Top R&B Songs of the 1940s Greatest Hits and Chart Singles

Academy Award for Best Original Song 1942
[Decca 23778]
written by Irving Berlin

as Al Dexter and His Troopers
[Okeh 6708]
written by Al Dexter

vocals by Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers
[Victor 27974]
written by Stanley Adams, Abel Baer & George W. Meyer

written by Billy Reid

vocals by Helen Forrest
[Columbia 36659]
written by Harry Warren & Mack Gordon

as King Cole
[Capitol 15054]
written by Eden Ahbez

written by Doris Fisher & Allan Roberts

as Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
[Decca 8659]
written by Johnny Mercer

[Decca 18636]
written by Lord Invader & Lionel Belasco

[Columbia 36668]
written by Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn

[Decca 18556]
written by Harry Warren, Mack Gordon & Dorothy Fern Norris

[novelty]
[RCA Victor 2127]
written by Bob Russell

[Capitol 180]
written by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer

[Capitol 304]
written by William Best & Deek Watson

written by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans

B side to Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
written by James V. Monaco & Mack Gordon

written by Johnny S. Black

[novelty]
[Columbia 37268]
written by Bob Russell

[Decca 18561]
written by Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke

B side to Till Then
written by Allan Roberts & Doris Fisher

vocals by Eugenie Baird
[Decca 18567]
written by Harry Warren & Mack Gordon

as Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
[Decca 8659]
written by Louis Jordan & Billy Austin

[Decca 23364]
written by Cole Porter & Robert Fletcher

[Decca 23277]
written by Al Dexter

[Victor 1586]
written by Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn

vocals by Frank Sinatra
[Victor 201530]
written by Thomas Montgomery Adair & Alfonso D'Artega

vocals by Helen Forrest
written by Vernon Duke, John Latouche & Ted Fetter

written by Joe Greene [American songwriter]

written by Duke Ellington & Bob Russell

[Decca 18557]
written by Kim Gannon & Max Steiner

as Frank Sinatra & Harry James & His Orchestra
[Columbia 35587]
written by Arthur Altman & Jack Lawrence

instrumental
[Columbia 36651]
written by Ary Barroso & Bob Russell

[novelty]
written by Bob Russell

[novelty]
[National 4012]
written by Bob Russell

Christmas
[Capitol 311]
written by Mel Tormé & Robert Wells

[Capitol 143]
written by Phil Moore

[Capitol 15308]
written by Harvey O. Brooks

as Frankie Laine & Mannie Klein's All Stars
[Mercury 5007]
written by Helmy Kresa & Carroll Loveday

vocals by Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers
[Victor 201522]
written by Bill Carey & Carl Fisher

vocal by Frank Munn; originally from 1931
written by Herman Hupfeld

Christmas
[Decca 18570]
written by Buck Ram, Kim Gannon & Walter Kent

vocals by Peggy Lee
written by Kansas Joe McCoy

vocals by Kitty Kallen
[Decca 18582]
written by Sam H. Stept

instrumental B side to Jump Town
written by Don Redman

[Victor 1519]
written by Cole Porter

as Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
[Decca 8670]
written by Fleecie Moore

written by Joan Whitney Kramer & Alex Kramer

[Supreme 1507]
written by Harvey O. Brooks

instrumental
[Victor 20-1547]
written by Duke Ellington & Bob Russell

written by Bob Russell

instrumental
[Victor 26054]
written by Clarence "Pinetop" Smith

vocals by Joya Sherrill
[Victor 20-1618]
written by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges & Harry James

B side to Put Another Chair At the Table
written by Allan Roberts & Doris Fisher

R Christmas
[Decca 18429]
written by Irving Berlin

US B side to Straighten Up and Fly Right
[Capitol 154]
written by Nat King Cole & Irving Mills

vocals by Wynonie Harris
[Decca 18674]
written by Eddie DeLange & Johnny Brooks

written by Denver Darling, Vaughn Horton & Milt Gabler

written by Wilmoth Houdini

with The Song Spinners
[Decca 24446]
written by Betty Peterson Blasco & Borney Bergantine

as Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
[Decca 8654]
written by Antonio Cosey, Collenane Clark & Louis Jordan

written by Duke Ellington & Bob Russell

written by Fred E. Ahlert & Roy Turk

written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus & Guy Wood

instrumental
[Victor 26610]
written by Duke Ellington & Bob Russell

[instumental]
written by Robert Lewis Smith

as Billy Eckstine & His Orchestra
hit for Guy Lombardo in 1930
[National 9014]
written by Willard Robison & Larry Conley

written by Curley Hamner & Lionel Hampton

written by Fleecy Moore & Dave Dexter

written by Don Raye & Gene DePaul

[Decca 24550]
written by Floyd Tillman

written by Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg & Billy Rose

hit for Paul Whiteman in 1933
[Decca 23425]
written by Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg & Billy Rose

written by Don Raye, Benny Carter & Gene DePaul

written by Don Raye, Gene De Paul & Benny Carter

as Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra & The Delta Rhythm Boys
[Decca 23451]
written by Joe Liggins

written by Russ Columbo, Clarence Gaskill & Leo Robin

written by Larry Fotine, Billy Faber & Fred Meadows

written by Frank Loesser

vocals by Trevor Bacon
[Decca 18569]
written by Al J. Neiburg, Lucky Millinder & William Henri Woode

[Columbia 36831]
written by James Rushing

as Billy Eckstine & His Orchestra
hit for russ columbo in 1932
[National 9017]
written by Russ Columbo, Clarence Gaskill & Leo Robin

[Beacon 7120]
written by Joe Davis

as Phil Harris & his Orchestra
[novelty] hit for Bert Williams in 1914
[ARA 116]
written by Bert Williams, Will Vodery & Jean C. Havez

vocals by Jimmy Mitchelle
[Bluebird 30-0813]
written by Jimmy Mitchell & Sammy Lowe

as Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
[Decca 8668]
written by Louis Jordan & Sam Theard

vocals by Ella Johnson
[Decca 8655]
written by Buddy Johnson & J. Mayo Williams

[Jubilee 5000]
written by Deborah Chessler

written by Joe Liggins

vocals by Ace Harris & Band
written by Fleecie Moore

[Capitol 256]
written by Bobby Troup

written by Joe Liggins

instrumental
[Tempo 652]
written by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard & Kenneth Casey

vocals by Trevor Bacon
[Decca 18496]
written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Seiler & Sol Marcus

[Capitol 141]
written by Johnny Mercer

vocals by Red Dorris
written by Duke Ellington & Bob Russell

written by Buddy Kaye & Howard Steiner

[Capitol 40082]
written by Johnny Gomez & Paul Vance

vocals by Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson ; aka Cherry Red Blues
[Hit 7084]
written by Bob Haggart

#1 hit for Cliff Edwards in 1928
[Majestic 1204]
written by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields

vocals by Ella Johnson
written by Buddy Johnson