Woodie Guthrie was #1 on the charts in 1940 with his best known song, "This Land is Your Land." Some of his songs tell of his experiences in the Dust Bowl era during the Great Depression. This is where his nickname, "Dust Bowl Troubadour," derived from.
The Andrews Sisters were burning up the Billboard charts in in 1941 with their #1 hit song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." This was a group of three actual sisters who sang close harmony. They sold well over 75 million records during their career.
Bing Crosby was a big hit in the '40s, with more than half a billion records in circulation. "White Christmas" was #1 on the Billboard charts in 1942.
Kate Smith topped the charts in 1943 with "God Bless America." This was her best-known song in her career that spanned more than five decades.
Thelonius Monk made #1 on the charts in 1944 with "Round Midnight." Monk was known for his distinctive style in apparel and for standing up to dance during a song while the band continued to play.
The Les Brown Orchestra was a big hit in 1945. They topped the charts with "Sentimental Journey." This group performed on stage for almost 50 years.
In 1946, Frank Sinatra spent two weeks in the #1 spot with "Five Minutes More." Sinatra was known for being an idol to the "bobby soxers."
In 1947 Johnny Mercer was a big hit with his #1 song, "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da." Mercer wrote the lyrics to more than 1,500 songs. He won four out of 19 Academy Award nominations.
Dinah Shore's "Buttons And Bows" spent 10 weeks at #1 in 1948. She was most popular during the Big Band era of the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1949, a well-known classic was born. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" was #1 on the charts. Gene Autry is best known today for his Christmas songs.