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"Without a song, the day would never end"
That opening line of lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu from the 1929 song,
recorded by many singers, including a memorable recording by Frank Sinatra in 1961,That line describes how important a song can be in someone's life.
Many singers have admired this song, including Elvis Presley.There have been many worthwhile American popular songs written in the past.
What follows below are some historical highlights.
If you use any of the information from this page please credit
the Center for American Music Preservation (CAMP)
See the list of American songs from 1861 to 1961-- click here
American Popular Songs
from
The Civil War Era (1860s)
Julia Ward Howe
who wrote the words to "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (1861-62)
"GLORY, HALLELUJAH" -
Songs and Hymns of the Civil War Era
"Lincoln and Liberty"
Music From Abraham Lincoln's Era
to
The Cold War Era (1960s)
Sammy Cahn -
who wrote the 1963 Oscar-winning song,
"Call Me Irresponsible"
New book available in Spring 2025!
Who wrote the movie title song - "Love Me Tender"?
Read about it in thus new book coming soon --
"Good Rockin' Tonight" - Electric Elvis, Bill Randle,
and The Rise of a Music Legend
By Roger Lee Hall
Two Music Guides
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A Guide To Film Music -- Songs and Scores
Songs of the World War I Era
Songs of the World War II Era
The music from the seven-part PBS series, THE WAR, is available both in a Deluxe 4 CD Edition with Viewer's Guide and Booklet a single CD soundtrack...
The War -- 4 CD set with 2 booklets
Disc One: The War (soundtrack, 17 tracks)
Disc Two: Sentimental Journey (Song Hits, 20 tracks)
Disc Three: I'm Beginning To See The Light
(Dance Hits, 20 tracks)
Disc Four: Songs Without Words (Classical Music, 10 tracks)The War -- single soundtrack CD (17 tracks)
Here are five recommended CDs of music
from the World War II years:
As Time Goes By: World War II Songs
3 CD Set (65 tracks)
Those Were Our Songs: Music of World War II
2 CDs (40 tracks)
Songs That Got Us Through WWII
CD (18 tracks)
Songs That Got Us Through WW II, Volume 2
CD (18 tracks)
Tributes to
pop music people
On the centennial year of his birth,
popular Cleveland disc jockey and record producer,
Bill Randle (1923-2004)
"High Hopes"
A Centennial Tribute To Sammy Cahn (1913-1993)
"Catch A Falling Star" -
A Centennial Salute To Singer, Perry Como (1912-2001)
"Love Me Tender"
A Centennial Tribute to
Songwriter-Arranger, Ken Darby (1909-1992)
Great American Songwriter Series
Music, by George!
A Tribute to George Gershwin
"I Hear Music"
A Tribute To Songwriter, Frank Loesser
"Moon River" - Memories of Henry Mancini
"Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"
Johnny Mercer in Hollywood
The Sammy Film Music Awards
The Sammy Film Music Awards
(the longest running awards for soundtrack recordings)
Recorded live at the Pickman Concert Hall, Longy School of Music, Cambridge, Massachusetts in April 2013 concert, this American Classics CD is now available with a generous collection of Sammy Cahn songs performed by an excellent ensemble of singers and band musicians, produced with funds provided by the American Music Recordings Archive.
Read more at this link:
"It's Magic" - A One Hundredth Birthday Celebration of Sammy Cahn
Movie songs and scores
selected by web readers
Learn about past popular movie songs!
Order your copy of
A GUIDE TO FILM MUSIC - Songs and Scores
For information about this book -- click here
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Popular Songwriters
and
The Great American Songbook
See a list of songwriters and singers from the past at
Popular Songwriters and The Great American Songbook
Book review -- click here
Popular Singer Tribute 1: Bravo, Bing!
Popular Singer Tribute 2: Lotsa Lanza!
Popular Singer Tribute 4: Sultry Jo Stafford
The beautiful lustrous voice of Jo Stafford was a fixture on radio, records and later television during the 1940s and 1950s.
She was born in Coalinga, California on November 12,1917. She first sang with her two sisters but then joined a vocal group known as "The Pied Pipers." They sang with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra, joined by a skinny young singer from Hoboken, New Jersey, whose name was Frank Sinatra.
Jo Stafford eventually left the group and became a solo recording artist in 1944. Her serene singing of such songs as: "I'll Be Seeing You," "Long Ago (And Far Away)," and "All The Things You Are" became so popular during World War II that she was dubbed by servicemen as "G.I. Jo."
Some of her biggest hits were during the 1950s, including "You Belong To Me" (by Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart & Chilton Price), Jo Stafford's biggest hit. Also the Hank Williams song "Jambalaya," and
"Shrimp Boats" (by Paul Mason Howard & Paul Weston).In the late 1950s, she began a comedy duo with her husband, arranger- conductor Paul Weston. They called themselves Jonathan and Darlene Edwards nd portrayed a bad lounge act, singing and playing off key. She received her only Grammy for one of these comedy records in 1961. After recording a parody of the Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" in 1977, she retired from singing, except for a tribute event for Frank Sinatra in 1990.
Jo Stafford died in Century City, California on July 16, 2008. She was 90.
She'll be remembered by those who treasure that clear smooth voice
and simple direct way she had with a song.She was an unforgettable vocalist.
-- Rger Lee Hall, July 2008
2017 marked the 50th anniversaryof the Beatles famous album,
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.Read a songwriter's memories of
the early years of The Beatles
and their 1967 historic album
by clicking the link below --
"Please Please Me" - Memories of the Beatles
Song Hits Series
See the list of 400 song hits from 1956 to 1963
from the rise of rock n'roll to folk and foreign songs:
Read about the legendary '50s rock n' roll disc jockey,
Alan Freed, and songs from that era in these two illustrated stories
by pop songwriter, Roger Hall,
American Tune Lovers Society (ATLS)
Many new songs today are gushed over by celebrity-worshipping critics and journalists.
Many of these songs are here today and forgotten tomorrow, sung by those with limited vocal ability and musical style.
Meanwhile extremely talented songwriters and singers from earlier decades are being forgotten or ignored.
They were part of what is rightly called "The Great American Songbook."
We need to preserve these great songs for future generations of listeners and musicians.
Are you interested in supporting the preservation of popular songs from the past?
Then join this online group at this link:
The American Tune Lovers Society (ATLS)
Related Popular Music Links
100 Essential Songs of the 20th Century
Popular Songwriters and The Great American Songbook
Ride on over to the Cowboy Songs Corral -- click here
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For any comments or questions, write to:
Please help support this informational website!
Order your music titles from the
Center for American Music Preservation (CAMP)
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