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Songs from the Year 1942 |
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| Other Years: | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s |
This page lists the top songs of 1942 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 is also a set of monthly tables showing the various number ones on any date during 1942.
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.
During this era music was dominated by a number of "Big Bands" and songs could be attributed to the band leader, the band name, the lead singer or a combination of the them. It is common, for example, to see the same song listed with three different artists. And, just to stop us from getting bored, the success of a song was tied to the sales of sheet music, so a popular song would often be perfomed by many different combinations of singers and bands and the contemporary charts would list the song, without clarifying whose version was the major hit. Where we have found such issues we have attempted to consolidate the entries using the most widely accepted value for the artist in each case.
At this point the number of input chart entries hit its lowest point in the period 1927-2007. This was not just because of the war, but also because of the musician's strike in the US.
The top ten song artists of 1942 were: | ||||
| 1:Glenn Miller | 3:Kay Kyser | 5:Harry James | 7:Benny Goodman | 9:Dinah Shore |
| 2:Bing Crosby | 4:Jimmy Dorsey | 6:Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra | 8:Woody Herman | 10:Alveno Rey |
| # | Artist | Song Title | Year | Chart Entries |
| 1 | Bing Crosby | White Christmas | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1946 (6 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Oct 1942 (47 weeks), US 1 for 11 weeks - Oct 1942, UK Sheet Music 1 for 2 weeks - Nov 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Sep 1942 (8 weeks), Australia 1 for 5 months - Jun 1943, US invalid BB 1 of 1942, Oscar in 1942 (film 'Holiday Inn'), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974 (1942), DDD 1 of 1942, POP 1 of 1942, DMDB 1 (1942), nuTsie 1 of 1940s, DZE 1 of 1942, Music Imprint 1 of 1940s, Library of Congress artifact added 2002 (1942), Europe 2 of the 1940s (1942), RIAA 2, Scrobulate 2 of christmas, UK 5 - Dec 1977 (20 weeks), AFI 5, Norway 6 - Dec 1959 (2 weeks), ODK Germany 53 - Dec 2007 (10 weeks), Brazil 54 of 1943, Switzerland 56 - Dec 2007 (2 weeks), US Radio 165 of 1961 (peak 20 1 week), Acclaimed 306 (1942), UK Silver (certified by BPI in Feb 1978), Visconti song of 1947, RYM 1 of 1942, Global 1 (50 M sold) - 1942, BBC Rich Song 2 (songwriter royalties $39.6M) |
| 2 | Glenn Miller | (I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (20 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Aug 1942 (18 weeks), US 1 for 7 weeks - Sep 1942, ASCAP song of 1942, Oscar in 1942 (film 'Orchestra Wives') (Nominated), DZE 3 of 1942, DDD 8 of 1942, US invalid BB 10 of 1942, POP 10 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 17 of 1942, nuTsie 33 of 1940s, Europe 44 of the 1940s (1942), Brazil 64 of 1943, RYM 41 of 1942 |
| 3 | Jimmy Dorsey | Tangerine | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (16 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Apr 1942 (15 weeks), US 1 for 6 weeks - May 1942, Your Hit Parade 3 of 1942, US invalid BB 4 of 1942, POP 4 of 1942, DZE 5 of 1942, Brazil 9 of 1943, DDD 9 of 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 12 - Jul 1942 (1 week), nuTsie 56 of 1940s, Europe 82 of the 1940s (1942) |
| 4 | Glenn Miller | Moonlight Cocktail | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (19 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Feb 1942 (15 weeks), US 1 for 10 weeks - Feb 1942, DZE 2 of 1942, US invalid BB 6 of 1942, POP 6 of 1942, DDD 10 of 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 11 - Aug 1942 (3 weeks), Your Hit Parade 23 of 1942, nuTsie 27 of 1940s, Brazil 50 of 1942, Europe 55 of the 1940s (1942), RYM 18 of 1942 |
| 5 | Harry James | Sleepy Lagoon | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (21 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Apr 1942 (18 weeks), US 1 for 4 weeks - Jun 1942, DZE 7 of 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 10 - Jan 1940 (2 weeks), US invalid BB 12 of 1942, DDD 12 of 1942, POP 12 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 13 of 1942, Europe 45 of the 1940s (1941), nuTsie 68 of 1940s, Brazil 79 of 1944 |
| 6 | Kay Kyser | (I Got Spurs That) Jingle, Jangle, Jingle | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (13 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Jul 1942 (13 weeks), US 1 for 8 weeks - Jul 1942, DZE 4 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 5 of 1942, DDD 6 of 1942, US invalid BB 13 of 1942, POP 21 of 1942, Europe 66 of the 1940s (1942), Brazil 69 of 1943 |
| 7 | Glenn Miller | A String of Pearls | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (21 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Jan 1942 (18 weeks), US 1 for 2 weeks - Feb 1942, US invalid BB 2 of 1941, DDD 8 of 1941, POP 13 of 1941, Your Hit Parade 20 of 1942, nuTsie 37 of 1940s, Brazil 44 of 1942, RYM 13 of 1941 |
| 8 | Benny Goodman | Jersey Bounce | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (21 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Apr 1942 (20 weeks), DZE 6 of 1942, US invalid BB 11 of 1942, POP 11 of 1942, DDD 13 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 15 of 1942, Brazil 37 of 1942, Europe 79 of the 1940s (1942), nuTsie 95 of 1940s, RYM 86 of 1942 |
| 9 | Woody Herman | Blues in the Night | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1941 (18 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Jan 1942 (11 weeks), US 1 for 1 week - Feb 1942, DDD 7 of 1941, POP 8 of 1942, DZE 8 of 1942, Brazil 69 of 1942, nuTsie 69 of 1940s |
| 10 | Alveno Rey | Deep in the Heart of Texas | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (10 weeks), US invalid BB 2 of 1942, POP 2 of 1942, US 1940s 3 - Feb 1942 (9 weeks), Your Hit Parade 6 of 1942, DDD 14 of 1942, Music Imprint 19 of 1940s, Brazil 78 of 1942, RIAA 290 |
| 11 | Bing Crosby | Moonlight Becomes You | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1942 (17 weeks), UK Sheet Music 1 for 1 week - Jan 1943, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1943 (8 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Dec 1942 (22 weeks), Your Hit Parade 5 of 1943, DDD 82 of 1942 |
| 12 | Lena Horne | Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time) | 1942 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000 (1942), DDD 3 of 1942, Music Imprint 8 of 1940s, Your Hit Parade 13 of 1943, US Billboard 21 - 1943 (1 week), RIAA 26, nuTsie 28 of 1940s, AFI 30, Acclaimed 1039 (1942), Visconti song of 1943, RYM 10 of 1942, Song of 1941 |
| 13 | Glenn Miller | Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (17 weeks), Your Hit Parade 1 of 1942, US 1940s 2 - May 1942 (13 weeks), US invalid BB 9 of 1942, POP 9 of 1942, DDD 11 of 1942, nuTsie 34 of 1940s, RYM 11 of 1942 |
| 14 | Vera Lynn | (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 1 week - May 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Feb 1942 (11 weeks), Australia 1 for 3 months - Jul 1942, DDD 15 of 1942 |
| 15 | Kay Kyser | Praise The Lord & Pass the Ammunition | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - Oct 1942 (14 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Oct 1942 (18 weeks), DDD 18 of 1942, US invalid BB 20 of 1943, POP 25 of 1943, Europe 65 of the 1940s (1942), nuTsie 91 of 1940s, Song of 1941 |
| 16 | Kay Kyser | Who Wouldn't Love You? | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (23 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Apr 1942 (22 weeks), Your Hit Parade 8 of 1942, US invalid BB 18 of 1942, POP 24 of 1942, DDD 46 of 1942, Europe 70 of the 1940s (1942) |
| 17 | Vaughn Monroe | My Devotion | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (14 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Sep 1942 (5 weeks), Your Hit Parade 12 of 1942, US invalid BB 19 of 1942, POP 23 of 1942, Brazil 71 of 1943, DDD 80 of 1942 |
| 18 | Glenn Miller | Moonlight Becomes You | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1943 (8 weeks), US Billboard 5 - Dec 1942 (12 weeks), US 1940s 7 - Dec 1942 (20 weeks), DDD 82 of 1942, Brazil 92 of 1943 |
| 19 | Kay Kyser | Strip Polka | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (11 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Oct 1942 (3 weeks), US invalid BB 20 of 1942, POP 25 of 1942, DDD 44 of 1942, Europe 64 of the 1940s (1942) |
| 20 | Harry James | I Don't Want to Walk Without You | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (15 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Feb 1942 (13 weeks), US invalid BB 15 of 1942, POP 15 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 18 of 1942, DDD 40 of 1942 |
| 21 | Peggy Lee | Somebody Else is Taking My Place | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (15 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Mar 1942 (9 weeks), Your Hit Parade 7 of 1942, DZE 10 of 1942, US invalid BB 14 of 1942, POP 14 of 1942 |
| 22 | Kay Kyser | (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1941 (13 weeks), US invalid BB 3 of 1942, POP 3 of 1942, US 1940s 7 - Jan 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 32 of 1941 |
| 23 | Lionel Hampton | Flying Home | 1942 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1996 (1942), DDD 4 of 1942, US Billboard 23 - 1942 (2 weeks), Scrobulate 32 of swing, Acclaimed 1501 (1942), Song of 1940 |
| 24 | Bing Crosby | Be Careful, It's My Heart | 1942 | US Billboard 2 - 1942 (15 weeks), UK 40s Sheet Music 12 - Oct 1942 (1 week), Your Hit Parade 22 of 1942, Brazil 58 of 1943, DDD 99 of 1942 |
| 25 | Paul Whiteman & Billie Holiday | Travellin' Light | 1942 | Peel list 2 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 16 of 1942, POP 18 of 1942, DDD 20 of 1942, US Billboard 23 - 1942 (1 week), RYM 20 of 1942 |
| 26 | Spike Jones | Der Fuhrer's Face | 1942 | US Billboard 3 - 1942 (16 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Oct 1942 (16 weeks), DDD 19 of 1942, Europe 74 of the 1940s (1942), nuTsie 100 of 1940s, Song of 1944 |
| 27 | Benny Goodman | Why Don't You Do Right | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - 1943 (19 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Dec 1942 (22 weeks), DDD 5 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 21 of 1943, Brazil 86 of 1943, RYM 37 of 1942 |
| 28 | Bing Crosby | I Don't Want to Walk Without You | 1942 | Australia 1 for 4 months - Feb 1943, US Billboard 9 - 1942 (3 weeks), US 1940s 9 - Apr 1942 (1 week), DDD 40 of 1942 |
| 29 | Kay Kyser | He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (14 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Aug 1942 (11 weeks), DZE 9 of 1942, DDD 62 of 1942 |
| 30 | Glenn Miller | (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover | 1942 | Your Hit Parade 2 of 1942, US Billboard 6 - 1942 (9 weeks), US 1940s 6 - Jan 1942 (7 weeks), DDD 32 of 1941, nuTsie 62 of 1940s, RYM 83 of 1941 |
| 31 | Merry Macs | Praise The Lord & Pass the Ammunition | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 4 - Jan 1943 (5 weeks), US Billboard 8 - 1942 (5 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Nov 1942 (4 weeks), DDD 18 of 1942, POP 22 of 1942 |
| 32 | Harry James | One Dozen Roses | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - 1942 (15 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Jun 1942 (10 weeks), Your Hit Parade 10 of 1942, DDD 81 of 1942, Brazil 89 of 1943 |
| 33 | Jimmy Dorsey | Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil) | 1942 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 (1942), US Billboard 14 - Dec 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 30 of 1942, Europe 63 of the 1940s (1943) |
| 34 | Gene Autry | Deep in the Heart of Texas | 1942 | Australia 1 for 2 months - Dec 1943, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012 (1942) |
| 35 | Charlie Spivak | My Devotion | 1942 | US Billboard 2 - 1942 (12 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Sep 1942 (11 weeks), Brazil 75 of 1944, DDD 80 of 1942 |
| 36 | Alvar Lidell | I'll Walk Beside You | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 3 weeks - Feb 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1942 (7 weeks) |
| 37 | Carroll Gibbons & his Orchestra | Deep in the Heart of Texas | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 1 week - May 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - May 1942 (11 weeks) |
| 38 | Joe Loss Orchestra | Anniversary Waltz | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 1 week - Aug 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - May 1942 (15 weeks) |
| 39 | Hutch | Jealousy | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 5 weeks - Aug 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Aug 1942 (10 weeks) |
| 40 | Marion Harris | Spring Is Here Again | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 1 week - May 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Apr 1942 (6 weeks) |
| 41 | Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra | The Sailor With The Navy Blue Eyes | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 2 weeks - Apr 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Apr 1942 (7 weeks) |
| 42 | Billy Cotton & his Band | What More Can I Say? | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 3 weeks - Feb 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1942 (8 weeks) |
| 43 | Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra | (I Got Spurs That) Jingle, Jangle, Jingle | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 1 week - Oct 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Oct 1942 (5 weeks) |
| 44 | Vera Lynn | How Green Was My Valley | 1942 | UK Sheet Music 1 for 6 weeks - Jun 1942, UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - May 1942 (10 weeks) |
| 45 | Dinah Shore | Blues in the Night | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - 1942 (11 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Feb 1942 (7 weeks), US invalid BB 8 of 1942, POP 8 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 14 of 1942 |
| 46 | Horace Heidt | Deep in the Heart of Texas | 1942 | Australia 1 for 2 months - Dec 1943, US Billboard 7 - 1942 (6 weeks), US 1940s 7 - Mar 1942 (4 weeks) |
| 47 | The Ink Spots | Every Night About This Time | 1942 | Australia 1 for 1 month - Jan 1944, US Billboard 17 - 1942 (2 weeks), DDD 56 of 1942, RYM 94 of 1942 |
| 48 | Dinah Shore | Miss You | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 2 - Jun 1942 (8 weeks), US Billboard 8 - 1942 (11 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Mar 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 96 of 1942 |
| 49 | Glenn Miller | Always In My Heart | 1942 | Oscar in 1942 (film 'Always in My Heart') (Nominated), US Billboard 10 - 1942 (5 weeks), US 1940s 10 - May 1942 (1 week), Brazil 83 of 1943, RYM 84 of 1942 |
| 50 | The Andrews Sisters | Pennsylvania Polka | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 5 - Oct 1942 (5 weeks), POP 7 of 1942, US Billboard 17 - 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 87 of 1942, RYM 16 of 1942 |
| 51 | Jimmie Lunceford | Blues in the Night | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - 1942 (8 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Feb 1942 (5 weeks), DDD 7 of 1942, Your Hit Parade 25 of 1939, RYM 58 of 1942 |
| 52 | Glenn Miller | Juke Box Saturday Night | 1942 | US Billboard 7 - 1942 (11 weeks), US 1940s 7 - Dec 1942 (26 weeks), Your Hit Parade 18 of 1943, DDD 33 of 1942, nuTsie 86 of 1940s |
| 53 | Glenn Miller | At Last | 1942 | Brazil 7 of 1943, US Billboard 9 - 1942 (9 weeks), POP 20 of 1942, DDD 35 of 1942, RYM 41 of 1942 |
| 54 | Benny Goodman | Idaho | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - 1942 (7 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Aug 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 45 of 1942, Brazil 97 of 1943 |
| 55 | Sammy Kaye | I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen | 1942 | US Billboard 3 - 1942 (14 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Sep 1942 (7 weeks), Your Hit Parade 9 of 1942, DDD 83 of 1942 |
| 56 | Jimmy Dorsey | My Devotion | 1942 | US Billboard 3 - 1942 (11 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Aug 1942 (1 week), Brazil 50 of 1944, DDD 80 of 1942 |
| 57 | Glenn Miller | Serenade in Blue | 1942 | US Billboard 2 - 1942 (18 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Sep 1942 (22 weeks), DDD 29 of 1942, RYM 31 of 1942 |
| 58 | The Andrews Sisters | Strip Polka | 1942 | US Billboard 6 - 1942 (9 weeks), US 1940s 6 - Oct 1942 (4 weeks), Europe 38 of the 1940s (1942), DDD 44 of 1942 |
| 59 | Glenn Miller | American Patrol | 1942 | US Billboard 15 - 1942 (2 weeks), DDD 27 of 1942, Europe 49 of the 1940s (1942), Scrobulate 60 of swing, RYM 7 of 1942 |
| 60 | Jimmy Dorsey | I Remember You | 1942 | US Billboard 9 - 1942 (10 weeks), US 1940s 9 - Apr 1942 (1 week), UK 40s Sheet Music 10 - Jul 1942 (1 week), DDD 97 of 1942 |
| 61 | Freddy Martin | Rose O'Day (The Filla-Da-Gusha Song) | 1942 | US Billboard 1 - 1942 (11 weeks), US invalid BB 16 of 1942, POP 17 of 1942 |
| 62 | Jimmy Dorsey | Always In My Heart | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 5 - Sep 1942 (6 weeks), US Billboard 16 - 1942 (1 week), Brazil 39 of 1943 |
| 63 | Freddie Slack | Cow Cow Boogie | 1942 | US Billboard 9 - 1942 (10 weeks), US 1940s 9 - Aug 1942 (2 weeks), Your Hit Parade 19 of 1942, DDD 21 of 1942 |
| 64 | Freddie Slack | Mister Five By Five | 1942 | US Billboard 10 - 1942 (20 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Dec 1942 (1 week), POP 16 of 1942, DDD 28 of 1942 |
| 65 | The Andrews Sisters | Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) | 1942 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 (1942), US Billboard 16 - 1942 (1 week), RYM 6 of 1942 |
| 66 | Leadbelly | Rock Island Line | 1942 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 (1942), DDD 48 of 1942, RYM 4 of 1944 |
| 67 | Tommy Dorsey | Just As Though You Were Here | 1942 | US 1940s 3 - Jul 1942 (9 weeks), US Billboard 6 - 1942 (10 weeks), DDD 85 of 1942, RYM 33 of 1942 |
| 68 | Sammy Kaye | Remember Pearl Harbor | 1942 | US Billboard 3 - 1942 (8 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Jan 1942 (5 weeks), DDD 88 of 1942 |
| 69 | Kay Kyser | Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland | 1942 | US Billboard 2 - 1942 (17 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Jun 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 89 of 1942 |
| 70 | Glenn Miller | Dearly Beloved | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - Oct 1942 (10 weeks), US 1940s 6 - Dec 1942 (1 week), DDD 86 of 1942, RYM 74 of 1942 |
| 71 | Tommy Dorsey & Frank Sinatra | Take Me | 1942 | US Billboard 5 - 1942 (10 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Sep 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 42 of 1942, RYM 75 of 1942 |
| 72 | Glenn Miller | Happy in Love | 1942 | Australia 1 for 1 month - Aug 1944, RYM 18 of 1942 |
| 73 | Johnny Mercer | Strip Polka | 1942 | Your Hit Parade 4 of 1942, US Billboard 7 - 1942 (13 weeks), US 1940s 7 - Sep 1942 (6 weeks) |
| 74 | Abe Lyman & his California Orchestra | Amen | 1942 | US Billboard 4 - 1942 (8 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Sep 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 43 of 1942 |
| 75 | Glenn Miller | Skylark | 1942 | US Billboard 7 - 1942 (12 weeks), US 1940s 7 - May 1942 (11 weeks), DDD 38 of 1942, RYM 82 of 1942 |
| 76 | Freddy Martin | Tonight We Love | 1942 | US Billboard 8 - Dec 1941 (3 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Jan 1942 (1 week), Europe 96 of the 1940s (1942) |
| 77 | Alveno Rey | I Said No | 1942 | US Billboard 2 - 1942 (10 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Jan 1942 (10 weeks) |
| 78 | Glenn Miller | Sweet Eloise | 1942 | US Billboard 7 - 1942 (14 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Aug 1942 (3 weeks), DDD 95 of 1942, RYM 76 of 1942 |
| 79 | Woody Herman | Amen | 1942 | US Billboard 5 - 1942 (9 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Sep 1942 (4 weeks), DDD 43 of 1942 |
| 80 | Elton Britt | There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere | 1942 | US Billboard 7 - Sep 1942 (7 weeks), DDD 79 of 1942, Europe 100 of the 1940s (1943) |
| 81 | Cab Calloway & his Cotton Club Orchestra | Blues in the Night | 1942 | DDD 7 of 1941, US Billboard 8 - 1942 (8 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Mar 1942 (1 week) |
| 82 | Frank Sinatra | Night & Day | 1942 | US Billboard 15 - Sep 1944 (3 weeks), Scrobulate 22 of easy listening, DDD 23 of 1942, RYM 3 of 1942 |
| 83 | Harry James | Easter Parade | 1942 | US Billboard 11 - 1942 (2 weeks), Europe 52 of the 1940s (1942), DDD 94 of 1942 |
| 84 | Jimmy Dorsey | Jersey Bounce | 1942 | US Billboard 9 - 1942 (9 weeks), US 1940s 9 - Jun 1942 (1 week), DDD 13 of 1942 |
| 85 | Charlie Spivak | I Left My Heart At The Stage Door Canteen | 1942 | US Billboard 8 - 1942 (6 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Sep 1942 (2 weeks), DDD 83 of 1942 |
| 86 | Bing Crosby | Miss You | 1942 | US Billboard 9 - 1942 (8 weeks), US 1940s 9 - Jun 1942 (1 week), DDD 96 of 1942 |
| 87 | Benny Goodman | Take Me | 1942 | US Billboard 10 - 1942 (1 week), US 1940s 10 - Aug 1942 (1 week), DDD 42 of 1942 |
| 88 | Dinah Shore | Dearly Beloved | 1942 | US Billboard 10 - 1942 (3 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Dec 1942 (8 weeks), DDD 86 of 1942 |
| 89 | Tommy Dorsey & Frank Sinatra | Daybreak | 1942 | US Billboard 10 - 1942 (5 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Nov 1942 (2 weeks), DDD 98 of 1942 |
| 90 | Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra | That Lovely Weekend | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1942 (12 weeks) |
| 91 | Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra | Rose O'Day (The Filla-Da-Gusha Song) | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1942 (9 weeks) |
| 92 | Bert Ambrose & his Orchestra | (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Feb 1942 (11 weeks) |
| 93 | Allan Jones | Intermezzo (Souvenir De Vienne) | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 1 - Jan 1942 (7 weeks) |
| 94 | Jean Cerchi | (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover | 1942 | Australia 1 for 3 months - Jul 1942 |
| 95 | Ataulfo Alves | Ai! Que Saudades da Amelia | 1942 | Brazil 1 of 1942 |
| 96 | Jimmy Dorsey | I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 3 - Aug 1942 (5 weeks), US Billboard 12 - 1942 (2 weeks) |
| 97 | Bing Crosby | Deep in the Heart of Texas | 1942 | US Billboard 3 - 1942 (9 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Mar 1942 (6 weeks) |
| 98 | Earl Hines & his Orchestra | Stormy Monday | 1942 | POP 13 of 1942, DDD 22 of 1942, US Billboard 23 - 1943 (1 week) |
| 99 | Woody Herman | I'll Remember April | 1942 | US invalid BB 17 of 1942, POP 19 of 1942, US Billboard 23 - 1942 (1 week) |
| 100 | Judy Garland & Gene Kelly | When You Wore a Tulip & I Wore a Big Red Rose | 1942 | UK 40s Sheet Music 3 - May 1943 (14 weeks), US Billboard 19 - 1942 (1 week) |
Previous Comments (newest first)
6 Apr 2018
'French' song
Sounds like 'Darling, Je Vous A'ime Beaucoup' which became associated with Hildegarde - your female singer. Biggest selling version was by Nat 'King'Cole (1955).
3 Feb 2018
looking for a+ somg +, might +be +French , female +singer +, and it starts +with Darling +the +next +words are in +French
10 May 2017
Keep the lights burning bright in the harbour
29 Feb 2016
Looking for a song, I think from the 40's) saying either I am here or I'll be there and also a line about until the moon does something?
3 Feb 2016
#94 - Ambrose & His Orchestra - Rose O'Day
This should be added to 'Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra' page (currently Song Artist #138).
Data fixed, thanks
3 Feb 2016
#91 - Allan Jones - Intermezzo
To tie in with the other recordings of this song, I feel the title should bechanged to 'Intermezzo (Souvenir De Vienne)'.
Data fixed, thanks
24 Jan 2016
#43 - Bert Ambrose & Orch.
To tie in with the other recordings of this song, I feel the title should bechanged to '(I Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle'.
Data fixed, thanks
22 Sep 2015
cd,s of songs in 1942 Albums
14 May 2014
song
There was a song that goes: May the good Lord bless and keep you +wether near or far away, may your days be filled with gladness.....
28 Mar 2013
SONG
Wasn"t there a number 1 song entilded "I MET HER ON MONDAY" ??? Ron
According to our sources Horace Heidt released the song "I Met Her On Monday" in 1942 but it wasn't a hit.
That line has also been used in many other hits, for example The Crystals "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)", Craig David "7 Days" and Spinal Tap "Big Bottom".
28 Mar 2013
# 8 Sleepy Lagoon
This is the same as # 63 in 1941. It was issued as Columbia 36549.
You are correct the data has been fixed thanks for the input
13 Jan 2013
#50 & 75
These are almost certainly the same recording issued on Capitol 116. I have found no evidence that Holiday recorded it separately as a solo. The recording she made with Whiteman is the only one that shows up in any discography I have ever seen.
We think you are right, the data has been fixed, thanks for the correction
3 Nov 2012
My mother in law's favourite song
She remembers, "I'd like to give that hand a plain gold band, 'cos I'm really and truly in love, " A male vocalist, with a band, probably 1942-44.
Any suggestions?
9 Aug 2012
music 1942
I was born in 1942, my father was a "song plugger" in those days that's what you called A&R and he would go around to gigs offering up songs from Gershwin to Arlen from Sinatra to Dinah Shore.
My cousins, Harry and Charlie Tobias are in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and one of my dad's big hits was a silly nonsense ditty Hut-Sut Rawlston Rillerah written by Leo V. Killion, Ted McMichael and Jack Owens in 1941, recorded by the Freddy Martin, Spike Jones, and Mel Torme.
It had nothing to do with Ralston Purina Chex cereal!!!
27 May 2012
The Song List
I only found your web page today and I am thrilled. When I was growing up my father was in constrution work, and, we traveled from one job to another.(1938-1948) In those days few cars had radios, so, we would sing as we traveled from place to place. I am 74 years old now, and, I still find myself singing the bits and pieces of the songs we sang back then.
Sure woud like to have a copy of the lyrics to some of them. Where should I go?
Thanks for all your work.
We are glad the site was of some service to you. As you will have seen we are not a lyric site.
There are many lyric sites on the web, unfortunately they mostly have a lot of adverts. We would tend to go to LyricWiki (http://lyrics.wikia.com/) or A-Z Lyrics (http://www.azlyrics.com/)
4 Apr 2012
the best years of my life.
I am 88years of age and recall all of the songs that i have seen on this page. i would enjoy to have every one of the most beautiful music of this era. The young people of today are really missing out if they don't try and listen to words and melody.
Its all so meaningful
31 Dec 2011
# 37 Why Don't You Do Right?
This was also a # 4 US Billboard Hit.
The song was listed under Peggy Lee (who sang it). The data has been made consistent, thanks.
5 Sep 2011
19 & 67 Somebody Else is Taking My Place
These two entries are the same recording - Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee doing the vocal. It charted at # 1 in 1942 then was reissued in 1948 and charted at # 30.
For a confirmation of these two listings being the same recording see The Big Band Discography 1917-1942 by Brian Rust. He only lists recordings made up until the Musician's Union strike in 1942, but lists all known reissues of each recording as of the date of his research. Pop Memories 1890-1954 by Joel Whitburn also states that the Columbia is a re-issue of the Okeh recording.
You are clearly correct. We would normally list this under Peggy Lee, however the reissue in 1948 makes it more complex, we'd like to note the reissue in some way (rather than adding its weeks on to the 1942 release).
So we think the best course is to change the 1942 entries to Peggy Lee and the 1948 ones to Benny Goodman and make sure this note is posted on both artist's pages so interested users can see what we've done.
An interesting case, thanks for bringing it to our attention.
6 Aug 2011
1942 first class all the way through
5 Jul 2011
Probable Duplicate
#19 and #67 Are probably the same song. Peggy Lee sang vocal on Benny Goodman's 1942 "Somebody Else is Taking My Place" if my memory serves me.
In the Bullfrog list there are two separate songs (with Prefx numbers of 1948_211 and 1942_033) one has a label of "Okeh 6497" the other has "Columbia 38198". We suspect that your suggestion that Peggy Lee sang vocals on both is correct (the 1948 release explicitly mentions her but, in the Bullfrog list the 1942 version only has "Benny Goodman & His Orchestra" listed).
As you know the informal Billboard charts before 1958 often listed songs without crediting artists (because the focus was Sheet music sales rather than records) or they list band leaders without vocalists or vocalists without band leaders. This has led to a number of confusing situations where the same song is credited to different combinations in different charts. Unfortunately every way to fix this challenge causes some other issues, we try and keep as close to the true history as possible while being as consistent as we can be in our approach. We've added a note to Benny Goodman's and Peggy Lee's page to mention this, however after reviewing the original Bullfrog list we decided that the best option is to leave the data as it is.
Despite the fact that on this occasion we're not going to make the alteration you suggest we would like to thank you for your input. It is the vigilance of users like you that helps improve the quality of data on this site.
30 Dec 2010
This is great!
What an amazing way to bring back all my old memories. I still have my records.
20 Dec 2010
Thanks, but Woody Herman got shorted.
I just discovered your site and am sure I will benefit from it often in the future. However, I notice that for Woody Herman, you list only "Blues in the Night." Woody had a number of other chart hits, including especially "Woodchoppers Ball" and "Laura." "Laura" sold a million for sure and I think "Woodchoppers Ball" did also.
Regards, William L Rupp, Fallbrook, California
Woody Herman has his own page (you can get to it by clicking on his name, via the "Song Artists" list, the alphabetical list of artists or the site index). It lists more than 70 of his hits (including all three you mention).
We notice that we have have entries for both "At the Woodchopper's Ball" and "Woodchopper's ball" which we'll obviously fix in the future.
23 Nov 2010
i guess i'll be on my way
who sang this song in the mid-fifties?
The song "I Guess I'll be On My Way" was a hit for Woody Herman in 1942. No one else had a hit with that exact title in any of the charts we have.
The closest songs we have are "Dream Along With Me (I'm On My Way To a Star)" by Perry Como which was a hit in 1956, "I'm On My Way" by the Highwaymen in 1962 and "I'll Be on My Way" by Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas in 1963.
It is likely that someone covered the Woody Herman song in the 50s but didn't have a hit with it.
2 Sep 2010
the song list
There were some great songs written and recorded in 1942 I maybe only 54 but I remember hearing them throughout my life. But the song for me which I remember very very well is "White Christmas" which is like a national anthem or should I say is the national anthem for Christmas but like I said early on 1942 saw some classic songs and they will never die.