The 50 Best Songs of the 1930s
The 1930s are somewhat a forgotten era in modern musical history. Sandwiched between two World Wars, the decade saw great advancements in recording technology, yet the Great Depression muted the overall impact. However, as reflected in the 50 Best Songs of the 1930s, you’d be hard-pressed to detect these economic hardships within the decade’s elegant style of music.
Due to the advent of radio and the death of silent film, the 1930s represented a grand union of sounds. For perhaps the only time ever, popular music encompassed all genres: jazz, swing, blues, country, folk, and dance. Whereas the 50 Best Songs of the 1920s was somewhat self-contained, the 50 Best Songs of the 1930s are all interconnected. Musical trends became much less regional, and iconic artists such as Benny Goodman, Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday all became masters of multiple styles.
And so, without further ado, here are the 50 Greatest Songs of the 1930s.