American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950

by Alec Wilder, Gene Lees (Foreword), James T. Maher (Editor)

When Alec Wilder's American Popular Song first appeared, it was almost universally hailed--from The New York Times to The New Yorker to Down Beat --as the definitive account of the classic era of American popular music. It has since become the standard work of the great songwriters who dominated popular music in the United States for half a century. Now Wilder's classic is available again, with a new introduction by Gene Lees.
Uniquely analytical yet engagingly informal, American Popular Song focuses on the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic qualities that distinguish American popular music and have made it an authentic art form. Wilder traces the roots of the American style to the ragtime music of the 1890s, shows how it was incorporated into mainstream popular music after 1900, and then surveys the careers of every major songwriter from World War I to 1950. Wilder devotes desparate chapters to such greats as Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, and Harold Arlen. Illustrated with over seven hundred musical examples, Wilder's sensitive analyses of the most distinctive, creative, and original songs of this period reveal unexpected beauties in songs long forgotten and delightful subtleties in many familiar standards. The result is a definitive treatment of a strangely unsung and uniquely American art.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Americana, Jazz, Reference

576 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1972

About the author

Born Alexander Lafayette Chew Wilder in Rochester, New York, to a wealthy banking family. He was an avid letter-writer. His bouts of drinking often tested the limits of his lifelong friendships.

He was largely self-taught as a composer studing briefly at his hometown's Eastman School of Music in the 1920s, but left without completing his degree. While there, he edited a humor magazine and scored music for short films directed by James Sibley Watson. Wilder was eventually awarded an honorary degree in 1973.

He was good friends with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, and Marian Mcpartland.

Among the standards he wrote or co-wrote were:

I'll Be Around(1943)
While We're Young(1943, written with Morty Palitz and William Engvick)
It's So Peaceful in the Country(1941)
Moon And Sand (1941, written with Morty Palitz and William Engvick)
Who Can I Turn To? (1941, lyric by William Engvick)
The Lady Sings the Blues (1956, lyric by William Engvick and a hit for Mabel Mercer);
Where Do You Go? (1959, lyric by Arnold Sundgaard)
Remember My Child (1964, lyric by William Engvick)
Lovers and Losers (1968, lyric by William Engvick)
Blackberry Winter (1976, lyric by Loonis McGlohon);
Be a Child (1976 lyric by Loonis McGlohon)
A Long Night (1980, Wilder's last song, written for Sinatra with a lyric by Loonis McGlohon).
Wrote the lyrics to Thad Jones' A Child Is Born

He also wrote many songs for the cabaret artist Mabel Mercer, including one of her signature pieces, "Have You Ever Crossed Over to Sneden's?"

In addition to writing popular songs, Wilder also composed classical pieces for exotic combinations of orchestral instruments. The Alec Wilder Octet, including Eastman classmate Mitch Miller on oboe, recorded several of his originals for Brunswick Records in 1938-40. His classical numbers, which often had off-beat, humorous titles ("The Hotel Detective Registers"), were strongly influenced by jazz. He wrote eleven operas; one of which, Miss Chicken Little (1953), was commissioned for television by CBS. Sinatra conducted an album of Wilder's classical music. Wilder also arranged a series of Christmas carols for Tubachristmas. He composed numerous works for children.

Wilder wrote what is considered by many critics the definitive book on American songwriting:
American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900–1950 (1972).

He was also featured in a radio series based on the book, broadcast in the mid '70s.

With lyricist Loonis McGlohon, he composed songs for the Land of Oz theme park in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Wilder loved puzzles: he created his own cryptic crosswords, and could spend hours with a jigsaw puzzle. He also loved to talk (he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the world) and most of all, laugh. Displeased with how Peggy Lee improvised the ending of While We're Young, he wrote her a note: "The next time you come to the bridge [of the song], jump!" He often maintained that music publishers "stole everything", but in a reflective moment, noted that as badly as he had been treated by the powers-that-be of the music industry, black artists had been treated worse.

He won a Peabody Award for the National Public Radio series "American Popular Song," cohosted by Loonis McGlohon, an Avon Foundation grant, the Deems Taylor ASCAP Award and a National Book Award nomination—all having to do with American Popular Song: "The Great Innovators, 1900-1950," edited and with an introduction by James T. Maher.

Alec Wilder died of lung cancer on Christmas Eve 1980 in Gainesville, Florida.

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about The Great American Songbook by one of its greatest composers. These songs still form the backbone of much of our musical culture, and Wilder analyzes them with the respect usually afforded classical music. His approach is not academic or musty, though; his tone is conversational and down-to-earth. There are many examples in musical notation, but I would say that someone could enjoy this book without knowing how to read music.

I read this book from cover to cover several years ago, and frequently pull it off the shelf for reference. The only real flaw is that none of Wilder's own songs are discussed, but that obviously would have been awkward. Highly recommended for those interested in this body of music.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very niche book but a treasure for those who play or sing this genre. So many great songs are quoted and analyzed providing an education in composing. Note the Kindle version scanning is atrocious - staff lines are missing, half notes are often indistinguishable from quarters - many quotes unreadable. This is best read by someone who can look at the music and hear it in their head though I suppose you could read it in front of the piano. A dated but great work.

[Betsy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I skimmed this book because I’m not a musicologist. For example - “…it moves unexpectedly to an F-dominant seventh, in the eleventh to a B-flat-major seventh, then back and forth.” But I like the music of the Great American Songbook so much that I still found this book interesting.

[Warren Senders · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique book, equal parts encyclopedic and eccentric. Wilder's personality shines on every page, and the musical discussion is fascinating. Essential for anyone who really wants to understand the Great American Songbook.

[Wif Stenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmingly written, definitive study of the Great American Songbook, complete with silly claims such 'there were no decent songs written after 1960 when the amateurs took over' (Burt Bacharach??)

But plenty of memorable lines such as "Carmichael was exceptionally aware for a white man, as was Berlin, but more as an observer than a participant."

"Comfort and luxury can be a fearful deterrent to creative accomplishment."

and

"Melodrama, cleverness, contrivance, imitativeness, pretentiousness, aggressiveness, calculatedness, and shallowness may be elements that result in a hit song, but never in a great song."

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic for anyone interested in popular song, tin pan alley, and musical theater. This is one of the first books ever written that takes a critical look at the history of pop music. There are lots of great sheet music examples in the book too, so you can really follow what's being said even if you don't know the songs already.

[Michael Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive book about the Great American Songbook, the songs and the composers.