Songs from the Year 1921

Other Years:

1921

1922

1923

This page lists the top songs of 1921 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.

Between 1920 and 1940 there are few available charts (at least that we can find). These results should be treated with some caution since, with few exceptions, they are based on fairly subjective charts and biased towards the USA.

The top ten song artists of 1921 were:
1:Paul Whiteman	3:Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	5:Nora Bayes	7:Al Jolson	9:Aileen Stanley
2:Marion Harris	4:Frank Crumit	6:Ben Selvin	8:Original Dixieland Jazz Band	10:Van & Schenck

#	Artist	Song Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Marion Harris	I Ain't Got Nobody	1921	US invalid BB 1 of 1921, POP 1 of 1921, US Billboard 3 - Jun 1921 (7 weeks), Brazil 18 of 1922, nuTsie 45 of 1920s, RYM 21 of 1921
2	Nora Bayes	Make Believe	1921	US Billboard 1 - Jun 1921 (10 weeks), ASCAP song of 1921, Brazil 7 of 1922, US invalid BB 13 of 1921, POP 16 of 1921
3	Van & Schenck	Ain't We Got Fun?	1921	US Billboard 1 - Aug 1921 (9 weeks), US invalid BB 2 of 1921, POP 2 of 1921, Brazil 23 of 1922, nuTsie 79 of 1920s
4	Eddie Cantor	Margie	1921	US Billboard 1 - Feb 1921 (12 weeks), Brazil 7 of 1921, US invalid BB 11 of 1921, POP 12 of 1921, nuTsie 90 of 1920s, RYM 55 of 1920
5	Fanny Brice	Second Hand Rose	1921	Library of Congress artifact added 2005 (1921), POP 2 of 1922, US Billboard 3 - Feb 1922 (7 weeks), US invalid BB 3 of 1921
6	Paul Whiteman	Song of India	1921	US Billboard 1 - Aug 1921 (14 weeks), US invalid BB 4 of 1921, POP 4 of 1921, Brazil 31 of 1922
7	Marion Harris	Look For The Silver Lining	1921	US Billboard 1 - Apr 1921 (10 weeks), US invalid BB 12 of 1921, POP 14 of 1921, Brazil 34 of 1922, RYM 22 of 1921
8	Paul Whiteman	Say it With Music	1921	US Billboard 1 - Nov 1921 (14 weeks), US invalid BB 15 of 1921, POP 20 of 1921, Brazil 29 of 1922, RYM 10 of 1921
9	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	All By Myself	1921	US Billboard 1 - Sep 1921 (12 weeks), US invalid BB 6 of 1921, POP 15 of 1921, Brazil 21 of 1922
10	Al Jolson	Avalon	1921	US Billboard 2 - Nov 1920 (9 weeks), POP 11 of 1921, Europe 14 of the 1930s (1920), Brazil 22 of 1921, RYM 47 of 1921
11	Paul Whiteman	Cherie	1921	US Billboard 1 - Jul 1921 (12 weeks), POP 6 of 1921, Brazil 20 of 1922, RYM 46 of 1921
12	Al Jolson	O-H-I-O (O-My-O!)	1921	US Billboard 1 - Apr 1921 (7 weeks), US invalid BB 5 of 1921, POP 5 of 1921, RYM 48 of 1921
13	Paul Whiteman	My Mammy	1921	US Billboard 1 - May 1921 (12 weeks), POP 18 of 1921, Brazil 27 of 1922, RYM 20 of 1921
14	Isham Jones	Wabash Blues	1921	US Billboard 1 - Dec 1921 (12 weeks), US invalid BB 9 of 1921, POP 9 of 1921, RYM 23 of 1921
15	Billy Murray & Billy Jones	Down By the O-HI-O	1921	US Billboard 2 - Mar 1921 (5 weeks), US invalid BB 7 of 1921, POP 7 of 1921
16	Ethel Waters	There'll Be Some Changes Made	1921	US Billboard 5 - Dec 1921 (5 weeks), US invalid BB 10 of 1922, POP 10 of 1922, RYM 8 of 1921
17	Marion Harris	I'm a Jazz Vampire	1921	US Billboard 8 - Feb 1921 (2 weeks), US invalid BB 10 of 1921, POP 10 of 1921, RYM 14 of 1920
18	Paul Whiteman	My Man (Mon Homme)	1921	US Billboard 2 - Jul 1921 (7 weeks), Brazil 28 of 1922, RYM 46 of 1921
19	Aileen Stanley	My Man (Mon Homme)	1921	US Billboard 7 - Aug 1921 (2 weeks), US invalid BB 8 of 1921, POP 8 of 1921
20	Paul Whiteman	Bright Eyes	1921	US Billboard 2 - Apr 1921 (7 weeks), POP 13 of 1921, RYM 9 of 1921
21	Aileen Stanley	My Mammy	1921	US Billboard 8 - Jun 1921 (2 weeks), US invalid BB 14 of 1921, POP 18 of 1921
22	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	Second Hand Rose	1921	US Billboard 2 - Nov 1921 (7 weeks), Brazil 30 of 1922
23	William Jennings Bryan	Cross of Gold	1921	Library of Congress artifact added 2003 (1921)
24	Richard Crooks	Arise O Sun	1921	Peel list 1 of 1921
25	Bahiano	Esta Nega Que Me Da	1921	Brazil 1 of 1921
26	Paul Whiteman	Caresses	1921	US Billboard 5 - Mar 1921 (5 weeks), POP 19 of 1921, RYM 90 of 1929
27	Paul Biese Trio & Frank Crumit	MiMi	1921	US Billboard 10 - Oct 1921 (1 week), Brazil 12 of 1922
28	Arturo Toscanini & La Scala Orchestra	Symphony in E Flat Major (Finale)	1921	US Billboard 12 - Apr 1921 (1 week), Brazil 19 of 1922
29	Paul Whiteman	When Buddha Smiles	1921	US Billboard 2 - Mar 1922 (7 weeks), RYM 15 of 1921
30	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	Home again blues	1921	US Billboard 2 - Apr 1921 (6 weeks), RYM 34 of 1921
31	Paul Whiteman	April Showers	1921	US Billboard 2 - Feb 1922 (6 weeks), RYM 40 of 1921
32	Paul Whiteman	Make Believe	1921	US Billboard 2 - May 1921 (9 weeks), RYM 77 of 1921
33	Prince's Orchestra	Deep In Your Eyes	1921	US Billboard 8 - Oct 1921 (2 weeks), POP 17 of 1921
34	Vincent Lopez	I'm Just Wild About Harry	1921	US Billboard 11 - Jan 1922 (1 week), Jazz Standard 964
35	Paul Biese Trio	Canadian Capers	1921	Peel list 4 of 1921, RYM 81 of 1921
36	Marion Harris	I'm Nobody's Baby	1921	US Billboard 3 - Oct 1921 (8 weeks), RYM 27 of 1921
37	Paul Whiteman	Learn to Smile	1921	US Billboard 3 - Sep 1921 (5 weeks), RYM 28 of 1921
38	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	St Louis Blues	1921	US Billboard 3 - Aug 1921 (6 weeks), RYM 42 of 1921
39	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	Palesteena	1921	US Billboard 3 - Mar 1921 (5 weeks), RYM 58 of 1921
40	Frank Crumit	Sweet Lady	1921	US Billboard 3 - Dec 1921 (6 weeks), RYM 67 of 1921
41	Vernon Dalhart	Tuck Me to Sleep (In My Old 'Tucky Home)	1921	US Billboard 2 - Dec 1921 (7 weeks)
42	Henry Burr & Albert Campbell	Feather Your Nest	1921	US Billboard 2 - Jan 1921 (6 weeks)
43	Art Hickman	Darlin'	1921	US Billboard 2 - Mar 1921 (7 weeks)
44	Patrick Waddington	Night May Have It's Sadness	1921	Peel list 2 of 1921
45	Orquestra de Eduardo Souto	Paixao de Artista	1921	Brazil 2 of 1921
46	Paul Whiteman	Gypsy Blues	1921	US Billboard 4 - Mar 1922 (4 weeks), RYM 15 of 1921
47	Benson Orchestra of Chicago	Bimini Bay	1921	US Billboard 4 - Jan 1922 (4 weeks), RYM 41 of 1921
48	Paul Whiteman	Canadian Capers	1921	US Billboard 4 - Dec 1921 (5 weeks), RYM 41 of 1921
49	Paul Whiteman	Do You Ever Think of Me?	1921	US Billboard 4 - May 1921 (4 weeks), RYM 76 of 1921
50	Paul Whiteman	Humming	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jul 1921 (3 weeks), RYM 20 of 1921
51	Marion Harris	Beale Street Blues	1921	US Billboard 5 - Dec 1921 (4 weeks), RYM 53 of 1921
52	Ben Selvin	Cherie	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jul 1921 (2 weeks), RYM 56 of 1921
53	Frank Crumit	All By Myself	1921	US Billboard 5 - Aug 1921 (4 weeks), RYM 66 of 1921
54	Ernest Hare	My Buddy	1921	US Billboard 5 - Dec 1922 (3 weeks), RYM 70 of 1921
55	Ernest Hare & Billy Jones	Down Yonder	1921	US Billboard 5 - Aug 1921 (3 weeks), RYM 99 of 1921
56	Nora Bayes	Cherie	1921	US Billboard 5 - Oct 1921 (4 weeks), RYM 104 of 1921
57	Mamie Smith	Dangerous Blues	1921	US Billboard 6 - Sep 1921 (3 weeks), RYM 1 of 1921
58	Ben Selvin	Say it With Music	1921	US Billboard 6 - Dec 1921 (3 weeks), RYM 14 of 1921
59	Frank Crumit	I Used to Love You But It's All Over Now	1921	US Billboard 7 - Jul 1921 (2 weeks), RYM 65 of 1921
60	Paul Whiteman	I Never Knew I Could Love	1921	US Billboard 7 - Jun 1921 (3 weeks), RYM 76 of 1921
61	Paul Biese Trio & Frank Crumit	I Ain't Nobody's Darling	1921	US Billboard 7 - Nov 1921 (3 weeks), RYM 98 of 1921
62	Paul Whiteman	Sweetheart	1921	US Billboard 3 - Oct 1921 (6 weeks)
63	Yerkes Flotilla Orchestra	Mazie	1921	US Billboard 3 - Jul 1921 (5 weeks)
64	Carl Fenton	Cherie	1921	US Billboard 3 - Jul 1921 (4 weeks)
65	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	Royal Garden Blues	1921	US Billboard 3 - Nov 1921 (5 weeks)
66	Paul Whiteman	Grieving for You - Feather Your Nest	1921	US Billboard 3 - Feb 1921 (6 weeks)
67	Leopoldo Froes	Mimosa	1921	Brazil 3 of 1921
68	Alfred Lester	Ours is a Nice 'ouse Ours Is	1921	Peel list 3 of 1921
69	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	Jazz Me Blues	1921	US Billboard 9 - Sep 1921 (1 week), RYM 42 of 1921
70	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	Margie	1921	US Billboard 9 - Mar 1921 (1 week), RYM 58 of 1921
71	Paul Biese Trio	Toddle	1921	US Billboard 10 - Jun 1921 (1 week), RYM 82 of 1921
72	Frank Crumit	Home again blues	1921	US Billboard 10 - May 1921 (1 week), RYM 83 of 1921
73	Paul Whiteman	Everybody Step	1921	US Billboard 11 - Feb 1922 (1 week), RYM 49 of 1921
74	Ben Selvin	Make Believe	1921	US Billboard 11 - Jun 1921 (1 week), RYM 84 of 1921
75	Aileen Stanley	I'm Nobody's Baby	1921	US Billboard 11 - Jul 1921 (1 week), RYM 105 of 1921
76	Original Dixieland Jazz Band	Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)	1921	US Billboard 12 - Mar 1921 (1 week), RYM 33 of 1921
77	Mamie Smith	Royal Garden Blues	1921	US Billboard 13 - May 1921 (1 week), RYM 7 of 1921
78	Frank Crumit	Frankie & Johnny	1921	US Billboard 18 - 1927 (1 week), RYM 98 of 1921
79	Benny Krueger & his Orchestra	Spread Yo' Stuff	1921	US Billboard 4 - May 1921 (5 weeks)
80	Leo Reisman	Bright Eyes	1921	US Billboard 4 - Apr 1921 (4 weeks)
81	Reinald Werrenrath	Love Sends a Little Gift of Roses	1921	US Billboard 4 - Jul 1921 (6 weeks)
82	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	Margie	1921	US Billboard 4 - Mar 1921 (5 weeks)
83	Peerless Quartet	My Mammy	1921	US Billboard 4 - Apr 1921 (5 weeks)
84	John McCormack	Learn to Smile	1921	US Billboard 4 - Oct 1921 (5 weeks)
85	Bahiano	Ai Amor	1921	Brazil 4 of 1921
86	Eddie Cantor	I Never Knew	1921	Jazz Standard 303, RYM 72 of 1921
87	Paul Biese Trio	Rose	1921	US Billboard 5 - Apr 1921 (3 weeks)
88	Benson Orchestra of Chicago	San	1921	US Billboard 5 - Oct 1921 (4 weeks)
89	Homer Rodeheaver & Virginia Asher	The Old Rugged Cross	1921	US Billboard 5 - Mar 1921 (3 weeks)
90	Sterling Trio	I Found a Rose in the Devil's Garden	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jul 1921 (3 weeks)
91	Peerless Quartet	Auld Lang Syne	1921	US Billboard 5 - Dec 1921 (3 weeks)
92	Van & Schenck	All She'd Say was Umh-Hum	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jan 1921 (4 weeks)
93	Henry Burr	Old Pal, Why Don't You Answer Me?	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jan 1921 (4 weeks)
94	Frank Crumit	Three O'Clock in The Morning	1921	US Billboard 5 - Oct 1921 (3 weeks)
95	Isham Jones	Make Believe	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jun 1921 (5 weeks)
96	Ethel Waters	Down Home Blues	1921	US Billboard 5 - Sep 1921 (4 weeks)
97	Frank Crumit	Dapper Dan	1921	US Billboard 5 - Dec 1921 (4 weeks)
98	Aileen Stanley	All By Myself	1921	US Billboard 5 - Oct 1921 (3 weeks)
99	Billy Jones	Peggy O'Neil	1921	US Billboard 5 - Aug 1921 (5 weeks)
100	Al Jolson	Scandanavia	1921	US Billboard 5 - Jul 1921 (3 weeks)

Previous Comments

Previous Comments (newest first)

31 Mar 2021

song title

a few of the lyrics, Bailing wire and a hickory board, was all of John Henryford.

15 Aug 2020

Frank Crumit - Frankie and Johnnie

Thanks for putting this data together. It's amazing. Respectfully I wanted topoint out that Frankie and Johnny as listed on here was not recorded in 1921 as far as I can tell, but in 1927, which the chart section lists along with a RYM listing of 1921

The year listed is when the song was a hit, not when it was released. The source chart claims the song came from 1921 so that's the year we tag it with.

In this case we suspect that you are correct and the RYM chart is in error, however we don't have enough evidence to justify modifying the original data.

22 May 2012

# 17 You Can't Keep a Good Man Down

Mamie Smith recorded this song twice. The 1920 recording OKay 4113 is a vocal by Mamie. The 1921 recording OKay 4305 is an instrumental by her Jazz Hounds and is the recording that charted. If this is the recording you are targeting, it should properly belong in the 1921 listing.

We suspect you are correct, however the RYM listing has Mamie Smith as the artist for the 1920 hit (probably wrongly as you say). The year a song is assigned to is the median of all the years of charts it shows up in, the median of 1920 & 1921 is 1920, that is why it is listed here.

This is one of those cases where the data looks wrong but we feel the case is (as they say in Scotland) "unproven". So we are going to add a note (this one) but leave the data as it was originally found.

15 Mar 2012

MY PARENTS SONG

IV,E BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS TOO. I USED TO SING IT IN MY TEENS 1948 TO 1952. FOUND UGLY CHILE BY JOHNNY MERCER WORDS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.1999. WOULD ALSO LIKE TO FIND ORIGINAL

24 Aug 2011

27 Make Believe

Bing Crosby did not join the Whiteman band until late 1926. He did record this song with members on the Whiteman band in 1929, but the 1921 Whiteman recording is instrumental only.

You are correct, the entries have been changed, thanks for the correction.

19 Aug 2011

Probable Duplicate

#20 Nora Bayes and #29 Charles Prince AHO version of "Make Believe" are probably the same song. Nora sang the vocal for the Charles Prince recording.

Thanks again for the great website!

You are correct, the data has been fixed, thanks for the suggestion.

15 Aug 2011

My Parents Song

I have no idea what year this song was released, and the only lines of the lyrics I remember are: "Your teeth are yellow who's your fellow your some ugly child"

Hope someone can help !!

29 May 2011

Error Found - Marion Harris

You have an incorrect song title listed for Marion Harris.

Your database listing: "Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)" - 1920 US Billboard 4 - Dec 1920 (6 weeks), RYM 31 of 1920 - this This song was recorded and attributed to the Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) Broadway Rose/Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)/Strut, Miss Lizzie, 1920, Victor 18722 See Wikipedia, Original Dixieland Jass Band

The Correct Song title for the Marion Harris Song is "Sweet Papa, Your Mama's Getting Mad." She evidently recorded this Rose/Little/ Frost song on 8-31-1920 in New York, NY on for Columbia A3300.

I don't know if your US Billboard information is attributable to the ODJB band or to Marion Harris. I didn't research it any further.

K. Kapral

The song is listed under the Original Dixieland Jass Band as well as Marion Harris' version.

Both the original source for the Billboard data (the Bullfrog spreadsheet) and the current RYM web site list Columbia A3300 as "Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)". By seraching for "Columbia A3300" on Google we found a 78 for sale on eBay which has a picture of the label from Columbia A3300 which clearly shows the title as "Sweet Mamma (Papa's Getting Mad)" (we ignore the extra 'M' of course).

So we think your information is wrong, Marion Harris may well have recorded a song called "Sweet Papa, Your Mama's Getting Mad" but we think that is not "Columbia A3300" and it is not the song that reached number 4 in the Billboard charts.