1949 Hits Archive

Mom and I finished the 1949 Hits Archive this morning. It is one of the many, many, many playlists available at the78prof's YouTube channel. The prof writes, "This is a playlist of commercial recordings and songs that proved popular during the calendar year 1949 (some were recorded in 1948) via sales, juke box play, and radio exposure.…plus some others that have gained increased recognition or have been shown to have had an impact during the decades that followed."

For your reference: Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1949; Billboard number one singles of 1949.

'A' You're Adorable -- Perry Como; the prof writes, "1949 was a standout year for Perry Como the recording artist (11 of his titles are included in this collection). He and the Fontanes perform this #1 radio airplay hit in a steady and serious manner, in contrast to the casual treatment it received in the also-posted top-5 version by Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae." 

There were FIVE "Again"s. Gordon Jenkins. Vic Damone. Doris Day. Mel Torme. Art Mooney.

There were FOUR "Baby, It's Cold Outside"s. Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer; Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan. Don Cornell & Laura Leslie. 

TWO "Blue Moon"s: Mel Torme; Billy Eckstine. 

Blueberry Hill. Louis Armstrong and Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra. 

Clancy Lowered the Boom -- Dennis Day. 

Cruising Down the River -- Russ Morgan "Music in the Morgan Manner"  There were two other versions as well: Blue Barron and Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters. 

A Dreamer's Holiday -- Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters;  Buddy Clark. Of Clark's version, he writes, "Perry Como’s version may have risen higher on the charts, but there is special poignancy regarding this top-15 record by Buddy Clark. It was his final hit....released following his October 1st death in a California airplane accident at age 37. Issued shortly thereafter was Buddy’s two-sided holiday 78 of “Winter Wonderland” & “Merry Christmas Waltz,” both tunes also available on this channel."

There were 3 Far Away Places. Bing Crosby. Margaret Whiting. Perry Como. 

There were FOUR "Forever and Ever"s. Russ Morgan; Dinah Shore. Perry Como. Margaret Whiting.

Hop Scotch Polka. Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. 

I Can Dream Can't I -- Andrews Sisters. 

I Wanna Go Home With You -- Perry Como & Fontane Sisters (78 single version not the one on CD releases). 

I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts -- Merv Griffin

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm Les Brown and Mills Brothers

Mule Train Tennessee Ernie Ford 

The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! Nyot Nyo!) Patty Andrews & Bob Crosby

Riders in the Sky Vaughn Monroe. Peggy Lee. Of Lee's version, "Radio DJ’s who wanted to give their listeners a break from the repeated plays of Vaughn Monroe’s humongous hit seemed especially fond of this Peggy Lee version, spinning it up to #2 on Billboard’s radio airplay chart." Bing Crosby. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -- Gene Autry. 

Saturday Night Fish Fry -- Louis Jordan. "Twelve(!) weeks at #1 on the R&B charts for this famous Jordan crossover hit...among his most lastingly popular singles, issued as a Part 1/Part 2 two-sider."

Sleigh Ride -- Boston Pops. The prof writes, "Before Leroy Anderson was awarded his own recording contract in 1950, Fiedler's Boston Pops had the honor of introducing all of Anderson's orchestral pop instrumentals to the record-buying public. This wintery standard-to-be, issued on RCA Victor’s Red Seal series, first landed in the stores in late 1949, reaching #24 on Billboard’s sales chart. On the B-side was the debut of Anderson’s beautiful “Serenata,” also posted to this collection. Anderson, himself, first recorded “Sleigh Ride” in 1950 (mono) and again in 1959 (stereo)."

4 versions of SOME ENCHANTED EVENING. Ezio Pinza. Perry Como. Jo Stafford. Bing Crosby. 

Sweet Georgia Brown. Brother Bones and His Shadows. 

You're Breaking My Heart Vic Damone. Buddy Clark.

© 2020 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews