MISCELLANEOUS

POLLS

Many of the big bands, such as Les Brown, were winners of

various magazine polls choosing the USA’s favorite dance band.

In the photo above, comedian Bob Hope, whom Brown was associated with since 1946,

presents him with an award in 1950.

ALL-AMERICAN DANCE ORCHESTRA TEAM, 1932

Choosing favorite musicians dates back to the early ‘30s.

At the invitation of Franke Burke of the Music Corporation of America (MCA), radio editors, columnists, and trade journal writers picked the members of a so-called “all-American dance orchestra,” in the form of a sports team.

Ben Bernie tied Guy Lombardo for the “band captaincy.”

left end Coon-Sanders

left tackle Vincent Lopez

left guard George Olsen

center Ted Weems

right guard Gus Arnheim

right tackle Fred Waring

right end Rudy Vallee

quarter back Guy Lombardo

left half back Ben Bernie

right half back Wayne King

full back Paul Whiteman

COLLIER’S ALL-AMERICAN SWING BAND, 1938 selected by Paul Whiteman

trumpet Louis Armstrong

trumpet Mannie Klein

trumpet Charlie Teagarden

trumpet Roy Eldridge

trombone Tommy Dorsey

trombone Jack Teagarden

trombone Jack Jenney

clarinet Benny Goodman

clarinet Artie Shaw

alto sax Jimmy Dorsey

alto sax Benny Carter

tenor sax Chu Berry

tenor sax Eddie Miller

C melody sax Frankie Trumbauer

violin Joe Venuti

violin Al Duffy

violin Matty Malneck

violin Eddie South

accordion Tito

piano Art Tatum

piano Bob Zurke

vibraharp Adrian Rollini

guitar Carl Kress

bass Bob Haggart

drums Gene Krupa

drums Ray Bauduc

ESQUIRE’S ALL-AMERICAN JAZZ BAND, 1946 Orchestra

1. Duke Ellington

2. Woody Herman

3. Count Basie

4. Lionel Hampton

5. Cootie Williams

6. Edmond Hall

7. Miff Mole

8. Benny Goodman

ORCHESTRA WORLD’S 1943 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Orchestra Leaders

1. Harry James

2. Benny Goodman

3. Jimmy Dorsey

4. Charlie Spivak

5. Duke Ellington

6. Les Brown

7. Woody Herman

8. Jimmie Lunceford

9. Stan Kenton

10. Gene Krupa

11. Jan Savitt

12. Count Basie

13. Lionel Hampton

14. Vaughn Monroe

15. Bob Allen

Musicians

1. Frankie Carle

2. Corky Corcoran

3. Benny Goodman

4. Jimmy Dorsey

5. Harry James

6. Gene Krupa

7. Rex Stewart

8. Ziggy Talent

9. Count Basie

10. Barney Bigard

PARAMOUNT THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY POLL, 1936 1. Benny Goodman

2. Tommy Dorsey

3. Sammy Kaye

4. Guy Lombardo

5. Kay Kyser

6. Larry Clinton

7. Gene Krupa

8. Eddy Duchin

9. Hal Kemp

10. Glen Gray

PARAMOUNT THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY POLL, 1937 1. Benny Goodman

2. Guy Lombardo

3. Shep Fields

4. Tommy Dorsey

5. Eddy Duchin

6. Horace Heidt

7. Fred Waring

8. Hal Kemp

9. Glen Gray

10. Sammy Kaye

PARAMOUNT THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY POLL, 1938

1. Guy Lombardo

2. Glen Gray

3. Fred Waring

4. Benny Goodman

5. Shep Fields

6. Hal Kemp

7. Eddy Duchin

8. Louis Armstrong

9. Rudy Vallee

10. Ray Noble

SOURCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“2d Yearly Music-Wax Poll: Count Based On Weekly Tabulations,” Billboard, Jan. 3, 1948, p.3+.

“1942 Band Poll Results,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1943.

“1943 Band Poll Results,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1944.

“1946 Music-Disk Toppers Billboard’s First Annual Count,” Billboard, Jan. 4, 1947, p.3+.

“Anklet Brigade Votes Faves - Upsets Few in 2d Polling,” Billboard, June 9, 1945, p.3+.

“Band Poll-News,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1946.

“Band Poll-News,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1947.

“Band Poll Results,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1941.

“Band Poll Results,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1942.

“Ben Bernie Ties Lombardo For Captaincy: Four of Eleven Play Over W-G-N,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 17, 1932, p.C4.

“Beneke Cops WNEW Poll,” Billboard, Feb. 8, 1947, p.15.

“BG Crowned King Fifth Time: Tommy Dorsey Sweet Winner, Krupa on Tubs,” Down Beat, Vol.11 No.1 / Jan. 1, 1944, p.1+.

“Billboard Fourth Annual Music-Record Poll,” Billboard / The Billboard Juke Box Supplement, Mar. 4, 1950, p.13+.

“Campus Crowns King: Clarinet Sill Fave Symbol as Artie Shaw Tops College Faves,” Billboard, Apr. 15, 1939, p.1+.

“Campus Ork And Chirp Poll: Monroe Band Ousts Kenton From Top,” Billboard, June 11, 1949, p.3+.

“Campus Ork, Chirp Champs: Kenton Again Wins in 10th College Poll,” Billboard, Apr. 3, 1948, p.3+.

“The Campus Takes A Vote,” Billboard, May 4, 1940, p.11.

“Choice Of U.S. Campus: J. Dorsey and Vaughn Monroe Break the Tape Fifth and Sixth,” Billboard, Apr. 25, 1942, p.19.

“College Kids Crown James: Campus Pick Caps Tootler’s Horn o’Plenty,” Billboard, May 29, 1943, p.3+.

“Colleges Confirm Other BB Polls: Cap, Gowners In the Groove,” Billboard, Jul. 21, 1945, p.3+.

“

“Complete Contest Standings,” Metronome, Jul. 1939.

“Contest Results,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1940, p.12.

“Complete Totals Of All Bands In Contest,” Metronome, Aug. 1940.

“Ellington Wins Swing Poll: Tommy Dorsey Best in Sweet, Shaw Wins, Too,” Down Beat, Vol.10 No.1 / Jan. 1, 1943, p.1+.

Esquire’s 1946 Jazz Book (New York City: A.S. Barnes & Company, 1946).

“Final Results of Band Contest,” Down Beat, Jan. 1939, p.10?.

“First Annual Jockey Poll,” Billboard, Aug. 2, 1947, p.19.

“Final Standings In Metronome’s 1938 Dance Band Contest,” Metronome, Jul. 1938, p.12.

“Final Standings Of Bands In All Divisions,” Metronome, Jul. 1937, p.14.

“First High-School Music Poll: Nation’s Kids Tab Leaders,” Billboard, June 3, 1944, p.1+.

“For Service, Quality Ideas: Ork Leaders, Flacks Best In Promotion,” Billboard, Aug. 9, 1947, p.19.

“GI’s Tab Their Favorites,” Billboard, Sept. 16, 1944, p.12.

“G.I.’s Vote 1945 Music Faves: T.D. Tabbed No.1 Band,” Billboard, Jul. 14, 1945, p.3+.

“James, Sinatra & Stafford Win In Block Poll,” Billboard, Feb. 10, 1945,. P.20.

“Last Years Winners,” Down Beat, Oct. 1937, p.8.

“Miller Heads Disk List; Kyser 2d; James 3d; 4 War Songs in Top 20,” Billboard, Jan. 2, 1943, p.48.

“Miller Keeps the Crown,” Billboard, Apr. 26, 1941, p.1+.

“Miller Tops New Block-WNEW Poll,” Billboard, Feb. 10, 1940, p.13.

“’Most Promising’ New Orks: 8th Annual College Poll - - - Part 2,” Billboard, Jul. 13, 1946, p.15.

“New Deal In Music Menu: The Billboard’s 8th Annual Cap and Gown Survey Orders Band - Singer Reshuffling,” Billboard, June 6, 1946, p.3+.

M.H. Orodenker. “Swing Tops But Weakening: Dorsey’s Sweet Swing Crowds Goodman in College Music Poll,” Billboard, Apr. 16, 1938, pp.11-12.

Popa Family Collection.

“Rah-Rah Set’s Mujsic Picks: Colleges Keep Frankie, Bing, Perry On Top,” Billboard, Jul. 12, 1947, p.3+.

“Second Annual Disc Jockey Poll,” Billboard, Oct. 2, 1948, p.11+.

“Shaw Cops WPEN Air Poll, Clinton 2d,” Billboard, Jan. 28, 1939, p.11.

“Spivak Tops TD, The Duke Wins, Bing New Voice,” Down Beat, Jan. 1, 1945.

“Swing Music Still on Top,” Billboard, Feb. 25, 1939, p.1.

“Two Most Promising Orks,” Billboard, May 9, 1942, p.3+.

“Up-And-Coming Maestri: 51 Universities Divided Among Top Three Most Promising Orks,” Billboard, May 10, 1941, p.10.

Paul Whiteman. “The All-American Swing Band,” Collier’s, Sept. 10, 1938.

“Who Are The Greatest Musicians Of The Year,” Down Beat, Oct. 1937, p.8.

IMAGE ATTRIBUTION

Bob1951 (45worlds.com)

Rex Hardy, Jr.

Glenn Miller Archives, American Music Research Center, University of Colorado-Boulder, on behalf of The Glenn Miller Estate

Nexstar Media Group

Popa Family Collection

PoPsie Randolph

Susanne Schapowalow

Maurice Seymour

Time Warner Inc.