40. “My Blue Heaven” by Gene Austin
This quaint slice of simple domesticity was released by Gene Austin in 1928 and immediately became the best-selling record of all time. Featuring cello, piano, birdsong and close-mic’d crooning, “My Blue Heaven” is a song that makes you appreciate the little things in life. The sound quality may be dated, yet the overall effect remains timeless.
39. “Dippermouth Blues” by King Oliver
Joe “King” Oliver began his career in Louisiana before taking his uptempo Dixieland sound to Chicago, Illinois in the late 1910s. With Louis Armstrong as his apprentice, King Oliver pretty much invented jazz as we know it today. “Dippermouth Blues” (dedicated to and named after Armstrong) is a perfect example of everything the new genre had to offer: raucous energy, spirited collaboration and talented musicianship. The highlight comes when Oliver delivers a blistering solo on his signature muted cornet.
38. “I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole” by Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson was a God-fearing evangelist who possessed an apocalyptic style of gospel blues. His full-bodied voice was powerful enough to shake the ground and his slide guitar technique was uncommonly strong and agile, able to glide over an entire melody just by plucking one string. Johnson was a true original, and “I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole” perfectly embodies his revelatory approach to music.
37. “Sally Gooden” by Eck Robertson
It’s sometimes easy to forget that country music finds its roots in instrumental folk music. Texas fiddle player Eck Robertson helped bridge that gap. Originally released in 1923, “Sally Gooden” combines rural Western idioms with Civil War-era melodies (Robertson’s father was a Confederate veteran). The result is an all-American raga that dances and drones, with Robertson’s fiddle sawing its way into country music history.
36. “Black Beauty” by Duke Ellington
Jazz music was very much still a young, developing genre in 1928. Nevertheless, Duke Ellington was already decades ahead of his time. For example, “Black Beauty” is a mid-tempo swing number that sounds like it could have been recorded in 1958. In direct contrast to the fast-paced dixieland style of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, the somber melodies of “Black Beauty” represent a shift toward mood instead of musical improvisation.
35. “Stringin’ the Blues” by Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
Jazz music isn’t defined by trumpet, saxophone or clarinet; it is defined first and foremost by rhythm. Take “Stringin’ the Blues,” for example: Joe Venuti’s violin and Eddie Lang’s acoustic guitar are just as “hot” as the brass ensembles of Louis Armstrong, King Oliver and Bunk Johnson. By bridging country/folk instrumentation with jazz traditionalism, Venuti helped popularize the genre across cultural boundaries.
34. “Candy Man” by Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt was one of the greatest fingerstyle guitarists in American history. He developed a melodic, syncopated style that took influence from a broad range of regional scenes, including Eastern Tennessee, Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta. Likewise, his smooth singing fit in perfectly with his relaxed brand of country blues. “Candy Man,” which is about a group of townswomen falling for a well-endowed gigolo, is one of Hurt’s timeless classics.
33. “Charleston” by James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson was the last great ragtime pianist but also the first great stride pianist. Through his innovations, he bridged the gap between eras and genres. He also provided the unofficial theme song for the Jazz Age with “Charleston.” The song’s high-spirited energy and danceable rhythm embodied the 1920s to a tee.
32. “Swanee” by Al Jolson
Written by George Gershwin in 1919 and recorded by Al Jolson in 1920, the vaudevillian “Swanee” immediately became the best-selling song of all time. With its marching-band melodies and belted vocals, it represents the peak of the previous decade’s popular music. Even today, “Swanee” remains powerfully catchy due to Jolson’s incredible showmanship.
31. “Snag It” by King Oliver
Featuring a start-stop beat with a galloping rhythm, “Snag It” is fun, inventive and filled with glissandi’d soloing. One of King Oliver’s most recorded tunes, it represents the absolute pinnacle of Dixieland jazz technique. The best version is the 1926 recording of “Snag It [48].”
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