Popular Songs Of 1948, Vol. 1

In celebration of my father's 70th year of life (his birthday was in September), here's the first in a two-part series of posts featuring the most Popular Songs of 1948. Most of you seeing/hearing these probably aren't old enough to remember any of these songs. Or maybe you are familiar with them, because you were raised listening to good music like I was. Either way...enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Doris Day  ~  “It’s Magic”

2)  Pee Wee Hunt  ~  “Twelfth Street Rag”

3)  Georgia Gibbs  ~  “The Things We Did Last Summer”

4)  Ernest Tubb  ~  “Let’s Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello”

5)  Primo Scala’s Banjo & Accordion Orchestra ft. The Keynotes  ~  “Underneath The Arches”

6)  Ken Griffin & Jerry Wayne  ~  “You Can’t Be True, Dear”

7)  Johnny Bond  ~  “Oklahoma Waltz”

8)  Peggy Lee  ~  “Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)”

9)  Woody Herman  ~  “Four Brothers”

10)  Ray Noble & His Orchestra ft. Buddy Clark  ~  “I’ll Dance At Your Wedding”

11)  Francis Craig & His Orchestra  ~  “Beg Your Pardon”

12)  Gracie Fields  ~  “Now Is The Hour”

13)  Eddy Arnold  ~  “Molly Darlin’”

14)  Mahalia Jackson  ~  “Move On Up A Little Higher”

15)  Perry Como  ~  “Because”

16)  The Mills Brothers  ~  “Gloria”

17)  Margaret Whiting  ~  “A Tree In The Meadow”

18)  Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys  ~  “Texarkana Baby”

19)  Jo Stafford  ~  “Red River Valley”

20)  Hank Thompson & The Brazos Valley Boys  ~  “Humpty Dumpty Heart”

21)  Jon & Sondra Steele  ~  “My Happiness”

22)  Hank Williams, Sr.  ~  “Honky Tonkin’”

23)  Nat King Cole Trio  ~  “Nature Boy”

24)  Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra ft. Sons Of The Pioneers  ~  “Cool Water”

25)  Tex Ritter  ~  “Rye Whiskey”

Popular Songs Of 1947, Vol. 2

Did you like that last batch of Popular Songs from 1947? Good? Then here's more. No? Then don't check these out. More of the same here...and it's all good stuff! Enjoy!  ~  JH 

1)  Nat King Cole  ~  “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons”

2)  Dinah Shore  ~  “You Do”

3)  Bing Crosby ft. Fred Waring & The Glee Club  ~  “The Whiffenpoof Song”

4)  Frankie Laine  ~  “All Of Me”

5)  Ted Weems Orchestra  ~  “Heartaches”

6)  Ernest Tubb  ~  “I’ll Step Aside”

7)  Al Jolson  ~  “April Showers”

8)  Eddy Arnold  ~  “It’s A Sin”

9)  The Andrews Sisters  ~  “Near You”

10)  Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five  ~  “Texas And Pacific”

11)  Perry Como ft. Dinah Shore  ~  “When You Were Sweet Sixteen”

12)  Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys ft. Tommy Duncan  ~  “Sugar Moon”

13)  Frank Sinatra  ~  “I’ve Got A Crush On You”

14)  The Ink Spots  ~  “Sincerely Yours”

15)  Merle Travis  ~  “Missouri”

16)  James Baskett  ~  “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”  (Fun fact: Actor/singer James Baskett became the first African-American male to receive an Oscar, for his performance in this film, Song Of The South.)

17)  Red Foley & The Cumberland Valley Boys  ~  “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?”

18)  Doris Day & Buddy Clark  ~  “Confess”

19)  Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra ft. Don Cornell  ~  “That’s My Desire”

20)  Jane Russell  ~  “Do It Again”

21)  Dinah Shore  ~  “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So”

22)  Woody Herman Orchestra  ~  “Four Brothers”

23)  Frankie Laine  ~  “A Sunday Kind Of Love”

24)  Jo Stafford  ~  “Ivy”

25)  Eddy Arnold  ~  “I Couldn’t Believe It Was True”

Big Band & Swing Music

Tomorrow, my wife, kids, and I will be going to a family reunion for my Grandma Hill's side of the family, the Browns. My grandma was not only the Best Grandma Ever (sorry if you think YOUR Grandma is/was – she's not), she was also my best friend when I was younger. She passed away in January of 1992, and a part of me has been lost ever since. The last time we had a Brown Family Reunion was only a year or two after my grandma passed. In her younger and even older years, she had been a huge fan of Big Band music. She loved to dance to it as long as she was able to. In memory of my Grandma Hill, here's a collection of some of the finest Big Band and Swing music ever produced. Enjoy!  ~  JH

1)  Glenn Miller Orchestra  ~  “In The Mood”

2)  Benny Goodman  ~  “Sing, Sing, Sing”

3)  Artie Shaw  ~  “Begin The Beguine”

4)  Harry James  ~  “Green Onions”

5)  Count Basie  ~  “One O’Clock Jump”

6)  Woody Herman & His Swingin’ Herd  ~  “Woodchopper’s Ball”

7)  Duke Ellington  ~  “It Don’t Mean A Thing”

8)  Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich  ~  “The Drum Battle”  (Wow, this is fairly epic! Who do YOU think won the battle?)

9)  Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra  ~  “Song Of India”

10)  Louis Armstrong  ~  “A Kiss To Build A Dream On”

11)  Dizzy Gillespie  ~  “Salt Peanuts”

12)  Bob Crosby And His Orchestra  ~  “Big Noise From Winnetka”

13)  Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra  ~  “Tangerine”

14)  Earl “Fatha” Hines  ~  “Memories Of You”

15)  Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five  ~  “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?”

16)  Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians  ~  “Sioux City Sue”

17)  Kay Kyser & His Orchestra  ~  “Like The Fella Once Said”

18)  Lawrence Welk  ~  “Muskrat Ramble”

19)  Hoagy Carmichael  ~  “The Monkey Song”

20)  Shep Fields And His Rippling Rhythm  ~  “Breathless”

21)  Billy Eckstine  ~  “Prisoner Of Love”

22)  Louis Prima  ~  “Just A Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody”

23)  Cab Calloway  ~  “Minnie The Moocher”

24)  Les Brown And His Band Of Renown  ~  “Leapfrog”

25)  Lionel Hampton  ~  “Flying Home”