100 Greatest Songs From 1946
Criteria: These songs from 1946 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. The Christmas Song
King Cole Trio
2. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
Louis Jordan
3. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Louis Jordan
4. The Gypsy
Ink Spots / Dinah Shore
5. Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Lionel Hampton / Tex Beneke
6. Open The Door, Richard
Jack McVea / Dusty Fletcher
7. Let The Good Times Roll
Louis Jordan
8. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
King Cole Trio
9. That's My Desire
Frankie Laine
10. To Each His Own
Ink Spots / Eddy Howard / Freddy Martin (Stuart Wade)
11. Sioux City Sue
Bing Crosby / Zeke Manners / Hoosier Hot Shots / Tiny Hill
12. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
King Cole Trio
13. The Old Lamplighter
Sammy Kaye (Billy Williams) / Kay Kyser (Michael Douglas)
14. Prisoner Of Love
Perry Como / Billy Eckstine / Ink Spots
15. The House of Blue Lights
Freddie Slack (Ella Mae Morse)
16. Ain't That Just Like A Woman
Louis Jordan
17. Blow Top Blues
Lionel Hampton (Dinah Washington)
18. Oh! What It Seemed To Be
Frankie Carle / Frank Sinatra
19. Surrender
Perry Como / Woody Herman (Blue Flames)
20. Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside
Sammy Kaye / Dinah Shore / Andy Russell / Teddy Walters
21. Ole Buttermilk Sky
Kay Kyser / Hoagy Carmichael / Paul Weston
22. Jole Blon
Harry Choates / Moon Mullican
23. Rumors Are Flying
Frankie Carle / Les Paul (Andrews Sisters) / Tony Martin / Three Suns
24. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Johnny Mercer / Sammy Kaye
25. Winter Wonderland
Johny Mercer / Perry Como
26. A Night In Tunisia
Dizzy Gilespie / Charlie Parker
27. As Time Goes By
Dooley Wilson
28. They Say It's Wonderful
Frank Sinatra / Perry Como / Bing Crosby
29. Ko Ko
Charlie Parker
30. R.M. Blues
Roy Milton
31. Roly Poly
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
32. Les Trois Cloches
Eidth Piaf
33. Freight Train Boogie
Delmore Brothers
34. Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming)
Louis Jordan & Ella Fitzgerald
35. The Anniversary Song
Al Jolson
36. So Glad You're Mine
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup
37. Huggin' And Chalkin'
Hoagy Carmichael / Kay Kyser
38. Down The Road Apiece
Amos Milburn
39. Frim Fram Sauce
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong / King Cole Trio
40. I Know Who Threw The Whiskey (In The Well)
Bull Moose Jackson
41. Kentucky Waltz
Bill Monroe
42. Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
Hoosier Hot Shots & Sally Foster / Elton Britt
43. One-Zy, Two-Zy (I Love You-Zy)
Freddy Martin / Phil Harris / Kay Kyser
44. Shoo-Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy
Dinah Shore / Guy Lombardo / Stan Kenton (June Christy)
45. I Know
Andy Kirk (Jubilaires)
46. Five Minutes More
Frank Sinatra / Tex Beneke
47. Guitar Polka
Al Dexter
48. Reconversion Blues
Louis Jordan
49. Salt Pork, West Virginia
Louis Jordan
50. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
King Cole Trio / Billy Eckstine
51. Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got
Julia Lee
52. It's A Good Day
Peggy Lee
53. South America, Take It Away
Andrews Sisters & Bing Crosby / Xavier Cugat (Buddy Clark)
54. Sunny Road
Johnny Moore's Three Blazers / Roosevelt Sykes
55. Beware, Brother, Beware
Louis Jordan
56. Peace In The Valley
Flying Clouds of Detroit
57. I Don't Know Enough About You
Benny Goodman (Art Lund) / Mills Brothers / Peggy Lee
58. Wine Women And Song
Al Dexter
59. I've Got A Right To Cry
Erskine Hawkins
60. Day By Day
Frank Sinatra / Joe Stafford
61. What Is Life Without Love?
Eddy Arnold
62. New Spanish Two Step
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
63. No Vacancy
Merle Travis
64. Swanee River Boogie
Albert Ammons
65. Petootie Pie
Louis Jordan & Ella Fitzgerald
66. You Keep Coming Back Like A Song
Dinah Shore / Joe Stafford / Bing Crosby
67. The Coffee Song
Frank Sinatra
68. Shake The Boogie
Sonny Boy Williamson
69. Rainbow At Midnight
Ernest Tubb
70. Bobby Sox Blues
T-Bone Walker
71. I Guess I'll Get The Papers (And Go Home)
Mills Brothers
72. A Gal In Calico
Johnny Mercer / Tex Beneke (Crew Chiefs) / Benny Goodman (Eve Young)
73. Stay a Little Longer
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
74. Cement Mixer (Put-Ti, Put-Ti)
Slim Gaillard Trio / Alvino Rey / Charlie Barnet (Art Robey)
75. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
Harry James / Dick Haymes & Helen Forrest
76. The Rickety Rickshaw Man
Eddy Howard
77. The Whole World Is Singing My Song
Les Brown (Doris Day)
78. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly
Freddy Martin (Glenn Hughes) / Dinah Shore / Jimmy Dorsey (Dee Parker) / Ethel Merman
79. There's Good Blues Tonight
Lucky Millinder (Annisteen Allen)
80. Blue Skies
Benny Goodman (Art Lund) / Count Basie (Jimmy Rushing)
81. Boogie Blues
Gene Krupa (Anita O'Day)
82. Chicago Breakdown
Big Maceo
83. Passé
Tex Beneke (Crew Chiefs) / Margaret Whiting
84. Good Morning Heartache
Billie Holiday
85. Bumble Boogie
Freddy Martin
86. Detour
Spade Cooley / Elton Britt / Wesley Tuttle
87. It's All Over Now
Frankie Carle (Marjorie Hughes) / Peggy Lee
88. Seems Like Old Times
Vaughn Monroe / Guy Lombardo (Don Rodney)
89. Divorce Me C.O.D.
Merle Travis
90. Don't Be a Baby, Baby
Mills Brothers / Benny Goodman (Art Lund)
91. My Gal's A Jockey
Joe Turner
92. La Bamba
Hermanos Huesca
93. You're Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Gone)
Lowell Fulson
94. September Song
Frank Sinatra / Dardanelle Trio
95. Sneakin' Out
Erskine Hawkins
96. Guilty
Margaret Whiting
97. Pastures of Plenty
Woody Guthrie
98. Drivin' Nails In My Coffin
Floyd Tillman
99. Miserlou
Jan August
100. Don't Take Everybody To Be Your Friend
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
King Cole Trio
2. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
Louis Jordan
3. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Louis Jordan
4. The Gypsy
Ink Spots / Dinah Shore
5. Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Lionel Hampton / Tex Beneke
6. Open The Door, Richard
Jack McVea / Dusty Fletcher
7. Let The Good Times Roll
Louis Jordan
8. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
King Cole Trio
9. That's My Desire
Frankie Laine
10. To Each His Own
Ink Spots / Eddy Howard / Freddy Martin (Stuart Wade)
11. Sioux City Sue
Bing Crosby / Zeke Manners / Hoosier Hot Shots / Tiny Hill
12. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
King Cole Trio
13. The Old Lamplighter
Sammy Kaye (Billy Williams) / Kay Kyser (Michael Douglas)
14. Prisoner Of Love
Perry Como / Billy Eckstine / Ink Spots
15. The House of Blue Lights
Freddie Slack (Ella Mae Morse)
16. Ain't That Just Like A Woman
Louis Jordan
17. Blow Top Blues
Lionel Hampton (Dinah Washington)
18. Oh! What It Seemed To Be
Frankie Carle / Frank Sinatra
19. Surrender
Perry Como / Woody Herman (Blue Flames)
20. Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside
Sammy Kaye / Dinah Shore / Andy Russell / Teddy Walters
21. Ole Buttermilk Sky
Kay Kyser / Hoagy Carmichael / Paul Weston
22. Jole Blon
Harry Choates / Moon Mullican
23. Rumors Are Flying
Frankie Carle / Les Paul (Andrews Sisters) / Tony Martin / Three Suns
24. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Johnny Mercer / Sammy Kaye
25. Winter Wonderland
Johny Mercer / Perry Como
26. A Night In Tunisia
Dizzy Gilespie / Charlie Parker
27. As Time Goes By
Dooley Wilson
28. They Say It's Wonderful
Frank Sinatra / Perry Como / Bing Crosby
29. Ko Ko
Charlie Parker
30. R.M. Blues
Roy Milton
31. Roly Poly
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
32. Les Trois Cloches
Eidth Piaf
33. Freight Train Boogie
Delmore Brothers
34. Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming)
Louis Jordan & Ella Fitzgerald
35. The Anniversary Song
Al Jolson
36. So Glad You're Mine
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup
37. Huggin' And Chalkin'
Hoagy Carmichael / Kay Kyser
38. Down The Road Apiece
Amos Milburn
39. Frim Fram Sauce
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong / King Cole Trio
40. I Know Who Threw The Whiskey (In The Well)
Bull Moose Jackson
41. Kentucky Waltz
Bill Monroe
42. Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
Hoosier Hot Shots & Sally Foster / Elton Britt
43. One-Zy, Two-Zy (I Love You-Zy)
Freddy Martin / Phil Harris / Kay Kyser
44. Shoo-Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy
Dinah Shore / Guy Lombardo / Stan Kenton (June Christy)
45. I Know
Andy Kirk (Jubilaires)
46. Five Minutes More
Frank Sinatra / Tex Beneke
47. Guitar Polka
Al Dexter
48. Reconversion Blues
Louis Jordan
49. Salt Pork, West Virginia
Louis Jordan
50. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
King Cole Trio / Billy Eckstine
51. Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got
Julia Lee
52. It's A Good Day
Peggy Lee
53. South America, Take It Away
Andrews Sisters & Bing Crosby / Xavier Cugat (Buddy Clark)
54. Sunny Road
Johnny Moore's Three Blazers / Roosevelt Sykes
55. Beware, Brother, Beware
Louis Jordan
56. Peace In The Valley
Flying Clouds of Detroit
57. I Don't Know Enough About You
Benny Goodman (Art Lund) / Mills Brothers / Peggy Lee
58. Wine Women And Song
Al Dexter
59. I've Got A Right To Cry
Erskine Hawkins
60. Day By Day
Frank Sinatra / Joe Stafford
61. What Is Life Without Love?
Eddy Arnold
62. New Spanish Two Step
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
63. No Vacancy
Merle Travis
64. Swanee River Boogie
Albert Ammons
65. Petootie Pie
Louis Jordan & Ella Fitzgerald
66. You Keep Coming Back Like A Song
Dinah Shore / Joe Stafford / Bing Crosby
67. The Coffee Song
Frank Sinatra
68. Shake The Boogie
Sonny Boy Williamson
69. Rainbow At Midnight
Ernest Tubb
70. Bobby Sox Blues
T-Bone Walker
71. I Guess I'll Get The Papers (And Go Home)
Mills Brothers
72. A Gal In Calico
Johnny Mercer / Tex Beneke (Crew Chiefs) / Benny Goodman (Eve Young)
73. Stay a Little Longer
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
74. Cement Mixer (Put-Ti, Put-Ti)
Slim Gaillard Trio / Alvino Rey / Charlie Barnet (Art Robey)
75. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
Harry James / Dick Haymes & Helen Forrest
76. The Rickety Rickshaw Man
Eddy Howard
77. The Whole World Is Singing My Song
Les Brown (Doris Day)
78. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly
Freddy Martin (Glenn Hughes) / Dinah Shore / Jimmy Dorsey (Dee Parker) / Ethel Merman
79. There's Good Blues Tonight
Lucky Millinder (Annisteen Allen)
80. Blue Skies
Benny Goodman (Art Lund) / Count Basie (Jimmy Rushing)
81. Boogie Blues
Gene Krupa (Anita O'Day)
82. Chicago Breakdown
Big Maceo
83. Passé
Tex Beneke (Crew Chiefs) / Margaret Whiting
84. Good Morning Heartache
Billie Holiday
85. Bumble Boogie
Freddy Martin
86. Detour
Spade Cooley / Elton Britt / Wesley Tuttle
87. It's All Over Now
Frankie Carle (Marjorie Hughes) / Peggy Lee
88. Seems Like Old Times
Vaughn Monroe / Guy Lombardo (Don Rodney)
89. Divorce Me C.O.D.
Merle Travis
90. Don't Be a Baby, Baby
Mills Brothers / Benny Goodman (Art Lund)
91. My Gal's A Jockey
Joe Turner
92. La Bamba
Hermanos Huesca
93. You're Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Gone)
Lowell Fulson
94. September Song
Frank Sinatra / Dardanelle Trio
95. Sneakin' Out
Erskine Hawkins
96. Guilty
Margaret Whiting
97. Pastures of Plenty
Woody Guthrie
98. Drivin' Nails In My Coffin
Floyd Tillman
99. Miserlou
Jan August
100. Don't Take Everybody To Be Your Friend
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
20 more worth mentioning.
101. Just The Other Day
Sam Donahue
102. In The Moon Mist
Paul Weston (Pied Pipers)
103. Don't Explain
Billie Holiday
104. Boll Weevil Song
Tex Ritter
105. Come To Baby, Do!
Duke Ellington (Joya Sherrill)
106. Port Wine
Cats 'N Jammer Three (Bill Samuels)
107. Bye Bye Baby Blues
Ravens
108. Milton's Boogie
Roy Milton
109. After Midnite
Amos Milburn
110. Tanya
Joe Liggins
111. Playful Baby
Wynonie Harris
112. Wave To Me, My Lady
Elton Britt
113. The Best Man
King Cole Trio / Les Brown (Butch Stone)
114. Red Light
Red Callender Trio
115. The Mad Boogie
Count Basie
116. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?
Louis Armstrong
117. Sportin' Life Blues
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
118. On The Boardwalk In Atlantic City
Charioteers
119. I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
Basin Street Boys
120. Zeb's Mountain Boogie
Brad Bardy & His Tennesseans
Sam Donahue
102. In The Moon Mist
Paul Weston (Pied Pipers)
103. Don't Explain
Billie Holiday
104. Boll Weevil Song
Tex Ritter
105. Come To Baby, Do!
Duke Ellington (Joya Sherrill)
106. Port Wine
Cats 'N Jammer Three (Bill Samuels)
107. Bye Bye Baby Blues
Ravens
108. Milton's Boogie
Roy Milton
109. After Midnite
Amos Milburn
110. Tanya
Joe Liggins
111. Playful Baby
Wynonie Harris
112. Wave To Me, My Lady
Elton Britt
113. The Best Man
King Cole Trio / Les Brown (Butch Stone)
114. Red Light
Red Callender Trio
115. The Mad Boogie
Count Basie
116. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?
Louis Armstrong
117. Sportin' Life Blues
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
118. On The Boardwalk In Atlantic City
Charioteers
119. I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
Basin Street Boys
120. Zeb's Mountain Boogie
Brad Bardy & His Tennesseans
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1946
An unheralded great record from 1946
Adam's choice:
* Cleanhead Blues
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Bruce's choice:
* Walk 'Em
Buddy Johnson
Lew's choice:
* Moose the Mooche
Charlie Parker
Adam's choice:
* Cleanhead Blues
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Bruce's choice:
* Walk 'Em
Buddy Johnson
Lew's choice:
* Moose the Mooche
Charlie Parker
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& Ella Fitzgerald |
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Edited By: Adam
Last Updated: 2023-10-10