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March 7: The Top Ten Songs
lawrencebush
March 7, 2014
Of the Top Ten Song Recordings of the 20th Century selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America on this date in 2001, five songs had Jewish authorship: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” as sung by Judy Garland (#1), by Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen; “White Christmas,” as sung by Bing Crosby (#2), by Irving Berlin; “West Side Story” (the entire cast album, #7), by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim; “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” as sung by Billy Murray (#8), music by Albert Von Tilzer; and “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” as sung by the Righteous Brothers (#10), by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Phil Spector. To see all 365 recordings selected by the NEA and RIAA, click here.
“Prior to 1989, singles were awarded with a Gold certification for sales of 1,000,000 units and a Platinum certificate for sales of 2,000,000 units. For certifications dates after January 1, 1989, a Gold award represents sales of 500,000 units and a Platinum award represents sales of 1,000,000 units.” —The Recording Industry Association of America