Songs from the Year 1917

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This page lists the top songs of 1917 in the source charts. The way that the various charts are combined to reach this final list is described on the in the site generation page.

There are almost no charts from before 1920 so this list is heavily determined by very few entries.

The top ten song artists of 1917 were:

1:American Quartet3:Prince's Orchestra5:Nora Bayes7:Original Dixieland Jazz Band9:Van & Schenck
2:Peerless Quartet4:John McCormack6:Henry Burr & Albert Campbell8:Victor Military Band10:Al Jolson
# Artist Song Title Year Chart Entries
1 Nora Bayes Over There 1917 US Billboard 1 - Nov 1917 (10 weeks), Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008 (1917), Library of Congress artifact added 2005 (1917), Brazil 22 of 1918
2 American Quartet Over There 1917 US Billboard 1 - Sep 1917 (18 weeks), ASCAP song of 1917, Music Imprint 5 of 1910s, Brazil 8 of 1918, RIAA 39
3 Anna Wheaton & James Harrod Till the Clouds Roll By 1917 US Billboard 1 - Aug 1917 (10 weeks), aceterrier.com 3 of 1900-19 (1917), Brazil 22 of 1920
4 Original Dixieland Jazz Band At the Darktown Strutter's Ball 1917 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006 (1917), US Billboard 2 - Oct 1917 (7 weeks)
5 Victor Military Band Poor Butterfly 1917 US Billboard 1 - Feb 1917 (10 weeks), Brazil 11 of 1918
6 Elsie Baker Missouri Waltz (Hush-a-Bye, Ma Baby) 1917 US Billboard 1 - Mar 1917 (11 weeks), Brazil 18 of 1918
7 Van & Schenck For Me & My Gal 1917 US Billboard 1 - May 1917 (10 weeks), Brazil 21 of 1918
8 Horace Wright & Rene Dietrich My Own Iona 1917 US Billboard 1 - Jan 1917 (9 weeks), Brazil 26 of 1918
9 John McCormack Send Me Away with a Smile 1917 US Billboard 1 - Dec 1917 (10 weeks), Brazil 30 of 1918
10 John McCormack The Star Spangled Banner 1917 US Billboard 1 - May 1917 (8 weeks), RIAA 62
11 Original Dixieland Jazz Band Livery Stable Blues 1917 aceterrier.com 16 of 1900-19 (1917), US Billboard 4 - Jun 1917 (4 weeks), Guardian Jazz 2
12 Henry Burr Joan of Arc 1917 US Billboard 2 - Sep 1917 (6 weeks), Brazil 15 of 1918
13 Peerless Quartet Over There 1917 US Billboard 1 - Oct 1917 (10 weeks)
14 Knickerbocker Quartet Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag 1917 US Billboard 1 - Apr 1917 (10 weeks)
15 Henry Burr & Albert Campbell Lookout Mountain 1917 US Billboard 1 - Jul 1917 (6 weeks)
16 American Quartet Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh! 1917 US Billboard 1 - Jun 1917 (9 weeks)
17 Hampton Quartette Listen to the Lambs 1917 Library of Congress artifact added 2005 (1917)
18 American Quartet Good-Bye Broadway, Hello France 1917 US Billboard 1 - Sep 1917 (8 weeks)
19 Bahiano Pelo Telefone 1917 Brazil 1 of 1917
20 Walter Glynne I Passed By Your Window 1917 Peel list 1 of 1917
21 Joseph Smith & his Orchestra Havanola Fox-Trot 1917 US Billboard 4 - Aug 1917 (3 weeks), Brazil 17 of 1918
22 Fritz Kreisler Poor Butterfly 1917 aceterrier.com 24 of 1900-19 (1917), US Billboard 9 - Jun 1917 (2 weeks)
23 Eddie Cantor That's the Kind of a Baby for Me 1917 aceterrier.com 21 of 1900-19 (1917), US Billboard 10 - Dec 1917 (1 week)
24 Frances Alda La Marseillaise 1917 US Billboard 8 - Sep 1917 (2 weeks), Brazil 10 of 1918
25 Joseph Smith & his Orchestra Gems from Ziegfeld Follies of 1917 1917 US Billboard 10 - Nov 1917 (1 week), Brazil 13 of 1918
26 Lambert Murphy Smiles 1917 US Billboard 5 - Dec 1918 (3 weeks), Jazz Standard 777
27 Marion Harris They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me 1917 US Billboard 2 - Dec 1917 (5 weeks)
28 Anna Wheaton M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I 1917 US Billboard 2 - Jun 1917 (7 weeks)
29 Arthur Collins & Byron G Harlan They're Wearing 'Em Higher in Hawaii 1917 US Billboard 2 - Feb 1917 (6 weeks)
30 Victor Military Band Katinka 1917 US Billboard 2 - Mar 1917 (5 weeks)
31 Prince's Orchestra Till the Clouds Roll By 1917 US Billboard 2 - Aug 1917 (8 weeks)
32 Charles Harrison All the World Will be Jealous of Me 1917 US Billboard 2 - Aug 1917 (6 weeks)
33 Al Jolson Someone Else May be There While I'm Gone 1917 US Billboard 2 - Jan 1917 (4 weeks)
34 Horace Wright O'Brien is Tryin' to Learn to Talk Hawaiian 1917 US Billboard 2 - Jan 1917 (7 weeks)
35 Harry MacDonough & Lucy Isabelle Marsh Babes in the Wood 1917 US Billboard 2 - Jan 1917 (6 weeks)
36 James F Harrison & James Reed In the Sweet Long Ago 1917 US Billboard 2 - Apr 1917 (5 weeks)
37 Josie Collins Love Will Find a Way 1917 Peel list 2 of 1917
38 Choro do Pixinguinha Sofres Porque Queres 1917 Brazil 2 of 1917
39 Henry Burr & Albert Campbell My Hawaiian Sunshine 1917 US Billboard 3 - Feb 1917 (4 weeks)
40 Columbia Stellar Quartet Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (The Boys Are Marching) 1917 US Billboard 3 - Nov 1917 (4 weeks)
41 Peerless Quartet America, Here's My Boy 1917 US Billboard 3 - May 1917 (5 weeks)
42 John McCormack There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding 1917 US Billboard 3 - Sep 1917 (5 weeks)
43 American Quartet Sailin' Away On the Henry Clay 1917 US Billboard 3 - Dec 1917 (5 weeks)
44 Ada Jones & Billy Murray What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes At Me For? 1917 US Billboard 3 - Mar 1917 (5 weeks)
45 Peerless Quartet We're Going Over 1917 US Billboard 3 - Dec 1917 (4 weeks)
46 Byron G Harlan I'm a Twelve O'Clock Fellow in a Nine O'Clock Town 1917 US Billboard 3 - Jul 1917 (4 weeks)
47 Henry Burr & Albert Campbell Missouri Waltz (Hush-a-Bye, Ma Baby) 1917 US Billboard 3 - Nov 1917 (5 weeks)
48 Prince's Orchestra Poor Butterfly 1917 US Billboard 3 - Mar 1917 (6 weeks)
49 Prince's Orchestra The Man Behind the Hammer & the Plow 1917 US Billboard 3 - Jul 1917 (5 weeks)
50 Bahiano A Baratinha 1917 Brazil 3 of 1917
51 Florrie Ford Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty 1917 Peel list 3 of 1917
52 Eubie Blake Jazzing around 1917 aceterrier.com 19 of 1900-19 (1917)
53 Carlos Gardel Mi Noche Triste 1917 aceterrier.com 26 of 1900-19 (1917)
54 The Oriental Orchestra Russian Scissors 1917 aceterrier.com 31 of 1900-19 (1917)
55 Ford Hawaiians Wiliwili Wai 1917 aceterrier.com 36 of 1900-19 (1917)
56 Elizabeth Brice Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh! 1917 US Billboard 4 - Aug 1917 (4 weeks)
57 Al Jolson From Here to Shanghai 1917 US Billboard 4 - Jun 1917 (4 weeks)
58 Prince's Orchestra The Old Grey Mare 1917 US Billboard 4 - Sep 1917 (4 weeks)
59 Reinald Werrenrath Battle Hymn of the Republic 1917 US Billboard 4 - Jul 1917 (3 weeks)
60 John McCormack When Irish Eyes Are Smiling 1917 US Billboard 4 - May 1917 (3 weeks)
61 Peerless Quartet I May be gone for a Long, Long Time 1917 US Billboard 4 - Oct 1917 (4 weeks)
62 Victor Military Band Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag 1917 US Billboard 4 - Mar 1917 (5 weeks)
63 Sterling Trio Hawaiian Butterfly 1917 US Billboard 4 - Jun 1917 (6 weeks)
64 Reinald Werrenrath Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag 1917 US Billboard 4 - Apr 1917 (3 weeks)
65 Ada Jones & MJ O'Connell Some Sunday Morning 1917 US Billboard 4 - Dec 1917 (4 weeks)
66 John McCormack Keep the Home Fires Burning 1917 US Billboard 4 - Sep 1917 (4 weeks)
67 Weber & Fields The Baseball Game 1917 US Billboard 4 - Jan 1917 (3 weeks)
68 Henry Burr All the World Will be Jealous of Me 1917 US Billboard 4 - Aug 1917 (3 weeks)
69 Al Jolson Pray for Sunshine 1917 US Billboard 4 - Apr 1917 (4 weeks)
70 Grupo de Caxanga Vagalume Sorrindo 1917 Brazil 4 of 1917
71 The Six Brown Brothers Smiles & Chuckles 1917 Peel list 4 of 1917
72 Al Jolson Ev'ry Little While 1917 US Billboard 5 - May 1917 (2 weeks)
73 Nora Bayes (Goodbye, & Luck Be with You) Laddie Boy 1917 US Billboard 5 - Dec 1917 (3 weeks)
74 MJ O'Connell Send Me Away with a Smile 1917 US Billboard 5 - Dec 1917 (3 weeks)
75 Elsie Baker For You a Rose 1917 US Billboard 5 - Aug 1917 (3 weeks)

Comment on the contents of the 'Songs from the Year 1917' page
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Previous Comments (newest first)

5 Nov 2018

it's a little bit of heaven far across the sea by James Mckee

This song was copyrighted back in 1917. +Published b McKee & Smith, from magnolia Ave., Bridgeton, N. J. I can't find any information on it. +Can you help me????


4 Feb 2015

Music hall artist

Dear Sirs. ++ ++ This is a real long shot; I am one of 6 cousins with no other surviving members of family. ++ +We have a photograph that was in amongst family snaps of a beautiful lady; one of my cousins feels she was to do with music hall !! I do realize that your site is to do with songs from an era On the front of the snap is has photographers +indentation and Southport (not there now). ++ ++ On the back it has beautifully written December 1917 If youthink you may be able to identify our beautiful lady is there any way I can email you the photograph ?????

If you cannot help, could you point me in a direction that you think could.

Yours very sincerely,

Jlulie Jones

We only list songs from charts here, maybe one of our readers can help?


1 Nov 2011

# 17 Pack Up Your Trouble in Your Old Kit Bag

Technically, the first Billboard Chart appeared in 1934. It was a weekly listing of the most played songs on network radio. The information privious to that was compiled by Joel Whitburn for his book Pop Memories 1890-1954, and was presented to simulate what Billoard might have presented had they been compiling data at that time. I suspect that your source compiled their information from his work, and in some cases there were transcription errors from what Whitburn presented.

I don't mean to demean your work as I think yoou are doing a fabulous job. However, none of can know everything and I always welcome new information that increases my knowledge.

The "Bullfrog" group did start from the Joel Whitburn retrospective charts, however suggesting that all the differences are due to "transcription errors" is, we feel, a little unfair. Whitburn made many mistakes that the Bullfrog group have corrected, for example by looking at original record labels. I don't know about this period but for later eras the Bullfrog data is significantly better than that listed by Whitburn.

The listing here is an attempt to consolidate data from many different sources (for this era there are, of course too few). We have had many suggestions of places where the Bullfrog data is wrong, in most cases it has turned out that the corespondant was mistaken. So we have adopted the approach to only "correct" Bullfrog data when the adjustment can be justified by independant externally verified sources.

Unlike the Bullfrog group we here at Tsort are trying to bring together entries from many different countries and decades, so we usually downplay the string on a particular label (some groups and songs were released with radically different names in different countries). So if a group is labeled distinctly on a single release we will try and credit it to the most generic form of their name (Prince, for example uses many different names on different labels).

Under both of the criteria the suggested fix does not meet the level of evidence to justify the change.

Of course the suggestion that the data should be fixed has been listed on the page, so later users will be able to see it. We feel that this provides a way to make the suggestion visible.

Also don't forget that most of the suggestions you've provided have passed our tests and have been applied (and, we will continue to welcome all comments from contributors who are as constructive as you)


1 Nov 2011

# 39 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp

This is a duet with Charles Harrison.

Thanks for the suggestion, but the Bullfrog data credits it to "Columbia Stellar Quartet" and we can't find any sources that support listing Charles Harrison seperately.

It is true that he was a member of the group, but in later decades our convention is to try and consolidate entries (by using fewer artist names) adding an extra entry listing Charles W. Harrison would require more supporting information.


23 Aug 2011

17 Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag

This item should be James F Harrison & Knickerbocker Quartet and it is on the record lable.

The Billboard chart listing has "Knickerbocker Quartet"


7 Jul 2011

looking for you are my sunshine 1920 or 30

The song "You Are My Sunshine" was first recorded in 1939. It was written by Jimmie Davis & Charles Mitchell.

The most famous version was by Jimmie Davis (1940) - Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1940), RYM 4 of 1940, Music Imprint 5 of 1940s, RIAA 14, nuTsie 30 of 1940s, Acclaimed 677 (1940)

Other versions in various charts were:

Gene Autry "You Are My Sunshine" (1941) - RYM 8 of 1941, US Billboard 23 - 1941 (1 week)

Bing Crosby "You Are My Sunshine" (1941) - US Billboard 19 - 1941 (1 week)

Ferko String Band "You Are My Sunshine" (1955) - US CashBox 44 - Sep 1955 (2 weeks)

Carl McVoy "You Are My Sunshine" (1958) - Canada 39 - Jul 1958 (5 weeks)

Johnny & The Hurricanes "You Are My Sunshine" (1960) - US Billboard 91 - Dec 1960 (1 week)

Ray Charles "You Are My Sunshine" (1962) - US Billboard 7 - Nov 1962 (12 weeks), Flanders 13 - Jan 1963 (1 month), Canada 22 - Nov 1962 (6 weeks), US CashBox 84 of 1963, US Radio 96 of 1962 (peak 7 4 weeks)

Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels "You Are My Sunshine" (1967) - US Billboard 88 - Oct 1967 (3 weeks)

Kiriman "You Are My Sunshine" (1997) - Austria 13 - Jun 1997 (3 weeks)