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Songs from the Year 1939
| Other Years: | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s |
This page lists the top songs of 1939 in the source charts. The way that the various charts are combined to reach this final list is described on the in the site generation page.
Between 1920 and 1940 there are few available charts (at least that we can find), hence these results should be treated with caution since, with few exceptions, they are based on fairly subjective charts.
During this era music was dominated by a number of "Big Bands" and songs could be attributed to the band leader, the band name, the lead singer or a combination of the them. It is common, for example, to see the same song listed with three different artists. And, just to stop us from getting bored, the success of a song was tied to the sales of sheet music, so a popular song would often be perfomed by many different combinations of singers and bands and the contemporary charts would list the song, without clarifying whose version was the major hit. Where we have found such issues we have attempted to consolidate the entries using the most widely accepted value for the artist in each case.
| # | Artist | Song Title | Year | Chart Entries |
| 1 | Judy Garland | Over the Rainbow | 1939 | US BB 1 of 1939, Oscar in 1939 (film 'The Wizard of Oz'), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1981 (1939), AFI 1, RYM 1 of 1939, POP 1 of 1939, RIAA 1, DMDB 3 (1939), US Billboard 5 - 1939 (12 weeks), Europe 5 of the 1930s (1939), Scrobulate 71 of vocal, WXPN 269, Acclaimed 497 (1939) |
| 2 | Glenn Miller | Moonlight Serenade | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1991 (1939), US Billboard 3 - 1939 (15 weeks), US BB 5 of 1939, RYM 5 of 1939, POP 5 of 1939, UK 12 - Mar 1954 (1 week), Europe 12 of the 1930s (1939), Brazil 19 of 1941, Scrobulate 53 of jazz, Italy 74 of 1954, Party 74 of 1999, Acclaimed 1202 (1939) |
| 3 | Kate Smith | God Bless America | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982 (1939), US BB 2 of 1939, POP 2 of 1939, US Billboard 5 - 1940 (11 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Aug 1940 (3 weeks), Europe 18 of the 1930s (1939), RIAA 19, RYM 33 of 1939, Acclaimed 568 (1938) |
| 4 | Billie Holiday | Strange Fruit | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978 (1939), RYM 2 of 1939, US Billboard 16 - 1939 (2 weeks), Scrobulate 25 of jazz, Europe 92 of the 1930s (1939), Acclaimed 180 (1939), RIAA 273, WXPN 717 |
| 5 | The Ink Spots | If I Didn't Care | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987 (1939), US Billboard 2 - 1939 (9 weeks), US BB 12 of 1939, POP 12 of 1939, RIAA 271, Acclaimed 951 (1939) |
| 6 | Will Glahe & His Orchestra | Beer Barrel Polka | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (21 weeks), US BB 6 of 1939, POP 6 of 1939, Brazil 20 of 1939, Europe 24 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 7 | Louis Armstrong | When the Saints Go Marching In | 1939 | US BB 4 of 1939, POP 4 of 1939, US Billboard 10 - 1939 (4 weeks), RIAA 13, RYM 18 of 1939, Scrobulate 33 of swing |
| 8 | Shep Fields & His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (18 weeks), US BB 10 of 1939, POP 10 of 1939, Europe 75 of the 1930s (1939), Brazil 86 of 1940 |
| 9 | Kay Kyser | Three Little Fishies | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (9 weeks), US BB 3 of 1939, POP 3 of 1939, Europe 23 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 10 | Larry Clinton | Deep Purple | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (13 weeks), US BB 15 of 1939, POP 15 of 1939, Brazil 25 of 1939, Europe 98 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 11 | Benny Goodman | And the Angels Sing | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987 (1939), US BB 14 of 1939, POP 14 of 1939, US Billboard 27 - Oct 1944 (1 week) |
| 12 | Glenn Miller | Wishing (Will Make it So) | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (14 weeks), US BB 13 of 1939, POP 13 of 1939, RYM 67 of 1939 |
| 13 | Gene Autry | Back in the Saddle Again | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1997 (1939), RYM 7 of 1939, RIAA 98, Acclaimed 491 (1939) |
| 14 | Glenn Miller | Stairway to the Stars | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (13 weeks), US BB 18 of 1939, POP 18 of 1939, RYM 31 of 1939 |
| 15 | Glen Gray | Heaven Can Wait | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (13 weeks), US BB 16 of 1939, POP 16 of 1939, Europe 91 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 16 | Woody Herman | Woodchopper's ball | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 (1939), POP 20 of 1939, US Billboard 21 - 1943 (1 week), RYM 34 of 1939 |
| 17 | Glenn Miller | Blue Orchid | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (12 weeks), Australia 1 for 3 months - May 1940 |
| 18 | The Andrews Sisters | Beer Barrel Polka (Roll out the Barrel) | 1939 | Australia 1 for 1 month - Apr 1940, US Billboard 4 - 1939 (7 weeks), RYM 28 of 1939 |
| 19 | Red Norvo & His Orchestra | Says My Heart | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1938 (12 weeks), US BB 8 of 1939, POP 8 of 1939 |
| 20 | Al Donahue | Jeepers Creepers | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1938 (13 weeks), US BB 11 of 1939, POP 11 of 1939 |
| 21 | Glenn Miller | Sunrise Serenade | 1939 | RYM 5 of 1939, US Billboard 7 - 1939 (11 weeks), US BB 7 of 1939, POP 7 of 1939 |
| 22 | Charlie Barnet | Cherokee | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 (1939), US Billboard 15 - 1939 (3 weeks), RYM 19 of 1939 |
| 23 | Artie Shaw | They Say | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1938 (8 weeks), US BB 17 of 1939, POP 17 of 1939 |
| 24 | Frankie Masters & His Orchestra | Scatter-Brain | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (16 weeks), US BB 19 of 1939, POP 19 of 1939 |
| 25 | Art Tatum | Tea For Two | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1986 (1939), US Billboard 18 - 1939 (1 week), DMDB 82 (1939) |
| 26 | Glenn Miller | Over the Rainbow | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (15 weeks), RYM 30 of 1939, Brazil 35 of 1940 |
| 27 | Glenn Miller | Little Brown Jug | 1939 | US BB 9 of 1939, POP 9 of 1939, US Billboard 10 - 1939 (7 weeks), RYM 13 of 1939 |
| 28 | Lale Andersen | Lied eines jungen Wachtposten (Lili Marlen) | 1939 | Australia 1 for 1 month - Jan 1945, RYM 6 of 1939 |
| 29 | Fats Waller | Your Feets Too Big | 1939 | Peel list 1 of 1939, US Billboard 15 - 1939 (2 weeks) |
| 30 | Glenn Miller | Moon Love | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (16 weeks), RYM 23 of 1939 |
| 31 | The Cats & the Fiddle | I miss you so | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1939), RYM 35 of 1939 |
| 32 | Guy Lombardo | Penny Serenade | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (11 weeks), Europe 43 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 33 | Glen Gray | Sunrise Serenade | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (16 weeks), Europe 86 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 34 | Count Basie | Lester Leaps In | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005 (1939), Acclaimed 1481 (1939) |
| 35 | Vera Lynn | We'll Meet Again | 1939 | Europe 3 of the 1930s (1939), RYM 9 of 1939, US Billboard 29 - Jan 1954 (1 week) |
| 36 | Bing Crosby & Connee Boswell | An Apple For The Teacher | 1939 | US Billboard 2 - 1939 (14 weeks), Europe 38 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 37 | Bing Crosby | What's New? | 1939 | US Billboard 2 - 1939 (10 weeks), Europe 41 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 38 | Bob Crosby & His Orchestra | Day-In Day-Out | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (13 weeks) |
| 39 | Carmen Miranda & Dorival Caymmi | O Que & Que a Baiana Tem? | 1939 | Brazil 1 of 1939 |
| 40 | The Ink Spots | Address Unknown | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (9 weeks) |
| 41 | Tommy Dorsey | Our Love | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (11 weeks) |
| 42 | Glenn Miller | The Man With The Mandolin | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (10 weeks) |
| 43 | Martha Tilton | And the Angels Sing | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (14 weeks) |
| 44 | Judy Garland | The Jitterbug | 1939 | RYM 1 of 1939 |
| 45 | Artie Shaw | Thanks for Everything | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - 1939 (8 weeks) |
| 46 | Tommy Dorsey | Indian Summer | 1939 | US Billboard 1 - Dec 1939 (16 weeks) |
| 47 | Marian Anderson | My Country 'tis of Thee | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 (1939) |
| 48 | Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds | Mbube | 1939 | Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 (1939) |
| 49 | The Ink Spots | My Prayer | 1939 | US Billboard 3 - 1939 (12 weeks), Europe 67 of the 1930s (1939) |
| 50 | The Andrews Sisters | Well All Right (Tonight's the Night) | 1939 | US Billboard 5 - 1939 (15 weeks), RYM 28 of 1939 |
Previous Comments
15 Sep 2009
cool
19 Dec 2009
"_____for That"
The song is "I Go for That" which had three entries in the Billboard chart in 1939. Red Norvo & His Orchestra got to number 20, Dorothy Lamour got to number 15 with two weeks in the charts, Eddy Duchin got to number 15 with 5 weeks in the charts.
None of the versions did well enough to be in the 40 biggest hits of the year.
2 Feb 2010
What was the #1 song on December 26 1939
The first question is "where?", the number one song would vary from one country to the next.
We assume, since you have not specified a location you mean the number 1 song in the USA.
So the next question would be "according to who?", there were no official charts published in the 1930s, the closest would be some occasional charts published by Billboard magazine. Billboard produced a variety of different charts starting in 1936 these were finally consolidated in 1958 into the "Hot 100" which has been published ever since (although the way they are calculated has changed of course).
Unfortunately before July 1940 all we have access to are annual summaries of the Billboard charts, they tell us for example, that "Beer Barrel Polka" by Will Glahe & His Orchestra was in the Billboard charts for 21 weeks in 1939 and reached number 1 but they don't tell us which months it was released.