89. Black Train Blues
Bukka White
90. Polka Dots & Moonbeams
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
91. Swingin' On C
Jimmie Lunceford
92. Night Hop
Benny Carter
93. With The Wind and The Rain In Your Hair
Bob Chester (Dolores O'Neill)
94. Digging My Potatoes No. 2
Washboard Sam
95. Memories of You
Ink Spots
96. New Highway No. 51
Tommy McClennan
97. Root Man Blues
Walter Davis
98. What is That She Got?
Big Bill Broonzy
99. Blowin' Down This Road
Woody Guthrie
100. New Rocky Mountain Blues
Leroy's Buddy (Bill Gaither)
Artie Shaw / Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
2. New San Antonio Rose
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
3. I'll Never Smile Again
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers)
4. You Are My Sunshine
Jimmie Davis
5. Tuxedo Junction
Glenn Miller
6. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)
Ink Spots / Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
7. Frenesi
Artie Shaw
8. Pennsylvania 6-5000
Glenn Miller
9. When You Wish Upon A Star
Cliff Edwards / Glenn Miller
10. All or Nothing at All
Harry James (Frank Sinatra)
11. Maybe
Ink Spots
12. The Breeze And I
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
13. Java Jive
Ink Spots
14. Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar
Glenn Miller / Andrews Sisters
15. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano
Ink Spots / Glenn Miller (Ray Eberle)
16. Body And Soul
Billie Holiday
17. Summit Ridge Drive
Artie Shaw
18. Five O'Clock Whistle
Glenn Miller / Erskine Hawkins / Ella Fitzgerald
19. Pompton Turnpike
Charlie Barnet / Louis Jordan
20. Talking Dust Bowl Blues
Woody Guthrie
21. Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)
Ink Spots
22. Mule Skinner Blues
Bill Monroe
23. Never No Lament
Duke Ellington
24. Night And Day
Billie Holiday
25. Key To The Highway
Jazz Gillum
26. Romance In The Dark
Lil Green
27. In A Mellotone
Duke Ellington
28. It Hurts Me Too
Tampa Red
29. Nuages
Django Reinhardt
30. Boog It
Glenn Miller (Marion Hutton) / Gene Krupa (Irene Day) / Cab Calloway
31. Step It Up And Go
Blind Boy Fuller
32. I Miss You So
Cats and the Fiddle
33. After Hours
Erskine Hawkins
34. Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues
Earl Hines
35. Red Wagon
Count Basie
36. Stop Pretending (So Hep You See)
Ink Spots / Buddy Johnson (Mack Sisters)
37. Down The Road A-Piece
Will Bradley (Ray McKinley)
38. Ko-Ko
Duke Ellington
39. The Great Dust Storm
Woody Guthrie
40. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)
Glenn Miller
41. Slow Freight
Glenn Miller / Benny Carter
42. The Man I Love
Billie Holiday
43. On The Sunny Side of The Street
King Cole Trio
44. L'accordeoniste
Edith Piaf
45. The Woodpecker Song
Glenn Miller / Andrews Sisters
46. Corrine, Corrina
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
47. Cotton Tail
Duke Ellington
48. Imagination
Glenn Miller / Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
49. Blueberry Hill
Glenn Miller
50. I've Been Dealing With The Devil
Sonny Boy Williamson
51. So Long
Charioteers
52. The Flight of the Bumble Bee
Harry James
53. Flying Home
Lionel Hampton (Ziggy Elman - trumpet)
54. Concerto for Cootie
Duke Ellington
55. I Ain't Got No Home in This World Anymore
Woody Guthrie
56. Wham (Re-Bop Boom Bam)
Jimmie Lunceford / Andy Kirk / Teddy Wilson
57. Please Mr. Johnson
Buddy & Ella Johnson
58. Make Believe Ballroom Time
Glenn Miller
59. Rhumboogie
Andrews Sisters
60. Big Beaver
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
61. Don't You Lie To Me
Tampa Red
62. You Run Your Mouth and I'll Run My Business
Louis Jordan
63. Number 19
Earl Hines
64. Raining on The Mountain
Delmore Brothers
65. Do I Worry?
Ink Spots
66. Old Black Joe
Mills Brothers
67. A Chicken Ain't Nothin But A Bird
Louis Jordan
68. Celery Stalks at Midnight
Will Bradley
69. Only Forever
Bing Crosby
70. Where Was I
Charlie Barnet
71. Sierra Sue
Bing Crosby
72. I'm Nobody's Baby
Judy Garland
73. Scrub Me Mama, With A Boogie Beat
Will Bradley (Ray McKinley)
74. Dolemite
Erskine Hawkins
75. Juneteenth Jamboree
Louis Jordan
76. Chain Gang Blues
Champion Jack Dupree
77. I Hear a Rhapsody
Charlie Barnet (Bob Carroll)
78. Trade Winds
Bing Crosby
79. Ferryboat Serenade
Andrews Sisters
80. Deep Forest
Earl Hines
81. Sleep
Benny Carter
82. How High The Moon
Benny Goodman (Helen Forrest)
83. Central Avenue Breakdown
Lionel Hampton
84. Jack The Bellboy
Lionel Hampton
85. No Name Jive
Glen Gray
86. Fixin' To Die Blues
Bukka White
87. I Want A Little Girl
Count Basie
88. Junction Blues
Erskine Hawkins
89. Black Train Blues
Bukka White
90. Polka Dots & Moonbeams
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
91. Swingin' On C
Jimmie Lunceford
92. Night Hop
Benny Carter
93. With The Wind and The Rain In Your Hair
Bob Chester (Dolores O'Neill)
94. Digging My Potatoes No. 2
Washboard Sam
95. Memories of You
Ink Spots
96. New Highway No. 51
Tommy McClennan
97. Root Man Blues
Walter Davis
98. What is That She Got?
Big Bill Broonzy
99. Blowin' Down This Road
Woody Guthrie
100. New Rocky Mountain Blues
Leroy's Buddy (Bill Gaither)
20 more worth mentioning.
101. Who's Sorry Now
Hoosier Hot Shots
102. Lead Me To That Rock
Mitchell's Christian Singers
103. Penthouse In The Basement
Louis Jordan
104. Yes Indeed
Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell
105. Jake, What A Snake
Louis Jordan
106. Gone With "What" Wind?
Benny Goodman
107. Get Your Boots Laced, Papa
Woody Herman
108. Six White Horses
Bill Monroe
109. Where The Blue of The Night (Meets The Gold of The Day)
Bing Crosby
110. Tush Hog Blues
Bo Carter
111. Between 18th and 19th on Chestnut Street
Charlie Barnet (Mary Ann McCall)
112. W.P.A.
Louis Armstrong & Mills Brothers
113. I Get A Kick Outa Corn
Tiny Hill
114. Soft Winds
Benny Goodman
115. Piney Brown Blues
Joe Turner and His Fly Cats
116. Fifteen Minute Intermission
Cab Calloway
117. Vigilante Man
Woody Guthrie
118. Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Bing Crosby
119. The Gaucho Serenade
Dick Todd / Glenn Miller
120. Bottle It Up And Go
Tommy McClennan
Hoosier Hot Shots
102. Lead Me To That Rock
Mitchell's Christian Singers
103. Penthouse In The Basement
Louis Jordan
104. Yes Indeed
Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell
105. Jake, What A Snake
Louis Jordan
106. Gone With "What" Wind?
Benny Goodman
107. Get Your Boots Laced, Papa
Woody Herman
108. Six White Horses
Bill Monroe
109. Where The Blue of The Night (Meets The Gold of The Day)
Bing Crosby
110. Tush Hog Blues
Bo Carter
111. Between 18th and 19th on Chestnut Street
Charlie Barnet (Mary Ann McCall)
112. W.P.A.
Louis Armstrong & Mills Brothers
113. I Get A Kick Outa Corn
Tiny Hill
114. Soft Winds
Benny Goodman
115. Piney Brown Blues
Joe Turner and His Fly Cats
116. Fifteen Minute Intermission
Cab Calloway
117. Vigilante Man
Woody Guthrie
118. Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Bing Crosby
119. The Gaucho Serenade
Dick Todd / Glenn Miller
120. Bottle It Up And Go
Tommy McClennan
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1940
An unheralded great record from 1940
Adam's choice:
* Gangster's Blues
Peetie Wheatstraw
Bruce's choice:
* T-Bone Blues
Les Hite Orchestra (T-Bone Walker)
Lew's choice:
* Parchman Farm Blues
Bukka White
Adam's choice:
* Gangster's Blues
Peetie Wheatstraw
Bruce's choice:
* T-Bone Blues
Les Hite Orchestra (T-Bone Walker)
Lew's choice:
* Parchman Farm Blues
Bukka White
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Edited By: Bruce
Last Updated: 2010-03-12