The Song Planner

Crooner Pop

tagStarted 1989Peak 2003-2014Last big hit still active

Modern pop sung in the classic crooner tradition: a warm baritone or velvet voice gliding over big-band swing, lush orchestral charts and Great American Songbook standards. Brushed drums, walking bass, horn sections and strings frame standards and originals alike, reviving mid-century elegance for contemporary adult audiences.

History

Sparked by Harry Connick Jr.'s 1989 'When Harry Met Sally' standards revival, the neo-crooner movement bloomed in the 2000s as Michael Bublé and Jamie Cullum sold Sinatra-style swing to a new generation. Rod Stewart's Songbook albums, Robbie Williams' 'Swing When You're Winning' and Tony Bennett's late duets kept orchestrated vocal pop a durable adult-market staple.

Defining artists

Essential listening

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Sources

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentysomething_(album)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_When_You're_Winning
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haven't_Met_You_Yet
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Harry_Met_Sally..._(soundtrack)