1930 In Music
The following songs achieved the highest sales in 1930 on the major record labels in the United States (i.e. Victor, Brunswick and Columbia). Record sales continued at 1929 levels up until July 1930. In the autumn 1930 the Great Depression began in earnest for the majority of the public who finally began to feel the economic downturn. This caused record sales to plummet in August and they would remain low for the remainder of the year.
| Month | Artist | Title | Record Label | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Helen Morgan | Why Was I Born? and Don't Ever Leave Me | Victor | Helen Morgan sings her songs from the hit show Sweet Adeline. | |
| January | Dick Robertson | Singin' in the Bathtub and Lady Luck | Brunswick | From the film The Show of Shows. | |
| January | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Why Was I Born? and Here I Am | Victor | Written by Jerome Kern for the show Sweet Adeline. | |
| January | Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra | Why Was I Born? and Here I Am | Brunswick | Written by Jerome Kern for the show Sweet Adeline. | |
| January | Nat Shilkret Orchestra | Don't Ever Leave Me and Twas Not Long Ago | Victor | Written by Jerome Kern for the show Sweet Adeline. | |
| January | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Great Day and Without a Song | Columbia | From the Broadway show Great Day. | |
| January | Victor Arden and Phil Ohman Orchestra | Why? and It's You I Love | Victor | From the 1929-30 Broadway musical Sons o' Guns. | |
| January | Rudy Vallee Orchestra | A Little Kiss Each Morning and I'll Be Reminded Of You | Victor | From the musical film starring Rudy Vallee: The Vagabond Lover. | |
| January | Meyer Davis and Earl Burtnett Orchestras | My Fate Is In Your Hands and Look What You've Done To Me | Brunswick | ||
| January | Guy Lombardo Orchestra | My Fate Is In Your Hands and A Little Kiss Each Morning | Columbia | Second song from the musical film: The Vagabond Lover. | |
| February | The Revelers | Chant of the Jungle and Waiting At The End of the Road | Victor | From the musical films: Untamed and Hallelujah. | |
| February | Marion Harris | Nobody's Using It Now and Funny, Dear, What Love Can Do | Brunswick | First song from the musical film: Playboy Of Paris. | |
| February | Marion Harris | Nobody's Sweetheart and My Fate Is in Your Hands | Brunswick | ||
| February | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Shepherd's Serenade and Charming | Victor | From the musical film: Devil-May-Care. | |
| February | Leo Reisman Orchestra | I'll See You Again and If Love Were All | Victor | From Noël Coward's musical comedy Bitter Sweet. | |
| February | Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra | Don't Ever Leave Me and Twas Not Long Ago | Victor | Written by Jerome Kern for the show Sweet Adeline. | |
| February | Leo Reisman Orchestra | You Do Something To Me and You've Got That Thing | Victor | Written by Cole Porter for the show Fifty Million Frenchmen. | |
| February | A. & P. Gypsies Orchestra | South Sea Rose and Only The Girl | Brunswick | Orchestra conducted by Harry Horlick. | |
| February | Nat Shilkret Orchestra | Rogue Song and When I'm Looking At You | Victor | From the musical film: The Rogue Song. | |
| February | Ben Bernie Orchestra | Crying For The Carolines and Have A Little Faith In Me | Brunswick | From the musical film: Spring Is Here. | |
| February | Waring's Pennsylvanians | Crying For The Carolines and Have A Little Faith In Me | Victor | From the musical film: Spring Is Here. | |
| February | Guy Lombardo Orchestra | Crying For The Carolines and Have A Little Faith In Me | Columbia | From the musical film: Spring Is Here. | |
| February | Victor Arden and Phil Ohman Orchestra | Should I? and A Bundle Of Old Love Letters | Victor | From the musical film: Lord Byron Of Broadway. | |
| February | Jesse Stafford Orchestra | The Woman In The Shoe and A Bundle Of Old Love Letters | Brunswick | From the musical film: Lord Byron Of Broadway. | |
| February | Paul Specht Orchestra | I'm Following You and I'm Sailing On A Sunbeam | Columbia | From the musical film: It's a Great Life. | |
| February | Rudy Vallee Orchestra | Gypsy Dream Rose and Mary, I Love Y-O-U | Victor | ||
| March | Lawrence Tibbett | The White Dove and When I'm Looking At You | Victor | Lawrence Tibbett sings his songs from the musical film: The Rogue Song; both songs accompanied orchestra directed Nathaniel (Nat) Shillkret . | |
| March | Lawrence Tibbett | The Rogue Song and The Narrative | Victor | Lawrence Tibbett sings his songs from the musical film: The Rogue Song; both songs accompanied orchestra directed Nathaniel (Nat) Shilkret . | |
| March | Ruth Etting | If He Cared and Crying For The Carolines | Columbia | From the musical films: Devil-May-Care and Spring Is Here. | |
| March | Paul Whiteman | Song Of India and Liebestraum | Columbia | Modern "up to date" versions of oldtime classics. | |
| March | Ipana Troubadours | I Want To Be Happy and Tea For Two | Columbia | From the musical film: No No Nanette. | |
| March | Victor Arden and Phil Ohman Orchestra | Strike Up the Band and Soon | Victor | Composed by George Gershwin for the musical: Strike Up the Band. | |
| March | Leo Reisman Orchestra | What Is This Thing Called Love? and She's Such a Comfort to Me | Victor | From the musical: Wake Up and Dream. | |
| March | Ben Selvin Orchestra | Why? and Cross Your Fingers | Columbia | From the Broadway musical Sons o' Guns. | |
| March | George Olsen Orchestra | T'aint No Sin and Can't You Understand? | Victor | First composed by Walter Donaldson. | |
| April | John McCormack | A Pair of Blue Eyes and I Feel You Near Me | Victor | From the musical film Song O' My Heart. | |
| April | John McCormack | The Rose of Tralee and Ireland, Mother Ireland | Victor | From the musical film Song O' My Heart; both songs accompanied orchestra directed Nathaniel (Nat Shilkret). | |
| April | Al Jolson | To My Mammy and When the Little Red Roses Get the Blues for You | Brunswick | From the musical films Mammy and Hold Everything. | |
| April | Al Jolson | Looking at You and Let Me Sing and I'm Happy | Brunswick | From the musical film Mammy. | |
| April | Brevities Male Quartet | The Woman in the Shoe and Wrapped in a Red, Red Rose | Brunswick | From the musical films Lord Byron Of Broadway and Blaze o' Glory. | |
| April | Chester Gaylord | Under a Texas Moon and When I'm Looking at You | Brunswick | From the musical films Under a Texas Moon and The Rogue Song. | |
| April | Fannie Brice | Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love and When a Woman Loves a Man | Victor | From the musical film Be Yourself!. | |
| April | Tom Gerun Orchestra | Sing, You Sinners and In My Little Hope Chest | Brunswick | From the musical film Honey. | |
| April | Bernie Cummins Orchestra | Everybody Tap and Lucky Little Devil | Victor | First song from the musical film Chasing Rainbows. | |
| April | Ben Bernie Orchestra | Song of the Bayou and Black Eyes | Victor | First song won the Victor Company's $5,000 prize for best short jazz composition. | |
| April | Ben Bernie Orchestra | Thank Your Father and Good for You, Bad for Me | Victor | From the Musical Comedy Flying High. | |
| April | Guy Lombardo Orchestra | Lazy Lou'siana Moon and The Moon is Low | Columbia | Second song from the musical film Montana Moon. | |
| April | Ipana Troubadours Orchestra | Kickin' a Hole in the Sky and Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love | Columbia | Second song from the musical film Be Yourself!. | |
| May | Ruth Etting | Ten Cents a Dance and Funny, Dear, What Love Can Do | Columbia | ||
| May | The Rondoliers | Lazy Lou'siana Moon and Should I? | Columbia | Second song from the musical film Lord Byron of Broadway. | |
| May | The High Hatters | Send for Me and Ten Cents a Dance | Victor | Orchestra conducted by Leonard Joy. RCA Victor's best selling record for May 1930. | |
| May | George Olsen Orchestra | It Happened in Monterey and Song of the Dawn | Victor | From the musical film The King of Jazz. | |
| May | Ben Bernie Orchestra | To My Mammy and Looking At You | Brunswick | From the musical film Mammy. | |
| May | Waring's Pennsylvanians | Thank Your Father and Good for You, Bad for Me | Victor | From the Musical Comedy Flying High. | |
| June | Ruth Etting | Let Me Sing and I'm Happy and A Cottage for Sale | Columbia | First song from the musical film Mammy. | |
| June | Grace Hayes | My Lover and I Like to Do Things for You | Victor | From the musical film The King of Jazz. | |
| June | Harry Richman | Thank Your Father and Without Love | Brunswick | From the musical Flying High. | |
| June | Wayne King Orchestra | On a Blue and Moonless Night and Promises | Victor | RCA Victor's best selling record for June 1930. | |
| June | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me and Livin' in the Sunlight | Columbia | From the musical film The Big Pond. | |
| June | George Olsen Orchestra | Montana Call and The Moon is Low | Victor | From the musical film Montana Moon. | |
| June | Abe Lyman Orchestra | You Will Come Back to Me and Worryin' Over You | Brunswick | ||
| June | Ipana Troubadours | Blue Is the Night and Whippoorwill | Columbia | Fist song from the musical film Their Own Desire. | |
| June | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Happy Feet and I Like to Do Things for You | Victor | From the musical film The King of Jazz. | |
| July | The Revelers | Sing You Sinners and Across the Breakfast Table Looking at You | Victor | From the musical films Honey and Mammy. | |
| July | Grace Hayes | On the Sunny Side of the Street and Exactly Like You | Victor | From Lew Leslie's International Revue. | |
| July | Ruth Etting | On the Sunny Side of the Street and It Happened in Monterey | Columbia | From Lew Leslie's International Revue and the musical film The King Of Jazz. | |
| July | Harry Richman | Ro-Ro-Rollin' Along and Dream Avenue | Columbia | The second song was composed by Harry Richman himself. | |
| July | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Rollin' down the River and Mia Cara | Victor | RCA Victor's best selling record for July 1930. Second song from the musical film The Big Pond. | |
| July | Victor Arden and Phil Ohman Orchestra | Ro-Ro-Rollin' Along and Kiss Me With Your Eyes | Victor | Second tune played by Nat Shilkret Orchestra. | |
| July | Fred Rich Orchestra | For You and Dream Avenue | Columbia | ||
| July | Isham Jones Orchestra | What's The Use? and The Song Without a Name | Brunswick | ||
| July | Lloyd Huntley and his Isle o' Blues Orchestra | On a Blue and Moonless Night and Promises | Brunswick | ||
| July | Ben Selvin Orchestra | Kiss Me With Your Eyes and You Darlin' | Columbia | ||
| August | Noah Beery | One Little Drink and The Whip | Brunswick | From the musical films Song Of The Flame and Golden Dawn. | |
| August | Ethel Waters | You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me and My Kind of A Man | Columbia | From the musical films The Big Pond and Floradora Girl. | |
| August | Colonial Club Orchestra | Out of Breath and I Am Only Human After All | Brunswick | From the Garrick Gaieties. Orchestra conducted by Bob Haring. | |
| August | Rudy Vallee Orchestra | Old New England Moon and How Come You Do Me Like You Do? | Victor | ||
| August | Henry Thies Orchestra | June Kisses and Under Vesuvian Skies | Victor | ||
| August | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Around the Corner and Bye-Bye Blues | Victor | ||
| September | Richard Crooks | L'Amour, Toujours, L'Amour and Serenade | Victor | From The Student Prince | |
| September | Bob Haring Orchestra | All Through the Night and Swingin' in a Hammock | Brunswick | ||
| September | Bert Lown Orchestra | Under the Sun It's Anyone Under the Moon It's You and Bye Bye Blues | Brunswick | ||
| September | Waring's Pennsylvanians | Little White Lies and Gee, But I'd Like to Make You Happy | Victor | Second song from the musical film Good News | |
| October | Ruth Etting | Don't Tell Her What's Happened to Me and The Kiss Waltz | Columbia | Second song from the musical film Dancing Sweeties. | |
| October | Guy Lombardo Orchestra | Go Home and Tell Your Mother and I'm Doin' That Thing | Victor | From the musical film Love in the Rough | |
| October | Hilo Hawaiian Orchestra | On a Little Street in Honolulu and All Through the Night | Victor | Orchestra conducted by Nat Shilkret. RCA Victor's best selling record for October 1930. | |
| October | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Nola and New Tiger Rag | Columbia | ||
| October | Tom Gerun Orchestra | A Big Bouquet for You and If I Could Be with You | Brunswick | ||
| October | Ozzie Nelson Orchestra | I Still Get a Thrill and Don't Mind Walking in the Rain | Brunswick | ||
| November | Libby Holman | Body and Soul and Something to Remember You By | Brunswick | From the musical Three's a Crowd. | |
| November | Aileen Stanley | Wasn't it Nice? and I'll Be Blue Just Thinking of You | Victor | ||
| November | Jacques Renard Orchestra | Sing Something Simple and Lucky Seven | Brunswick | From the musical The Little Show. | |
| November | Victor Arden and Phil Ohman Orchestra | Fine and Dandy and Can This Be Love? | Victor | From Joe Cook's musical show Fine and Dandy. | |
| November | Leo Reisman Orchestra | Body and Soul and Something to Remember You By | Victor | From the Libby Holman musical Three's a Crowd. | |
| November | Nat Shilkret Orchestra | Moonlight on the Colorado and Don't Tell Her What's Happened to Me | Victor | RCA Victor's best selling record for November 1930. | |
| December | The Revelers | Sing Something Simple and Happy Feet | Victor | Second song from the musical film The King of Jazz. | |
| December | Jack Hylton Orchestra | Body and Soul and With a Song in My Heart | Victor | Second song from the musical film Spring Is Here. First from the Libby Holman musical Three's a Crowd. | |
| December | Victor Arden and Phil Ohman Orchestra | Embraceable You and I Got Rhythm | Victor | From the George Gershwin musical Girl Crazy. | |
| December | Ipana Troubadours | Can This Be Love? and Three Little Words | Columbia | Second song from the musical film Check and Double Check. First from the musical Fine and Dandy. | |
| December | Tom Gerun Orchestra | What a Fool I've Been and After All, You're All I'm After | Victor | ||
| December | Nat Shilkret Orchestra | Bolero and La Seduccion | Brunswick | RCA Victor's best selling record for December 1930. |
Read more about 1930 In Music: Top Hits On Record, Top Blues Records, Classical Music, Opera, Musical Theater, Musical Films, Births, Deaths
Famous quotes containing the word music:
“The average educated man in America has about as much knowledge of what a political idea is as he has of the principles of counterpoint. Each is a thing used in politics or music which those fellows who practise politics or music manipulate somehow. Show him one and he will deny that it is politics at all. It must be corrupt or he will not recognize it. He has only seen dried figs. He has only thought dried thoughts. A live thought or a real idea is against the rules of his mind.”
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933)