Songs of the Century
The “Songs of the Century” project, sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), is a nationwide education initiative intended to promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage in our schools. Distributed to schools throughout the country, the “Songs of the Century” curriculum is designed to help further an appreciation for the music development process, including songwriting, musicianship, recording, performing, producing, distributing and the development of cultural values.
- 1890-1920
- 1920-30
- 1930-40
- 1940-50
- 1950-60
- 1960-70
- 1970-80
- 1980-90
- 1990-2000
Dawn of a Century (1890-1920)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| America the Beautiful | Louise Homer | 1925 |
| Auld Lang Syne | Frank Stanley | 1907 |
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | The Peerless Quartet | 1911 |
| My Old Kentucky Home | Geraldine Farrar | 1910 |
| Over There | The American Quartet | 1917 |
| Some of These Days | Sophie Tucker | 1911 |
| Swing Low Sweet Chariot | The Fisk Jubilee Singers | 1909 |
| Take Me Out to the Ballgame | Billy Murray | 1908 |
| The Entertainer | Scott Joplin | 1902 |
| The Star Spangled Banner | John McCormick | 1917 |
| The Stars and Stripes Forever | Sousa's Band | 1896 |
| Tiger Rag | Original Dixieland Jazz Band | 1918 |
| Vesti La Giubba | Enrico Caruso | 1907 |
| When Irish Eyes Are Smiling | Chauncey Olcott | 1913 |
| Yankee Doodle | Vess Ossman | 1894 |
The Jazz Age (1920-1930)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ain't Misbehavin' | Fats Waller | 1929 |
| Blue Yodel (T for Texas) | Jimmie Rodgers | 1930 |
| Bye Bye Blackbird | Gene Austin | 1926 |
| Can the Circle Be Unbroken | The Carter Family | 1935 |
| Charleston | Arthur Gibbs & Gang | 1924 |
| Down Hearted Blues | Bessie Smith | 1923 |
| Happy Days Are Here Again | Ben Selvin Orchestra | 1930 |
| I Wanna Be Loved By You | Helen Kane | 1928 |
| It Had to Be You | Isham Jones Orchestra | 1924 |
| King Porter Stomp | Jelly Roll Morton | 1923 |
| Makin' Whoopee | Eddie Cantor | 1929 |
| Me and My Shadow | Whisperin' Jack Smith | 1927 |
| St. Louis Blues | W.C. Handy | 1923 |
| Star Dust | Hoagy Carmichael | 1928 |
| Swanee | Al Jolson | 1920 |
| Sweet Georgia Brown | Ben Bernie Orchestra | 1925 |
| The Prisoner's Song | Vernon Dalhart | 1924 |
| When the Saints Go Marching In | Louis Armstrong | 1938 |
| Whispering | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | 1920 |
| Yes We Have No Bananas | Billy Jones | 1923 |
The Great Depression (1930-1940)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander's Ragtime Band | The Boswell Sisters | 1935 |
| Ave Maria | Marian Anderson | 1937 |
| Back in the Saddle Again | Gene Autry | 1938 |
| Brother Can You Spare a Dime | Rudy Vallee | 1932 |
| Cross Road Blues | Robert Johnson | 1936 |
| God Bless America | Kate Smith | 1939 |
| Minnie the Moocher | Cab Calloway | 1931 |
| Night and Day | Fred Astaire | 1932 |
| On the Good Ship Lollipop | Shirley Temple | 1934 |
| One O'Clock Jump | Count Basie | 1937 |
| Over the Rainbow | Judy Garland | 1939 |
| Pennies From Heaven | Bing Crosby | 1936 |
| Porgy and Bess | cast recording | 1935 |
| Puttin' on the Ritz | Harry Richman | 1930 |
| Show Boat | cast recording | 1932 |
| Sing Sing Sing | Benny Goodman | 1938 |
| Summertime | Sidney Bechet | 1939 |
| Tea for Two | Art Tatum | 1939 |
| Thanks for the Memory | Bob Hope/Shirley Ross | 1939 |
| Tumbling Tumbleweeds | Sons of the Pioneers | 1934 |
| Wabash Cannonball | Roy Acuff | 1938 |
| You Are My Sunshine | Jimmie Davis | 1940 |
| You're the Top | Cole Porter | 1935 |
The Swing Era / The War Years (1940-1950)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| A Tisket A Tasket | Ella Fitzgerald | 1938 |
| Around Midnight | Thelonius Monk | 1948 |
| Begin the Beguine | Artie Shaw | 1938 |
| Blue Moon of Kentucky | Bill Monroe | 1945 |
| Body and Soul | Coleman Hawkins | 1940 |
| Boogie Chillun | John Lee Hooker | 1948 |
| Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy | The Andrews Sisters | 1941 |
| Cattle Call | Eddy Arnold | 1945 |
| Deep in the Heart of Texas | Alvino Ray | 1942 |
| Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around | The Fairfield Four | 1947 |
| God Bless the Child | Billie Holiday | 1941 |
| Goodnight Irene | Leadbelly | 1944 |
| Happy Trails | Roy Rogers/Dale Evans | 1951 |
| If I Didn't Care | The Ink Spots | 1939 |
| I'll Fly Away | The Chuck Wagon Gang | 1948 |
| In the Mood | Glenn Miller | 1939 |
| Move on Up a Little Higher | Mahalia Jackson | 1948 |
| Near You | Francis Craig Orchestra | 1947 |
| New San Antonio Rose | Bob Wills | 1940 |
| Oklahoma! | cast recording | 1943 |
| Ornithology | Charlie Parker Sextet | 1946 |
| Paper Doll | The Mills Brothers | 1943 |
| (Ghost) Riders in the Sky | Vaughn Monroe | 1949 |
| Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer | Gene Autry | 1949 |
| Salt Peanuts | Dizzy Gillespie | 1945 |
| Sentimental Journey | Les Brown | 1945 |
| South Pacific | cast recording | 1949 |
| Stormy Weather | Lena Horne | 1943 |
| Strange Fruit | Billie Holiday | 1939 |
| Take the A Train | Duke Ellington | 1941 |
| This Land Is Your Land | Woody Guthrie | 1947 |
| When You Wish Upon a Star | Cliff Edwards | 1940 |
| White Christmas | Bing Crosby | 1942 |
| Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah | Johnny Mercer | 1946 |
American Bandstand (1950-1960)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| At the Hop | Danny & The Juniors | 1957 |
| Banana Boat (Day-O) | Harry Belafonte | 1957 |
| Blue Suede Shoes | Carl Perkins | 1956 |
| Blueberry Hill | Fats Domino | 1956 |
| Bo Diddley | Bo Diddley | 1955 |
| Chances Are | Johnny Mathis | 1957 |
| Django | The Modern Jazz Quartet | 1954 |
| Donna/ La Bamba | Ritchie Valens | 1958 |
| Earth Angel | The Penguins | 1954 |
| Georgia on My Mind | Ray Charles | 1960 |
| Got My Mojo Workin' | Muddy Waters | 1956 |
| Great Balls of Fire | Jerry Lee Lewis | 1957 |
| Heartbreak Hotel | Elvis Presley | 1956 |
| Hound Dog/ Don't Be Cruel | Elvis Presley | 1956 |
| How Great Thou Art | George Beverly Shea | 1955 |
| How High the Moon | Les Paul & Mary Ford | 1951 |
| I Only Have Eyes for You | The Flamingos | 1959 |
| I Walk the Line | Johnny Cash | 1956 |
| I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry | Hank Williams | 1949 |
| In the Still of the Night | The Five Satins | 1956 |
| Johnny B. Goode | Chuck Berry | 1958 |
| Kansas City | Wilbert Harrison | 1959 |
| Kind of Blue | Miles Davis | 1959 |
| Mack the Knife | Bobby Darin | 1959 |
| Misty | Erroll Garner Trio | 1954 |
| Mona Lisa | Nat King Cole | 1950 |
| Mr. Sandman | The Chordettes | 1954 |
| My Fair Lady | cast recording | 1956 |
| On Top of Old Smoky | The Weavers | 1951 |
| Peggy Sue | Buddy Holly | 1957 |
| Que Sera Sera | Doris Day | 1956 |
| Rock Around the Clock | *Bill Haley & the Comets | 1955 |
| Shake Rattle and Roll | Joe Turner | 1954 |
| Shout | The Isley Brothers | 1959 |
| Sixteen Tons | Tennessee Ernie Ford | 1955 |
| Smoke Gets in Your Eyes | The Platters | 1958 |
| Summertime Blues | Eddie Cochran | 1958 |
| Take Five | Dave Brubeck | 1959 |
| Teen Angel | Mark Dinning | 1960 |
| Tequila | The Champs | 1958 |
| That Old Black Magic | Louis Prima & Keely Smith | 1958 |
| The Battle of New Orleans | Johnny Horton | 1959 |
| The King and I | cast recording | 1951 |
| The Music Man | cast recording | 1958 |
| The Tennessee Waltz | Patti Page | 1950 |
| Tom Dooley | The Kingston Trio | 1958 |
| Tutti Frutti | Little Richard | 1956 |
| Unchained Melody | Al Hibbler | 1955 |
| Wake Up Little Susie | The Everly Brothers | 1957 |
| West Side Story | cast recording | 1957 |
| What'd I Say | Ray Charles | 1959 |
| Who's Sorry Now | Connie Francis | 1958 |
| Why Do Fools Fall in Love | Frankie Lymon & Teenagers | 1956 |
| Yakety Yak | The Coasters | 1958 |
| You Send Me | Sam Cooke | 1957 |
| Your Cheatin' Heart | Hank Williams | 1953 |
| Zodiac Suite | Mary Lou Williams | 1955 |
The 'Sixties (1960-1970)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| A Love Supreme | John Coltrane | 1964 |
| Abraham, Martin and John | Dion | 1968 |
| Ain't No Mountain High Enough | Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell | 1967 |
| All Along the Watchtower | Jimi Hendrix | 1968 |
| Be My Baby | The Ronettes | 1963 |
| Blowin' in the Wind | Peter, Paul & Mary | 1963 |
| Born to be Wild | Steppenwolf | 1968 |
| By the Time I Get to Phoenix | Glen Campbell | 1967 |
| California Dreamin' | Mamas & Papas | 1966 |
| Crying | Roy Orbison | 1961 |
| Dancing in the Street | Martha & The Vandellas | 1964 |
| Dock of the Bay | Otis Redding | 1968 |
| Downtown | Petula Clark | 1965 |
| El Paso | Marty Robbins | 1959 |
| Everybody Loves Somebody | Dean Martin | 1964 |
| Everyday People | Sly & The Family Stone | 1968 |
| For What It's Worth | Buffalo Springfield | 1967 |
| Good Vibrations | The Beach Boys | 1967 |
| Hair | cast recording | 1969 |
| House of the Rising Sun | The Animals | 1964 |
| I Fall to Pieces | Patsy Cline | 1961 |
| I Got You (I Feel Good) | James Brown | 1965 |
| I Got You Babe | Sonny & Cher | 1965 |
| I Heard It Through the Grapevine | Marvin Gaye | 1968 |
| I Left My Heart in San Francisco | Tony Bennett | 1962 |
| I Want to Hold Your Hand | The Beatles | 1964 |
| I'm Sorry | Brenda Lee | 1960 |
| In the Midnight Hour | Wilson Pickett | 1965 |
| It's My Party | Lesley Gore | 1963 |
| King of the Road | Roger Miller | 1965 |
| Leader of the Pack | The Shangri-Las | 1964 |
| Light My Fire | The Doors | 1967 |
| Like a Rolling Stone | Bob Dylan | 1965 |
| Louie Louie | The Kingsmen | 1963 |
| Love Letters | Ketty Lester | 1962 |
| Me and Bobby McGee | Janis Joplin | 1971 |
| Moon River | Henry Mancini | 1961 |
| My Girl | The Temptations | 1965 |
| My Guy | Mary Wells | 1964 |
| My Way | Frank Sinatra | 1969 |
| O Happy Day | Edwin Hawkins Singers | 1969 |
| Ode to Billy Joe | Bobbie Gentry | 1967 |
| Oh Pretty Woman | Roy Orbison | 1964 |
| On Broadway | The Drifters | 1963 |
| People Get Ready | The Impressions | 1965 |
| Proud Mary | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 1969 |
| Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head | B.J. Thomas | 1969 |
| Reach Out I'll Be There | The Four Tops | 1966 |
| Respect | Aretha Franklin | 1967 |
| Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash | 1963 |
| Runaround Sue | Dion | 1961 |
| Satisfaction | The Rolling Stones | 1965 |
| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | 1967 |
| Sing Me Back Home | Merle Haggard | 1967 |
| So in Love | The Tymes | 1963 |
| Soul Man | Sam & Dave | 1967 |
| Sounds of Silence | Simon & Garfunkel | 1965 |
| Stand By Me | Ben E. King | 1961 |
| Stand By Your Man | Tammy Wynette | 1968 |
| Stop in the Name of Love | The Supremes | 1965 |
| Strangers in the Night | Frank Sinatra | 1966 |
| The Girl From Ipanema | Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto | 1964 |
| The In Crowd | Ramsey Lewis Trio | 1965 |
| The Lion Sleeps Tonight | The Tokens | 1961 |
| The Loco-Motion | Little Eva | 1962 |
| The Sound of Music | cast recording | 1960 |
| The Thrill Is Gone | B.B. King | 1969 |
| The Times They Are A-Changin' | Bob Dylan | 1964 |
| The Tracks of My Tears | The Miracles | 1965 |
| The Twist | Chubby Checker | 1960 |
| Turn Turn Turn | The Byrds | 1965 |
| Walk on By | Dionne Warwick | 1964 |
| We Shall Overcome | Joan Baez | 1963 |
| What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong | 1967 |
| What the World Needs Now Is Love | Jackie DeShannon | 1965 |
| When a Man Loves a Woman | Percy Sledge | 1966 |
| White Rabbit | Jefferson Airplane | 1967 |
| Will You Love Me Tomorrow | The Shirelles | 1961 |
| Yesterday / Act Naturally | The Beatles | 1965 |
| You Really Got Me | The Kinks | 1964 |
| You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' | The Righteous Brothers | 1965 |
The Rock Era (1970-1980)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| American Pie | Don McLean | 1971 |
| Behind Closed Doors | Charlie Rich | 1973 |
| Big Yellow Taxi | Joni Mitchell | 1970 |
| Birdland | Weather Report | 1976 |
| Bitches Brew | Miles Davis | 1969 |
| Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | 1975 |
| Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | 1967 |
| Close to You | The Carpenters | 1970 |
| Coal Miner's Daughter | Loretta Lynn | 1970 |
| Dancing Queen | Abba | 1977 |
| Everybody's Talkin' | Nilsson | 1969 |
| Fire and Rain | James Taylor | 1970 |
| Free Bird | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 1974 |
| Go Your Own Way | Fleetwood Mac | 1977 |
| Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | Elton John | 1973 |
| Grease | soundtrack recording | 1979 |
| Heart of Gold | Neil Young | 1972 |
| Hotel California | The Eagles | 1977 |
| I Am Woman | Helen Reddy | 1972 |
| I Can See Clearly Now | Johnny Nash | 1972 |
| I Want You Back | The Jackson 5 | 1969 |
| I Will Survive | Gloria Gayner | 1979 |
| If You Don't Know Me By Now | Harold Melvin/Blue Notes | 1972 |
| Imagine | John Lennon | 1971 |
| It's Too Late / I Feel the Earth Move | Carole King | 1971 |
| Joy to the World | Three Dog Night | 1971 |
| Killing Me Softly With His Song | Roberta Flack | 1973 |
| Layla | Derek & The Dominos | 1972 |
| Lean On Me | Bill Withers | 1972 |
| Let's Stay Together | Al Green | 1972 |
| Maggie May | Rod Stewart | 1971 |
| Mama's Don't Let Your Babies… | Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson | 1978 |
| Margaritaville | Jimmy Buffett | 1977 |
| Midnight Train to Georgia | Gladys Knight & The Pips | 1973 |
| No Charge | Shirley Caesar | 1975 |
| Ohio | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 1970 |
| Oye Como Va | Santana | 1971 |
| Piano Man | Billy Joel | 1974 |
| Ramblin' Man | Allman Brothers Band | 1973 |
| Respect Yourself | The Staple Singers | 1971 |
| Saturday in the Park | Chicago | 1972 |
| She Works Hard for the Money | Donna Summer | 1983 |
| Stairway to Heaven | Led Zeppelin | 1971 |
| Stayin' Alive | The Bee Gees | 1978 |
| Superstition | Stevie Wonder | 1972 |
| Take Me Home Country Roads | John Denver | 1971 |
| Take My Hand Precious Lord | Thomas Dorsey/Marion Williams | 1973 |
| That's the Way( I Like It) | K.C. & The Sunshine Band | 1975 |
| The Cat's in the Cradle | Harry Chapin | 1974 |
| The Devil Went Down to Georgia | Charlie Daniels Band | 1979 |
| The Gambler | Kenny Rogers | 1978 |
| The Way We Were | Barbra Streisand | 1973 |
| Theme From Shaft | Isaac Hayes | 1971 |
| This Masquerade | George Benson | 1976 |
| Time in a Bottle | Jim Croce | 1973 |
| Uncle John's Band | The Grateful Dead | 1970 |
| Walk This Way | Aerosmith | 1976 |
| War | Edwin Starr | 1970 |
| We Are Family | Sister Sledge | 1979 |
| We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You | Queen | 1977 |
| What's Going On | Marvin Gaye | 1971 |
| When Will I Be Loved | Linda Ronstadt | 1975 |
| Y.M.C.A. | The Village People | 1978 |
| You Are the Sunshine of My Life | Stevie Wonder | 1973 |
| You're So Vain | Carly Simon | 1973 |
The 'Eighties (1980-1990)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Prince | 1982 |
| 9 to 5 | Dolly Parton | 1980 |
| All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight | Hank Williams Jr. | 1984 |
| Another Brick in the Wall | Pink Floyd | 1980 |
| Beat It | Michael Jackson | 1983 |
| Bette Davis Eyes | Kim Carnes | 1981 |
| Born in the U.S.A. | Bruce Springsteen | 1984 |
| Burning Down the House | Talking Heads | 1983 |
| Celebration | Kool & The Gang | 1980 |
| Don't Worry Be Happy | Bobby McFerrin | 1988 |
| El Shaddai | Amy Grant | 1982 |
| Every Breath You Take | The Police | 1983 |
| Faith | George Michael | 1987 |
| Fight for Your Right (to Party) | The Beastie Boys | 1987 |
| Fight the Power | Public Enemy | 1989 |
| Flashdance | Irene Cara | 1983 |
| Free Fallin' | Tom Petty | 1989 |
| Girls Just Want to Have Fun | Cyndi Lauper | 1983 |
| Graceland | Paul Simon | 1986 |
| He Stopped Loving Her Today | George Jones | 1980 |
| Heart of Glass | Blondie | 1979 |
| Higher Love | Steve Winwood | 1986 |
| I Love Rock 'n' Roll | Joan Jett | 1982 |
| I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For | U2 | 1987 |
| I'm So Excited | The Pointer Sisters | 1984 |
| Jack and Diane | John Cougar Mellencamp | 1982 |
| Jump | Van Halen | 1984 |
| Love Shack | The B-52's | 1989 |
| Mama He's Crazy | The Judds | 1984 |
| Material Girl | Madonna | 1985 |
| My Home's in Alabama | Alabama | 1980 |
| Old Time Rock & Roll | Bob Seger | 1979 |
| On the Road Again | Willie Nelson | 1980 |
| Purple Rain | Prince | 1984 |
| Rapper's Delight | Sugarhill Gang | 1979 |
| Rockit | Herbie Hancock | 1983 |
| Sweet Child o' Mine | Guns N' Roses | 1988 |
| That's What Friends Are For | Dionne Warwick & Friends | 1986 |
| The Message | Grandmaster Flash | 1982 |
| The Wind Beneath My Wings | Bette Midler | 1989 |
| Up Where We Belong | Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warnes | 1982 |
| We Are the World | USA for Africa | 1985 |
| We Got the Beat | The Go-Go's | 1982 |
| What's Love Got to Do With It | Tina Turner | 1984 |
End of the Millenium (1990-2000)
| Song | Performer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Achy Breaky Heart | Billy Ray Cyrus | 1992 |
| Addictive Love | BeBe& CeCe Winans | 1991 |
| All I Wanna Do | Sheryl Crow | 1994 |
| Bills, Bills, Bills | Destiny's Child | 1999 |
| Candle in the Wind | Elton John | 1997 |
| Change the World | Eric Clapton | 1996 |
| Doo Wop (That Thing) | Lauryn Hill | 1998 |
| Fast Car | Tracy Chapman | 1988 |
| Friends in Low Places | Garth Brooks | 1990 |
| I Believe I Can Fly | R. Kelly | 1997 |
| I Hope You Dance | Lee Ann Womack | 2000 |
| I Will Always Love You | Whitney Houston | 1992 |
| Livin' La Vida Loca | Ricky Martin | 1999 |
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | 1991 |
| Men in Black | Will Smith | 1997 |
| My Heart Will Go On | Celine Dion | 1998 |
| No Scrubs | TLC | 1999 |
| One Sweet Day | Boyz II Men/Mariah Carey | 1996 |
| Please Remember Me` | Tim McGraw | 1999 |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | 1992 |
| Smooth | Santana/Rob Thomas | 1999 |
| Something to Talk About | Bonnie Raitt | 1991 |
| This Kiss | Faith Hill | 1999 |
| U Can't Touch This | M.C. Hammer | 1990 |
| Wide Open Spaces | Dixie Chicks | 1998 |
| You're Still the One | Shania Twain | 1998 |
