Top 10 Jazz Songs of All Time

Here are the top 10 Jazz songs of all time, as voted by the readers of JazzTimes magazine.

1. “So What” – Miles Davis
2. “Take Five” – Dave Brubeck
3. “A Love Supreme” – John Coltrane
4. “Kind of Blue” – Miles Davis
5. “Mood Indigo” – Duke Ellington
6. “In a Sentimental Mood” – Duke Ellington
7.

Introduction

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as “America’s classical music”. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime, as well as European military band music. Intellectuals around the world have hailed jazz as “one of America’s original art forms”.

The Birth of Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime. Although the foundation of jazz is deeply rooted within the black experience of America, jazz has always been a melting pot of musical ideas.

The Evolution of Jazz

Since its humble beginnings in the early 20th century, jazz has evolved into one of the most popular and influential musical genres of all time. Over the years, many different artists have added their own unique flavor to the genre, resulting in a wide range of different styles.

Whether you prefer the smooth sounds of Miles Davis or the upfront vibes of John Coltrane, there’s sure to be a jazz song out there that you’ll enjoy. To help you find the perfect one, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 greatest jazz songs of all time.

The Jazz Age

The Jazz Age was a post-World War I movement in the 1920s from which jazz music and dance emerged. It reached its height in the Roaring Twenties, a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Paris, Berlin and London.

The Jazz Age is often referred to as the Golden Age of Jazz and it coincided with the Prohibition era in the United States, when alcohol was made illegal. This created a booming underground speakeasy culture where jazz thrived. Because of its association with this illicit activity, jazz was often seen as rebellious and cutting-edge, perfect for young people looking to challenge social norms.

While early jazz was heavily influenced by blues and ragtime, it quickly developed into its own unique style that incorporated improvisation and syncopated rhythms. Jazz became hugely popular in the 1920s, with famous bandleaders such as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman leading the way. But it wasn’t just bandleaders who were responsible for making jazz such a success – there were also many talented individual musicians who helped to shape the sound of jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Ella Fitzgerald.

If you’re looking to explore the best of Jazz Age music, then check out our list of the top 10 Jazz songs of all time…

The Swing Era

The Swing Era is considered to be one of the most important periods in Jazz history. It began in the early 1930s and ended in the late 1940s. During this time, big band Swing music became very popular, and many of the greatest Jazz musicians emerged. If you’re a fan of Jazz, then you’re sure to enjoy this list of the top 10 Jazz songs of all time from the Swing Era.

Bebop

Bebop was developed in the early and mid-1940s. Its key feature is a fast tempo, often around 300 beats per minute (bpm). This is too fast for the average person to dance to, but perfect for the skilled dancers who were developing new moves such as the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug. The other key feature of bebop was improvisation. Musicians would take turns soloing, while the rest of the band played a simple rhythm backing them up.

Hard Bop

Hard Bop is a subgenre of jazz that developed in the mid-1950s, partly as a reaction against the dominance of cool jazz in the 1950s. Hard bop merged elements of bebop, hard swing, and rhythm and blues. Hard bop eschewed some of bebop’s harmonic abstraction and center on more melodies tunes and direct emotions.

The hard bop style introduced Jazz to a new generation of listeners in the 1950s and 1960s. Musicians associated with hard bop include Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell, Lee Morgan, Phil Woods and Grant Green.

Modal Jazz

Modal jazz is Jazz that uses musical modes rather than chord progressions as a harmonic framework.Modal jazz developed in the late 1950s, with the composition “So What” by Miles Davis heralding a new era in Jazz, owing to its use of modality.

The sort of scales that modal jazz composed in include the Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian modes. These scales have a different sound than major or minor scales, and give modal Jazz compositions a unique flavor. Notable modal Jazz tunes include “So What” by Miles Davis, “Impressions” by John Coltrane, and “Modes for Joe” by Woody Shaw.

Free Jazz

In the 1960s, a new form of jazz arose that was more experimental than anything that had come before. This “free jazz” incorporated elements of other genres, including rock and roll, and expanded the boundaries of what could be considered jazz. Here are 10 of the best free jazz songs of all time.

1. “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane
2. “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis
3. “Chasin’ the Trane” byJohn Coltrane
4. “Naima” by John Coltrane
5. “Ornithology” by Charlie Parker
6. “Outside Chance” by Thelonious Monk
7. “Psalm” by John Coltrane
8. “So What” by Miles Davis
9. “Spain” by Chick Corea
10. “The fire next time” by Archie Shepp

Jazz Fusion

In the 1970s, jazz musicians began to mix jazz with rock music, creating a new genre called jazz fusion. Jazz fusion songs are often characterized by a heavy rhythm section, extended improvisation, and complex chord progressions. If you’re a fan of Jazz fusion, check out our list of the top 10 jazz fusion songs of all time.

1. “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis
2. “Spanish Key” by Miles Davis
3. “Maiden Voyage” by Herbie Hancock
4. “Hang Up Your Hang Ups” by Herbie Hancock
5. “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock
6. “Baddest” by Funkadelic
7. “Stratus” by Billy Cobham
8. “Red Clay” by Freddie Hubbard
9. “ncestral Radioactivity Suite Part 1&2 (Railroad Track / Big Train)” by Sun Ra Arkestra
10. “There Comes a Time” by Return to Forever