Various Artists - America's No. 1's Of The '40s (CD)

The 1940s was one of the most momentous decades in modern world history, seeing the transition from disastrous international conflict to peace, with the establishment of the United Nations, as well as an emergence from post-war austerity to a promise of greater prosperity at the same time that the Cold War was a looming threat. It also saw many changes in the music landscape as swing and bug bands became uneconomic and solo singers - the crooners and divas of what came to be known as the golden age of popular music - became the big stars of the day. The Billboard record sales chart was launched in July 1940, bringing a new authenticity to the tabulation of the biggest-selling records, and this great value 128-track 6-CD collection comprises every No. 1 during the decade in the Billboard Best Sellers, Most Played In Juke Boxes and Most Played By Disc Jockeys charts. For collectors, it provides a companion product to Acrobat's existing "America's No. 1s of The '50s" (ACFCD7501). It's a fascinating and hugely entertaining musical journey though those years, featuring all the big names of the era, from those whose careers stalled before the end of the decade to others, like Frank Sinatra, who enjoyed several more decades of stardom. It comes with a 48-page 15,000 word booklet with commentary on every track.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Tommy Dorsey Orch./Frank Sinatra ;Pied Pipers - I'll Never Smile
2. Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter ; His Orch. - Only Forever
3. Artie Shaw ; His Orchestra - Frenesi
4. Glenn Miller ; His Orchestra - Song of the Volga Boatman
5. Jimmy Dorsey ; His Orchestra with Bob Eberly ; Helen O'Connell -
6. Jimmy Dorsey ; His Orchestra with Bob Eberly - My Sister and I
7. Jimmy Dorsey ; His Orchestra with Bob Eberly - Maria Elena
8. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye ; the Kaye Choir - Daddy
9. Jimmy Dorsey ; His Orchestra with Bob Eberly ; Helen O'Connell - Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)
10. Jimmy Dorsey ; His Orchestra with Bob Eberly - Blue Champagne
11. Freddy Martin ; His Orchestra - Piano Concerto in B Flat
12. Glenn Miller ; His Orchestra with Tex Beneke ; the Four Modernaires - Chattanooga Choo Choo
13. Glenn Miller ; His Orchestra with Ray Eberle ; the Modernaires -
14. Glenn Miller ; His Orchestra - a String of Pearls
15. Woody Herman ; His Orchestra - Blues in the Night (My Mama Done
16. Glenn Miller ; His Orchestra - Moonlight Cocktail
17. Jimmy Dorsey ; His Orchestra - Tangerine
18. Harry James ; His Orchestra - Sleepy Lagoon
19. Kay Kyser ; His Orchestra with Harry Babbit ; Julie Conway - Jingle
20. Glenn Miller ; His Orchestra - (I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo
21. Bing Crosby - White Christmas
22. Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra ; the Pied Pipers - There Are Such Things
23. Harry James ; His Orchestra with Helen Forrest - I Had the Craziest
24. Harry James ; His Orchestra with Helen Forrest - I've Heard That
25. Glenn Miller Orchestra with Skip Nelson ; the Modernaires - That Old
26. Benny Goodman ; His Orchestra with Helen Forrest - Taking a
27. Song Spinners - Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer
28. Dick Haymes ; the Song Spinners - You'll Never Know
29. Tommy Dorsey ; His Orchestra with Frank Sinatra - in the Blue of
30. Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers - Sunday Monday or Always
31. Al Dexter ; His Troopers - Pistol Packin' Mama
32. Mills Brothers - Paper Doll
33. Andrews Sisters - Shoo-Shoo Baby
34. Glen Gray ; the Casa Loma Orchestra with Eugenie Baird - My
35. Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with Bob Eberly ; Kitty Kallen - Besame
36. Merry Macs - Mairzy Doats
37. Guy Lombardo ; His Royal Canadians with Skip Nelson ; the
38. Bing Crosby - San Fernando Valley
39. Bing Crosby - I Love You
40. Harry James ; His Orchestra with Dick Haymes - I'll Get By (As Long
41. Bing Crosby - I'll Be Seeing You
42. Louis Jordan ; His Tympany Five - G.I. Jive
43. Bing Crosby ; Williams Brothers Quartet - Swinging on a Star
44. Mills Brothers - You Always Hurt the One You Love
45. Dinah Shore - I'll Walk Alone
46. Bing Crosby ; the Andrews Sisters - There'll Be a Hot Time in the
47. Ink Spots ; Ella Fitzgerald - Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall
48. Ink Spots ; Ella Fitzgerald - I'm Making Believe
49. Bing Crosby ; the Andrews Sisters - Don't Fence Me in
50. The Andrews Sisters - Rum and Coca Cola
51. Johnny Mercer ; the Pied Pipers - Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive
52. Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer ; the Pied Pipers - Candy
53. Les Brown Orchestra with Doris Day - My Dreams Are Getting Better
54. Harry James ; His Orchestra with Kitty Kallen - I'm Beginning to See
55. Pied Pipers with Paul Weston ; His Orchestra - Dream
56. Vaughn Monroe Orchestra with the Norton Sisters - There! I've Said It
57. Les Brown Orchestra with Doris Day - Sentimental Journey
58. Johnny Mercer ; the Pied Pipers - on the Atchison, Topeka and
59. Perry Como - Till the End of Time
60. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye - Chickery Chick
61. Harry James ; His Orchestra with Helen Forrest - It's Been a Long
62. Bing Crosby with Les Paul ; His Trio - It's Been a Long Long Time
63. Freddie Martin ; His Orchestra with Clyde Rogers - Symphony
64. Bing Crosby with Carmen Cavallero at the Piano - I Can't Begin to
65. Vaughn Monroe ; His Orchestra with the Norton Sisters - Let It
66. Betty Hutton - Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
67. Johnny Mercer ; the Pied Pipers - Personality
68. Frankie Carle ; His Orchestra with Marjorie Hughes - Oh What It
69. Frank Sinatra with Alex Stordahl's Orchestra - Oh What It Seemed to
70. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye with Betty Barclay - I'm a Big Girl
71. Perry Como - Prisoner of Love
72. Dinah Shore with the Sonny Burke Orchestra - the Gypsy
73. Ink Spots - the Gypsy
74. Perry Como - Surrender
75. Eddy Howard ; His Orchestra - to Each His Own
76. Freddy Martin ; Hir Ochestra with Stuart Wade - to Each His Own
77. Frank Sinatra - Five Minutes More
78. Ink Spots - to Each His Own
79. Frankie Carle ; His Orchestra with Marjorie Hughes - Rumours Are
80. Kay Kyser Orch with Michael Douglas ; the Campus Kids - Ole
81. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye with Billy Williams - the Old
82. Hoagy Carmichael - Huggin' and Chalkin'
83. King Cole Trio - (I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons
84. Count Basie ; His Orchestra with Harry Edison ; Bill Johnson - Open
85. Freddy Martin ; His Orchestra with Stuart Wade - Managua
86. Three Flames - Open the Door Richard:
87. Dinah Shore with the Morris Stoloff Orchestra - Anniversary Song
88. Ted Weems ; His Orchestra - Heartaches
89. Guy Lombardo ; His Royal Canadians - Managua Nicaragua
90. Ray Noble Orchestra with Buddy Clark ; Anita Gordon - Linda
91. Frank Sinatra - Mam'selle
92. Art Lund - Mam'selle
93. Harmonicats - Peg O' My Heart
94. Perry Como ; the Satisfiers - Chi-Baba Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to
95. Jo Stafford with Red Ingle ; the Natural Seven - Temptation (Tim-
96. Buddy Clark with the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra - Peg O' My Heart
97. Tex Williams ; His Western Caravan - Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That
98. The Three Suns - Peg O' My Heart
99. Francis Craig ; His Orchestra - Near You
100. Vaughn Monroe - Ballerina
101. Art Mooney ; His Orchestra - I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover
102. Peggy Lee - Manana (Is Soon Enough for Me)
103. Bing Crosby with Ken Darby Choir - Now Is the Hour (Maori Farewell
104. Nat King Cole - Nature Boy
105. Ken Griffin with Jerry Wayne - You Can't Be True, Dear
106. Kay Kyser ; His Orchestra with Gloria Wood - Woody Woodpecker
107. Al Trace ; His New Orchestra - You Call Everybody Darlin'
108. Doris Day ; Buddy Clark - Love Somebody
109. Pee Wee Hunt ; His Orchestra - Twelfth Street Rag
110. Margaret Whiting - Tree in the Meadow
111. Dinah Shore and Her Happy Valley Boys - Buttons and Bows
112. Spike Jones ; His City Slickers George Rock - All I Want for
113. Evelyn Knight ; the Stardusters - a Little Bird Told Me
114. Jo Stafford ; Gordon MacRae - My Darling, My Darling
115. Evelyn Knight ; the Stardusters - Powder Your Face with Sunshine
116. Blue Barron ; His Orchestra - Cruising Down the River
117. Les Brown ; His Orchestra - I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
118. Russ Morgan ; His Orchestra with the Skylarks - Cruising Down the
119. Mel Torme - Careless Hands
120. Vaughn Monroe - Riders in the Sky
121. Russ Morgan ; His Orchestra Vocal By the Skylarks - Forever and
122. Perry Como with Fontane Sisters - 'A' You're Adorable
123. Perry Como - Some Enchanted Evening
124. Vic Damone - You're Breaking My Heart
125. Vaughn Monroe - Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
126. Frankie Laine - That Lucky Old Sun
127. Margaret Whiting ; Jimmy Wakely - Slipping Around
128. Frankie Laine ; the Muleskinners - Mule Train
129. Gene Autry ; the Pinafores - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
130. Andrews Sisters - I Can Dream, Can't I'