Hardbopjazz Posted June 1, 2009 Report Posted June 1, 2009 A list of the top 50 standards played by musicians. Do those that play agree with this list? Would you kick any off the list? 1 1930 Body and Soul 2 1939 All the Things You Are 3 1935 Summertime 4 1944 'Round Midnight 5 1935 I Can't Get Started (with You) 6 1937 My Funny Valentine 7 1942 Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) 8 1930 What Is This Thing Called Love? 9 1933 Yesterdays 10 1946 Stella By Starlight 11 1947 Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes) 12 1929 Star Dust 13 1932 Willow Weep for Me 14 1939 What's New? 15 1929 Honeysuckle Rose 16 1925 Sweet Georgia Brown 17 1936 Caravan 18 1924 The Man I Love 19 1935 In a Sentimental Mood 20 1914 St Louis Blues 21 1940 How High the Moon 22 1924 Oh, Lady Be Good! 23 1941 Take the "A" Train 24 1930 Embraceable You 25 1947 On Green Dolphin Street 26 1946 Tenderly 27 1936 The Way You Look Tonight 28 1936 These Foolish Things 29 1941 I'll Remember April 30 1930 Love for Sale 31 1933 Sophisticated Lady 32 1929 Ain't Misbehavin' 33 1932 Night and Day 34 1918 After You've Gone 35 1945 Laura 36 1949 Lush Life 37 1928 Sweet Lorraine 38 1932 Don't Blame Me 39 1938 Cherokee (Indian Love Song) 40 1942 Night in Tunisia 41 1917 Indiana (Back Home Again in Indiana) 42 1938 You Go to My Head 43 1942 There Will Never Be Another You 44 1930 Georgia on My Mind 45 1953 Satin Doll 46 1938 Prelude to a Kiss 47 1944 I Should Care 48 1936 Stompin' At the Savoy 49 1932 How Deep Is the Ocean? 50 1933 I Cover the Waterfront Quote
thedwork Posted June 2, 2009 Report Posted June 2, 2009 A list of the top 50 standards played by musicians. Do those that play agree with this list? Would you kick any off the list it's a good list hardbop. but, at the risk of stating the obvious, unless you're going strictly by the number of times a tune has been recorded, the list will most likely vary a good deal depending on region, and more importantly what instruments are on the gig/jam/whatever. most notably whether there is a singer involved. you could probably come up w/ another two or three lists just like this one w/ tunes that just as (or quite close to) valid. but certainly a good list you've got there! "The Man I Love" is the only one on your list that i haven't played on a gig. but i definitely wouldn't kick it off. nothing whatsoever to object to Quote
NavSJ Posted June 2, 2009 Report Posted June 2, 2009 Man, that is a great list. Every single one of those is a standard par excellance, for sure and well worth learning. The thing about standards, from my point of view, is that I tend to biforcate them into two types: 1. Tin Pan alley/show tunes 2. Jazz tunes composed by genuine jazz musicians Most of those you have listed are in category #1, which are composed by the Kerns, Gershwins, Porters, Arlens of the world. These are the first types a student should first start to shed on. The 2nd type are tunes composed by the Monks, Herbie Hancocks, Wayne Shorters, Horace Silvers of the world. Maybe someone like Ellington straddles both categories. Quote
thedwork Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 Man, that is a great list. Every single one of those is a standard par excellance, for sure and well worth learning. The thing about standards, from my point of view, is that I tend to biforcate them into two types: 1. Tin Pan alley/show tunes 2. Jazz tunes composed by genuine jazz musicians Most of those you have listed are in category #1, which are composed by the Kerns, Gershwins, Porters, Arlens of the world. These are the first types a student should first start to shed on. The 2nd type are tunes composed by the Monks, Herbie Hancocks, Wayne Shorters, Horace Silvers of the world. agreed. at the gigs/jams i used to frequent, it was just as likely (if not more so) to hear "Giant Steps," "Witch Hunt," "In Walked Bud," or "Blue In Green" called out as any on the above list. but like i said before, it's all good. the more tunes you know the better of course. and after you get down what you need to know for whatever gigs you may have (god bless you if you've got 'em...), learn what you love. i think anyone trying to be a gigging musician should have two separate lists that need to be practiced/learned: 1. Tunes for the gig. 2. Tunes you absolutely love. when the two lists are the same, you know you've made it into heaven. Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 "played by musicians", which musicians & where? Some places/musicins it might be "Louie Louie" or "Sweet Home Chicago" or "Round the House and Mind the Dresser" or... Quote
GA Russell Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 I question Sophisticated Lady. I don't think that it's as popular as the other 49 songs. Many of them were written earlier than I had thought. Quote
NavSJ Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 Very true about the equilibrium between tunes you love and the tunes you know. It will truly be heaven. Right now, though, I'm just trying to work through learning Tin Pan Alley tunes (Autumn Leaves, Moonlight in VT, et al). I have found that the heads on many of these are pretty easy and of course, memorable. The changes? A lot more than many 60s era modal jazz tunes, that's for sure! Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted June 3, 2009 Report Posted June 3, 2009 This can't be accurate. There are no Radiohead songs. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted June 4, 2009 Report Posted June 4, 2009 1. Tin Pan alley/show tunes 2. Jazz tunes composed by genuine jazz musicians I would say that's 3 categories: 1. Tin Pan alley tunes 2. Show tunes 3. Jazz tunes composed by genuine jazz musicians There is a pretty significant gulf between show tunes and tin pan alley tunes, generally speaking. I would recommend Alec Wilder's fascinating book "American Popular Song, 1900-1950, if you haven't read it already. Quote
7/4 Posted June 4, 2009 Report Posted June 4, 2009 3. Jazz tunes composed by genuine jazz musicians I think those are jazz standards. ... Quote
king ubu Posted June 9, 2009 Report Posted June 9, 2009 Please throw "My Funny Valentine" out there! What a horribly bad song, even though the melody is kind of nice (albeit simple, or maybe that's why it' nice), if it weren't for Chet and Miles, no one would play that one... and I hold that against Chet (who even sang the silly lyrics) and Miles! Tom, what's the source of this list? Quote
Niko Posted June 9, 2009 Report Posted June 9, 2009 Please throw "My Funny Valentine" out there! What a horribly bad song, even though the melody is kind of nice (albeit simple, or maybe that's why it' nice), if it weren't for Chet and Miles, no one would play that one... and I hold that against Chet (who even sang the silly lyrics) and Miles! played grant green's version on grantstand yesterday Quote
king ubu Posted June 9, 2009 Report Posted June 9, 2009 Yeah, but I can't help thinking of the lyrics whenever I hear it... and it's more or less a one-idea tune, isn't it? Other idea for a topic: top riff tunes... not many good ones around, I think - Baby Baby All the Time comes to mind. Or top one-note tunes - one of the best is listed above, "Night and Day" (Monk did a great one as well, of course... and maybe "Straight No Chaser" would sort of fit as a twisted riff-tune...) Quote
Hardbopjazz Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Posted June 9, 2009 Please throw "My Funny Valentine" out there! What a horribly bad song, even though the melody is kind of nice (albeit simple, or maybe that's why it' nice), if it weren't for Chet and Miles, no one would play that one... and I hold that against Chet (who even sang the silly lyrics) and Miles! Tom, what's the source of this list? This was from a web site of sheet music sales and it comprised the 50 most sold. When I use to play, I learned most standards by ear. Sure I dd have the fake book which so may musicians have, but I don't recall going out and buy sheet music. Quote
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