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Songs from the Year 1938

Other Years: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

This page lists the top songs of 1938 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.

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.

The top ten song artists of 1938 were:

1:Artie Shaw3:Tommy Dorsey5:Bing Crosby7:Ella Fitzgerald9:Horace Heidt
2:Larry Clinton4:The Andrews Sisters6:Martha Tilton8:Fred Astaire10:Benny Goodman
# Artist Song Title Year Chart Entries
1 Artie Shaw Begin the Beguine 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (18 weeks), Your Hit Parade 1 of 1938, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1977 (1938), Library of Congress artifact added 2012 (1938), US invalid BB 2 of 1938, POP 2 of 1938, Music Imprint 4 of 1930s, nuTsie 18 of 1930s, Brazil 32 of 1939, Australian Nostalgia 32 of 1930-1939, DMDB 84 (1938), RIAA 91, Acclaimed 1163 (1938), RYM 10 of 1938, Song of 1938
2 The Andrews Sisters Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (10 weeks), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1996 (1938), Library of Congress artifact added 2008 (1938), Your Hit Parade 5 of 1938, US invalid BB 5 of 1938, POP 5 of 1938, Europe 6 of the 1930s (1938), Australian Nostalgia 37 of 1930-1939, nuTsie 40 of 1930s, Brazil 73 of 1938, RYM 5 of 1937
3 Ella Fitzgerald A-Tisket A-Tasket 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (19 weeks), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1986 (1938), Your Hit Parade 3 of 1938, Music Imprint 6 of 1930s, US invalid BB 8 of 1938, POP 8 of 1938, nuTsie 20 of 1930s, Brazil 57 of 1939, RIAA 104, Acclaimed 848 (1938), RYM 8 of 1938
4 Roy Acuff Wabash Cannonball 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 (1947), Library of Congress artifact added 2005 (1936), Music Imprint 10 of 1930s, Your Hit Parade 11 of 1938, US Billboard 12 - 1938 (2 weeks), nuTsie 13 of 1930s, Australian Nostalgia 56 of 1930-1939, RIAA 137, Acclaimed 576 (1947), RYM 35 of 1947, Global 7 (10 M sold) - 1942, one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500
5 Bob Hope & Shirley Ross Thanks For the Memory 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'The Big Broadcast of 1938'), Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005 (1938), ASCAP song of 1937, Music Imprint 13 of 1930s, nuTsie 52 of 1930s, Australian Nostalgia 59 of 1930-1939, AFI 63, RIAA 170, Acclaimed 1316 (1938)
6 Benny Goodman Don't Be That Way 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (13 weeks), US invalid BB 14 of 1938, POP 14 of 1938, Your Hit Parade 21 of 1938, nuTsie 22 of 1930s, Australian Nostalgia 36 of 1930-1939, Europe 65 of the 1930s (1938)
7 Fred Astaire Change Partners 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (8 weeks), Oscar in 1938 (film 'Carefree') (Nominated), Your Hit Parade 6 of 1938, US invalid BB 16 of 1938, POP 16 of 1938, Europe 83 of the 1930s (1938), RYM 89 of 1938, Song of 1938
8 Tommy Dorsey Music, Maestro, Please 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (20 weeks), US invalid BB 11 of 1938, POP 11 of 1938, Your Hit Parade 24 of 1938, Australian Nostalgia 31 of 1930-1939, Europe 55 of the 1930s (1938)
9 Larry Clinton My Reverie 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (19 weeks), Australian Nostalgia 12 of 1930-1939, US invalid BB 17 of 1938, POP 17 of 1938, Brazil 38 of 1938, nuTsie 61 of 1930s
10 Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell Alexander's ragtime band 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (11 weeks), US invalid BB 9 of 1938, POP 9 of 1938, Europe 16 of the 1930s (1938), Your Hit Parade 19 of 1938, nuTsie 62 of 1930s
11 Al Donahue Jeepers Creepers 1938 US Billboard 1 - Dec 1938 (13 weeks), Oscar in 1938 (film 'Going Places') (Nominated), US invalid BB 11 of 1939, POP 11 of 1939, Australian Nostalgia 35 of 1930-1939
12 Bunny Berigan I Can't Get Started 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975 (1937), US Billboard 10 - 1938 (3 weeks), US invalid BB 15 of 1938, POP 15 of 1938, nuTsie 19 of 1930s, Acclaimed 1480 (1937)
13 The Boswell Sisters Alexander's ragtime band 1938 US Billboard 4 - 1938 (5 weeks), POP 9 of 1938, Music Imprint 11 of 1930s, Europe 17 of the 1930s (1935), Australian Nostalgia 57 of 1930-1939, RIAA 154
14 Bing Crosby I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (17 weeks), US invalid BB 20 of 1938, POP 20 of 1938, Europe 26 of the 1930s (1938), nuTsie 78 of 1930s, RYM 43 of 1938
15 Bing Crosby You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (11 weeks), Your Hit Parade 7 of 1938, US invalid BB 12 of 1938, POP 12 of 1938, Europe 25 of the 1930s (1938)
16 Larry Clinton Heart & Soul 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (14 weeks), Your Hit Parade 4 of 1938, US invalid BB 6 of 1938, POP 6 of 1938, nuTsie 45 of 1930s
17 Seven Dwarfs Whistle While You Work 1938 US invalid BB 1 of 1938, POP 1 of 1938, US Billboard 2 - 1938 (13 weeks)
18 Sidney Bechet Summertime 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011 (1939), Music Imprint 2 of 1930s, Australian Nostalgia 52 of 1930-1939, RIAA 74
19 Fred Astaire Nice Work If You Can Get It 1938 US Billboard 1 - Nov 1937 (15 weeks), US invalid BB 13 of 1938, POP 13 of 1938, Europe 79 of the 1930s (1938), RYM 20 of 1937
20 Duke Ellington I Let a Song Go out of My Heart 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (19 weeks), US invalid BB 10 of 1938, POP 10 of 1938, Your Hit Parade 20 of 1938, RYM 54 of 1938
21 Artie Shaw They Say 1938 US Billboard 1 - Dec 1938 (8 weeks), Your Hit Parade 17 of 1938, US invalid BB 17 of 1939, POP 17 of 1939
22 Mary Martin My Heart Belongs to Daddy 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 (1938), Your Hit Parade 7 of 1939, US Billboard 9 - 1939 (2 weeks), Song of 1938
23 Horace Heidt Ti-Pi-Tin 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (13 weeks), Your Hit Parade 9 of 1938, Australian Nostalgia 30 of 1930-1939
24 Shep Fields & his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra Cathedral In The Pines 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (10 weeks), Your Hit Parade 8 of 1938, Europe 93 of the 1930s (1938)
25 Martha Tilton I Let a Song Go out of My Heart 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (9 weeks), Europe 61 of the 1930s (1938), Jazz Standard 152
26 Tommy Dorsey Boogie Woogie 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (9 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Oct 1943 (10 weeks), Your Hit Parade 13 of 1938, nuTsie 29 of 1930s
27 Larry Clinton Cry, Baby, Cry 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (25 weeks), US invalid BB 18 of 1938, POP 18 of 1938
28 Fats Waller Two Sleepy People 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (11 weeks), Europe 78 of the 1930s (1938), RYM 93 of 1938
29 Count Basie Jumpin' At The Woodside 1938 US Billboard 11 - Dec 1938 (4 weeks), Your Hit Parade 15 of 1938, nuTsie 83 of 1930s, Jazz Standard 436, RYM 13 of 1938
30 Billie Holiday My Man 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018 (1937), US Billboard 14 - 1938 (2 weeks), RYM 14 of 1949
31 The Andrews Sisters Short'nin' Bread 1938 US invalid BB 4 of 1938, POP 4 of 1938, US Billboard 16 - 1938 (2 weeks), RYM 42 of 1938
32 Larry Clinton You Go to My Head 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (12 weeks), US invalid BB 7 of 1938, POP 7 of 1938
33 Kay Kyser The Umbrella Man 1938 US Billboard 1 - Dec 1938 (11 weeks), Your Hit Parade 10 of 1938
34 Walter Huston September Song 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 (1938), US Billboard 12 - 1939 (5 weeks)
35 Russ Morgan I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (13 weeks), Your Hit Parade 16 of 1938
36 Sister Rosetta Tharpe This Train 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 (1939), Acclaimed 1514 (1938), one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500
37 Artie Shaw Any Old Time 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001 (1938), RYM 44 of 1938, Song of 1938
38 Tommy Dorsey Now it Can be Told 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (15 weeks), Oscar in 1938 (film 'Alexander's Ragtime Band') (Nominated)
39 Tampa Red Lula Mae 1938 Peel list 1 of 1944, RYM 12 of 1938
40 Louis Armstrong Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen 1938 Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014 (1938), RYM 6 of 1938
41 Bing Crosby Mexicali Rose 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (10 weeks), Europe 7 of the 1930s (1938)
42 Tommy Dorsey My Own 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'That Certain Age') (Nominated), US Billboard 5 - 1938 (11 weeks)
43 Louis Armstrong & The Mills Brothers The Flat Foot Floogie 1938 US Billboard 20 - 1938 (1 week), Your Hit Parade 25 of 1938, Jazz Standard 809
44 Mildred Bailey So Help Me 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (11 weeks), Your Hit Parade 12 of 1938
45 Billie Holiday I'm Gonna Lock My Heart 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (9 weeks), Your Hit Parade 14 of 1938
46 Kenny Baker Love Walked In 1938 Your Hit Parade 2 of 1938, US Billboard 14 - 1938 (3 weeks)
47 Jimmy Dorsey Deep Purple 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1939 (7 weeks), Your Hit Parade 23 of 1938
48 Larry Clinton Always & Always 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'Mannequin') (Nominated), US Billboard 9 - 1938 (7 weeks)
49 Charles Trenet Je Chante 1938 France (Historical) 1 of the 1930s (1938)
50 Kokomo Goin' Down in Galilee 1938 Peel list 1 of 1938
51 Silvio Caldas Pastorinhas 1938 Brazil 1 of 1938
52 Jimmy Dorsey Change Partners 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (12 weeks)
53 Red Norvo & his Orchestra Please Be Kind 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (16 weeks)
54 Andy Kirk I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You) 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (12 weeks)
55 Dolly Dawn & Her Dawn Patrol You're a Sweetheart 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (11 weeks)
56 Sammy Kaye Love Walked In 1938 US Billboard 1 - 1938 (16 weeks)
57 Golden Gate Quartet John the Revelator 1938 Library of Congress artifact added 2005 (1938)
58 Sol Hoopii Fascinating Rhythm 1938 Library of Congress artifact added 2011 (1938)
59 Arturo Toscanini Adagio For Strings 1938 Library of Congress artifact added 2005 (1938)
60 Guy Lombardo Ti-Pi-Tin 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (10 weeks), Brazil 67 of 1939
61 Shep Fields & his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra Whistle While You Work 1938 US Billboard 5 - 1938 (6 weeks), Brazil 84 of 1938
62 Tommy Trinder I Don't Do Things Like That 1938 Peel list 2 of 1938, Song of 1938
63 Ray Noble Alexander's ragtime band 1938 US Billboard 6 - 1938 (4 weeks), Brazil 87 of 1939
64 Allan Jones Donkey Serenade 1938 US Billboard 8 - 1938 (6 weeks), Brazil 59 of 1938
65 Jimmy Dorsey The Masquerade is Over 1938 US Billboard 4 - 1939 (12 weeks), Jazz Standard 396
66 Harry James One O'Clock Jump 1938 US Billboard 7 - 1938 (5 weeks), Your Hit Parade 18 of 1938
67 Horace Heidt This Can't Be Love 1938 US Billboard 6 - 1938 (5 weeks), Jazz Standard 123
68 Bob Crosby & his Orchestra Deep in a Dream 1938 US Billboard 10 - 1938 (4 weeks), Jazz Standard 740
69 Ozzie Nelson & his Orchestra You Leave Me Breathless 1938 US Billboard 11 - 1938 (6 weeks), Jazz Standard 678
70 Sammy Kaye They Say 1938 US Billboard 11 - 1938 (5 weeks), Jazz Standard 987
71 Louis Armstrong Jeepers Creepers 1938 US Billboard 12 - 1939 (5 weeks), Jazz Standard 308
72 Metronome All-Star Band One O'Clock Jump 1938 US Billboard 13 - 1941 (1 week), Jazz Standard 175
73 Lawrence Welk Two Sleepy People 1938 US Billboard 13 - 1938 (4 weeks), Jazz Standard 817
74 Tony Martin Now it Can be Told 1938 US Billboard 13 - 1938 (3 weeks), Jazz Standard 970
75 Benny Goodman Lullaby in Rhythm 1938 US Billboard 14 - 1938 (4 weeks), Jazz Standard 586
76 Frances Langford Falling in Love with Love 1938 US Billboard 18 - 1939 (1 week), Jazz Standard 289
77 Buddy Clark Spring is Here 1938 US Billboard 19 - 1938 (1 week), Jazz Standard 228
78 Count Basie Panassie Stomp 1938 Peel list 4 of 1938, RYM 38 of 1939
79 Ella Fitzgerald I Found My Yellow Basket 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (6 weeks), RYM 7 of 1938
80 Carmen Miranda Camisa Listada 1938 Brazil 2 of 1938
81 Artie Shaw Goodnight, Angel 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (13 weeks)
82 Eddy Duchin Old Man Moses 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (17 weeks)
83 Guy Lombardo I Must See Annie Tonight 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (6 weeks)
84 Martha Tilton This Can't Be Love 1938 US Billboard 2 - Dec 1938 (13 weeks)
85 Tommy Dorsey Stop Beatin' Round the Mulberry Bush 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (12 weeks)
86 Guy Lombardo Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (7 weeks)
87 Larry Clinton Martha 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (16 weeks)
88 Buddy Rogers & his Orchestra While A Cigarette Was Burning 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (9 weeks)
89 Russ Morgan I Double Dare You 1938 US Billboard 2 - 1938 (14 weeks)
90 Fuzzy Knight The Cowboy & The Lady 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'The Cowboy and the Lady') (Nominated)
91 Tony Martin A Mist over the Moon 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'The Lady Objects') (Nominated)
92 Original Soundtrack Merrily We Live 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'Merrily We Live') (Nominated)
93 Johnny Marvin Dust 1938 Oscar in 1938 (film 'Under Western Stars') (Nominated)
94 Artie Shaw Indian Love Call 1938 US Billboard 6 - 1938 (8 weeks), RYM 10 of 1938
95 Count Basie Stop Beatin' Round the Mulberry Bush 1938 US Billboard 6 - 1938 (4 weeks), RYM 34 of 1938
96 Charles Trenet Y'a D'la Joie 1938 France (Historical) 3 of the 1930s (1938)
97 Cyro Monteiro Se Acaso Voce Chegasse 1938 Brazil 3 of 1938
98 Andy Kirk Twinklin' 1938 Peel list 3 of 1938
99 Horace Heidt Sweet as a Song 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (9 weeks)
100 Kay Kyser Cry, Baby, Cry 1938 US Billboard 3 - 1938 (9 weeks)

The comments here are from the the MusicID impact site site. This version is not able to accept comments yet

Previous Comments (newest first)

11 Feb 2020

#51 - Kokomo-Goin' Down in Galilee

I think #51 should be listed as Kokomo Arnold. +His first 78 for Victor in1930 was released as by Gitfiddle Jim, but his numerous recordings for Decca 1934-1938 were all released as "by Kokomo Arnold". Listing as just "Kokomo" may confuse readers with Jimmy Wisner (operating under the name "Kokomo") who released the 1961 instrumental jazz recording "Asia Minor".

The FAQ explains why these names get "simpilified"

30 Jun 2019

looking for lyrics

when father's floating kidney comes to shore

15 Aug 2018

#93 - A Mist Is Over the Moon

Per YouTube & Wikipedia this is sung by Tony Martin (from the movie 'The Lady Objects'.

We've changed the data, thanks

13 Feb 2016

I'm Breathless, lyrics

Can you lead me to the lyrics to Horace Heidt's song, I'm Breathless? +

8 Feb 2016

#67 - Teddy Wilson & Orch. - Carelessly

This recording should be combined with Billie Holiday's recording of same name(currently #39 of 1937). Per Joel Whitburn; Billie was the vocalist with Teddy Wilson & Orchestra.

Data fixed, thanks

16 Jul 2015

Top Song

Can you tell me from your list what the top song was on June 13, 1938. +I amalso interested in purchasing and original press of the record. +Thank you. +Von Whitby

No. There was no "top song" on that specific date in any country, let alone for the whole world. The best you can do is look at the annual list.

3 Sep 2014

Woody Herman

Four Brothers (#43) was actually recorded in 1948, not 1938. That is also when the Grammy Hall of Fame shows it as being released.

The entry for the Grammy Hall of Fame does state that. However the year of a song is calculated from the available charts and, in this case, one of them says 1938. The RYM site has changed their date to 1948 so, on this occasion, we'll edit their chart. Thanks for the suggestion

16 Aug 2014

Bob Hope & Shirley Ross

Thanks For the Memory(#5) was inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005.

Once again that looks right, the entry has been added, thanks for the suggestion

21 Jun 2014

Oct. 10, 1938

what was the number one song for Oct. 10, 1938?

Really, you didn't read any of the text on this page?

12 Oct 2013

Song "All by Myself"

Is there's song of this name by Irving Berlin. Also is their another song with same title by Paul Carmen or Peter Carmen

We list the performer not the writer, if you search for the title in the text box at the top of the page you will find a page that lists the 13 songs called "All by Myself" that have been hits somewhere.

The 1976 hit version was sung by Eric Carmen

29 Dec 2012

Alexander's Ragtime +Band (1938)

I like to believe that number 9 and 18 are the same release, but credited in two different ways. Look at the US BB en POP ranking which is both 9. Alexander's Ragtime Band should be credited by Bing Crosby and Connie Boswell (like it was done at number 9).

The Bullfrog listing has two distinct IDs, 1938_020 and 1938_076 and the Europe chart also lists them seperately. Given that the Billboard listing is normally pretty reliable we suspect that there were two distinct releases.

Thanks for brining this interesting case to our attention.

23 Dec 2012

1938 school yearbook

I found my mother's high school senior yearbook on Ancestry.com.Next to the pictures of all the seniors were song titles that, I guess, described each of them. Almost all the song titles I see can be found on the list you have here of songs that were popular in 1938. The name of the song next to my mother is "All By Myself". I found a song by that title from 1921 (by Irving Berlin) but am curious if there was a song by that title nearer the year 1938.

Do you know?

Big Bill Broonzy had a minor hit with it in 1941

10 Oct 2012

An answer for Travis

"You may not be an angel, but still I'm sure you'll do, And until the day that one comes along I'll string along with you."

The last line is the title of the song - it's a beauty! Jonathan

19 Aug 2012

!930's song

My 95 year old Mother-in Law told me today that Her and her husband's son when they were engaged was "You're Not An Angle". She said it goes "you're not an angle but you'll do until one comes along". I checked You Tube and I checked Google and cannot find the song. Can you help me find it?

Travis

18 Jun 2012

Denny Farrell , I think your site is wonderful

I have been doing a radio show that covers all the great music of the 20's 30's and 40's for over 40 years now. We have listeners from the early teens up to 100 who tune in every week. Music was a big part of everyones life long before 1940. It did matter.

Big Band Hall of Fame Inductee, Denny Farrell

25 Jan 2012

music

Born in 38. post depression/pre-war. Must have been an anxiety free time so IT is hard to understand why music before 1940 didn't matter. maybe they didn't realize how important and life enhancing music is. That was certainly corrected in the 60's and 70's.

As you will see if you look at our pages we don't think that music from before 1940 "didn't matter", we do have pages for 1900-1939 which present what we have found for that period.

We guess that your issue is that we don't have a listing for the weekly number one from before 1940. If there are no reasonable sources (note here we are not even asking for reliable sources, just ones that are not clearly wrong)

We don't make things up (well we try not to anyway)

Find us a list of dated number ones from before 1940 and we'll extend the listing

5 Jan 2012

Top Hit for week of 12/17/38

I'm trying to find out if possible what song was the top hit when I was born, Dec. 17th 1938.

There are no reliable listings of number 1 songs from before 1940. You could try looking at the 1938 page to find the songs that were hits that year

29 Nov 2011

Use of the Chart to Help Score a Film

Hello! How wonderful to discover your site and this chart. I'm the Creative Director of feature film about the life of Vivien Leigh. Our script begins in 1938. We are beginning to talk about the music direction, have a theme concept, and are identifying potential movie supervisors/editors. Your charts will be very useful to us. Happy days!

14 Aug 2011

Confused

I love the charts, but I wonder why removing the duplicate entry for "And The Angels Sing" can drop the previously #24 entry "Artie Shaw's Jeepers Creepers" completely off the charts?

...I meant Al Donahue not Artie Shaw

The answer is that it didn't, it was a completely different change that affected it.

The list of Oscars was expanded from just the songs that won to all those nominated, previously "Jeepers Creepers" had three entries: US Billboard 1 from Dec 1938; US BB 11 of 1939; and POP 11 of 1939. This assigned it a year of 1939.

The way we work out the year is to select the median of all the years suggested by charts, having been released in December 1938 this song is on the borderline. With two "votes" for 1939 and one for 1938 the song had been placed in 1939.

When we added the fact that it was nominated for an Oscar in 1938, that changed its assigned year to 1938. The song is still in the chart (at position 17 no less) but its in the chart for 1938 rather than for 1939.

20 Jul 2011

24 Bing Crosby & Al Jolson Alexnder's Ragtime Band

The collaboration of Bing and Al on Alexander's Ragtime Band is from a 1947 broadcast of Bing's Philco Radow Show which was transcribed by Decca.

Bing did record Alexander's Ragtime Band with Connee Boswell which in 1938 which you have listed as #49. The BB POP and Europe ratings from 1938 that you have assigned to the 1947 recording must actually belong to this one.

You make a convincing case, we've changed the entries as you suggest. Thanks for the input

30 Dec 2010

This is great!

What an amazing way to bring back all my old memories. I still have my records.

9 Nov 2010

DO YOU KNOW +THIS SONG 1937/38/36?

the song is called I WISH I'D NEVER SEEN SUNSHINE +- SINGER - JIMMIE DAVIS

5 Jul 2010

8 - Bing Crosby - I've Got a Pocket Full of Dreams

Dear Sir:

I think the song below

8 - Bing Crosby - I've Got a Pocket Full of Dreams

should be corrected to

8 - Bing Crosby - I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams

Please listen to the song then you will agree.

Thanks.

Lin

We already have a song "I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams" by Russ Morgan, so it is likely that your comment is correct. We don't have a copy of the song by Bing Crosby but since there is obviously a potential case, and you have listened to the song, we have changed the entry.

Thanks for the input

17 May 2010

top songs of the year

What makes a song a US BB top song of the year, as opposed to simply "on thecharts" of Billboard? +thanks! +

We have answered this question in full in a reply to Jim which is on our "Source Song Charts" page.

The short version is that Billboard used to have some pages that listed "Top Songs of the Year" and these entries come from there.

13 May 2010

10/15/1938

what was number 1 song on this date

You obviously have not read the reply to the comment above labelled as "1 Feb 2010"

Your question as posed is unanswerable, and even if we assume some aspects (like country and source) we don't have the information available for 1938 (we suspect that no-one does).

11 May 2010

DO YOU KNOW +THIS SONG 1937/38/36?

I WISH THAT I'D NEVER SEEN SUNSHINE AND I WISH THAT I'D NEVER SEEN RAIN... I WISH THAT MY SOUL WOULD NEVER GROW OLD FOR THE TEARS THAT I SHED WERE IN VAIN????????? I WISH THAT SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME THAT THE LOVE THAT YOU GAVE WAS UNTRUE OH I WISH THAT I DIED IN MY CRADLE BEFORE I GREW UP TO LOVE YOU

No idea, never heard of it

18 Feb 2010

Words in this song!

I sing at a senior home once a month. A gentleman who lives there asked if I can find a song from the 30s (1938?) with the words "Especially for you" in it. Can you help me with the title of the song? Thanks.

Bill Davis Lake City, MI

The phrase "Especially for you" occurs in quite a few songs.

We suspect that the song you are after has the title "Especially for you". Versions were recorded by Freddy Fender and Phil Grogan & Orrin Tucker in 1938 which failed to chart. However it was a hit for Jimmy Dorsey in 1939 reaching number 10 in the Billboard chart.

1 Feb 2010

song

what was the number one song on nov.08, 1938 and by who? thank you.

The first question is "where?", the number one song would vary from one country to the next.

We assume, since you have not specified a location you mean the number 1 song in the USA.

So the next question would be "according to who?", there were no official charts published in the 1930s, the closest would be some occasional charts published by Billboard magazine. Billboard produced a variety of different charts starting in 1936 these were finally consolidated in 1958 into the "Hot 100" which has been published ever since (although the way they are calculated has changed of course).

Unfortunately before 1940 all we have access to are annual summaries of the Billboard charts, they tell us for example, that "A-Tisket A-Tasket" by Ella Fitzgerald was in the Billboard charts for 19 weeks in 1938 and reached number 1 but they don't tell us which months it was released.

2 Jun 2009

Andrews Sisters

Corrected? I still see them both (now #35 and #36).

What we meant was that the data was corrected in the source data set, it obviously takes some time to "publish" from the source to the web pages. The processing alone takes about 16 hours.

In addition for the last couple of days the result has failed some of our quality tests, so we have had to correct some elements and resubmit the job (which adds another day).

The data should now show the correct values.

26 May 2009

Thanks for clarifying that, although I'm not quite convinced when I look at the already existing Bing Crosby collaborations for example. Anyway it's okay for me with the newly added comments on the Ella Fitzgerald page.

I got another one: #34 ("Hold Tight, Hold Tight", 1939) and #35 ("Hold Tight, Hold Tight (Want Some Sea Food, Mama?)", 1938) on the Andrews Sisters' page and is the same song and the same record, released at the end of 1938 and charted in the beginning of 1939, see the record label on http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/andrews_sisters/hold_tight__hold_tight__want_some_sea_food__mama_____billy_boy/ (which also shows that it was a collaboration of the Andrews Sisters with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra).

Corrected, thanks again for the info

19 May 2009

A-Tisket A-Tasket Again

Thanks for fixing the "A-Tisket A-Tasket" entry. I'd say however that the correct artist specification for this record would be "Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald" (with a link to Ella, the same way as you did with some other collaborations, e), not just Ella Fitzgerald.

Regards Cornelius

You make a valid point, there certainly is a good case for listing it under "Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald". However, many sources list the song under just "Ella Fitzgerald" (possibly because she co-wrote it), there is no separate page for Chick Webb on the site and the "Chick Webb Orchestra" was renamed in 1939 as "Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra" (after Chick Webb died) so we decided to assign this song to "Ella Fitzgerald".

The goal of this site is to consolidate the range of input charts, this often means that we have to "standardise" names. For example some artists have different names in different countries (like "Yazoo" or "The Detroit Spinners"), some artists change names from one year to the next (like "Prince"), or for a particular song (for "(Meet) the Flintstones" "The B52s" became "The BC52s"). Mapping the actual names on the record labels or charts to a "most common form" makes it easier for users to find connections between charts, if they then use that information to track to the original chart data they will find the original information and can decide if our consolidations are valid for them.

A note has been added to Ella Fitzgerald's page to explain the situation, this also means that anyone looking up Chick Webb in the index will be directed to the right place as well.

Thanks for the input

19 May 2009

A-Tisket A-Tasket Again

Thanks for fixing the "A-Tisket A-Tasket" entry. I'd say however that the correct artist specification for this record would be "Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald" (with a link to Ella, the same way as you did with some other collaborations, e), not just Ella Fitzgerald.

Regards Cornelius

You make a valid point, there certainly is a good case for listing it under "Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald". However, many sources list the song under just "Ella Fitzgerald" (possibly because she co-wrote it), there is no separate page for Chick Webb on the site and the "Chick Webb Orchestra" was renamed in 1939 as "Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra" (after Chick Webb died) so we decided to assign this song to "Ella Fitzgerald".

The goal of this site is to consolidate the range of input charts, this often means that we have to "standardise" names. For example some artists have different names in different countries (like "Yazoo" or "The Detroit Spinners"), some artists change names from one year to the next (like "Prince"), or for a particular song (for "(Meet) the Flintstones" "The B52s" became "The BC52s"). Mapping the actual names on the record labels or printed charts to a "most common form" makes it easier for users to find connections between charts, if they then use that information to track to the original chart data they will find the original information and can decide if our consolidations are valid for their purposes.

A note has been added to Ella Fitzgerald's page to explain the situation, this also means that anyone looking up Chick Webb in the index will be directed to the right place as well.

Thanks for the input

8 May 2009

A Tisket A Tasket

Thanks for this great site that I must have overlooked for a considerable time. There are some mistakes of course, e.g. Ella Fitzgerald's "A-Tisket A-Tasket" (#8 in the 1938 chart) is the same record as Chick Webb's (#26 in the year chart) because she was the band's singer at the time and Joel Whitburn is always listing the bandleader and the featured singer. Here you can see the label of the original 78 rpm record with both names on it: http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/chick_webb__and_his_orchestra_/a_tisket_a_tasket___liza__all_the_cloudsll_roll_away_/

Best wishes from Germany Cornelius

Thanks for the correction, the data has been fixed. That type of issue is the most difficult one to spot.

8 May 2009

A Tisket A Tasket

Thanks for this great site that I must have overlooked for a considerable time. There are some mistakes of course, e.g. Ella Fitzgerald's "A-Tisket A-Tasket" (#8 in the 1938 chart) is the same record as Chick Webb's (#26 in the year chart) because she was the band's singer at the time and Joel Whitburn is always listing the bandleader and the featured singer. Here you can see the label of the original 78 rpm record with both names on it: http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/chick_webb__and_his_orchestra_/a_tisket_a_tasket___liza__all_the_cloudsll_roll_away_/

Best wishes from Germany Cornelius

Thanks for the correction, the data has been fixed. That type of issue is the most difficult one to spot.

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