Great American Songbook Explained

The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant 20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes.

Definition

According to the Great American Songbook Foundation:

The "Great American Songbook" is the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century that have stood the test of time in their life and legacy. Often referred to as "American Standards", the songs published during the Golden Age of this genre include those popular and enduring tunes from the 1920s to the 1950s that were created for Broadway theatre, musical theatre, and Hollywood musical film.[1]

Culture writer Martin Chilton defines the term "Great American Songbook" as follows: "Tunes of Broadway musical theatre, Hollywood movie musicals and Tin Pan Alley (the hub of songwriting that was the music publishers' row on New York's West 28th Street)". Chilton adds that these songs "became the core repertoire of jazz musicians" during the period that "stretched roughly from 1920 to 1960".[2]

Although several collections of music have been published under the "Great American Songbook" title, the term does not refer to any actual book or specific list of songs. The Great American Songbook includes standards by Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein II, among others.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

In Alec Wilder's 1972 study, American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900–1950, the songwriter and critic lists and ranks the artists he believes belong to the Great American Songbook canon. A composer, Wilder emphasized analysis of composers and their creative efforts in this work.[8]

Radio personality Jonathan Schwartz and singer Tony Bennett, both Songbook devotees, have both described this genre as "America's classical music".[9] [10]

List of songs

Notes
1933 "42nd Street"
1935 "About a Quarter to Nine"
1944 "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"
1957 ""
1929 "Ain't Misbehavin'"
1927 "Ain't She Sweet"
1960 "Ain't That a Kick in the Head"
1921 "Ain't We Got Fun"
1924 "Alabamy Bound" [11] [12]
1911 "Alexander's Ragtime Band"
1921 "All by Myself"
1934 "All I Do Is Dream of You" [13]
1954 "All of You"
1939 "All or Nothing at All"
1939 "All the Things You Are"
1957 "All the Way"
1934 "All Through the Night"
1947 "Almost Like Being in Love"
1932 "Alone Together"
1925 "Always"
1934 "Anything Goes"
1946 "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)"
1932 "April In Paris"
1957 "April Love"
1956 "Around the World"
1931 "As Time Goes By"
1941 "At Last"
1946 "Autumn Leaves"
1934 "Autumn In New York"
1949 "Baby, It's Cold Outside" [14] [15]
1949 "Bali Ha'i"
1929 "Basin Street Blues"
1942 "Be Careful! It's My Heart"
1935 "Begin the Beguine"
1959
1927
1940 "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered"
1930 "Beyond the Blue Horizon"
1930 "Bidin' My Time"
1924 "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)"
1962 "Big Spender"
1926
1948 "Black Coffee"
1934 "Blame It on My Youth"
1953 "Blue Gardenia"
1934 "Blue Moon"
1926 "Blue Room"
1926 "Blue Skies"
1941 "Blues in the Night"
1930 "Body and Soul"
1941 "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
1933 "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
1944
1926 "Breezin' Along with the Breeze"
1932 "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
1947 "But Beautiful"
1930 "But Not for Me"
1928 "Button Up Your Overcoat"
1948 "Buttons and Bows"
1967 "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"
1926 "Bye Bye Blackbird"
1962 "Call Me Irresponsible"
1962 "Can't Get Used to Losing You"
1929 "Can't We Be Friends?"
1933 "(The) Carioca"
1922 "Carolina in the Morning"
1938 "Change Partners"
1941 "Chattanooga Choo Choo"
1935 "Cheek to Cheek"
1945 "The Christmas Song"
1959 "Climb Every Mountain"
1958 "Come Fly with Me"
1946 "Come Rain or Come Shine"
1954 "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)"
1928 "Crazy Rhythm"
1931 "Dancing in the Dark"
1930 "Dancing on the Ceiling"
1939 "Darn That Dream"
1945 "Day by Day"
1939 "Day In, Day Out"
1963 "Days of Wine and Roses"
1942 "Dearly Beloved"
1933 "Deep Purple"
1949 "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"
1959 "Do-Re-Mi"
1932 "Don't Blame Me" [16]
1934 "Don't Fence Me in"
1940 "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
1962 "Don't Make Me Over"
1964 "Don't Rain on My Parade"
1942 "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"
1944 "Dream"
1931 "Dream a Little Dream of Me"
1933 "Easter Parade"
1937 "Easy Living"
1959 "Edelweiss"
1928 "Embraceable You"
1959 "Everything's Coming Up Roses"
1944 "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"
1930 "Exactly Like You"
1938 "Falling in Love With Love"
1924 "Fascinating Rhythm"
1936
1954
1937 [17]
1937
1940 "Fools Rush In"
1931 "For All We Know"
1945 "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"
1950 "From This Moment On"
1930 "Georgia on My Mind" [18]
1930 "Get Happy"
1951 "Getting to Know You"
1929 "Glad Rag Doll"
1936 "Glad to Be Unhappy"
1936 "The Glory of Love"
1938 "God Bless America"
1933 "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)"
1937 "Gone with the Wind"
1939 "Good Morning"
1931 "Guilty"
1937
1951 "Half as Much"
1943 "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe"
1930 "Happy Days Are Here Again"
1949 "Happy Talk"
1924 "Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)"
1937 "Have You Met Miss Jones?"
1944 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
1938 "Heart and Soul" [19]
1933 "Heat Wave"
1937 "Heigh-Ho"
1964 "Hello, Dolly!"
1951 "Hello, Young Lovers"
1953 "Here's That Rainy Day"
1960 "Hey, Look Me Over"
1929 "Honey"
1929 "Honeysuckle Rose"
1937 "Hooray for Hollywood"
1941 "How About You?"
1946 "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"
1932 "How Deep is the Ocean?"
1940 "How High the Moon"
1927 "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
1936 "I Can't Escape from You"
1936 "I Can't Get Started"
1928 "I Can't Give You Anything But Love"
1939 "I Concentrate on You"
1956 "I Could Have Danced All Night"
1940 "I Could Write a Book"
1933 "I Cover the Waterfront"
1939 "I Didn't Know What Time It Was"
1931 "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)"
1932 "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You"
1958 "I Enjoy Being a Girl"
1944 "I Fall in Love Too Easily"
1931 "I Found a Million Dollar Baby"
1934 "I Get a Kick Out of You"
1934 "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'"
1930 "I Got Rhythm"
1932 "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues"
1944 "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry"
1929 "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan"
1942 "I Had the Craziest Dream"
1951 "I Have Dreamed"
1941 "I Know Why (And So Do You)"
1962 "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
1933 "I Like the Likes of You"
1934 "I Only Have Eyes for You"
1941 "I Remember You"
1937 "I See Your Face Before Me"
1951 "I Talk to the Trees"
1939 "I Thought About You"
1959 "I Wanna Be Around"
1928 "I Wanna Be Loved by You"
1925 "I Want to Be Happy"
1960 "If Ever I Would Leave You"
1945 "If I Loved You"
1939 "If I Only Had a Brain"
1950 "If I Were a Bell"
1966 "If My Friends Could See Me Now"
1943 "I'll Be Home for Christmas"
1938 "I'll Be Seeing You"
1924 "I'll See You in My Dreams" [20] [21]
1934 "I'll String Along with You"
1944 "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
1935 "I'm in the Mood for Love"
1945 "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"
1921 "I'm Just Wild About Harry"
1925 "I'm Sitting on Top of the World"
1940 "Imagination"
1926 "In a Little Spanish Town"
1935 "In a Sentimental Mood"
1951 "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"
1937 "In the Still of the Night"
1955 "Innamorata"
1932 "Isn't It Romantic?"
1935 "It Ain't Necessarily So"
1926 "It All Depends on You"
1944 "It Could Happen to You"
1931 "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
1924 "It Had to Be You"
1941 "It Happened in Sun Valley"
1945 "It Might as Well Be Spring"
1940 "It Never Entered My Mind"
1948 "It's a Most Unusual Day"
1953 "It's All Right with Me"
1936 "It's De-Lovely"
1935 "It's Easy To Remember"
1933 "It's Only a Paper Moon"
1930 "I've Got a Crush on You"
1937 "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"
1932 "I've Got the World on a String"
1936 "I've Got You Under My Skin"
1962 "I've Got Your Number"
1956 "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face"
1920
1938 "Jeepers Creepers"
1938 "Jumpin' at the Woodside"
1956 "Just in Time"
1935 "Just One of Those Things"
1933 "Keep Young and Beautiful"
1942 ""
1935
1937
1940 "The Last Time I Saw Paris" [22]
1945 "Laura"
1930 "Lazy River"
1945 "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
1937 "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"
1928 "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love"
1936 "Let's Face the Music and Dance"
1933 "Let's Fall in Love"
1932 "Let's Put Out the Lights (and Go to Sleep)"
1944 "Like Someone in Love"
1935 "Little Girl Blue"
1930 "Little White Lies"
1944 "Long Ago (and Far Away)"
1919 "Look for the Silver Lining"
1923 "Louisville Lou (That Vampin' Lady)" [23]
1930 "Love for Sale"
1955 "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing"
1938 "Love Is Here to Stay"
1931 "Love Is Sweeping the Country"
1932 "Love Is the Sweetest Thing"
1945 "Love Letters"
1931 "Love Letters in the Sand"
1928 "Love Me or Leave Me"
1937 "Love Walked In"
1932 "Lover"
1941 "Lover Man"
1928 "Lover, Come Back to Me"
1950 "Luck Be a Lady"
1952 "Lullaby of Birdland"
1935 "Lullaby of Broadway"
1935 "Lulu's Back In Town"
1939 "Lydia the Tattooed Lady"
1932 "Mad About the Boy"
1928 "Makin' Whoopee"
1953
1925 "Manhattan"
1924
1927 "Me and My Shadow"
1955 "Memories Are Made of This"
1930 "Memories of You"
1954 "Midnight Sun"
1932 "Mimi"
1931 "Minnie the Moocher"
1935 "Miss Brown to You"
1934 "Miss Otis Regrets"
1954 "Misty"
1950 "Mona Lisa"
1930 "Mood Indigo"
1961 "Moon River"
1934 "Moonglow"
1942 "Moonlight Becomes You"
1944 "Moonlight in Vermont"
1939 "Moonlight Serenade"
1929 "More Than You Know"
1945
1935
1925 "Mountain Greenery"
1930 "My Baby Just Cares for Me"
1927 "My Blue Heaven"
1949 "My Dream Is Yours"
1959 "My Favorite Things"
1949 "My Foolish Heart"
1937 "My Funny Valentine"
1938 "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"
1927 "My Heart Stood Still"
1918 "My Mammy"
1953 "My One and Only Love"
1935 "My Romance"
1925 "My Yiddishe Momme"
1928 "Nagasaki"
1938
1967 "Never My Love"
1931 "Nevertheless"
1944 "New York, New York"
1937 "Nice Work if You Can Get it"
1932 "Night and Day"
1931 "Of Thee I Sing"
1918 "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning"
1943 "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'"
1911 "Oh, You Beautiful Doll"
1927 "Ol' Man River"
1946 "The Old Lamp-Lighter"
1946 "Ole Buttermilk Sky"
1965 "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)"
1947 "On Green Dolphin Street"
1945 "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
1934 "On the Good Ship Lollipop"
1956 "On the Street Where You Live"
1930 "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
1943 "One for My Baby"
1962 "Our Day Will Come"
1944 "Out of This World"
1939 "Over the Rainbow"
1929 "Pagan Love Song"
1931 "Paradise"
1956
1936 "Pennies From Heaven"
1964 "People"
1943 "People Will Say We're in Love"
1936 "Pick Yourself Up"
1940 "Polka Dots and Moonbeams"
1942 "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"
1919
1930 "Puttin' on the Ritz"
1953 "Rags to Riches"
1962 "Ramblin' Rose"
1929 "Rockin' Chair"
1944 "'Round Midnight"
1944 "Rum and Coca-Cola"
1927 "'S Wonderful"
1934 "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
1953 "Satin Doll"
1944 "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)"
1932 "Say It Isn't So"
1922 "Second Hand Rose"
1944 "Sentimental Journey"
1935 "September in the Rain"
1938 "September Song"
1942 "Serenade in Blue"
1965
1951 "Shall We Dance?"
1935 "She's a Latin from Manhattan"
1929 "She's (He's) Funny That Way"
1929
1929 "Singin' in the Rain"
1941 "Skylark"
1937 "Slap That Bass"
1948 ""
1933 "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
1948 "So in Love"
1949 "Some Enchanted Evening"
1924 "Somebody Loves Me"
1937 "Someday My Prince Will Come"
1926 "Someone to Watch Over Me"
1951 "Something Wonderful"
1954 "Something's Gotta Give"
1927 "Sometimes I'm Happy"
1932
1928 "Sonny Boy"
1932 "Sophisticated Lady"
1959
1939 "South American Way"
1930 "Spring Is Here"
1925 "Squeeze Me"
1922 "Stairway to Paradise"
1939 "Stairway to the Stars"
1956 "Standing on the Corner"
1927 "Stardust"
1934 "Stars Fell on Alabama"
1944 "Stella by Starlight"
1948 "Steppin' Out with My Baby"
1933 "Stormy Weather"
1944 "Straighten Up and Fly Right"
1927 "Strike Up the Band"
1941 "A String of Pearls"
1934 "Summertime"
1943
1925 "Sweet Georgia Brown"
1937 "Sweet Leilani"
1928 "Sweet Lorraine"
1944 "Swinging on a Star"
1939 "Take the 'A' Train"
1940 "Taking a Chance on Love"
1941 "Tangerine"
1924 "Tea for Two"
1933 "Temptation"
1962 "Tender is the Night"
1955 ""
1957 "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"
1938 "Thanks for the Memory"
1925 "That Certain Feeling"
1942 "That Old Black Magic"
1937 "That Old Feeling"
1953 "That's Amore"
1952 "That's Entertainment!"
1942 "There Will Never Be Another You"
1936 "There's a Small Hotel"
1946 "There's No Business Like Show Business"
1936 "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)"
1951 "They Call the Wind Maria"
1937 "They Can't Take That Away from Me"
1946
1927 "Thinking of You"
1938 "This Can't Be Love"
1968 "This Guy's in Love with You"
1946 "This Heart of Mine"
1941 "This Time the Dream's on Me"
1927 "Thou Swell"
1930 "Three Little Words"
1931
1918 "Till We Meet Again"
1947 "Time After Time"
1930 "Time on My Hands"
1929 "Tiptoe Through the Tulips"
1948 "Too Darn Hot"
1937 "Too Marvelous for Words"
1935 "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails"
1913
1944
1939 "Tuxedo Junction"
1938 "Two Sleepy People"
1925 "Ukulele Lady"
1955 "Unchained Melody"
1932 "Underneath the Arches"
1951 "Unforgettable"
1936 "Until the Real Thing Comes Along"
1934
1963 "Walk On By"
1936
1934 "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes"
1926 "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry?"
1929 "What Is This Thing Called Love?"
1923 "What'll I Do"
1952 "When I Fall in Love"
1912 "When I Lost You"
1940 "When You Wish Upon a Star"
1937 "Where Are You?"
1937 "Where or When"
1937 "Whistle While You Work"
1942 "White Christmas"
1923 "Who's Sorry Now?"
1968 "Wichita Lineman"
1934 "Winter Wonderland"
1957 "Witchcraft"
1930 "With a Song in My Heart"
1937 "With Plenty of Money and You"
1929 "Without a Song"
1949
1930 "Would You Like to Take a Walk?"
1925 "Yes Sir, That's My Baby"
1933 "Yesterdays"
1934 "You and the Night and the Music"
1935 "You Are My Lucky Star"
1932 "You Are Too Beautiful"
1929 "You Do Something to Me"
1938 "You Go to My Head" [24]
1946 "You Make Me Feel So Young"
1938 "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby"
1934 "You Oughta Be in Pictures"
1940 "You Stepped Out of a Dream"
1928 "You Took Advantage of Me"
1929 "You Were Meant for Me"
1934 "You'd Be So Easy to Love"
1942 "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"
1943 "You'll Never Know"
1945 "You'll Never Walk Alone"
1933 "Young and Healthy"
1953 "Young at Heart"
1949 "Younger Than Springtime"
1930 "You're Driving Me Crazy"
1933 "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me"
1931 "You're My Everything"
1928 "You're the Cream in My Coffee"
1934 "You're the Top"
1946 "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"

Revivals

In 1970, rock musician Ringo Starr surprised the public by releasing an album of Songbook songs from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, Sentimental Journey. Reviews were mostly poor or even disdainful, but the album reached number 22 on the US Billboard 200[25] and number 7 in the UK Albums Chart,[26] with sales of 500,000.[27]

Other pop singers who established themselves in the 1960s or later followed with albums reviving songs from the Great American Songbook, beginning with Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night in 1973[28] and continuing into the 21st century. Linda Ronstadt (1983 though 1986), Rod Stewart (2002 through 2005), Bob Dylan (2015 through 2017) and Lady Gaga (2014 and 2021) made several such albums. Of Ronstadt's 1983 album, What's New, her first in a trilogy of standards albums recorded with arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle, Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote:

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: A Great American Songbook Foundation. The Center For The Performing Arts.
  2. Web site: Cover To Cover: The Story Of The Great American Songbook | uDiscover. Martin. Chilton. April 3, 2020.
  3. Book: Miller, Michael. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History . 2008 . Penguin . 175 . 9781440636370.
  4. Web site: The Center for the Performing Arts. The Center For The Performing Arts.
  5. News: After An Education In American Jazz, A Musician Tackles The Turkish Songbook. NPR.org.
  6. Web site: Feinstein . Michael . 'The B Side,' by Ben Yagoda . The New York Times . 13 December 2018 . 11 February 2015.
  7. Friedwald, Will. "Jazz Vocalists". New York. June 14, 1993. p. 6A.
  8. Book: Wilder, Alec . 1990 . American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900–1950 . Oxford University Press . New York & Oxford . 0-19-501445-6 .
  9. Web site: Girl Singers: From nightclubs and concert halls to recordings, today's best vocalists put a new spin on old favorites . https://web.archive.org/web/20131105233041/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-107203386.html . dead . November 5, 2013 . Deborah Grace Winer . . September 9, 2012. September 1, 2003 .
  10. News: Clodfelter, Tim . Tony Bennett says a key to his continued success is being true to the audience . . September 5, 2010.
  11. Polit, Katherine. "The Great American Songbook In The Classical Voice Studio". Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. May 2014. p. 73.
  12. Murray, Steve. "Michael Feinstein: Crooners". CabaretScenes.org. May 23, 2017.
  13. Purdy, Stephen. "Musical Theatre Song: A Comprehensive Course in Selection, Preparation, and Presentation for the Modern Performer". Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016. pt. 115.
  14. https://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.action?itemid=311365 "The Great American Songbook – The Composers"
  15. Book: Cole . Clay . Sh-Boom!: The Explosion of Rock 'n' Roll, 1953–1968 . Morgan James Publishing. 2009 . 9781600377686 .
  16. Purdy, Stephen. Musical Theatre Song: A Comprehensive Course in Selection, Preparation, and Presentation for the Modern Performer. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016. pt. 32.
  17. "Great Performances". "The Great American Songbook: Introduction". "PBS". March 11, 2003.
  18. https://www.johnnymercerfoundation.org/the-great-american-songbook/ "The Great American Songbook"
  19. Web site: The Great American Songbook – The Composers. July 20, 2015.
  20. Dicker, Shira. "Gotta Dance? Swing on Over". New York Times. December 22, 2011.
  21. Venutolo, Anthony. ""Boardwalk Empire" recap: 'Make a promise to you, break another to myself'". "NJ.com". November 4, 2013.
  22. Web site: The Last Time I Saw Paris . americanhistory.si.edu.
  23. Web site: Louisville Lou . www.loc.gov.
  24. Web site: J. Fred Coots, songwriter: reference sources (web and print); selected songs; recordings, videos; miscellany. Greatamericansongbook.net. February 24, 2021.
  25. Chart History: Ringo Starr . Billboard . July 22, 2020.
  26. Web site: Ringo Starr . Official Charts . July 22, 2020.
  27. Web site: Why Ringo Starr Began His Solo Career With 'Sentimental Journey' . Nick Deriso . March 27, 2015 . Ultimate Classic Rock . Townsquare Media . July 22, 2020.
  28. Web site: A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night . . Ruhlmann . William.