Best Albums of 1940

« View best albums of 1939View best albums of 1941 »

Listed below are the best albums of 1940 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 55,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1940 year summaryThe best artists of 1940 were Woody Guthrie, Bessie Smith, Arnold Schoenberg / Erika Stiedry-Wagner / Stefan Auber / Kalman Bloch / Leonard Posella / Eduard Steuermann / Rudolf Kolisch, Josh White, Louis Armstrong, Leopold Stokowski / Philadelphia Orchestra / Sergei Rachmaninov, Woody Herman And His Orchestra, Woody Herman, Marlene Dietrich and Igor Stravinsky / The Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Of New York.

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11.

Harlem Seen Through Calypso Eyes

Wilmoth Houdini & His Royal Calypso Orchestra

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

10 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

100

Overall Rank:

22,466

Average Rating:

73 (5 votes)

Comments:

12.

Harlem Blues

Josh White

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

8 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

104

Overall Rank:

23,278

Average Rating:

72 (8 votes)

Comments:

13.

The South American Way

Carmen Miranda

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

8 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

122

Overall Rank:

27,075

Average Rating:

67 (7 votes)

Comments:

14.

Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 In D Minor For Piano & Orchestra

Albert Coates / The London Symphony Orchestra / Vladimir Horowitz

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

5 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

123

Overall Rank:

27,365

Average Rating:

72 (4 votes)

Comments:

15.

Decca Presents Selections From George Gershwin's Folk Opera Porgy And Bess

Various Artists

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

5 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

134

Overall Rank:

29,857

Average Rating:

70 (7 votes)

Comments:

16.

Beethoven: Concerto In D Major For Violin And Orchestra

Arturo Toscanini / NBC Symphony Orchestra / Jascha Heifetz

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

9 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

138

Overall Rank:

31,446

Average Rating:

71 (8 votes)

Comments:

17.

Jazz As It Should Be Played

Bix Beiderbecke

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

6 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

144

Overall Rank:

32,499

Average Rating:

69 (5 votes)

Comments:

18.

The Voice Of Ma Rainey

Ma Rainey

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

5 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

150

Overall Rank:

34,906

Average Rating:

71 (4 votes)

Comments:

19.

The Wizard Of Oz
Soundtrack

Judy Garland & Victor Young And His Orchestra

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

9 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

157

Overall Rank:

36,571

Average Rating:

71 (10 votes)

Comments:

20.

At The Piano

Count Basie

Year of Release:

1940

Appears in:

6 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1940:

Rank in 1940s:

166

Overall Rank:

38,165

Average Rating:

71 (6 votes)

Comments:

Total albums: 29. Page 2 of 3

Best Albums of 1940 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Woody Guthrie	2	7%
Josh White	1	3%
Igor Stravinsky / The Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Of New York	1	3%
Joshua White And His Carolinians	1	3%
Albert Coates / The London Symphony Orchestra / Vladimir Horowitz	1	3%
Marlene Dietrich	1	3%
Lee Wiley	1	3%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	22	76%
	2	7%
	2	7%
	1	3%
	1	3%
	1	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	27	93%
Yes	2	7%

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