I love Anthro106 (issues and history in popular music), so I thought it’d be awesome to bring my new knowledge into art schol. I wanted to explore the music created during wartime and how it was influenced in the aftermath. I decided to focus on World War II and how it changed US music.
Pre War
The number 1 song in the US in 1939 was ‘Begin the Beguine’ by Artie Shaw. As most houses had a radio at this time, it would have been very common for anyone staying at home to listen. I can imagine popping it on to play in the background to supply a calm soundtrack to my day. This is probably why it was so popular, it is a light song that could have been popular with the housewives of the US. It is an upbeat instrumental and has a nice, ‘easy listening’ tempo. It’s performed with a large orchestra, which shows the wealth of the growing music industry at the time.
During the War
In a US context, the war started between September 1940 (when they made the decision to send in troops and December 1941 (when they sent troops). In 1941, the top song was ‘Chatanooga Choo Choo’ by Glenn Miller. During the war, troops had regular access to radios, meaning that some songs were made with the intention of troops hearing them. Chatanooga Choo Choo would provide nostalgia and comfort to the soldiers, with its mention of familiar place names and it’s train-like riffs providing an image of arriving home to their loved ones. Much like ‘Begin the Beguine’ this song has a large orchestra backing but had vocals providing a story-like aspect to the song. Listening to a fellow human’s voice would have brought comfort to both people at home and on the front lines. I think another reason it was so popular is that it’s an uplifting and fun song with a quick beat. It’s the kind of song that encourages the listener to dance, which would have been an invited comfort during such a stressful time.
Post War
When the war ended (1945) the top song was ‘Sentimental Journey’ by Les Brown and Doris Day. This song is at a much slower tempo than both ‘Begin the Beguine’ and ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’ at a speed appropriate for a slow dance. I think the reason it was so popular is that it provides comfort and a sense of comradery through the lyrics. They talk about someone taking their ‘sentimental journey’ home, it could be a soldier or any worker who had to leave home to help with the war effort. It was an ode to returning soldiers and their families, and it united the nation in their shared experiences.
In conclusion, music changed with the moral of the public. During the war, everyone needed a boost and a positive escape from the world, which Chatanooga Choo Choo provided. After the war, there was a period of contemplation and reconnection which was kindled by songs like ‘Sentimental Journey’. Conflicts greatly affect pop music and music charts strongly reflect the feelings and experiences of a population. People gravitate to music both as a pastime and an escape, so through the pop charts, we can see a snapshot of the culture of each generation.
I’ve attached the best recordings I could find! Some of the comments are a wild ride, would recommend. Top chart statistics were sourced from playback.fm.
