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Apr 19, 2024 · Explore the best jazz songs ever, from swing to fusion, with this introduction to jazz's finest moments. Discover the stories behind the songs, the artists who made them famous, and the videos to enjoy them.
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- Dave Brubeck, “Take Five” Dave Brubeck - Take Five. This song gets its name from the unusual 5/4 meter it’s written in. Brubeck’s saxophonist, Paul Desmond, wrote the song in 1959, in an era when most jazz was written in 4/4 or 3/4 time, making this a truly groundbreaking song.
- Miles Davis, “So What” Miles Davis - So What (Official Audio) One of the most famous and easily recognizable jazz songs, Davis and his band recorded all the tracks of this song in one take, after practicing the new song for only two days.
- Duke Ellington, “Take The A Train” Duke Ellington, "Take the A Train" Ellington, a standout of the Harlem Renaissance, penned this with collaborator Billy Strayhorn at the same time that the new A train subway line was pumping people and ideas all around Manhattan Island.
- Thelonious Monk, “Round Midnight” Thelonious Monk - 'round Midnight. Monk’s hit is the most recorded jazz standard of all time. Supposedly penned when he was just 18, Monk and his band recorded it eight years later.
- Summertime – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. Ask any non-jazz fan to name five jazz songs, and chances are Summertime will be there! With over 25,000 recorded versions, it’s one of the top jazz standards of all time.
- I Got Rhythm – Sarah Vaughan. George Gershwin is one of the best loved composers in American musical history. As well as writing jazz-tinged orchestral music – such as his famous “Rhapsody in Blue” – he composed numerous songs for theatre and film, their sophisticated harmony and snappy rhythms making them perfect for interpretation by jazz musicians.
- Body and Soul – Coleman Hawkins. Johnny Green’s “Body and Soul” is perhaps the archetypal American ballad, a sad jazz song full of yearning and devotion.
- The Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz. Bossa Nova, a new style of music that combined elements of traditional Brazilian samba with jazz harmony, took America by storm during the 1960s.
- Take Five. Dave Brubeck.
- So What. Miles Davis.
- Take The A Train. Duke Ellington.
- Round Midnight. Thelonious Monk.
- “Caravan” by Juan Tizol. “Caravan” is an American jazz song composed by Juan Tizol and infamous jazz legend Duke Ellington. While there are lyrics, written by Irving Mills, they are rarely sung.
- “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday. “Strange Fruit” was written by Lewis Allen and performed by Billie Holiday in 1939. Considered a classic in the jazz world, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its historical significance.
- “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone. “Feeling Good” was originally written for a musical, titled The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. It was performed on stage in the UK in 1964, producing many famous songs, such as “The Joker” and “Who Can I Turn To?”.
- “My Funny Valentine” by Chet Baker. Another song originally created for a show, “My Funny Valentine” was composed for coming-of-age musical Babes in Arms.
Playlist · NPR'S TOP 100 JAZZ SONGS OF ALL TIME · 101 items · 3.5K likes.
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Listen to the best jazz songs of all time curated by Patrick Galloway on Spotify. This playlist features 217 items and 245 likes from jazz lovers.
