There would be no charts and therefore no Zany Charts if Billboard hadn’t made the glorious and innovative decision to document America’s best selling records in a handy weekly list simply named the Best Selling Retail Records 68 years ago. Now Billboard hosts about a gajillion charts selected by theme and genre, it boggles the mind. The Forties were a simpler time, there was only one chart that gave the readers the most popular records in one glimpse. Every self-respecting music magazine all over the world has followed suit since then, and has given us the opportunity to poke fun, scrutinize, and analyze these lists of songs. But it all started with this first chart from the 27th of July 1940.

1 Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra & The Pied Pipers – I’ll Never Smile Again
2 Jimmy Dorsey with Bob Eberly – The Breeze And I
3 Glenn Miller with Ray Eberle – Imagination
4 Kay Kyser with Sully Mason/Trio – Playmates
5 Glenn Miller with Ray Eberle – Fools Rush In
6 Charlie Barnet with Mary Ann McCall – Where Was I?
7 Glenn Miller – Pennsylvania 6-5000
8 Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra – Imagination
9 Bing Crosby – Sierra Sue
10 Mitchell Ayres with Mary Ann Mercer – Make-Believe Island

It’s a regular Big Band-a-palooza! With the exception of Bing Crosby these songs are all credited to the, then extremely popular, conductors and their orchestras. Now the vocalists take center stage, but back then the Big Band conductor was the one that got top billing. This is why different versions of “Imagination” can occur in the same chart. I wonder if there was any rivalry between those that favored the Tommy Dorsey version and the Glenn Miller fans. I imagine Big Band Offs, where the two groups would stand across from each other with their record players and play the different songs while heckling the other side. The sweet and dreamy “I’ll Never Smile Again”, was a huge hit. It topped the charts for 12 whole weeks, but it was only one of forty songs the twenty-five year old Frank Sinatra recorded with Tommy Dorsey. My favorite song here is “Pennsylvania 6-5000″, I LOVE everything about it. It’s to Big Band what The Champs’ “Tequila” is to Rock ‘n Roll, but with the added bonus of a ringing phone.