'40s Pop

Considering that Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time, it's a must-have, but hearing Frank Sinatra in his pre-prime youth is also a revelation for the uninitiated. A little "Rum and Coca-Cola," then popular as both as a drink and a tune, complements the set nicely.

Now it's time to take a "Sentimental Journey" with Les Brown and His Band of Renown, or, should your tastes prove a little jazzier, "Take the 'A' Train" with Duke Ellington. Kay Kyser weighs in on the lighter side with the "Woody Woodpecker Song," with Gloria Wood (of course) on v-v-v-vocals.

The '40s wasn't exclusively about big bands, though, and singers such as Dean Martin and Doris Day, who hit their stride in the '50s, waxed a few gems in the immediate post-war years. So did artists like the Mills Brothers and Al Jolson, whose careers were in their twilight years.

The Depression was fading in the rearview mirror, the Axis was on the run, and the Atomic Age was just about to dawn with a very bright light. Back on the home front, big bands were the order of the day, from the substantive, like Glenn Miller's and the Dorsey Brothers, to the just plain nutty, such as Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge and Spike Jones. Praise the Lord, and pass the musical ammunition!