We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1949, the final year of the first decade of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940. This great value 103-track 4-CD set comprises just about every record which peaked in the Top 15 of the Billboard Best Sellers and Cash Box charts during 1949. For reasons of space, it excludes some records were still in the chart at the start of the year, but which peaked in the Top 15 in 1948, and so will be included in the forthcoming 1948 collection. It was a big year for solo vocalists, who were now dominating as television offered an ideal means of exposure and the big swing bands declined in the era of post-war austerity, although the "sweet" orchestras with their featured singers continued to hold sway, and the year had its customary smattering of novelty songs, often in jazzy R&B or country styles. Only eight different records made No. 1 in the chart, some with very long stays at the top. As usual, there were also quite a number of highly collectable records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of the music scene as the war receded in people's minds and a momentous new decade in music approached. It includes a 15,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- Sammy Kaye & The Kaydets - Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)
- Russ Morgan - So Tired
- Betty Rhodes - Buttons And Bows
- Evelyn Knight & Stardusters - A Little Bird Told Me
- Margaret Whiting & the Crew Chiefs - Far Away Places
- Evelyn Knight & The Stardusters - Powder Your Face With Sunshine
- Bing Crosby - Far Away Places
- Brother Bones & His Shadows - Sweet Georgia Brown
- Perry Como - By The Way
- Perry Como - Far Away Places
- Les Brown - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
- Bing Crosby - Galway Bay
- Patty Andrews and Bob Crosby - The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! Nyot! Nyow!)
- Dinah Shore - Lavender Blue
- Blue Barron - Cruising Down The River
- Vaughn Monroe - Red Roses For A Blue Lady
- Sammy Kaye & The Kaydets - Powder Your Face With Sunshine
- Mills Brothers - I Love You So Much It Hurts
- Sammy Kaye & The Kaydets - Careless Hands
- Russ Morgan & The Skylarks - Cruising Down The River
- Jo Stafford - Here I'll Stay
- Gordon MacRae - So In Love
- Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra - Down By The Station
- Ames Brothers - You, You, You Are The One
- Russ Morgan & The Skylarks - Forever And Ever
- Perry Como - Forever And Ever
Disc 2:
- Russ Morgan & The Skylarks - Sunflower
- Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (Don Rodney, vocal) - Red Roses For A Blue Lady
- Mel Torme - Careless Hands
- Jack Fulton - Sunflower
- Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae - "A" You're Adorable
- Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae - Need You
- Perry Como & Fontane Sisters - "A" You're Adorable
- Dennis Day - Clancy Lowered The Boom
- Jack Smith & The Clark Sisters - Cruising Down The River
- Vaughn Monroe - Riders In The Sky
- Gordon Jenkins & Joe Graydon Chorus - Again
- Stardusters - I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
- Ray Bolger - Once In Love With Amy
- Cass Daley - All Right Louie, Drop The Gun
- Tony Martin - Comme Ci, Comme Ca
- Mel Torme - Again
- Perry Como - Some Enchanted Evening
- Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer - Baby, It's Cold Outside
- Vic Damone - Again
- Perry Como - Bali Ha'i
- Margaret Whiting - A Wonderful Guy
- Bing Crosby - Some Enchanted Evening
- Sammy Kaye & The Kaydets - Room Full Of Roses
- Sammy Kaye & Tony Alamo Choir - Four Winds And The Seven Seas
- Vic Damone - You're Breaking My Heart
Disc 3:
- Dinah Shore & Buddy Clark - Baby,It's Cold Outside
- Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (Kenny Gardner, vocal) - Merry Go Round Waltz
- Perry Como - I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
- Kitty Kallen - Kiss Me Sweet
- Connie Haines - How It Lies, How It Lies
- Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - The Huckle-Buck
- Dick Haymes - Room Full Of Roses
- Benny Strong & His Orchestra - Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue
- Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks with The Marlin Sisters - Blue Skirt Walitz
- Frank Sinatra - The Huckle Buck
- Al Morgan - Jealous Heart
- Dick Haymes - Maybe It's Because
- Don Cornell and Laura Leslie - Baby,It's Cold Outside
- Vaughn Monroe - Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
- Dinah Shore - Lover's Gold
- Eddy Howard - Room Full Of Roses
- Evelyn Knight - You're So Understanding
- Eddy Howard - Yes! Yes! In Your Eyes
- Perry Como - Let's Take An Old Fashioned Walk
- Vic Damone - My Bolero
- Frankie Laine - That Lucky Old Sun
- Ink Spots - You're Breaking My Heart
- Art Mooney & His Orchestra - Twenty-Four Hours Of Sunshine
- Ezio Pinza - Some Enchanted Evening
- Perry Como - I Love You (Just One Way To Say)
- Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely - Slipping Around
Disc 4:
- Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae - Whispering Hope
- Mills Brothers - Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
- Kenny Roberts - I Never See Maggie Alone
- Gordon Jenkins & Betty Brewer - Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go)
- Doris Day and The Mellomen - (Where Are You) Now That I Need You
- Spike Jones & Doodles Weaver - Dance Of The Hours
- Tony Martin - Circus
- Buddy Clark - You're Breaking My Heart
- Perry Como - Give Me Your Hand
- Guy Lombardo & Kenny Gardner Trio - Hop-Scotch Polka (Scotch Hot)
- Vaughn Monroe - That Lucky Old Sun
- Perry Como & Fontane Sisters - A Dreamer's Holiday
- Frankie Laine & The Muleskinners - Mule Train
- Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely - I'll Never Slip Around Again
- Sammy Kaye - Dime A Dozen
- Freddy Martin and His Orchestra - I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts
- Art Mooney & His Orchestra - Toot Toot Tootsie (Goodbye)
- Vaughn Monroe - Mule Train
- Doris Day - Canadian Capers
- Tennessee Ernie - Mule Train
- Yogi Yorgesson - I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas
- Andrews Sisters - Charley, My Boy
- Bing Crosby - Way Back Home
- Yogi Yorgesson - Yingle Bells
- Perry Como - I Wanna Go Home With You
- Andrews Sisters - She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
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