is an informal term referring to the interrelated music of Broadway musical theater, the Hollywood musical, and Tin Pan Alley , in a period that begins roughly in the 1920s and tapers off around 1960 with the coming of Rock And Roll . Aside from the enduring popularity of this music in its original context, it also became (and remains) the central repertoire of Jazz musicians. (In jazz, such tunes are simply referred to as " Standard s".) For its devotees, the GAS (as it is sometimes abbreviated) represents a level of musical and lyrical sophistication that has yet to be equalled. (This is sometimes – as in the writings of Gene Lees – a way of casting aspersions on rock music and everything that followed in its wake.)
There is no definitive list of which musicians and lyricists are part of the Great American Songbook. Major songwriters considered part of this group include, but are not limited to:
- (" Over The Rainbow ", " Stormy Weather ", " It's Only A Paper Moon ", " I've Got The World On A String ", " I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues ")
- (" White Christmas ", " Always ", " Blue Skies ", " Cheek To Cheek ", " Puttin' On The Ritz ")
- (" Stardust ", " Georgia On My Mind ", " The Nearness Of You ", " Skylark ")
- (" In A Sentimental Mood ", " It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) ", " Satin Doll ", " Mood Indigo ", " Sophisticated Lady ", " I'm Beginning To See The Light ")
- and ''' Ira Gershwin ''' (" Someone To Watch Over Me ", " S’Wonderful ", " Summertime ", " Embraceable You ", " I Got Rhythm ", " Fascinating Rhythm ", " The Man I Love ", " They Can't Take That Away From Me ", " Our Love Is Here To Stay ")
- (" Ol' Man River ", " The Way You Look Tonight ", " All The Things You Are ", " Smoke Gets In Your Eyes ")
- (" The Shadow Of Your Smile ")
- (" One For My Baby (and One More For The Road) ", " That Old Black Magic ", " Blues In The Night ", " Come Rain Or Come Shine ")
- (" Night And Day ", " I've Got You Under My Skin ", " Begin The Beguine ", " Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love ", " What Is This Thing Called Love? ", " Love For Sale ", " You're The Top ", " Just One Of Those Things ", " I Get A Kick Out Of You ", " Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye ", " In The Still Of The Night ", " It's De-Lovely ", " My Heart Belongs To Daddy ")
- (" Oh What A Beautiful Mornin' ", " People Will Say We're In Love ", " It Might As Well Be Spring ", " If I Loved You ", " Some Enchanted Evening ", " Shall We Dance? ", " My Favorite Things ")
- (" Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered ", " My Romance ", " Have You Met Miss Jones? ", " My Funny Valentine ", " Blue Moon ", " The Lady Is A Tramp ", " Thou Swell ", " Lover ", " Where Or When ", " This Can't Be Love ")
- (" All The Way ", " But Beautiful ", " Come Fly With Me ", " Imagination " )
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