The 1940s: Music Through the Ages

Ella Fitzgerald

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

By Alekhya Maram and Anna Ravid

With the country being ravaged by a world war, Americans relied on music to lift their spirits in trying times. The 1940s was a decade of radical change; due to the vast number of men fighting abroad, women flooded the workforce to replace them. The radio became essential to the American family, both for news of the war and for broadcasts of the most notable artists of the decade. 

To bolster the war effort, patriotic music became particularly popular during the decade, namely Kate Smith’s rendition of “God Bless America” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” by The Andrew Sisters. The song told the tale of a young man drafted for the army who becomes a bugle boy for his company of soldiers. Listeners of the radio also adored the romantic classics of big stars. Bing Crosby’s song “You Made Me Love You” was an uplifting and fun hit released at the start of the decade. 

The jazz vocal group The Ink Spots dominated popular music of the 1940’s with hits such as “We Three” and “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire.” They also collaborated with Ella Fitzgerald in the song “I’m Making Believe.”  Fitzgerald was a rising star in the jazz music industry, who would skyrocket to fame in the 1950s. The Ink Spots’ style had a lovely, smooth quality, effortlessly gliding over the guitar and piano instrumentals. 

The popularity of Big Band jazz spilled over from the 20’s and 30’s into the World War II era. Harlem Renaissance musicians like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong participated in the scene, but the most popular Big Band of the decade was led by Glenn Miller. The Glenn Miller Orchestra’s music was characterized by catchy riffs, which showcased the band’s saxophonists and trumpeter. Their most popular hit was “In the Mood,” a widely recognizable song, if not by name, then by ear. The Big Band music of the 40’s was upbeat and impeccably arranged. 

Aside from his music, Glenn Miller is also famous for his mysterious disappearance in 1944. Heading for Paris in a small military plane, Miller was last in contact over the British Channel and was never seen again. The case remains unsolved and a multitude of conspiracy theories surround his strange war-time disappearance. 

The end of World War II heralded the transition away from the Big Band music that typified the culture of the decades prior. The career of Louis Armstrong, a jazz phenomenon, reflected this change.

“During the early 1940's, Louis Armstrong performed primarily with big bands. During these years, his popularity declined. Armstrong was a performer and did not have the discipline or organizational skills required of a successful bandleader.”

As the 1940s, a decade of worldwide grief, came to a close, popular bands began to feature vocals rather than instruments; the 1950s would produce some of the most popular jazz, rock, and blues vocalists of all time.

God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above

From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home

- “God Bless America," Performed by Kate Smith