Sinatra’s Best: Frank Sinatra’s Top 10 Songs
image from November 28, 1957 issue of Down Beat Magazine
Introduction
Frank Sinatra was a very successful jazz artist who paved the way for many artists that came after him. According to Britannica, Sinatra is regularly referred to as the “greatest American singer of 20th century popular music”. Over the course of his career, Sinatra was featured in over 1,400 recordings, according to Grammy Museum. However, some of these songs are better than others. This list is comprised of my personal top 10 favorites.
10. “The Way You Look Tonight”
At spot ten, “The Way You Look Tonight” is a light, quirky song. The melody starts out with a series of staccato brass notes. While Sinatra did not write this piece, his interpretation of it was highly praised by many listeners. According to Apple Music, the song was originally written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.
(The image is from Apple Music).
9. “The World We Knew (Over and Over)”
The number nine song ,”The World We Knew (Over and Over)”, starts out slow and soft, telling a story. The song builds up to a beautiful climax about halfway through the piece. Though, Sinatra did not write this song. According to Apple Music, the song was written by Bert Kaempfert, Herbert Rehbein, and Carl Sigman.
(The image is from Apple Music).
8. “That’s Life”
This song has a laid back feel with strong swing rhythms. Once again, this song was not written by Frank Sinatra, and was instead written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon (according to Apple Music).
(This image is from Apple Music).
7. “Blue Skies”
“Blue Skies” features a happy motto repeated in the key of F (according to karaoke-version.com). Details from Apple Music show that the original writer of the song was Irving Berlin, though Sinatra was featured in a lovely cover of the piece.
(This image is from Apple Music).
6. “My Way”
In this song, Sinatra outlines an inspiring story and motivation to get up again after life makes you take a tumble. This is the first song on the list that is actually a Frank Sinatra signature song, written for him by Paul Anka (according to Apple Music).
(The image is from Apple Music).
5. “Come Fly With Me”
This song displays a loving and laid back set of lyrics. Additionally, the song has an intriguing staccato brass feature. This is also a Frank Sinatra signature song which was written for Sinatra by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, according to Apple Music.
(This image is from Apple Music).
4. “The Girl From Ipanema”
This romantic melody tells the story of a lovestruck man noticing a woman in Ipanema, Brazil. According to Apple Music, the song was originally written and performed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes. However, when Frank Sinatra recorded it, he performed it as a duet with Antônio Carlos Jobim.
(The image is from Apple Music).
3. “Fly Me to the Moon”
This Sinatra song is a famous cover that tells the listeners about a love that is out of this world. The song was written by Bart Howard, and it was originally recorded by Kaye Ballard (according to songhall.org). Sinatra recorded this song as a duet with Count Basie and His Orchestra, according to Apple Music.
(This image is from Apple Music).
2. “Somethin’ Stupid”
This heart-wrenching number 2 song is a duet that was recorded by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy. The song was written by C. Carson Parks, and it was originally recorded by Parks and his wife, Gaile. Sinatra’s cover of the song became a number one hit on the U.S. singles chart for 4 straight weeks in 1967 (says thecurrent.org).
(The image is from Apple Music).
1. “Strangers In The Night”
And finally, at the number one spot, we have “Strangers In The Night”. This glorious song is set up by beautiful instrumentation that features an extraordinary french horn rip. The song tells an alluring story of two strangers who shared a magical, romantic evening together. According to udiscovermusic.com, “The song was written by popular German orchestra leader Bert Kaempfert, with English lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder”. Sinatra helped popularize this song when he released his recording in 1966 (according to Apple Music).
(The image is from Apple Music).
Conclusion
In summary, Frank Sinatra was a very talented artist who moved his listeners with the emotions he portrayed in his songs. While he did not write many of his own songs, his covers and interpretations of the pieces he sang were impeccable. Over the years, Sinatra recorded many popular songs that drew in many listeners. The legacy of Frank Sinatra lives on in his music.