Songs from the Year 1929

Other Years:

1929

1930s

1940s

This page lists the top songs of 1929 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 1929 were:
1:Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	3:Gene Austin	5:Paul Whiteman	7:Guy Lombardo	9:Ben Selvin
2:Louis Armstrong	4:Fats Waller	6:Eddie Cantor	8:Nat Shilkret	10:Ruth Etting

#	Artist	Song Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Eddie Cantor	Makin' Whoopee	1929	ASCAP song of 1929, US Billboard 2 - 1929 (10 weeks), US invalid BB 2 of 1929, POP 2 of 1929, nuTsie 10 of 1920s, Music Imprint 14 of 1920s, Brazil 16 of 1929, Daily Deuce 26, RIAA 126, Acclaimed 1362 (1928), RYM 8 of 1928
2	Fats Waller	Ain't Misbehavin'	1929	Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 (1929), Library of Congress artifact added 2004 (1929), nuTsie 4 of 1920s, Music Imprint 16 of 1920s, US Billboard 17 - 1929 (1 week), Daily Deuce 22, RIAA 41, Acclaimed 778 (1929), RYM 1 of 1929, Song of 1936
3	Ethel Waters	Am I Blue?	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (15 weeks), Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 (1929), US invalid BB 8 of 1929, POP 8 of 1929, Brazil 19 of 1930, nuTsie 41 of 1920s, aceterrier.com 31 of the 1920s (1929)
4	Charley Patton	Pony Blues	1929	Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1929), Library of Congress artifact added 2006 (1929), Daily Deuce 23, nuTsie 51 of 1920s, Acclaimed 903 (1929), RYM 10 of 1929
5	Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike)	Singin' in the Rain	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (12 weeks), US invalid BB 3 of 1929, POP 3 of 1929, Brazil 8 of 1930, nuTsie 54 of 1920s
6	Nick Lucas	Tip Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (19 weeks), US invalid BB 4 of 1929, Brazil 17 of 1930, POP 17 of 1929, nuTsie 55 of 1920s
7	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Honey	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (15 weeks), US invalid BB 7 of 1929, POP 7 of 1929, Brazil 43 of 1930, nuTsie 89 of 1920s
8	Louis Armstrong	When You're Smiling	1929	US invalid BB 1 of 1929, POP 1 of 1929, US Billboard 15 - 1929 (2 weeks), RYM 35 of 1929, Song of 1932
9	Maurice Chevalier	Louise	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (10 weeks), US invalid BB 6 of 1929, POP 6 of 1929, nuTsie 30 of 1920s, Brazil 87 of 1930, aceterrier.com 82 of the 1920s (1929)
10	Bob Haring & his Orchestra	Pagan Love Song	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (11 weeks), US invalid BB 5 of 1929, POP 5 of 1929, Brazil 37 of 1930
11	Guy Lombardo	Sweethearts On Parade	1929	US Billboard 1 - Dec 1928 (12 weeks), US invalid BB 9 of 1929, POP 9 of 1929, Brazil 11 of 1929
12	Paul Whiteman	Great Day	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (9 weeks), US invalid BB 10 of 1929, POP 10 of 1929, Europe 85 of the 1930s (1929)
13	Gene Austin	Carolina Moon	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (14 weeks), US invalid BB 12 of 1929, POP 12 of 1929, Brazil 44 of 1929
14	George Olsen	A Precious Little Thing Called Love	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (11 weeks), US invalid BB 13 of 1929, POP 13 of 1929, Brazil 62 of 1930
15	Al Jolson	Little Pal	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (10 weeks), US invalid BB 16 of 1929, POP 18 of 1929, nuTsie 71 of 1920s
16	Leo Reisman	The Wedding of the Painted Doll	1929	US Billboard 1 - 1929 (12 weeks), US invalid BB 14 of 1929, POP 14 of 1929
17	Louis Armstrong	St Louis Blues	1929	Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008 (1929), US Billboard 11 - 1930 (3 weeks), RYM 5 of 1933, Guardian Jazz 5
18	Bessie Smith	Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out	1929	Daily Deuce 12, US Billboard 15 - 1929 (2 weeks), nuTsie 50 of 1920s, aceterrier.com 76 of the 1920s (1929), RYM 2 of 1929
19	Johnny Hamp & The Kentucky Serenaders	If I Had a Talking Picture of You	1929	US Billboard 5 - Nov 1929 (8 weeks), US invalid BB 11 of 1929, POP 11 of 1929
20	Jimmie Rodgers	Waiting For the Train	1929	US Billboard 14 - 1929 (3 weeks), nuTsie 29 of 1920s, Scrobulate 69 of americana, RYM 3 of 1929
21	Coon-Sanders Orchestra	Little Orphan Annie	1929	US Billboard 16 - 1929 (2 weeks), US invalid BB 17 of 1929, POP 20 of 1929
22	Louis Armstrong	(What Did I Do to Be So) Black & Blue	1929	Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 (1929)
23	Peter Dawson	The Admiral's Broom	1929	Peel list 1 of 1929
24	Mario Reis	Gosto Que Me Enrosco	1929	Brazil 1 of 1929
25	Leo Reisman	With a Song In My Heart	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (9 weeks), Brazil 40 of 1930
26	Guy Lombardo	College Medley Fox Trot	1929	POP 4 of 1929, US Billboard 6 - 1929 (5 weeks)
27	Fats Waller	Handful of Keys	1929	Daily Deuce 10, Acclaimed 1187 (1929), RYM 40 of 1929
28	Al Jolson	Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)	1929	US Billboard 9 - 1929 (4 weeks), Europe 21 of the 1930s (1929)
29	Paul Whiteman & Bing Crosby	If I Had a Talking Picture of You	1929	US Billboard 7 - 1929 (7 weeks), Brazil 77 of 1930
30	Louis Armstrong	St James Infirmary	1929	US Billboard 15 - 1929 (3 weeks), Visconti song of 1929, RYM 9 of 1929
31	Duke Ellington	The Mooche	1929	US Billboard 16 - Dec 1928 (2 weeks), Jazz Standard 714, RYM 7 of 1934
32	Arnold Johnson & his Orchestra	Breakaway	1929	US Billboard 20 - 1929 (1 week), Brazil 95 of 1930
33	Ruth Etting	Exactly Like You	1929	US Billboard 11 - 1930 (3 weeks), POP 15 of 1929
34	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Coquette	1929	US Billboard 10 - 1929 (3 weeks), POP 19 of 1929
35	Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike)	Just You, Just Me	1929	US Billboard 13 - 1929 (2 weeks), Jazz Standard 90
36	Arden-Ohman Orchestra	Strike Up the Band (Here Comes a Sailor)	1929	US Billboard 12 - 1930 (3 weeks), Jazz Standard 320
37	Ted Weems	Piccolo Pete	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (15 weeks)
38	Leo Reisman	Ain't Misbehavin'	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (7 weeks)
39	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Marie	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (8 weeks)
40	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	Farewell Blues	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (7 weeks)
41	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Lonely Troubador	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (8 weeks)
42	Nat Shilkret	You Were Meant for Me	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (12 weeks)
43	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Weary River	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (10 weeks)
44	Al Jolson	I'm in Seventh Heaven	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (6 weeks)
45	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Deep Night	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (10 weeks)
46	Ben Selvin	My Sin	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (10 weeks)
47	Nick Lucas	Painting the Clouds with Sunshine	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (15 weeks)
48	Gus Arnheim & his Orchestra	Sleepy Valley	1929	US Billboard 2 - 1929 (9 weeks)
49	Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra	Tip Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me	1929	Peel list 2 of 1929
50	Patricio Teixeira	Trepa no Coqueiro	1929	Brazil 2 of 1929
51	Louis Armstrong	Ain't Misbehavin'	1929	US Billboard 7 - 1929 (4 weeks), RYM 7 of 1929
52	Nat Shilkret	Pagan Love Song	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (7 weeks)
53	Paul Whiteman	Lover Come Back to Me	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (8 weeks)
54	Ruth Etting	Mean to Me	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (9 weeks)
55	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	I Love You (My Love Song)	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (6 weeks)
56	Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians	I'll Always Be in Love With You	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (8 weeks)
57	Helen Kane	Button Up Your Overcoat	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (8 weeks)
58	Ruth Etting	I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (10 weeks)
59	Ben Selvin	Broadway Melody	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (10 weeks)
60	Gene Austin	She's Funny That Way	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (7 weeks)
61	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	Lady Luck	1929	US Billboard 3 - 1929 (7 weeks)
62	Stanley Lupino	I Lift Up My Finger & I Say Tweet Tweet	1929	Peel list 3 of 1929
63	Mario Reis	Dorinha, Meu Amor	1929	Brazil 3 of 1929
64	The Carter Family	I'm Thinking Tonight of Two Blue Eyes	1929	US Billboard 10 - 1929 (4 weeks), RYM 83 of 1929
65	Louis Armstrong	Basin Street Blues	1929	US Billboard 20 - 1938 (1 week), RYM 6 of 1929
66	Marion Harris	Nobody's Using It Now	1929	US Billboard 20 - 1930 (1 week), RYM 99 of 1929
67	Ted Lewis & his Orchestra	Lonely Troubador	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (6 weeks)
68	Earl Burtnett & his Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra	Singin' in the Rain	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (10 weeks)
69	Libby Holman	Am I Blue?	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (8 weeks)
70	Al Jolson	Why Can't You?	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (6 weeks)
71	Guy Lombardo	Where the Shy Little Violets Grow	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (6 weeks)
72	Nat Shilkret	Love Me	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (7 weeks)
73	Paul Whiteman	My Lucky Star	1929	US Billboard 4 - 1929 (8 weeks)
74	Mario Reis	Jura	1929	Brazil 4 of 1929
75	King Oliver's Jazz Band	New Orleans Shout	1929	Peel list 4 of 1929
76	Bessie Smith	My Kitchen Man	1929	Scrobulate 66 of halftoned singles club, RYM 49 of 1929
77	Meade Lux Lewis	Honky Tonk Train Blues	1929	WXPN 476, RYM 51 of 1929
78	Hoagy Carmichael	Rockin' Chair	1929	Jazz Standard 437, Song of 1930
79	Fats Waller	I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling	1929	Jazz Standard 702, RYM 39 of 1929
80	Louis Armstrong	Blue Turning Grey Over You	1929	Jazz Standard 744, RYM 35 of 1930
81	Ben Selvin	Yours Is My Heart Alone	1929	Jazz Standard 871, RYM 83 of 1931
82	Paul Whiteman	Button Up Your Overcoat	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (6 weeks)
83	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	Sweetheart of All My Dreams	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (6 weeks)
84	Libby Holman	Moanin' Low	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (6 weeks)
85	Nat Shilkret	Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (6 weeks)
86	Jean Goldkette & his Orchestra	Tip Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (7 weeks)
87	Irving Aaronson & his Commanders	Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (6 weeks)
88	Leo Reisman	My Sweeter Than Sweet	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (5 weeks)
89	Paul Whiteman	Love Me	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (4 weeks)
90	Gene Austin	Weary River	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (7 weeks)
91	Rudy Vallee & his Connecticut Yankees	I'm Just a Vagabond Lover	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (8 weeks)
92	Ben Selvin	Carolina Moon	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (7 weeks)
93	Columbians	Pagan Love Song	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (5 weeks)
94	Bing Crosby	Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)	1929	US Billboard 5 - 1929 (7 weeks)
95	Gastao Formenti	Lua Branca	1929	Brazil 5 of 1929
96	Bing Crosby	Louise	1929	US Billboard 6 - 1929 (5 weeks)
97	Nat Shilkret	One Kiss	1929	US Billboard 6 - 1929 (5 weeks)
98	Jean Goldkette & his Orchestra	Painting the Clouds with Sunshine	1929	US Billboard 6 - 1929 (5 weeks)
99	Bing Crosby	(I'm a Dreamer) Aren't We All?	1929	US Billboard 6 - 1929 (11 weeks)
100	Gus Arnheim & his Orchestra	Avalon Town	1929	US Billboard 6 - 1929 (7 weeks)

Previous Comments

Previous Comments (newest first)

15 Jul 2023

#85 Let's Do it

The recording of this song that charted at # 5 for 7 weeks is by PaulWhiteman. However, the vocal on this recording is by Fulton, Gaylord & Young. Bing was the vocalist on the Dorsey Brothers recording, but it charted at #9 for 4 weeks.

10 Jan 2016

Double Listing - Black Bottom

#18 - The Kentucky Serenaders & #50 - Johnny Hamp should be combined. Per Joel Whitburn & John Peel this group was originally called Johnny Hamp & The Kentucky Serenaders.

We've assigned all songs credited to either Johnny Hamp or the Kentucky Serenaders to "Johnny Hamp & The Kentucky Serenaders". We realise this is not quite correct but it should help when searchng for related songs

Thanks

23 Apr 2014

Song

Was the song Charmain released in 1929

The earliest hit entries with the song "Charmaine" that we have are Guy Lombardo and Lewis James who both had hits with the song in 1927

22 Jan 2014

Tune In On Heaven

Have you heard of the song Tune In On Heaven by Charles Fisher? It was written in 1929 for the great revival of 1930 in Portland.

22 Mar 2013

#31 If I Had a Talking Picture of You

This also a # 5 Billboard hit and just like Back Bottom, #15 in 1926)it is by Johnny Hamp and his Kentucky Serenaders. They were later billed as Johnny Hamp and his Orchestra.

The name has also been standardised. But according to our source the original credited artist was "Johnny Hamp & His Orchestra" not "Johnny Hamp and his Kentucky Serenaders"

11 Nov 2012

Garden In The Rain

Gene Austin recorded a beautiful rendition of Garden In The Rain in 1929. I have the 78rpm record of this, and it's included on at least two CD's of his early recordings. Wonder why it is not listed for 1929. It's one of the most beautiful recordings I've ever heard of a song.

Tommy

It peaked at number 15, so not enough success to make it to this page. However if you'd looked on Gene Austin's page you'd have seen that it is listed there.

13 Oct 2011

Tip Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me

All the references I have found on the song "Tip-Toe Through The Tulips" (Wikipedia quotes Chart-Toppers of the Twenties, 1998 ASV Ltd) state that the "Crooning Troubadour" Nick Lucas was the hit maker of the song in 1929. I have yet to see a version of referenced by Bert Ambrose (unless Nick was the vocalist for Ambrose and the vocalist got the billing).

Bert Ambrose was active in London in 1929, Nick Lucas was in the USA. Most of the charts credit Nick Lucas with the song, but most of the charts are US based. The single chart that mentions Bert Ambrose was the one assembled by John Peel. Obviously the Margrave of the Marshes preferred Bert Ambrose's version.

27 Aug 2011

18 & 23 Pagan Love Song

These two items are the same recording since Bob Haring's Orchestra was in fact the Copley Plaza Orchestra.

Thanks for the correction, the data has been changed as you suggest

14 Aug 2011

Pinetop's Boogie Woogie

#20 artist is actually Clarence "Pinetop" Smith performing his Pinetop's Boogie Woogie. You have previously listed this at #9 in 1928 and the 2 entries should probably be combined.

Keep up the great work! I love this site!

That particular artist was credited as "Clarence 'Pinetop' Smith", "Clarence Smith", "Pinetop Smith" and "Pine Top Smith". Since we have more sources calling him "Pinetop Smith" than any other name that's what we'll call him.

You were right, we needed to fix the inconsistency. Thanks for the suggestion

30 Jul 2011

Looking for a Song

This 1929 song has the initials S A L H. Can you help?

The obvious one would be "Spread a Little Happiness" but we don't know of anyone who had a hit with it in 1929

4 Jul 2011

Was there a song "Me at home"?

We don't have any listing for a song with that name.

Of course we have a limited number of charts from 1929