The Best Jazz Songs of the 20th Century

The Best Jazz Songs of the 20th Century

If you want to immerse yourself in the stunning jazz culture, it is worth getting familiar with this music genre through the best songs of the 20th century.

Jazz stood out from the crowd since the beginning of the 20th century when it appeared in the USA South. It sounds like nothing else thanks to the rhythm and vibes the musicians empower it with. Whether you have a bad mood or, on the contrary, feel high, jazz can become your perfect companion for this evening. Well, of course, if you are overwhelmed because of college assignments, it would be more reasonable to reach out to a professional writing service first and pay someone to write an essay to get rid of unnecessary worries. Thus, you will enjoy this stunning music genre to the fullest.

If you are not familiar with jazz, but you would like to, it is worth starting with the best songs of the 20th century that have won the hearts of millions of people.

Where to Listen to Jazz

If you want to listen to jazz live, it is worth searching for specialized cafes or bars in your city, where admirers of this music genre get together to plunge into its incredible atmosphere. The chances will be higher to come across such a place if you live in a megapolis. However, don’t get upset if you don’t have an opportunity to do it since you can always create the required atmosphere within the comfort of your home. You can turn on AccuRadio, a specialized online platform that can please you with more than 900 music channels. The rating will provide you with a clue on what songs are worth your attention. Besides, you can switch on Jazz Radio that can boast about 30 channels of different music genres. If you are an avid smartphone user, you may like the Smooth Jazz app that will move your music experience to a completely different level. However, if you want to create your jazz playlist on Spotify or iTunes, make sure to pay attention to the following songs.

Julie London – Cry Me A River

Jazz is a multi-faceted music genre that has something to offer everyone. If you want to get the feel of it, you can start your acquaintance with one of the idols of the late 1950s, Julie London and her lovely song “Cry Me a River.” You can come across more than 400 performers of this iconic Arthur Hamilton-created ballad. Still, they all have followed the example of Julie’s original song recorded in the middle of the 50s. Interestingly, it was initially meant for Ella Fitzgerald and the film Pete Kelly’s Blues. However, they cut the song from the movie, and Julie London released it on the debut record.

George Shearing – Lullaby of Birdland

You don’t have to be perfect to be gifted and stand out from the crowd. Thus, a blind British pianist, George Shearing, gained popularity in the USA in the early 50s thanks to a unique sound that represented the mix of bebop and swing. You can enjoy it in this jazz song, originally crafted in 1952 for the eponymous popular NY club. The owner of this place

reached out to Shearing and asked to record a theme for the brand-new disk jockey show. The song was supposed to play every hour.

Jimmy Smith – Organ Grinder Swing

The song represents a studio album created in 1965 that hit the US Top 100. He recorded this punchy, blues-infused instrumental song with guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer Grady Tate. It was a triumphant return of the trio that showed once again that Smith was a talented jazz performer. In fact, that album became the second most successful in the musician’s career. It occupied the charts for 31 weeks.

Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon

Even those who know nothing about jazz and its performers are familiar with legendary Frank Sinatra and a few of his songs. One should pay special attention to this composition, originally crafted by Bart Howard in 1954 and recorded by many musicians. However, Sinatra’s version won this battle and is considered the definitive one. Frankly speaking, if you want to immerse yourself into the jazz atmosphere of the 20th, it is worth listening to all other songs of this incredible and truly unique performer. Otherwise, you will hardly get the essence of this music genre.

Modern Jazz Quartet – Django

This incredible instrumental song, crafted by the band’s pianist John Lewis in 1954, was written in memory of Django Reinhardt, who had died the year before. The latter was a gifted Romani-French-Belgian jazz musician. Thus, if you want to get familiar with a chamber jazz style that stands out with crystalline vibes and sound, it is worth listening to this awesome Jazz quartet and its remarkable song.

Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World

It is impossible to imagine a list of the best jazz songs of the 20th century without Louis Armstrong and his iconic songs. Even though most of his records deserve to be here, this one, released in 1967, stands out from the rest since it was aimed at healing some political and social issues that took place in the USA during that period. It is interesting that the song gained incredible popularity in other countries long before it entered the USA charts in 1988. You should also listen to “Summertime” recorded by Armstrong and Fitzgerald in 1957 since it was one of the most successful and fruitful collaborations in jazz history.