Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big lover of music. It inspires me, helps me grieve, comforts me, and at times, even makes me laugh. So, I thought I would start a series of posts on my all-time favorite music. The only problem is, there’s way too much of it! Even when I try to narrow it down by decade, it’s a long list. But, that’s what I’ll be doing after this first post on the subject. Even then, it won’t be fully comprehensive. For now, let’s just look at some of the great music given to us before 1950.
While I appreciate classical music, and admire some of the great classical composers of the past like Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Wagner, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Schubert, and Rachmaninoff, it’s far less common for me to listen to unless I’m trying to get inspired while writing (which is something I’ll likely get into in further detail in a future post on finding inspiration for writing). Here, I’m primarily (but not exclusively) referring to more popular fare in my every day life. In fact, I’m also purposely excluding Christmas music. I’ll save that for a later post, too.
To look at some of that older, awesome, and relatively popular music, I must start all the way back in the 18th century with one of my favorite hymns: John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” (1779). Whether you’re a Christian or not, it’s unlikely you have been around on this planet for long and not heard that song. And, with good reason. Few songs cut to my core like that one does. You can’t help but feel Newton’s passion and gratefulness for God’s grace. This is a man who grew up without religious conviction and worked in the slave trade until his conversion and commitment to the study of Christian theology. This song looks back with deep conviction and appreciation for the moment that everything changed. When precious grace appeared, the hour he first believed.
Okay, now we can fast forward in time a little bit. But, not too far. The 19th century gave us some great music, too. Francis Scott Key delivered with “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814.) So did Stephen C. Foster with “Camptown Races” (1850,) Sarah Adams with “Nearer, My God to Thee” (1859,) Julia Ward Howe with “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (1862,) Patrick S. Gilmore with “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (1863,) and Johan Strauss II with “The Blue Danube” (1867.) Then T. Brigham Bishop gave us “Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me” (1869) and William Howard Doane supplied us with “Safe In The Arms of Jesus” (1870.) But, the 19th century was far from over. Arthur Sullivan kept it going with “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871.) So did Brewster M. Higley with “Home on the Range” (1873,) Euphemia Allen with “Chopsticks” (1877,) Charles E. Pratt with “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881,) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with the “1812 Overture” (1882,) Percy Montrose with “Oh, My Darling Clementine” (1884,) J. Hanold Kendall with “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1889,) Henry S. Miller with “The Cat Came Back” (1893,) Samuel A. Ward with “America the Beautiful” (1895,) and John Phillip Sousa with “Stars and Stripes Forever” (1896,) to name a few. Alright, that’s more than a few. But, to be fair, I did warn you this was a long list . . .
And, we’re not done yet. We are, however, finally headed into the 20th century. The first couple of decades were, for me, a bit sparser. However, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov provided us with “Flight of the Bumblebee” (1900) right away and Scott Joplin wasn’t too far behind him with “The Entertainer” (1902.) Then, Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tizer gave us “Take me Out to the Ball Game” (1908,) the Fisk University Singers delivered “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” (1909,) and Frederic Edward Weatherly supplied us with “Danny Boy” (1913.)
As the twenties began to roar, so did the music. Al Jolson hit the scene with songs like “April Showers” (1922,) “California, Here I Come” (1924) and “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin’ Along” (1926.) Bessie Smith came on strong, delivering “Downhearted Blues” (1923,) “St. Louis Blues” (1925,) “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (1929) and, eventually, “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” (1931.). Plus, Gene Austin gave us “My Blue Heaven” (1927,) Blind Willie Johnson supplied us with “Motherless Children (1927,) Maurice Ravel gave us “Bolero” (1928) and Jimmie Rodgers delivered “In the Jailhouse Now” (1928.) The roaring twenties also introduced us to The Carter Family who gave us the songs “Keep on the Sunny Side” (1928) and “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (1935,) Cliff Edwards who delivered “Singing in the Rain” (with Annette Hanshaw, 1929) and “When You Wish Upon a Star” (1940) and, one of the all-time greats, Louis Armstrong who gave us “St. James Infirmary Blues” (1929); and “All of Me” (1932.)
While the stock market crashed in 1929, the music scene didn’t. The 1930’s had Harry Richman “Puttin on the Ritz” (1930,) Cab Calloway delivered “Minnie the Moocher” (1931,) Albert E. Brumley gave us “I’ll Fly Away” (1932,) and Ethel Waters provided “Stormy Weather” (1933.) The King of Swing, Benny Goodman delivered both “Moonglow” (1934) and Sing Sing Sing (1937.) Fred Astaire had us dancing “Cheek to Cheek” (1935) while Bing Crosby delivered “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime” (1932,) “Pennies From Heaven” (1936,) and eventually both “Swinging On A Star” (1944) and “Don’t Fence Me In” (1944.) Robert Johnson gave us “Sweet Home Chicago” (1936,) “Hellhound On My Trail” (1937,) “Cross Road Blues” (1937,) “Love in Vain” (1937,) and “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” (1937.) The 1930’s also introduced us to the unique and unforgettable style of Billie Holiday who delivered brilliant songs like “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (1937,) “The Very Thought of You” (1938,) “Strange Fruit” (1939,) “God Bless The Child” (1941,) “Gloomy Sunday” (1941,) and “I’ll Be Seeing You” (1944). And, finally, Judy Garland closed the 1930’s out with the timeless hit “Over The Rainbow” (1939.)
The 1940’s were ushered in by the likes of Jimmie Davis with “You Are My Sunshine” (1940,) Coleman Hawkins with “Body and Soul” (1940,) Artie Shaw and His Orchestra who gave us both “Frenesi” (1940) and “Star Dust” (1941,) and Glenn Miller who delivered both “In the Mood” (1940) and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” (1941.) Then Joseito Fernandez gave us “Guantanamera” (1941) and The Andrew Sisters delivered both “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (1941) and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me – 1942.) Soon after that, Harry James and Helen Forrest gave us “I’ve Heard That Song Before” (1943,) Doris Day joined Les Brown and his Orchestra to deliver “Sentimental Journey” (1945,) and Perry Como supplied us with the song “Till the End of Time” (1945.) Then we were blessed by the soft baritone voice of Nat King Cole on songs like “For Sentimental Reasons” (1946,) “Route 66” (1946); and “Nature Boy” (1948.) Next, we were introduced to one of the most important American singer/songwriters of the 20th century, Hank Williams, who delivered “Honky Tonkin’” (1948,) “I Saw the Light” (1948,) “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It” (1949,) “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (1949,) “Lovesick Blues” (1949,) and “Lost Highway” (1949.) Finally, to close out the 1940’s, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five gave us “Saturday Night Fish Fry” (1949,) Vaugn Monroe” delivered “Riders in the Sky” (1949,) and an evolutionary process that started in 1885 with Carl Gustav Boberg was completed in 1949 when Stuart K. Hine blessed us all with another amazing and timeless classic hymn called “How Great Thou Art.”
Again, I warned you it was a long list. But, wait until we enter the 1950’s. Rock and roll is just getting started . . .
Don’t get me wrong, some pages a lot easier than others. But, if you grind it out, you always get through the tough ones. Sometimes, it is even necessary to walk away. I’ll often go workout or take a shower so that I can think about what’s slowing me down. Most of the time, I have it figured out by the time I’m back in front of the laptop. It just takes some mental wrestling. Typically, that fight makes it all better anyway.
I happen to be naturally self-disciplined. So, I need to give myself freedom. It’s far more helpful than boxing myself in would be. But, that’s not true for everyone. I know a lot of writers that demand 10 pages a day from themselves. I can’t do that. Today, 20 pages might pour out of me and tomorrow it could be an excruciating exercise in self-torture to crank out 5. I think that’s okay. The pace for writing each chapter or scene is bound to be different.
