Songs from the Year 1931

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This page lists the top songs of 1931 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 five song artists of 1931 were:

1:Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra2:Bing Crosby3:Duke Ellington4:Guy Lombardo5:Louis Armstrong
# Artist Song Title Year Chart Entries
1 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Minnie the Moocher 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (17 weeks), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1931), RYM 1 of 1931, US BB 3 of 1931, POP 3 of 1931, Music Imprint 3 of 1930s, nuTsie 6 of 1930s, Brazil 32 of 1931, RIAA 82, Scrobulate 87 of swing, Acclaimed 649 (1931)
2 Duke Ellington Mood Indigo 1931 Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975 (1931), US Billboard 3 - 1931 (10 weeks), RYM 3 of 1931, US BB 7 of 1931, POP 7 of 1931, nuTsie 11 of 1930s, Acclaimed 518 (1930), Song of 1930
3 Ted Lewis & his Orchestra Just a Gigolo 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (8 weeks), US BB 1 of 1931, POP 1 of 1931, Brazil 41 of 1931
4 Isham Jones Stardust 1931 US Billboard 1 - Sep 1930 (20 weeks), US BB 5 of 1931, POP 5 of 1931, Brazil 29 of 1932, RYM 47 of 1930
5 Bing Crosby Out of Nowhere 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (8 weeks), US BB 13 of 1931, POP 13 of 1931, Europe 54 of the 1930s (1931), Brazil 57 of 1931
6 Guy Lombardo Goodnight Sweetheart 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (11 weeks), US BB 4 of 1931, POP 4 of 1931, RYM 40 of 1931, nuTsie 84 of 1930s
7 The Mills Brothers Tiger Rag 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (13 weeks), US BB 10 of 1931, POP 10 of 1931, Brazil 50 of 1932, nuTsie 76 of 1930s
8 Bing Crosby At Your Command 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (9 weeks), US BB 17 of 1931, POP 17 of 1931, Europe 48 of the 1930s (1931)
9 Wayne King Dream a Little Dream of Me 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (12 weeks), US BB 9 of 1931, POP 9 of 1931, RYM 14 of 1931
10 Louis Armstrong Stardust 1931 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 (1931), US Billboard 16 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 16 of 1931, nuTsie 39 of 1930s
11 Wayne King Goodnight Sweetheart 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (15 weeks), POP 4 of 1931, Brazil 41 of 1932
12 Bing Crosby Just One More Chance 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (19 weeks), POP 15 of 1931, Europe 19 of the 1930s (1931)
13 Red Nichols I Got Rhythm 1931 US BB 2 of 1931, POP 2 of 1931, US Billboard 5 - Dec 1930 (8 weeks)
14 Guy Lombardo (There Ought to Be A) Moonlight Savings Time 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (8 weeks), US BB 14 of 1931, POP 14 of 1931
15 Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five & Dime store) 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (6 weeks), US BB 16 of 1931, POP 16 of 1931
16 Guy Lombardo By the River St Marie 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (11 weeks), US BB 18 of 1931, POP 18 of 1931
17 Kate Smith When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (8 weeks), US BB 19 of 1931, POP 19 of 1931
18 Gus Arnheim & his Orchestra Sweet & Lovely 1931 US Billboard 1 - 1931 (14 weeks), US BB 20 of 1931, POP 20 of 1931
19 Duke Ellington Rockin' in Rhythm 1931 US BB 11 of 1931, POP 11 of 1931, RYM 15 of 1931, US Billboard 19 - 1931 (1 week), Song of 1931
20 Bing Crosby Just a Gigolo 1931 Peel list 3 of 1931, US Billboard 12 - 1931 (2 weeks), nuTsie 65 of 1930s
21 Clyde McCoy & his Orchestra Sugar Blues 1931 US Billboard 2 - 1931 (20 weeks), nuTsie 67 of 1930s, Brazil 78 of 1932
22 Louis Armstrong Lazy River 1931 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010 (1931), RYM 9 of 1931, Song of 1931
23 Orquestra Colbaz Tico-Tico no Fuba 1931 Brazil 1 of 1931
24 Layton & Johnstone Oh Donna Clara 1931 Peel list 1 of 1931
25 Ray Noble Lady of Spain 1931 US Billboard 5 - 1931 (15 weeks), US BB 12 of 1931, POP 12 of 1931
26 Ben Selvin Smile Darn Ya Smile 1931 US BB 8 of 1931, POP 8 of 1931, US Billboard 14 - 1931 (2 weeks)
27 Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians Dancing in the Dark 1931 US Billboard 3 - 1931 (11 weeks), Brazil 18 of 1932
28 Bing Crosby Dancing in the Dark 1931 US Billboard 3 - 1931 (6 weeks), Brazil 31 of 1932
29 Ethel Waters I Got Rhythm 1931 POP 2 of 1931, US Billboard 17 - 1931 (1 week)
30 Russ Columbo Goodnight Sweetheart 1931 US Billboard 3 - 1931 (5 weeks), Brazil 100 of 1932
31 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Doin' the Rhumba 1931 RYM 1 of 1931
32 Libby Holman Love for Sale 1931 US Billboard 5 - 1931 (8 weeks), Brazil 98 of 1931
33 Francisco Alves & Mario Reis Se Voce Jurar 1931 Brazil 2 of 1931
34 Al Bowlly Goodnight Sweetheart 1931 Peel list 2 of 1931
35 Smith Ballew & his Orchestra Time On My Hands (You In My Arms) 1931 US Billboard 6 - 1931 (6 weeks), Brazil 99 of 1932
36 Jacques Renard & his Orchestra Cuban Love Song 1931 US Billboard 7 - 1931 (4 weeks), Brazil 67 of 1932
37 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra St James Infirmary 1931 US Billboard 3 - 1931 (8 weeks), RYM 43 of 1931
38 Alfredo Brito & his Siboney Orchestra Siboney 1931 Brazil 15 of 1932, US Billboard 17 - 1931 (2 weeks)
39 Wayne King Wabash Moon 1931 US Billboard 4 - 1931 (11 weeks), RYM 14 of 1931
40 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Kickin' the Gong Around 1931 US Billboard 4 - 1931 (7 weeks), RYM 20 of 1931
41 Paul Whiteman Cuban Love Song 1931 US Billboard 13 - 1931 (2 weeks), Brazil 90 of 1932
42 Duke Ellington Limehouse Blues 1931 RYM 5 of 1931, US Billboard 13 - 1931 (3 weeks)
43 Louis Armstrong (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You 1931 RYM 6 of 1931, US Billboard 13 - 1931 (3 weeks)
44 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Tickeration 1931 US Billboard 8 - 1931 (4 weeks), RYM 23 of 1932
45 Gene Autry & Jimmy Long That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine 1931 US Billboard 7 - 1935 (5 weeks), RYM 65 of 1931
46 Gastao Formenti De Papo Pro Ar 1931 Brazil 3 of 1931
47 Ruth Etting I'm Good for Nothing but Love 1931 US Billboard 7 - 1931 (6 weeks), RYM 85 of 1931
48 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea 1931 US Billboard 15 - 1931 (3 weeks), RYM 20 of 1931
49 Duke Ellington Creole Rhapsody (Parts 1 & 2) 1931 RYM 17 of 1931, US Billboard 18 - 1931 (2 weeks)
50 Duke Ellington Blue Again 1931 US Billboard 12 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 48 of 1931
51 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Nobody's Sweetheart 1931 US Billboard 13 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 43 of 1931
52 Louis Armstrong The Peanut Vendor 1931 US Billboard 15 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 33 of 1931
53 Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra Six or Seven Times 1931 US Billboard 14 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 40 of 1933
54 The Carter Family Lonesome Valley 1931 US Billboard 15 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 92 of 1935
55 Ruth Etting Goodnight Sweetheart 1931 US Billboard 17 - 1931 (2 weeks), RYM 84 of 1931
56 Noel Rosa Com Que Roupa? 1931 Brazil 4 of 1931
57 Ruth Willis Experience Blues 1931 Peel list 4 of 1931
58 Comedian Harmonists Wenn der Wind weht uber das Meer 1931 RYM 2 of 1931
59 Ted Lewis & his Orchestra Somebody Loves You 1931 US Billboard 2 - Apr 1931 (9 weeks)
60 Comedian Harmonists Das ist die Liebe der Matrosen 1931 RYM 2 of 1931

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Previous Comments (newest first)

11 Nov 2012

I Don't Know why I Love You Like I do

wasn't "I Don't Know Why I Love You Like I Do" a big hit in 1931 along with "Guilty" and Prisoner of Love?

Tommy

There is a song "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" by Wayne King that was number 2 in the US in 1931. Also two songs called "I Don't Know Why" were hits in 1931 one by Benny Krueger the other by Kate Smith (we guess they are both the same song). None make it to the year list.

We don't have a song called "I Don't Know Why I Love You Like I Do" in our listings. Of course different versions would have had variations on the names.

"Guilty" was a hit in 1931 for Ruth Etting (peak 4), Wayne King (peak 11) and Russ Columbo (peak 13). None of them high enough to reach the year list.

"Prisoner of Love" was a hit in 1932 (and is listed there)


30 Dec 2010

Love it! :)