100 Greatest Songs From 1941
Criteria: These songs from 1941 were chosen and ranked based on their initial & lasting popularity, and on their impact on the overall scope of musical history.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. God Bless The Child
Billie Holiday
2. Take The "A" Train
Duke Ellington / Delta Rhythm Boys
3. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Andrews Sisters
4. Chattanooga Choo Choo
Glenn Miller (Tex Beneke and the Modernaires)
5. Walking The Floor Over You
Ernest Tubb
6. Cool Water
Sons Of The Pioneers
7. Blues in the Night
Woody Herman / Cab Calloway / Artie Shaw (Hot Lips Page)
8. A String Of Pearls
Glenn Miller
9. Confessin' The Blues
Jay McShann (Walter Brown)
10. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
Ink Spots / Horace Heidt / Tommy Tucker
11. The Midnight Special
Lead Belly and the Golden Gate Quartet
12. I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good
Duke Ellington (Ivie Anderson)
13. Green Eyes
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
14. Junker Blues
Champion Jack Dupree
15. Solo Flight
Benny Goodman (Charlie Christian)
16. Gloomy Sunday (The Famous Hungarian Suicide Song)
Billie Holiday
17. Worried Life Blues
Big Maceo
18. Goin' To Chicago Blues
Count Basie (Jimmy Rushing)
19. Why Don't You Do Right
Lil Green
20. Let Me Off Uptown
Gene Krupa (Anita O'Day)
21. Jump For Joy
Duke Ellington (Ivie Anderson)
22. All of Me
Billie Holiday
23. Amapola
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
24. Dry Bones
Delta Rhythm Boys
25. Maria Elena
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly) / Wayne King
26. Take Me Back To Tulsa
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
27. Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'
Duke Ellington
28. Key To The Highway
Big Bill Broonzy
29. Solitude
Billie Holiday
30. (I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time
Andrews Sisters
31. Daddy
Sammy Kaye
32. (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover
Kay Kyser / Glenn Miller
33. Elmer's Tune
Glenn Miller (Ray Eberle & Modernaires)
34. Dancing in the Dark
Artie Shaw
35. Drum Boogie
Gene Krupa
36. Dolores
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra & Pied Pipers) / Bing Crosby
37. The Things I Love
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
38. Blue Flame
Woody Herman
39. Yes Indeed
Tommy Dorsey (Jo Stafford & Sy Oliver)
40. Jelly, Jelly
Earl Hines (Billy Eckstine)
41. Let's Get Away From It All
Tommy Dorsey (Pied Pipers)
42. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
Ink Spots
43. The Sidewalks of New York
Duke Ellington
44. If I Get Lucky
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
45. Somebody Else is Taking My Place
Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee)
46. The Hut-Hut Song (A Swedish Serenade)
Horace Heidt / Freddy Martin
47. (Lights Out) 'Til Reveille
Kay Kyser / Bing Crosby
48. Song of the Volga Boatmen
Glenn Miller
49. Me and My Chauffeur Blues
Memphis Minnie
50. Sweet Lorraine
King Cole Trio
51. Yours
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
52. Winter Weather
Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee & Art Lund)
53. Do I Worry?
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
54. You and I
Glenn Miller
55. Oh, Look At Me Now
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines & Pied Pipers)
56. Tonight (Perfidia)
Jimmy Dorsey / Glenn Miller / Benny Goodman
57. My Sister And I
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
58. Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat
Ink Spots
59. Going Down Slow
St. Louis Jimmy
60. Dig These Blues
Four Clefs
61. All That Meat And No Potatoes
Fats Waller
62. Flamingo
Duke Ellington (Herb Jeffries)
63. Corrine, Corrina
Art Tatum (Joe Turner)
64. Big Fat Mama
Lucky Millinder (Trevor Bacon)
65. We'll Meet Again
Ink Spots
66. Wee Baby Blues
Art Tatum (Joe Turner)
67. When I Been Drinking
Big Bill Broonzy
68. I'm In A Low Down Groove
Billie Holiday
69. High On A Windy Hill
Jimmy Dorsey / Gene Krupa
70. The Wise Old Owl
Al Donohue (Dee Keating)
71. You Made Me Love You
Harry James
72. The Shrine of St. Cecelia
Andrews Sisters
73. Along The Santa Fe Trail
Bing Crosby
74. Blue Champagne
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
75. Worried Mind
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
76. Catfish Blues
Robert Petway
77. Boulder Bluff
Glenn Miller
78. You Are My Sunshine
Gene Autry / Bing Crosby
79. This Love of Mine
Tommy Dorsey
80. Down, Down, Down
Count Basie / Mills Brothers / Charioteers
81. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
Ink Spots
82. The Mole
Harry James
83. Milk Cow Blues
Johnny Lee Wills
84. There'll Be Some Changes Made
Una Mae Carlisle
85. Rocks In My Bed
Joe Turner
86. The Bells of San Raquel
Mills Brothers
87. Dupree Shake Dance
Champion Jack Dupree
88. I Feel My Time Ain't Long
Selah Jubilee Singers
89. County Jail Blues
Big Maceo
90. Ring, Telephone, Ring
Ink Spots
91. Please Take A Letter, Miss Brown
Ink Spots
92. Take A Little Walk With Me
Robert Lockwood
93. Trouble in Mind
Lucky Millinder (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
94. '41 Blues
Peter Cleighton
95. Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)
Billie Holiday
96. Walkin' By The River
Una Mae Carlisle
97. Southern Exposure
Buddy Johnson
98. I Feel So Good
Big Bill Broonzy
99. Music Makers
Harry James
100. Twin Guitar Special
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Billie Holiday
2. Take The "A" Train
Duke Ellington / Delta Rhythm Boys
3. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Andrews Sisters
4. Chattanooga Choo Choo
Glenn Miller (Tex Beneke and the Modernaires)
5. Walking The Floor Over You
Ernest Tubb
6. Cool Water
Sons Of The Pioneers
7. Blues in the Night
Woody Herman / Cab Calloway / Artie Shaw (Hot Lips Page)
8. A String Of Pearls
Glenn Miller
9. Confessin' The Blues
Jay McShann (Walter Brown)
10. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
Ink Spots / Horace Heidt / Tommy Tucker
11. The Midnight Special
Lead Belly and the Golden Gate Quartet
12. I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good
Duke Ellington (Ivie Anderson)
13. Green Eyes
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
14. Junker Blues
Champion Jack Dupree
15. Solo Flight
Benny Goodman (Charlie Christian)
16. Gloomy Sunday (The Famous Hungarian Suicide Song)
Billie Holiday
17. Worried Life Blues
Big Maceo
18. Goin' To Chicago Blues
Count Basie (Jimmy Rushing)
19. Why Don't You Do Right
Lil Green
20. Let Me Off Uptown
Gene Krupa (Anita O'Day)
21. Jump For Joy
Duke Ellington (Ivie Anderson)
22. All of Me
Billie Holiday
23. Amapola
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
24. Dry Bones
Delta Rhythm Boys
25. Maria Elena
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly) / Wayne King
26. Take Me Back To Tulsa
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
27. Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'
Duke Ellington
28. Key To The Highway
Big Bill Broonzy
29. Solitude
Billie Holiday
30. (I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time
Andrews Sisters
31. Daddy
Sammy Kaye
32. (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover
Kay Kyser / Glenn Miller
33. Elmer's Tune
Glenn Miller (Ray Eberle & Modernaires)
34. Dancing in the Dark
Artie Shaw
35. Drum Boogie
Gene Krupa
36. Dolores
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra & Pied Pipers) / Bing Crosby
37. The Things I Love
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
38. Blue Flame
Woody Herman
39. Yes Indeed
Tommy Dorsey (Jo Stafford & Sy Oliver)
40. Jelly, Jelly
Earl Hines (Billy Eckstine)
41. Let's Get Away From It All
Tommy Dorsey (Pied Pipers)
42. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
Ink Spots
43. The Sidewalks of New York
Duke Ellington
44. If I Get Lucky
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
45. Somebody Else is Taking My Place
Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee)
46. The Hut-Hut Song (A Swedish Serenade)
Horace Heidt / Freddy Martin
47. (Lights Out) 'Til Reveille
Kay Kyser / Bing Crosby
48. Song of the Volga Boatmen
Glenn Miller
49. Me and My Chauffeur Blues
Memphis Minnie
50. Sweet Lorraine
King Cole Trio
51. Yours
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell)
52. Winter Weather
Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee & Art Lund)
53. Do I Worry?
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra)
54. You and I
Glenn Miller
55. Oh, Look At Me Now
Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines & Pied Pipers)
56. Tonight (Perfidia)
Jimmy Dorsey / Glenn Miller / Benny Goodman
57. My Sister And I
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
58. Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat
Ink Spots
59. Going Down Slow
St. Louis Jimmy
60. Dig These Blues
Four Clefs
61. All That Meat And No Potatoes
Fats Waller
62. Flamingo
Duke Ellington (Herb Jeffries)
63. Corrine, Corrina
Art Tatum (Joe Turner)
64. Big Fat Mama
Lucky Millinder (Trevor Bacon)
65. We'll Meet Again
Ink Spots
66. Wee Baby Blues
Art Tatum (Joe Turner)
67. When I Been Drinking
Big Bill Broonzy
68. I'm In A Low Down Groove
Billie Holiday
69. High On A Windy Hill
Jimmy Dorsey / Gene Krupa
70. The Wise Old Owl
Al Donohue (Dee Keating)
71. You Made Me Love You
Harry James
72. The Shrine of St. Cecelia
Andrews Sisters
73. Along The Santa Fe Trail
Bing Crosby
74. Blue Champagne
Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly)
75. Worried Mind
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
76. Catfish Blues
Robert Petway
77. Boulder Bluff
Glenn Miller
78. You Are My Sunshine
Gene Autry / Bing Crosby
79. This Love of Mine
Tommy Dorsey
80. Down, Down, Down
Count Basie / Mills Brothers / Charioteers
81. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
Ink Spots
82. The Mole
Harry James
83. Milk Cow Blues
Johnny Lee Wills
84. There'll Be Some Changes Made
Una Mae Carlisle
85. Rocks In My Bed
Joe Turner
86. The Bells of San Raquel
Mills Brothers
87. Dupree Shake Dance
Champion Jack Dupree
88. I Feel My Time Ain't Long
Selah Jubilee Singers
89. County Jail Blues
Big Maceo
90. Ring, Telephone, Ring
Ink Spots
91. Please Take A Letter, Miss Brown
Ink Spots
92. Take A Little Walk With Me
Robert Lockwood
93. Trouble in Mind
Lucky Millinder (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
94. '41 Blues
Peter Cleighton
95. Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)
Billie Holiday
96. Walkin' By The River
Una Mae Carlisle
97. Southern Exposure
Buddy Johnson
98. I Feel So Good
Big Bill Broonzy
99. Music Makers
Harry James
100. Twin Guitar Special
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
20 more worth mentioning.
101. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
Wiley & Gene
102. All By Myself
Big Bill Broonzy
103. Walking Blues
Son House
104. 1913 Massacre
Woody Guthrie
105. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie
Louis Jordan
106. Egyptian Fantasy
Sidney Bechet
107. Pick A Bale of Cotton
Lead Belly
108. Saxa-Woogie
Louis Jordan
109. Hootie Blues
Jay McShann (Walter Brown)
110. Knockin' Myself Out
Lil Green
111. City Called Heaven
Una Mae Carlisle
112. Bear Cat Crawl
Meade Lux Lewis
113. Peach Orchard Mama
Big Joe Williams
114. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio
Les Brown (Betty Bonney)
115. Jim
Dinah Shore / Ella Fitzgerald
116. If It's True
Mills Brothers
117. Shout For Joy
Albert Ammons
118. Slide Mr. Trombone
Lucky Millinder
119. This Will Make You Laugh
King Cole Trio
120. Keep Cool, Fool
Ella Fitzgerald / Erskine Hawkins / Ink Spots
Wiley & Gene
102. All By Myself
Big Bill Broonzy
103. Walking Blues
Son House
104. 1913 Massacre
Woody Guthrie
105. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie
Louis Jordan
106. Egyptian Fantasy
Sidney Bechet
107. Pick A Bale of Cotton
Lead Belly
108. Saxa-Woogie
Louis Jordan
109. Hootie Blues
Jay McShann (Walter Brown)
110. Knockin' Myself Out
Lil Green
111. City Called Heaven
Una Mae Carlisle
112. Bear Cat Crawl
Meade Lux Lewis
113. Peach Orchard Mama
Big Joe Williams
114. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio
Les Brown (Betty Bonney)
115. Jim
Dinah Shore / Ella Fitzgerald
116. If It's True
Mills Brothers
117. Shout For Joy
Albert Ammons
118. Slide Mr. Trombone
Lucky Millinder
119. This Will Make You Laugh
King Cole Trio
120. Keep Cool, Fool
Ella Fitzgerald / Erskine Hawkins / Ink Spots
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1941
An unheralded great record from 1941
Adam's choice:
* Weed Head Woman
Champion Jack Dupree
Bruce's choice:
* Georgia On My Mind
Mills Brothers
Lew's choice:
* Sloppy Drunk Blues
Sonny Boy Williamson
Adam's choice:
* Weed Head Woman
Champion Jack Dupree
Bruce's choice:
* Georgia On My Mind
Mills Brothers
Lew's choice:
* Sloppy Drunk Blues
Sonny Boy Williamson
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Edited By: Bruce
Last Updated: 2010-04-02