Why moon songs? On June 25, the book review at the Albany Public Library was about Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are by Rebecca Boyle. The reviewer was Sherrie Lyons, PhD, science historian & author of From Cells to Organisms: Re-envisioning Cell Theory (2020).
The book discussed how failing to fully understand the effects of the moon’s tidal puls led to military disasters. Early civilizations used the phases of the Moon to measure time, which allowed people to become more than hunter/gatherers. Of course, the Apollo missions changed humans’ relationship with the satellite.
On the 55th anniversary of the landing of Armstrong and Aldrin onto the lunar surface, it seems appropriate to post some songs starting with the word Moon. And not Moonlight or Moonglow. Maybe for the 60th anniversary. I’ve ignored the ones that hit #1 because they have or will show up in those annual music reviews. The sources, as usual, are Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories, 1890-1954, and his Top Pop Singles, 2008 edition.
The songs
Moon At Sea – Cab Calloway, #19 in 1937
Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed – Freddy Martin, #14 in 1947. The version by Benny Goodman and Johnny Mercer went to #21 the same year. Written by Langston Hughes and Kurt Weill?
Moon Fell In The River – Guy Lombardo with Carmen Lombardo on vocals- #22 in 1941
Moon Glow – Duke Ellington, #2 in 1934. I already linked to the #1 version by Benny Goodman from that year. Cab Calloway (#7) and Glen Gray (#8) also charted that year. Goodman also went to #8 in 1936.
Moon Got In My Eyes – Shep Fields, vocals by Bob Goday #11 in 1937. A very nosy version, unfortunately. I skipped over the #1 version by Bing Crosby the same year.
Moon Has His Eyes On You -Frank Stanley and Corinne Morgan,#4 in 1906 it was also covered by Ada Jones the same year.
Moon Is A Silver Dollar – Lawrence Welk, #7 in 1939
Moon Is Blue – the Sauter Finnegan Orchestra with Sally Sweetland, #20 in 1953
Moon Is Low – George Olson, Fran Frey on vocals, #7 in 1930
Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder – Michael Johnson, a non-single from 1987
Moon Love – Al Donahue, with vocal by Paula Kelly #7 in 1939. Adapted from the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony. I skipped over the #1 version by Glenn Miller the same year. Also that year Paul Whiteman went to #8 and Mildred Bailey went to #14
Moon Of Manakoora – Bing Crosby and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, #10 in 1938. Ray Noble also went to #15 the same year.
Moon On My Pillow – Jimmy Dorsey with Teddy Waiters (?) on vocals, #29 in 1944
Moon over everywhere!
Moon Over Burma – Shep Fields with Dorothy Allen, #26 in 1940. It also went to #23 in 1949 by Gene Krupa
Moon Over Dixie -Duke Ellington, #14 in 1932
Moon Over Miami – Connie Boswell, #19 in 1935. It also went to #1 by Eddie Duchin, #5 by Jan Garber, and #14 by Art Karle, all in 1936.
Moon Over Naples – Bert Kaempfert, #58 in 1965. Wait a minute – this is Spanish Eyes!
Moon River – Jerry Butler, #11 in 1961. Henry Mancini also went to #11 that year. The classic by Andy Williams recorded in 1962 was not a single
Moon Shadow – Cat Stevens, #30 in 1971
Moon Song – Wayne King, #3 in 1933. Also in ’33, it went to #5 by Jack Denny and #6 by Art Kassel
Moon Talk – Perry Como, #28 in 1958
Moon Walk – Joe Simon, #54 in 1970
Moon Was Yellow (And The Night Was Young) – Bing Crosby, #13 in 1934 It was also covered by Frank Sinatra, #99 in 1962