Songs from the Year 1940

Other Years:

1940

1941

1942

This page lists the top songs of 1940 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	Glenn Miller	In the Mood	1940	US Billboard 1 - Oct 1939 (30 weeks), Australia 1 for 5 months - Jan 1942, Europe 1 of the 1940s (1940), Grammy Hall of Fame in 1983 (1939), US BB 2 of 1940, POP 2 of 1940, RYM 4 of 1939, Scrobulate 4 of swing, RIAA 11, Brazil 12 of 1941, Holland 15 - Aug 1972 (7 weeks), Belgium 18 - Sep 1972 (2 weeks), Party 45 of 1999, DMDB 67 (1939), Acclaimed 477 (1939)
2	Artie Shaw	Frenesi	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (30 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Aug 1940 (23 weeks), US 1 for 13 weeks - Dec 1940, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000 (1940), US BB 6 of 1940, POP 6 of 1940, Brazil 10 of 1946, Scrobulate 48 of swing, Europe 71 of the 1940s (1940)
3	Tommy Dorsey & Frank Sinatra	I'll Never Smile Again	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (20 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Jul 1940 (15 weeks), US 1 for 12 weeks - Jul 1940, Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982 (1940), US BB 8 of 1940, POP 8 of 1940, Europe 17 of the 1940s (1940), Brazil 39 of 1941
4	Bing Crosby	Only Forever	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (20 weeks), US 1940s 1 - Sep 1940 (16 weeks), US 1 for 9 weeks - Oct 1940, US BB 15 of 1940, POP 15 of 1940, Europe 24 of the 1940s (1940), RYM 87 of 1940
5	Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike)	When You Wish Upon a Star	1940	Oscar in 1940 (film 'Pinocchio'), Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 (1940), AFI 7, US Billboard 10 - 1940 (6 weeks), RYM 20 of 1940, RIAA 55, Acclaimed 1090 (1940)
6	Glenn Miller	When You Wish Upon a Star	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (16 weeks), US BB 1 of 1940, POP 1 of 1940, RYM 15 of 1940, Brazil 55 of 1940
7	Glenn Miller	The Woodpecker Song	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (16 weeks), Australia 1 for 5 months - Nov 1940, US BB 13 of 1940, POP 13 of 1940, RYM 86 of 1940
8	Coleman Hawkins	Body & Soul	1940	Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974 (1939), US BB 4 of 1940, POP 4 of 1940, US Billboard 13 - 1940 (6 weeks), RIAA 310, Acclaimed 683 (1939)
9	Glenn Miller	Blueberry Hill	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (20 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Aug 1940 (14 weeks), US BB 10 of 1940, POP 10 of 1940, RYM 29 of 1940
10	Jimmy Dorsey	The Breeze & I	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (14 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Jul 1940 (9 weeks), US BB 14 of 1940, POP 14 of 1940, Brazil 58 of 1940
11	The Ink Spots	When The Swallows Come Back to Capistrano	1940	US BB 3 of 1940, POP 3 of 1940, US Billboard 4 - 1940 (14 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Aug 1940 (11 weeks), Peel list 4 of 1940
12	Glenn Miller	Tuxedo Junction	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (19 weeks), US BB 7 of 1940, POP 7 of 1940, RYM 12 of 1940, Brazil 61 of 1941
13	Bing Crosby	Trade Winds	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (17 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Sep 1940 (15 weeks), US BB 17 of 1940, POP 19 of 1940
14	Glenn Miller	Imagination	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (11 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Jul 1940 (3 weeks), POP 16 of 1940, US BB 20 of 1940
15	Jimmie Davis	You Are My Sunshine	1940	Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 (1940), RYM 4 of 1940, RIAA 14, Acclaimed 677 (1940)
16	Vaughn Monroe	There I Go	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (12 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Dec 1940 (4 weeks), US BB 19 of 1941, POP 23 of 1941
17	The Andrews Sisters	Ferryboat Serenade	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (14 weeks), US 1940s 8 - Dec 1940 (3 weeks), US BB 12 of 1940, POP 12 of 1940
18	Charlie Barnet	Where Was I?	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (10 weeks), US 1940s 6 - Jul 1940 (1 week), US BB 18 of 1940, POP 21 of 1940
19	Glenn Miller	Careless	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (13 weeks), US BB 11 of 1940, POP 11 of 1940, RYM 29 of 1939
20	Tommy Dorsey	All the Things You Are	1940	US Billboard 1 - Dec 1939 (13 weeks), US BB 16 of 1940, POP 17 of 1940, Brazil 31 of 1940
21	Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys	New San Antonio Rose	1940	Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 (1940), US Billboard 11 - Nov 1940 (5 weeks), RYM 23 of 1940, RIAA 316
22	Bing Crosby	Sierra Sue	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (14 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Jul 1940 (10 weeks), POP 9 of 1940
23	Glenn Miller	Pennsylvania 6-5000	1940	RYM 2 of 1940, US Billboard 5 - 1940 (12 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Jul 1940 (6 weeks), Brazil 25 of 1942
24	Glenn Miller	Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (13 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Jul 1940 (7 weeks), POP 22 of 1940
25	The Ink Spots	Whispering Grass	1940	Australia 1 for 1 month - Jul 1944, US Billboard 10 - 1940 (10 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Oct 1940 (1 week)
26	Will Bradley	Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar	1940	US Billboard 2 - 1940 (22 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Sep 1940 (15 weeks), POP 5 of 1940
27	Mitchell Ayres & His Fashions in Music	Make Believe Land	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (13 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Jul 1940 (1 week), POP 25 of 1940
28	The Ink Spots	Maybe	1940	US Billboard 2 - 1940 (17 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Sep 1940 (14 weeks), Europe 39 of the 1940s (1940)
29	Bob Crosby & His Orchestra	Down Argentina Way	1940	US Billboard 2 - Nov 1940 (13 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Dec 1940 (4 weeks), Brazil 85 of 1941
30	Judy Garland	I'm Nobody's Baby	1940	US Billboard 3 - 1940 (12 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Aug 1940 (10 weeks), Brazil 99 of 1941
31	Kate Smith	The Woodpecker Song	1940	Australia 1 for 5 months - Nov 1940, US Billboard 14 - 1940 (5 weeks)
32	Shep Fields & His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra	Down Argentina Way	1940	Australia 1 for 1 month - Sep 1941, US Billboard 18 - 1940 (6 weeks)
33	Bill Monroe	Mule Skinner Blues	1940	Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 (1940), Acclaimed 1580 (1940)
34	Glenn Miller	A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square	1940	US Billboard 2 - 1940 (6 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Dec 1940 (6 weeks)
35	Will Bradley	Scrub Me Mama With A Boogie Beat	1940	US Billboard 2 - Nov 1940 (10 weeks), US 1940s 2 - Dec 1940 (7 weeks)
36	Tommy Dorsey & Frank Sinatra	Our Love Affair	1940	US Billboard 5 - 1940 (5 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Nov 1940 (3 weeks), US CashBox 47 - Mar 1956 (1 week)
37	Dick Robertson & His Orchestra	Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me)	1940	US BB 5 of 1940, US Billboard 12 - 1940 (6 weeks), POP 20 of 1940
38	Kay Kyser	Playmates	1940	US Billboard 2 - 1940 (14 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Jul 1940 (1 week)
39	Ella Fitzgerald	Five O'Clock Whistle	1940	US Billboard 9 - Nov 1940 (5 weeks), US 1940s 9 - Jan 1941 (1 week), RYM 53 of 1940
40	Erskine Hawkins	Dolemite	1940	US Billboard 10 - 1940 (7 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Sep 1940 (1 week), RYM 92 of 1940
41	Charlie Barnet	Pompton Turnpike	1940	US Billboard 3 - 1940 (13 weeks), US 1940s 3 - Oct 1940 (6 weeks)
42	Glenn Miller	When The Swallows Come Back to Capistrano	1940	US Billboard 2 - 1940 (12 weeks), US 1940s 10 - Aug 1940 (1 week)
43	Joe Loss Orchestra	South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)	1940	Australia 1 for 3 months - Jan 1940
44	Benny Goodman	Seven Come Eleven	1940	Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008 (1940)
45	Sammy Kaye	Dream Valley	1940	US Billboard 1 - Dec 1940 (13 weeks)
46	Bob Chester & His Orchestra	Practice Makes Perfect	1940	US Billboard 3 - 1940 (13 weeks), US 1940s 6 - Oct 1940 (6 weeks)
47	Joe Loss Orchestra	Blue Orchid	1940	Australia 1 for 3 months - May 1940
48	Mildred Bailey	Darn That Dream	1940	US Billboard 1 - 1940 (11 weeks)
49	Carson Robison	South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)	1940	Australia 1 for 3 months - Jan 1940
50	Francisco Alves	Dama das Camelias	1940	Brazil 1 of 1940
51	Woody Guthrie	Blowin' Down This Road	1940	RYM 1 of 1940
52	Jimmy Dorsey	6 Lessons From Madame La Zonga	1940	US Billboard 4 - 1940 (14 weeks), US 1940s 4 - Aug 1940 (3 weeks)
53	Joe Loss Orchestra	The Spitfire Song	1940	Peel list 1 of 1940
54	Tommy Dorsey & Frank Sinatra	We Three (My Echo, My Shadow & Me)	1940	US Billboard 3 - 1940 (10 weeks), US 1940s 6 - Nov 1940 (5 weeks)
55	Joe Loss Orchestra	Till the Lights of London Shine Again	1940	Australia 1 for 3 months - Aug 1940
56	Woody Guthrie	Talking Dust Bowl Blues	1940	RYM 1 of 1940
57	Joe Loss Orchestra	Beer Barrel Polka (Roll out the Barrel)	1940	Australia 1 for 1 month - Apr 1940
58	The Ink Spots	Do I Worry?	1940	RYM 3 of 1940, US Billboard 8 - 1941 (6 weeks)
59	The Ink Spots	Java Jive	1940	RYM 3 of 1940, US Billboard 15 - Dec 1940 (3 weeks)
60	Glenn Miller	The Nearness of You	1940	US Billboard 5 - 1940 (11 weeks), US 1940s 5 - Aug 1940 (8 weeks)