The Top 10 Music Artists of the 1940s

The last full decade before the invention of rock ‘n’ roll, the 1940s saw great strides in the genres of jazz, blues, folk and country. Popular music as a whole was reaching a new level of artistry and ambition, and the decade’s radical innovation simply wouldn’t be possible without the Top 10 Music Artists of the 1940s featured below.

And so, without further ado, here are the Colin’s Review Top 10 Music Artists of the 1940s.

---

10. Édith Piaf

One of the greatest French singers who ever lived, Édith Piaf is a musical and cultural icon. Her catalogue of authentic emotional ballads, sung with a strong voice and an unwavering headstrong spirit, is an essential piece of popular music history. She features twice in the Top 50 Songs of the 1940s.

9. Mary Lou Williams

Pianist Mary Lou Williams tutored the likes of Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie, and her 1945 LP Zodiac Suite is easily the best album of the decade, combining impressionist classical techniques with the burgeoning bebop genre to create a work of art that has stood the test of time. Williams was responsible for bringing modernism to jazz, and even though she never enjoyed much commercial success, her influence cannot be understated.

8. Lead Belly

As one of the most prolific and versatile blues artists of all time, it’s no surprise to find Huddie “Lead Belly” Leadbetter on this list. He was adept at any genre, from country blues to contemporary folk to the occasional children’s song. And because he managed to stay out of prison the entire decade, his musical artistry was finally unimpeded, leading to a plethora of 1940s recordings well worth exploring. He finishes with a Top 10 album for the second decade in a row (Negro Sinful Songs in the 1930s and The Midnight Special in the 1940s), making him the first artist in Colin’s Review history to accomplish this feat.

7. Nat King Cole

Along with having one of the greatest voices in popular music history, Nat King Cole and his King Cole Trio were the most successful act of the 1940s, with several chart topping hits throughout the decade. Cole also features in the Top 10 Albums of the 1940s (#10 – The King Cole Trio) and the Top 20 Songs of the 1940s (#17 – “Nature Boy”). His smooth singing is instantly recognizable, and his seamless combination of jazz and traditional pop helped usher in a new era of musical sophistication.

6. Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald, who collaborated with the Benny Goodman Orchestra for the fortieth-best song of the 1930s, truly came into her own in the 1940s. She developed into one of the most talented jazz singers of all time and had many hit solo singles. In particular, her unique brand of scat singing was unparalleled. She features twice on the 50 Best Songs of the 1940s, with her rendition of “How High the Moon” being one of the pinnacles of her illustrious career.

---

---

5. Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie features three times in the 50 Best Songs of the 1940s, and with good reason: his innovative approach helped reinvent the musical language of jazz itself and popularize what we now know as bebop. As one of the greatest trumpeters in the genre’s history, Gillespie was responsible for shaping the sounds of jazz to come.

4. Woody Guthrie

From the 17^th century to the Great Depression, American folk music was an ancient and unchanging genre. Songs were passed down from generation to generation, with roots that could be traced back to European traditions. That all changed with Woody Guthrie, who reinvented folk music for modern times by…well…singing about modern times.

Guthrie released an impressive catalogue of recordings throughout the 1940s, none more integral or important than his Dust Bowl Ballads collection, which is the second-best album of the decade and one of the best folk albums of all time.

3. Charlie Parker

In terms of groundbreaking jazz pioneers, there is Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker and then there’s everyone else. What Parker did for the genre in the 1940s is nothing short of remarkable: he invented an entirely new harmonic language and revolutionized the art of instrumental soloing. He has four songs in the decade’s Top 50, which is tied with Hank Williams for the most of any artist.

2. Hank Williams

Even though Hank Williams didn’t start recording music until 1947, his impact on the decade is immeasurable. Every song he released is a bona-fide country classic, which is why it’s no surprise he features four times in the decade’s Top 25 songs (including three in the top 12). He’s a once-in-a-generational icon, but perhaps even that sells his legend short: he’s the greatest country music star of all time. If he had been active for more than 30% of the decade, he’d easily claim the top spot in this list.

1. Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday in the 1940s boasts one of the most impressive Colin’s Review legacies ever: #1 album, #2 song and #1 artist. But the stats don’t tell the entire story: her powerful emotive voice was at its peak, allowing her to convey some of the most expressive music ever produced, a perfect compendium of jazz and pop. Like Bing Crosby in the previous decade, Billie Holiday’s output in the 1940s is popular music perfection.

---