MUSIC ACROSS THE OLYMPIADS. Today: 1936-44. Continues tomorrow.

As the world’s elite athletes compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Caffè Lattè will focus on the best music that emerged during each Olympiad. Each period considers songs from the years prior to the new Games.

SONGS ACROSS THE OLYMPIADS

When Berlin hosted The Olympic Games in 1936, Adolf Hitler took the opportunity to display his perception of German superiority. The triumph of African-American athlete Jesse Owens made him the most successful competitor and displeased the German ruler. At the time, the globe was approaching the Second World War. This conflict led to the cancellation of the 1940 Games scheduled for Tokyo, Japan and then Helsinki, Finland. As the war raged on, the 1944 Olympics planned for London were also shelved.

Popular music trends were influenced by WWII. This was the era of singers such as Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters.

1936

🥇 THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT Fred Astaire 

🥈 SUMMERTIME Billie Holiday

🥉 CROSSROAD BLUES Robert Johnson

🏅

🥇 FRED ASTAIRE

🥈 BILLIE HOLIDAY

🥉 BING CROSBY

 

1940

🥇 IN THE MOOD Glenn Miller

🥈 OVER THE RAINBOW Judy Garland

🥉 STRANGE FRUIT Billie Holiday

🏅

🥇 BILLIE HOLIDAY

🥈 GLENN MILLER

🥉 ELLA FITZGERALD

 

1944

 

🥇 BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY

The Andrews Sisters

🥈 THE TROLLEY SONG Judy Garland

🥉 SWINGING ON A STAR Bing Crosby

🏅

🥇 THE ANDREWS SISTERS

🥈 BING CROSBY

🥉 JUDY GARLAND

 

🏊🏾🏋️ LEADERBOARD 🚵‍♀️🏃‍♀️

COUNTRY:	G	S	B
U.S.A.	22	13	15
ITALY	3	1
UNITED KINGDOM		1