The Andrews Sisters, the most successful female vocal group of the first half of the 20th century, may have had bigger hits- “Rum and Coca Cola” and “Don’t Fence Me In”, to name two- but none more iconic than their 1941 release of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, an upbeat, “jump blues” style, World War II-era number that was voted #6 on the RIAA‘s “Songs of the Century” poll. Bette Midler reprised it as a hit in 1973. 

         One of the decade’s biggest sellers was “Paper Doll”, originally released as a B-side (“I’ll Be Around” was expected to be the hit) in 1942 by The Mills Brothers, an African-American jazz/pop barbershop-style quartet. The singer(s) has obviously been hurt in love and now seeks to shield himself from further pain. By late “43 and into 1944, the song dominated the pop charts.

         In the mid-’40s, radical folk singer Woody Guthrie recorded his now classic “This land Is Your Land”. He claimed he was tired of hearing Kate Smith’s “God Bless America”, and wanted to sing a rejoinder that celebrated All Americans, rich or poor. Today Guthrie’s anthem is sung by schoolchildren, by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, even at presidential inaugurations.  

         It’s nearly impossible to choose one Hank Williams number, but his 1949 cover version of a 1920s show tune, “Lovesick Blues”, came to dominate country & western charts at the end of the decade and showcases Hank’s inimitable vocal style, replete with yodels, joy, and pathos.

         No list of ’40s’ classics would be complete without Bing Crosby’s 1942 recording of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”. It is still reputedly the best-selling single of all-time, is ranked #2 on the RIAA Songs of the Century list, and is included on the National Recording Registry.

         -Steve Williams (6/1/23) – Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #15