These are the Theme Songs of many of the Big Bands in the 1930s and 40s. They are listed in alphabetical order by last name of the band (since the majority of bands were named after their leader).

Sometimes bands had more than one theme. There were some that had one theme for an opener (open) and another theme for a closer (close). Some bands changed their theme songs for no apparent reason, or because during the ASCAP music strike, they weren't allowed to play them. When you see (early) next to a song, that means this was originally the theme song, but was later changed to the main song which is listed first. When you see (later) next to a song, it means that there was the main theme song (listed first), but later, the band changed the song.

Another thing to keep in mind is that they did not have the copyright laws on songs that there are now. Many times, a band would perform a song, and later, another band would perform the same song with a different arrangement. Some songs were performed by several bands, all arranged differently.

Bands with a star (*) next to them are the biggest of the big bands during the era. (In case you are wondering why Louis Armstrong does not have a star, it's because while Louis was fantastic, impressive, super, etc., his work was mostly done with all-star jazz groups, small outfits, or in duets. He is not considered to be a big band leader, but a great jazz musician on his own.)

Irving Aaronson: "Commanderism"
Van Alexander: "Alexander's Swinging"
Barclay Allen: "Cumana"
Ray Anthony: "The Man with the Horn"
Louis Armstrong: "When It's Sleepy Time Down South"
Desi Arnaz: "Cuban Pete"
Gus Arnheim: "Sweet and Lovely"
Zinn Arthur: "Darling"
Georgie Auld: "I've Got a Right to Know"
Mitchell Ayres: "You Go to My Head"

*Charlie Barnet: "Cherokee", "Red Skin Rumba", "I Lost Another Sweetheart" (early)
Blue Barron: "Sometimes I'm Happy"
*Count Basie: "One O'Clock Jump"
*Bunny Berigan: "I Can't Get Started"
Ben Bernie: "It's a Lonesome Old Town" (open), "Au Revoir, Pleasant Dreams" (close)
Archie Bleyer: "Business in 'F' "
Bert Block: "Moonglow"
Johnny Bothwell: "Sleepy Alto"
*Will Bradley: "Think of Me" (open), "Strange Cargo" (close)
Tiny Bradshaw: "Fascination"
Nat Brandwynne: "If Stars Could Talk"
Lou Breese: "Breezing Along with the Breeze"
Ace Brigode: "Carry Me Back to Ol' Virginny"
Randy Brooks: "Holiday Forever"
*Les Brown: "Leap Frog" (open), "Sentimental Journey" (close), "Dance of the Blue Devils" (early)
Willie Bryant: "It's Over Because We're Through"
Sonny Burke: "Blue Sonata"
Henry Busse: "Hop Lips" (open), "When Day Is Done" (close)
Billy Butterfield: "What's New"
*Bobby Byrne: "Danny Boy"

*Cab Calloway: "Minnie the Moocher"
*Frankie Carle: "Sunrise Serenade"
*Benny Carter: "Melancholy Lullaby"
Carmen Cavallaro: "My Sentimental Heart"
*Casa Loma: see Glen Gray
*Bob Chester: "Sunburst"
*Larry Clinton: "The Dipsy Doodle"
Del Courtney: "Three Shades of Blue"
*Bob Crosby: "Summertime"
*Xavier Cugat: "My Shawl"
Bernie Cummins: "Dark Eyes"

Jack Denny: "Under the Stars"
Emery Deutsch: "When a Gypsy Makes His Violin Cry
Frank Devol: "Dream Awhile"
Al Donahue: "Lowdown Rhythm in a Top Hat"
Sam Donahue: "I Never Knew"
*Dorsey Brothers (Jimmy & Tommy): "Sandman"
*Jimmy Dorsey: "Contrasts"
*Tommy Dorsey: "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You"
Saxie Dowell: "Three Little Fishes"
*Eddy Duchin: "My Twilight Dream"
*Sonny Dunham: "Memories of You"

Ray Eberle: "Serenade in Blue"
Les Elgart: "The Dancing Sound"
*Duke Ellington: "Take the 'A' Train", "East St. Louis Toodle-oo" (early)
Skinnay Ennis: "Got a Date with an Angel"

Willie Farmer: "Farmer in the Dell"
Happy Felton: "I Want to Be Happy"
*Shep Fields: "Rippling Rhythm", "Ritual Fire Dance" (all reed orchestra)
Jack Fina: "Dream Sonata"
Ted Fio Rito: "Rio Rita"
Ralph Flanagan: "Singing Winds"
Chuck Foster: "Oh, You Beautiful Doll"
Larry Funk: "Rose of Washington Square"

Jan Garber: "My Dear"
Glenn Garr: "I Love You Truly"
*Benny Goodman: "Let's Dance" (open), "Goodbye" (close)
Gray Gordan: "One Minute to One"
*Glen Gray: "Smoke Rings", "Was I to Blame for Falling in Love with You" (early)
Jerry Gray: "Desert Serenade"
Johnny Green: "Hello, My Lover, Goodbye"
Jimmie Grier: "Music in the Moonlight"

Bobby Hackett: "Embraceable You"
*George Hall: "Love Letters in the Sand"
Sleepy Hall: "Sleepy-Time Gal"
*Mal Hallett: "Boston Tea Party"
Johnny Hamp: "My Old Kentucky Home"
*Lionel Hampton: "Flying Home"
Phil Harris: "Rose Room"
Coleman Hawkins: "Body and Soul"
Erskine Hawkins: "Tuxedo Junction"
Edgar Hayes: "Star Dust"
Joe Haymes: "Midnight"
Ted Heath: "Listen to My Music"
Neal Hefti: "Coral Reef"
*Horace Heidt: "I'll Love You in My Dreams"
*Fletcher Henderson: "Christopher Columbus"
Skitch Henderson: "Anita"
Ray Herbeck: "Romance"
*Woody Herman: "Blue Flame", "Blue Prelude" (early)
Art Hickman: "Rose Room"
Teddy Hill: "Uptown Rhapsody"
Tiny Hill: "Angry"
Richard Himber: "It Isn't Fair"
*Earl Hines: "Deep Forest"
Les Hite: "It Must Have Been a Dream"
Carl Hoff: "I Could Use a Dream"
Claude Hopkins: "I Would Do Anything for You"
Eddy Howard: "Careless" (open), "So Long for Now" (close)
Dean Hudson: "Moon Over Miami"
*Hudson-DeLange (Will & Eddie): "Eight Bars in Search of a Melody"
Will Hudson:"Hobo on Park Avenue"
*Ina Ray Hutton: "Gotta Have Your Love"
Jack Hylton: "She Shall Have Music"

*Harry James: "Ciribiribin"
Art Jarrett: "Everything's Been Done Before"
Jack Jenney: "City Night"
Henry Jerome: "Night Is Gone", "Nice People" (later)
*Isham Jones: "You're Just a Dream Come True"
Jimmy Joy: "Shine On, Harvest Moon"
*Dick Jurgens: "Day Dreams Come True at Night

Art Kassel: "Hell's Bells", "Doodle Doo Doo" (early)
Al Kavelin: "Love Has Gone"
Herbie Kaye: "Violets"
*Sammy Kaye: "Kaye's Melody"
*Hal Kemp: "Got a Date with an Angel" (open), "(How I'll Miss You) When the Summer is Gone" (close)
*Stan Kenton: "Artistry in Rhythm"
Henry King: "A Blues Serenade"
*Wayne King: "The Waltz You Saved for Me"
*Andy Kirk: "Until the Real Thing Comes Along", "Clouds" (early)
Orville Knapp: "Accent on Youth"
*Gene Krupa: "Starburst", "Apurksody" (early)
*Kay Kyser: "Thinking of You"

*Elliot Lawrence: "Heart to Heart"
Ted Lewis: "When My Baby Smiles At Me"
Enoch Light: "You're the Only Star"
Little Jack Little: "Little By Little"
*Guy Lombardo: "Auld Lang Syne"
*Johnny Long: "The White Star of Sigma Nu"
Vincent Lopez: "Nola"
Bert Lown: "Bye Bye Blues"
*Jimmie Lunceford: "Uptown Blues", "Jazznocracy" (early)
Abe Lyman: "California, Here I Come"

Wingy Manone: "Isle of Capri"
Ralph Marterie: "Trumpeter's Lullaby"
*Freddy Martin: "Tonight We Love", "Bye Lo Bye Lullaby" (early)
Frankie Masters: "Scatterbrain"
Billy May: "Lean Baby"
Clyde McCoy: "Sugar Blues"
*Hal McIntyre: "Moon Mist"
*Ray McKinley: "Howdy, Friends"
Johnny Messner: "Can't We Be Friends"
Eddie Miller: "Lazy Mood"
*Glenn Miller: "Moonlight Serenade", "Slumber Song" (during ASCAP ban)
Lucky Millinder: "Ride, Red, Ride"
*Vaughn Monroe: "Racing with the Moon"
Art Mooney: "Sunset to Sunrise"
*Russ Morgan: "Does Your Heart Beat for Me"
Buddy Morrow: "Night Train"
Benny Moten: "South"

*Ozzie Nelson: "Loyal Sons of Rutgers"
*Red Nichols: "Wail of the Winds"
Leighton Noble: "I'll See You in My Dreams"
*Ray Noble: "The Very Thought of You" (open), "Goodnight, Sweetheart" (close)
*Red Norvo: "Mr. and Mrs. Swing"

George Olsen: "Beyond the Blue Horizon"
Will Osborn: "The Gentleman Awaits"
Harry Owens: "Sweet Leilani"

Louis Panico: "Wabash Blues"
*Tony Pastor: "Blossoms"
*Ben Pollack: "Song of the Islands"
*Teddy Powell: "Sans Culottes"
*Louis Prima: "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans"

*Boyd Raeburn: "Raeburn's Theme" (bits of "There is No You" and "Dalvatore Sally"), "Moonlight on Melody Hill" (early)
Barney Rapp: "Skater's Waltz"
Carl Ravazza: "Vieni Su"
Don Redman: "Chant of the Weed"
Joe Reichman: "Variations in 'G' "
Leo Reisman: "What is This Thing Called Love"
*Alvino Rey: "Blue Rey" (open), "Nighty Night" (close)
Tommy Reynolds: "Pipe Dreams"
*Buddy Rich: "Rain on the Roof"
Johnny Richards: "Young at Heart"
Buddy Rogers: "My Buddy"
Luis Russell: "New Call of the Freaks"

Joe Sanders: "I Found a Rose in the Snow" (open), "Nighty Night, Dear" (close)
Sauter-Finegan (Eddie & Bill): "Doodletown Fifers"
*Jan Savitt: "Quaker City Jazz"
Savoy Sultans: "Jumpin' at the Savoy"
*Raymond Scott: "Pretty Little Petticoat"
*Artie Shaw: "Nightmare"
Bobby Sherwood: "Elks' Parade"
Noble Sissle: "Hello, Sweetheart, Hello", "I'm Just Wild About Harry"
Freddie Slack: "Strange Cargo"
Harry Sosnick: "Lazy Rhapsody"
Muggsy Spanier: "Relaxin' a the Touro"
Phil Spitalny: "My Isle of Golden Dreams"
*Charlie Spivak: "Stardreams"
Dike Stabile: "Blue Nocturne"
Harold Stern: "Now That It's All Over
Ted Straeter: "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World"

*Jack Teagarden: "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues"
*Claude Thornhill: "Snowfall"
Paul Tremaine: "Lonely Acres"
Frankie Trumbauer: "Singin' the Blues"
Orrin Tucker: "Drifting and Dreaming"
Tommy Tucker: "I Love You (Oh How I Love You)"

Rudy Vallee: "My Time is Your Time"
Joe Venuti: "Last Night"

Fred Waring: "Sleep"
*Chick Webb: "Let's Get Together"
Anson Weeks: "I'm Writing You This Little Melody"
*Ted Weems: "Out of the Night"
*Lawrence Welk: "Bubbles in the Wine"
*Paul Whiteman: "Rhapsody in Blue"
Griff Williams: "Dream Music"
Bob Wills: "San Antonio Rose"
Teddy Wilson: "Jumpin' on the Blacks and Whites"

Sterling Young: "Blue is the Night"

Si Zentner: "Up the Lazy River"
Bob Zurke: "Hobson Street Blues"

Info taken from: The Big Bands by George T. Simon, 1967, 1981 (Schirmer Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., NY; ISBN: 0-02-872420-8).