The NPR 100
The most important American musical works of the 20th century

  • ADAGIO FOR STRINGS, SAMUEL BARBER (prem. 1938)
  • AIN'T THAT A SHAME, words/music FATS DOMINO (1955); as performed by FATS DOMINO
  • ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND, words/music IRVING BERLIN (1911); as performed by IRVING BERLIN
  • ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL, words/music JACK LAWRENCE/ARTHUR ALTMAN (1940), as performed by FRANK SINATRA and HARRY JAMES & HIS ORCHESTRA (1943)
  • APPALACHIAN SPRING, AARON COPLAND (1944)
  • AS TIME GOES BY, words/music HERMAN HUPFELD (1931)
  • BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN, words/music RAYWHITLEY/GENE AUTRY (1939); as performed by GENE AUTRY
  • BLOWIN' IN THE WIND, words/music BOB DYLAN (1962)
  • BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY, BILL MONROE (1947)
  • BLUE SUEDE SHOES, CARL PERKINS (1956)
  • BODY & SOUL, instrumental version by COLEMAN HAWKINS (1939)
  • BORN TO RUN (LP), BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1975)
  • CHORUS LINE (musical), music MARVIN HAMLISCH/words EDWARD KLEBAN (1975)
  • COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, LORETTA LYNN (1971)
  • CRAZY, words/music by WILLIE NELSON, performed by PATSY CLINE (1961)
  • DJANGO, music JOHN LEWIS; performed by MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (1955)
  • DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME, GUS KAHN/WILBER SCHWANDT/FABIAN ANDRE performed by Kate Smith (1931); revived by Mama Cass Elliot (1963)
  • DRUMMING, STEVE REICH (1971)
  • FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (musical), SHELDON HARNICK/JERRY BOCK (1964)
  • FINE & MELLOW, words/music BILLIE HOLIDAY (1940)
  • FIRE AND RAIN, words/music JAMES TAYLOR; as performed by JAMES TAYLOR (1970)
  • FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN, music EARL SCRUGGS, performed by EARLE FLATT/ LESTER SCRUGGS and THE FOGGY MOUNTAIN BOYS (1949)
  • 4:33, JOHN CAGE (1952)
  • GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY, GEORGE M. COHAN (1904)
  • GONE WITH THE WIND (film score), MAX STEINER (1939)
  • GOOD VIBRATIONS, THE BEACH BOYS (1966)
  • GRACELAND (LP), PAUL SIMON (1986)
  • GRAND CANYON SUITE, FERDE GROFE (1931)
  • GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, JERRY LEE LEWIS (1957)
  • THE GREAT PRETENDER, THE PLATTERS (1955)
  • GUYS & DOLLS (musical), FRANK LOESSER (prem. 1950)
  • HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL, ROBERT JOHNSON (1937)
  • HELLO DOLLY (tune), words/music JERRY HERMAN; as performed by LOUIS ARMSTRONG (1964)
  • HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW, words/music C.D. MARTIN/C.H. GABRIEL; as performed by MAHALIA JACKSON (1958)
  • HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN, words/music WILLIE DIXON; as performed by MUDDY WATERS (1954)
  • HOUND DOG/DON'T BE CRUEL, words/music JERRY LEIBER/MIKE STOLLER; OTIS BLACKWELL/ELVIS PRESLEY; as performed by ELVIS PRESLEY (1956)
  • I GOT RHYTHM, GEORGE & IRA GERSHWIN (1930)
  • I WALK THE LINE, words/music JOHNNY CASH; as performed by JOHNNY CASH (1956)
  • I WANNA BE SEDATED, THE RAMONES (1977)
  • I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY, words/music HANK WILLIAMS; as performed by HANK WILLIAMS (1949)
  • IN THE MOOD, words ANDY RAZAF, music JOE GARLAND (1939), performed/recorded GLENN MILLER & HIS ORCHESTRA (1940)
  • (GOODNIGHT) IRENE, words/music HUDDIE LEDBETTER (LEAD BELLY) and JOHN LOMAX (1950), as performed by THE WEAVERS
  • KIND OF BLUE (LP), MILES DAVIS (1959)
  • KING PORTER STOMP, JELLY ROLL MORTON (1924)
  • KO KO, CHARLIE PARKER (rec. 1945)
  • LA BAMBA, words/music WILLIAM CLAUSON; as performed by RITCHIE VALENS (1958)
  • LET'S STAY TOGETHER, words/music AL GREEN/WILLIE MITCHELL/AL JACKSON; as performed by AL GREEN (1971)
  • LIGHT MY FIRE, THE DOORS (1967)
  • LIKE A ROLLING STONE, BOB DYLAN (1965)
  • A LOVE SUPREME (LP), JOHN COLTRANE (1964)
  • MACK THE KNIFE, words MARC BLITZSTEIN (after BERTOLT BRECHT)/music KURT WEILL; as performed by ELLA FITZGERALD (1960)
  • MAYBELLENE, words/music by CHUCK BERRY, RUSS FRATTO, and ALAN FREED; performed by CHUCK BERRY (1955)
  • MOOD INDIGO, DUKE ELLINGTON (1931)
  • MY FAIR LADY (musical), LERNER & LOWE (1956)
  • MY FUNNY VALENTINE, music RICHARD RODGERS/words LORENZ HART (1937)
  • MY GIRL, words/music by WILLIAM ROBINSON and RONALD WHITE; as performed by THE TEMPTATIONS (1965)
  • NIGHT & DAY, COLE PORTER (1932)
  • A NIGHT IN TUNISIA, DIZZY GILLESPIE (1946)
  • OKLAHOMA! (musical), RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN (1943)
  • ONCE IN A LIFETIME, THE TALKING HEADS (1983)
  • ONE O'CLOCK JUMP, COUNT BASIE (1938)
  • OYE COMO VA, words/music TITO PUENTE (1963); recorded by SANTANA (1971)
  • PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG, JAMES BROWN (1965)
  • PEGGY SUE, words/music JERRY ALLISON/BUDDY HOLLY/NORMAN PETTY; as recorded by BUDDY HOLLY (1957)
  • PORGY AND BESS, music GEORGE GERSHWIN/words IRA GERSHWIN/DUBOSE HEYWARD (1935)
  • PSYCHO (film score), BERNARD HERMANN (1960)
  • PURPLE HAZE, JIMI HENDRIX (1967)
  • RAPPER'S DELIGHT, SUGARHILL GANG (1979)
  • RESPECT, words/music OTIS REDDING (1965); as performed by ARETHA FRANKLIN (1967)
  • RHAPSODY IN BLUE, GEORGE GERSHWIN (1924); orchestrated FERDE GROFE (1926)
  • ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, words/music MAX FREEDMAN and JIMMY DE KNIGHT (1953); first recorded by BILL HALEY (1955)
  • ROUND MIDNIGHT, music THELONIUS MONK (1946)
  • (GET YOUR KICKS ON) ROUTE 66, words/music BOB TROUP (1946); performed by NAT KING COLE
  • ST. LOUIS BLUES, words/music W.C. HANDY (1914); as performed by BESSIE SMITH
  • SHAFT (single), ISAAC HAYES (1971)
  • SHOWBOAT (musical), HAMMERSTEIN/KERN (1927)
  • SING, SING, SING, words/music LOUIS PRIMA (1936), as performed by BENNY GOODMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA at Carnegie Hall 1938
  • SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (film musical), words/music ARTHUR FREED/NACIO HERB BROWN (1952)
  • SITTIN' ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY, words/music OTIS REDDING and STEVE CROPPER (1968); recorded by OTIS REDDING
  • SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT, NIRVANA (1991)
  • STAND BY YOUR MAN, words/music TAMMY WYNNETTE and BILLY SHERRILL (1968); as performed by TAMMY WYNNETTE
  • STARDUST, words MITCHELL PARISH/music HOAGY CARMICHAEL (1929)
  • SYMPHONY OF PSALMS, IGOR STRAVINSKY (1948)
  • TAKE FIVE, music PAUL DESMOND (1960); recorded by DAVE BRUBECK
  • TAKE MY HAND, PRECIOUS LORD, words/music THOMAS A. DORSEY (1932)
  • TAKE THE A TRAIN, BILLY STRAYHORN (1941), performed by DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA
  • TALKING BOOK (LP), STEVIE WONDER (1972)
  • TAPESTRY (LP), CAROLE KING (1971)
  • THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, WOODY GUTHRIE (1956)
  • TOM DOOLEY (traditional), arranged by DAVE GUARD (1958); as performed by THE KINGSTON TRIO
  • THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (LP), THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (1967)
  • WARNER BROS. CARTOONS, music CARL STALLINGS (1940s & 1950s)
  • WE SHALL OVERCOME, words/music ZILPHIA HORTON, FRANK HAMILTON, GUY CARAWAN, PETE SEEGER (1960); believed to have originated from C. ALBERT TINDLEY'S 1901 Baptist hymn I'LL OVERCOME SOME DAY
  • WEST END BLUES, words by CLARENCE WILLIAMS/music by JOE OLIVER (1928); as performed by LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS HOT FIVE
  • WEST SIDE STORY (musical), LEONARD BERNSTEIN/STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1957)
  • WHAT'D I SAY, RAY CHARLES (1959)
  • WHAT'S GOING ON, words/music by AL CLEVELAND, MARVIN GAYE, and RENAULDO BENSON (1970); recorded by MARVIN GAYE
  • WHITE CHRISTMAS, IRVING BERLIN (1942); as performed by BING CROSBY
  • WILDWOOD FLOWER, CARTER FAMILY (1927)
  • WIZARD OF OZ (film musical), words E.Y. HARBURG/music HAROLD ARLEN (1939)