If you wondered what music may have sounded like during the great depression, here is your answer, but it may not be what you expected.

For the most part, there are only a few suggestions of hard times and financial difficulties. Most of the songs were about escapism, sounding as if nothing really changed very much. The reason for that is that things did not change very much for the average person, at least not right away. It took months or years for the ripple effect to reach the populace.

Featured tracks include:

Dancing in the Dark – Artie Shaw

For All We Know – Billie Holiday

Guilty – Margaret Whiting & Gerry Gray

It Don’t Mean a Thing – Duke Ellington

Love Letters in the Sand – Patsy Cline

Nevertheless – Harry Nilsson

Of Thee I Sing, Baby – Ella Fitzgerald

Paradise – Russ Columbo

You’re My Everything- Miles Davis Quintet

Alone Together – Chet Baker

April in Paris - Count Basie

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? – Bing Crosby