The 40 Most Famous Jazz Songs, from Take Five to What a Wonderful World

What is the most famous jazz song?

"Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is often called the most famous jazz recording of all time, and Miles Davis' "So What", Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" are close behind. Among jazz standards, "Summertime", "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Autumn Leaves" are played by musicians everywhere.

The most famous jazz recordings

1. "Take Five", Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1959: Paul Desmond's cool tune in five-four time.
2. "So What", Miles Davis, 1959: the opening track of Kind of Blue, the best-selling jazz album ever.
3. "Take the 'A' Train", Duke Ellington Orchestra, 1941: Billy Strayhorn's swinging signature tune.
4. "What a Wonderful World", Louis Armstrong, 1967: a gentle, timeless ballad.
5. "My Favorite Things", John Coltrane, 1961: a hypnotic soprano sax take on the show tune.
6. "Round Midnight", Thelonious Monk: the most recorded jazz standard by a jazz musician.
7. "Sing, Sing, Sing", Benny Goodman, 1937: a thundering swing showstopper.
8. "In the Mood", Glenn Miller, 1939: the sound of the big band era.
9. "The Girl from Ipanema", Stan Getz and João Gilberto, 1964: bossa nova's Grammy-winning crossover.
10. "Body and Soul", Coleman Hawkins, 1939: a tenor sax solo that changed jazz.

Jazz standards everyone knows

11. "Summertime", George Gershwin, 1935: from Porgy and Bess, famously sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
12. "Fly Me to the Moon", Bart Howard, 1954: a swinging standard made famous by Frank Sinatra.
13. "Autumn Leaves": the French song that became one of the most played jazz standards.
14. "Georgia on My Mind", Hoagy Carmichael, 1930: the song Ray Charles made his own.
15. "Misty", Erroll Garner, 1954: a dreamy ballad.
16. "My Funny Valentine", Rodgers and Hart, 1937: a tender ballad, beautifully recorded by Chet Baker.
17. "Mack the Knife", Kurt Weill, 1928: a swinging hit for Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin.
18. "Cheek to Cheek", Irving Berlin, 1935: a classic duet for Ella and Louis.
19. "Stardust", Hoagy Carmichael, 1927: one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
20. "Lullaby of Birdland", George Shearing, 1952: a tribute to the famous New York club.

Swing and early jazz classics

21. "West End Blues", Louis Armstrong, 1928: a landmark trumpet introduction.
22. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", Duke Ellington, 1932
23. "Mood Indigo", Duke Ellington, 1930
24. "Ain't Misbehavin'", Fats Waller, 1929
25. "Moonlight Serenade", Glenn Miller, 1939
26. "St. Louis Blues", W.C. Handy, 1914: famously recorded by Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong.
27. "Strange Fruit", Billie Holiday, 1939: a haunting protest against lynching.

Modern jazz classics

28. "Blue in Green", Miles Davis, 1959: a hushed ballad from Kind of Blue.
29. "Moanin'", Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, 1958: soulful hard bop.
30. "A Love Supreme", John Coltrane, 1965: a spiritual masterpiece.
31. "Song for My Father", Horace Silver, 1965: a groove inspired by Cape Verdean music.
32. "Cantaloupe Island", Herbie Hancock, 1964: a funky piano groove.
33. "Watermelon Man", Herbie Hancock, 1962: a catchy, soulful tune.
34. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", Charles Mingus, 1959: a moving tribute to Lester Young.
35. "Giant Steps", John Coltrane, 1960: famously fast and challenging.
36. "Birdland", Weather Report, 1977: jazz fusion's most famous tune.

Jazz vocal favorites

37. "At Last", Etta James, 1960: the ultimate jazz-soul wedding song.
38. "Unforgettable", Nat King Cole, 1951: a velvet-voiced classic.
39. "Feeling Good", Nina Simone, 1965: a dramatic, defiant performance.
40. "Linus and Lucy", Vince Guaraldi Trio, 1964: the jazzy Peanuts theme.

What makes a jazz song a standard?

A jazz standard is a song that musicians play again and again, each in their own way. Many came from Broadway shows and Hollywood films of the 20s to the 50s, written by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Rodgers and Hart, while others, like "Round Midnight" and "Take the 'A' Train", were written by jazz musicians themselves. Because jazz is built on improvisation, no two performances of a standard are ever the same.

The great jazz musicians

Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and John Coltrane are some of the most influential artists in jazz history. Each changed the music, from Armstrong's solos in the 20s and the big band swing of the 30s to bebop in the 40s, cool jazz and hard bop in the 50s and Coltrane's spiritual explorations in the 60s. For famous saxophone recordings, see our best saxophone songs.

Kind of Blue

Miles Davis' 1959 album Kind of Blue, with John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, is the best-selling jazz album of all time. Its relaxed, modal approach, built on scales rather than fast chord changes, gave the soloists room to breathe, and "So What", "Blue in Green" and "All Blues" are still among the first pieces jazz students learn.

Jazz songs for a wedding or a dinner party

For a wedding, "At Last", "Unforgettable", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Cheek to Cheek" and "What a Wonderful World" are perfect first dances, and a jazz trio playing standards makes an elegant cocktail hour. For a dinner party, put on Kind of Blue, Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet or Getz/Gilberto. For more, see our first dance songs and old love songs.

Jazz songs for beginners

If you are new to jazz, start with the albums Kind of Blue and Time Out, then try Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's duets, Getz/Gilberto for bossa nova and Duke Ellington's greatest hits for swing. For more piano favorites, see our famous piano songs.

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