Famous Western jazz classics. Recommended popular songs.
Jazz has a longer history than rock or pop and encompasses many subgenres, so it’s no surprise that many people feel it’s a bit intimidating to get into.
Some may have a mental block because of the image they have of jazz, but in fact, there are countless famous jazz tunes you’ve probably heard somewhere—whether as timeless standards loved across generations, or as songs used in commercials and film scores.
In this article, we’ve gathered recommended classics and popular tracks that even jazz beginners can enjoy.
Focusing on vintage jazz numbers while mixing in standout tracks from contemporary jazz artists who’ve been attracting attention in recent years, we present a richly varied selection.
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Classic Western jazz masterpieces. Recommended popular tracks (1–10)
ConfirmationCharlie Parker
This is one of the signature tunes by the master alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, who can be said to have shaped the bebop era within the jazz genre.
It’s a piece that’s very popular at jam sessions where jazz musicians gather to play, and both its chord progression and its head embody bebop—packed with the essence of the style.
Later, Jon Hendricks wrote lyrics for it, and it’s sometimes performed by vocalists as well.
Waltz For DebbyBill Evans
Among jazz fans worldwide, it’s often said that piano jazz is especially popular among Japanese listeners.
Bill Evans, arguably the most renowned jazz pianist—celebrated as the “poet of jazz piano” for his intellectual yet delicate style—is an indispensable figure for anyone exploring piano-centered modern jazz.
It would be impossible to summarize his achievements in a few lines, but here we introduce the title track from the celebrated live album Waltz for Debby, which became a major hit in Japan.
Composed by Evans himself, this original piece has endured as a beloved standard around the world.
Centered on Evans, the golden trio—featuring bassist Scott LaFaro, who passed away at just 25, and drummer Paul Motian, who played on countless classic recordings—offers a superb display of ensemble interplay.
Enjoy the remarkable artistry!
Sing Sing SingBenny Goodman
Composed by trumpeter Louis Prima and released in 1936, the piece opens with a striking drum-solo introduction.
When the Benny Goodman Orchestra picked it up in 1938, it quickly became popular and turned into one of the band’s signature numbers.
It is still performed today by many big bands and swing bands, from professionals to amateurs, and many in Japan may remember it being featured in the film Swing Girls.
Famous jazz classics from Western music. Recommended popular tracks (11–20)
What A Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong—affectionately known as “Satchmo”—was one of the most revered musicians in the 20th-century jazz scene.
Though a trumpeter, he also left behind many classic songs with his distinctively raspy singing voice.
Here, we introduce Armstrong’s smash hit, “What a Wonderful World.” Written and composed in 1967 by renowned music producer Bob Thiele, the song was recorded and released by Armstrong when he was already in his mid-60s.
It reached number one on the charts not in the United States but in places like the United Kingdom, becoming a global hit.
In Japan, it has also been featured in commercials and films, so many of you may already know it.
Its all-embracing vocals and melody are enough to warm your heart just by listening.
I Love You For Sentimental ReasonsNat King Cole
This song is often performed by jazz vocalists, but perhaps the best-known version is the one recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946.
It was written by Ivory Watson and William Best and was first released in 1945, the year the war ended.
It’s a ballad that clearly conveys a straightforward feeling: I didn’t fall for you because of some strange calculation; I fell for you out of pure feelings.
When You Wish upon a StarKeith Jarrett
Released in 1940, the song features lyrics by Ned Washington and music by Leigh Harline.
Sung by Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket in the Disney film Pinocchio, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Its beautiful, familiar melody is loved by people of all ages around the world and is frequently performed as a jazz standard.
Because it relates to stars, it is also often heard during the Christmas season.
Street Fighter MasKamasi Washington
Since the 2000s, many jazz musicians with unique talent and sensibility have emerged, and Kamasi Washington, a jazz saxophonist from California, is certainly one of them.
Raised in a musical family, the very fact that Kamasi released his breakthrough 2015 solo work “V” on the label of the genius beatmaker Flying Lotus sets him apart from so-called conventional jazz musicians, making him a symbolic figure of the borderless jazz artists born in the 2000s–2010s.
The track featured here is “Street Fighter Mas,” whose spiritual choral work creates a vast sonic universe.
It appears on the 2018 album “Heaven & Earth,” and he performed it as the opening number during his set at Summer Sonic 2018.
As the title suggests, some listeners will catch the reference: the piece is inspired by the classic video game Street Fighter, which Kamasi was obsessed with in his youth.
The fact that he even describes it as a “theme song” for himself when he plays the game shows his charming side.
Be sure to check out the music video too!