THE MOST POPULAR SONG HITS AND PERFORMERS OF 1944

1944 Pop Standards and Artists

Bing Crosby Would You Like To Swing On A Star Too - Ra - Loo- Ra - Loo - Ra Going My Way is a 1944 movie starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. The story revolved around a young Priest played by Bing Crosby who comes, secretly, to the aid of an older priest who is about to lose his parish. The older Priest, Father Fitzgibbon, was played by Barry Fitzgerald." Would You Like To Swing On A Star", and "Too - Ra - Loo - Ra - Loo - Ra", were both part of this motion picture. The film was not a musical as much as a film that involved music. Would You Like To Swing On A Star, became the key to getting money to save the parish. The song has an interesting history. Jimmy Van Heusen, a song writer who was working on the film was at Crosby's house for dinner one evening. One of the Crosby's sons complained of not wanting to go to the school the next day. Crosby looked at his son and said to him, "If you don't go to school, you might grow up to be a mule. Do you wanna do that?" The rebuke became the inspiration that would inspire An Academy Award Winning song. Too - Ra - Loo - Ra - Loo - Ra was actually written in 1914 by composer James Royce Shannon who lived from 1881 to 1946. The song was used in the film to sing the old priest Father Fitzgibbon, to sleep after he had been caught in a bad storm. Though the song was written in 1914 the composer would live to see his song become a popular hit in 1944. Judy Garland The Trolley Song Contrary to the way modern songs become hits, many of the hits of the 1920s, 30, and 40s, came from two major sources first, The Broadway Stage, and second The Movie Musical. And nobody made movie musicals like MGM studios. In 1944 a musical would be released starring Judy Garland and directed by Vincent Minnelli. The movie? Meet Me In St. Louis. Meet Me In St Louis told the story of the Smith family, over a one year period. The movie starts in the summer and ends in the spring, with the opening of the St Louis World's Fair. In the summer section one of the daughters Esther, played by Judy Garland, and a group of her friend are going to the fair grounds to see what preparations are being done. And they are going by trolley. Garland sings a song that told the story of a young woman who meets the love her life on a trolley. This would become one of the biggest hits of Garland's career only out done by Over The Rainbow. Another significant point about Meet in St Louis is that one other song would become popular and take on a life of its own being recorded over and over again by many artists. The song is, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." Another point from the personal life of Garland is this was where she met Vincent Minnelli, the two would marry and would produce Liza Minnelli. Meet Me In St Louis is considered by many movie scholars as one of the greatest films of all time. Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters Don't Fence Me In The music for the song was written by Cole Porter. The lyrics were adapted from a text by a poet and engineer with the Department of Highways Robert (Bob) Fletcher in Helena, Montana in 1934. Porter bought Fletchers material for $250.00. The song was to be used in a movie musical to be produced by 20th Century Fox that ended up being shelved. 10 years later the song was resurrected for Roy Rodgers in the film, Hollywood Canteen. The first time America got introduced to the song was on Kate Smith's radio program. The song hit full stride later in 1944 when Bing Crosby and The Andrews would enter a recording studio, and having never heard the song before, recorded it in thirty minutes. This Version of the song would top the charts for eight weeks from 1944 into 1945. The Mills Brothers You Always Hurt The One You Love With words by Allan Roberts and music by Doris Fisher, the song would become a standard to be recorded again and again over the years. When The Mills Brothers recorded it in 1944 it would immediately become a top seller. The song would stay on the pop charts for twenty weeks peaking at number one. Helen Forest and Dick Haymes It Had To Be You It Had To Be You, was written by Isham Jones with lyrics by Gus Khan in 1924. It would take 15 years to be heard. The song was used in the 1939 film, The Roaring Twenties. IN 1944 When Helen Forrest Recorded the song as duet with Dick Haymes the song would hit Billboard Magazine's bestsellers list on 09/14/44 and remain on the chart for five weeks, peaking at number 4. The song would be used many times over the years. Of special interest is to note that it was sung by Dooley Wilson in the 1945 film, Casablanca. Merry Macs Mairzy Doates The song has it's basis in an English Nursery Rhyme that was reworked in to the song by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston in 1943. It took a year for the song to be published as no company wanted to publish a sill y song, which could be considered a bit surprising as, Would You Like To Swing On A Star, was doing well for Bing Crosby. Eventually the song would find a publisher and become a number one hit for The Merry Macs in March of 1944. This song was also popular with the soldiers in WWII where the lyrics were used as passwords. The King Cole Trio Straighten Up and Fly Right This song was written by Nat King Cole and Irving Mills in 1943. The song would become a hit in 1944, and the most popular the song the group produced. The single would peak at number nine on the pop charts. The song be recorded by suchartist as The Andrews Sisters, Linda Ronstadt and Lyle Lovett.   Top Artists and Songs of 1944 Al Dexter and his Troopers Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), Too Late To Worry Too Blue To Cry Andrews Sisters Shoo-Shoo Baby Benny Carter I'm Lost Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters Don't Fence Me In, Victory Polka, A Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin, Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (My baby) Bing Crosby Swinging on a Star, I Love You, I'll Be Seeing You, San Fernando Valley, Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral, It Could Happen to You, Poinciana (Song Of The Tree), Amor Charlie Barnet Skyliner Duke Ellington Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me, Main Stem, Black Brown and Beige Ernest Tubb Soldier's Last Letter Frank Sinatra A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, I Couldn't Sleep a wink last Night Glen Gray My Heart Tells Me, My Shing Hour Guy Lombardo Its Love Love Love, Speak Low (When you Speak, Love) Harry James and Dick Haymes I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You) Harry James Cherry, Estrellita Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes  Long Ago And Far Away, It Had To Be You, Together I'll Walk Alone Dinah Shore Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay), Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall, I'm Making Believe Ink Spots A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You) Jimmy Dorsey Besame Mucho, Star Eyes Jo Stafford It Could Happen to You Joe Loss Orchestra No Other Love, You'll Never Know Judy Garland Trolley Song King Cole Trio Straighten Up And Fly Right King Sisters It's Love-Love-Love Lawrence Welk Don't You Sweetheart Me Les Brown Twilight Time Lester Young Just You Just Me Lionel Hampton Hamp's Boogie Woogie Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five G.I. Jive Louis Jordan Ration Blues Marlene Dietrich Lili Marlene Mary Martin I'll Walk Alone Merry Macs Mairzy Doates Mills Brothers You Always Hurt The One You Love, Till Then Red Foley Smoke on the Water Russ Morgan Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stocking) Stan Kenton Artistry In Rhythm, And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine Tex Ritter I'm Wasting My Tears On You Vera Lynn You'll Never Know Woody Herman Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me Xavier Cougat Babalu, Amor