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100 Greatest Songs From 1942

Criteria: These songs from 1942 were chosen and ranked based on their initial and 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.
No.
Song
Artist

White Christmas
Paper Doll - Mills Brothers
Stormy Weather - Lena Horne
Flying Home - Lionel Hampton
Why Don't You Do Right - Benny Goodman
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle
Blues in the Night
I've Got a Gal In Kalamazoo
Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey
Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Andrews Sisters
1 White Christmas Bing Crosby
2 Paper Doll Mills Brothers
3 Stormy Weather Lena Horne
4 Flying Home Lionel Hampton (Illinois Jacquet)
5 Why Don't You Do Right? Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee)
6 Jingle, Jangle, Jingle Kay Kyser (Julie Conway & Harry Babbitt) / Gene Autry
7 Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me) Jimmie Lunceford (Willie Smith)
8 (I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo Glenn Miller
9 Tangerine Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
10 Moonlight Cocktail Glenn Miller
11 Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree Glenn Miller (Modernaires) / Andrews Sisters
12 Sleepy Lagoon Harry James
13 Jersey Bounce Benny Goodman / Jimmy Dorsey
14 Deep in the Heart of Texas Alvino Rey / Bing Crosby / Horace Heidt / Gene Autry
15 (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover Vera Lynn
16 I've Heard That Song Before Harry James (Helen Forrest)
17 I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town Louis Jordan / Big Bill Broonzy / Jimmie Lunceford
18 Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition Kay Kyser / Merry Macs / Southern Sons / Royal Harmony Quartet
19 Der Fuehrer's Face Spike Jones (Carl Grayson & Willie Spicer)
20 Trav'lin Light Paul Whiteman (Lady Day)
21 Cow-Cow Boogie Freddie Slack (Ella Mae Morse)
22 Stormy Monday Blues Earl Hines (Billy Eckstine)
23 Night And Day Frank Sinatra
24 Shout, Sister, Shout Lucky Millinder (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
25 See See Rider Blues Bea Booze
26 Wreck On The Highway Roy Acuff
27 American Patrol Glenn Miller
28 Mister Five By Five Freddie Slack (Ella Mae Morse) / Harry James
29 Serenade in Blue Glenn Miller (Ray Eberle & Modernaires)
30 Brazil Xavier Cugat / Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
31 Perdido Duke Ellington
32 Don't Get Around Much Anymore Ink Spots
33 Juke Box Saturday Night Glenn Miller (Modernaires)
34 That Ain't Right King Cole Trio
35 At Last Glenn Miller (Ray Eberle)
36 Take it and Git Andy Kirk
37 There Are Such Things Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
38 Skylark Harry James / Dinah Shore / Woody Herman / Glenn Miller / Bing Crosby
39 St. James' Infirmary Artie Shaw (Hot Lips Page)
40 I Don't Want To Walk Without You Harry James (Helen Forrest) / Bing Crosby
41 I'm Gonna Leave You on The Outskirts of Town Louis Jordan
42 Take Me Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra) / Benny Goodman (Dick Haymes)
43 Amen Abe Lyman / Woody Herman
44 Strip Polka Kay Kyser / Andrews Sisters / Alvino Rey / Johnny Mercer
45 Idaho Benny Goodman (Dick Haymes)
46 Who Wouldn't Love You Kay Kyser (Trudy & Harry Babbitt)
47 Let Me Play With Your Poodle Tampa Red
48 Rock Island Line Leadbelly
49 The Chicks I Pick Are Slender and Tender and Tall Louis Jordan
50 I Had The Craziest Dream Harry James
51 Gonna Hit The Highway Washboard Sam
52 Give Me A 32-20 Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
53 What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again) Louis Jordan
54 Things Ain't What They Used To Be Johnny Hodges
55 When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World) Vaughn Monroe / Lucky Millinder (Trevor Bacon)
56 Ev'ry Night About This Time Ink Spots
57 Moon Mist Duke Ellington
58 I Want A Tall Skinny Papa Lucky Millinder (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
59 Blues On Central Avenue Joe Turner
60 Knock Me A Kiss Louis Jordan / Gene Krupa / Erskine Hawkins
61 Rock Me Lucky Millinder (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
62 He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings Kay Kyser (Harry Babbitt)
63 The "C" Jam Blues Duke Ellington
64 For Me And My Gal Judy Garland & Gene Kelly
65 Baby Don't You Cry Buddy Johnson (Warren Evans)
66 If I Cared A Little Bit Less (And You Cared A Little Bit More) Ink Spots
67 It's A Low Down Dirty Shame Louis Jordan
68 Deep Blue Sea Blues Tommy McClennan
69 Bicycle Bounce Erskine Hawkins
70 Hit That Jive Jack King Cole Trio
71 Take This Hammer (Steel Drivin') Lead Belly
72 Born To Lose Ted Daffan's Texans (Leon Seago)
73 Keep Your Hand On Your Heart Lil Green
74 S. K. Blues Saunders King
75 Hay-Foot, Straw Foot Duke Ellington
76 Just As Though You Were Here Ink Spots
77 This Is Worth Fighting For Ink Spots
78 It Ain't Necessarily So Todd Duncan
79 There's A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere Elton Britt
80 My Devotion Vaughn Monroe / Charlie Spivak / Jimmy Dorsey
81 One Dozen Roses Harry James (Jimmy Saunders) / Dick Jurgens (Buddy Moreno)
82 Moonlight Becomes You Bing Crosby / Glenn Miller (Modernaires)
83 I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen Sammy Kaye / Charlie Spivak
84 Let's Start The New Year Right Bing Crosby
85 Just As Though You Were Here Tommy Dorsey
86 Dearly Beloved Glenn Miller (Skip Nelson) / Dinah Shore
87 Pennsylvania Polka Andrews Sisters
88 Remember Pearl Harbor Sammy Kaye / Carson Robison
89 Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose in Ireland Kay Kyser
90 I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I Got Duke Ellington (Herb Jeffries)
91 Well, Git It Tommy Dorsey
92 The Way You Look Tonight Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee)
93 Ride, Red, Ride Lucky Millinder
94 Easter Parade Harry James
95 Sweet Eloise Glenn Miller
96 Miss You Dinah Shore / Bing Crosby
97 I Remember You Jimmy Dorsey
98 Daybreak Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
99 Be Careful, It's My Heart Bing Crosby
100 Manhattan Serenade Tommy Dorsey
20 more worth mentioning.
101 We're Gonna Slap The Dirty Little Jap Carson Robison
102 The Jitterbug Waltz Fats Waller
103 All I Need is You Ella Fitzgerald
104 The Father Jumps Earl Hines
105 Fat Meat is Good Meat Jimmy Lytell
106 Jumpin' in a Julep Joint Erskine Hawkins
107 Cherokee Maiden Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
108 I Ain't Honky Tonkin' Anymore Ernest Tubb
109 Mussolini's Letter to Hitler Carson Robison
110 You Nearly Lose Your Mind Ernest Tubb
111 When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Zeke Manners
112 She Gave Her Heart To A Soldier Boy Roy Rogers
113 Meet Me Down In Honky Tonk Town Al Dexter
114 He's A Jelly-Roll Baker Lonnie Johnson
115 So Long Shorty Erskine Hawkins
116 She's Gone With The Wind Big Bill Broonzy
117 Shady Grove Blues Sonny Boy Williamson
118 Mama Mama Blues Louis Jordan
119 By The Light of The Silvery Moon Fats Waller
120 It Had To Be You Jimmie Lunceford
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1942
Adam's Choice: An unheralded great record from 1942
* I'm On My Last Go-Round Leadbelly
Bruce's Choice:
* Beale Street Blues Guy Lombardo (Kenny Gardner)
Lew's Choice:
* 627 Stomp Mills Brothers


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