The Top 30 Whistling Songs of All Time
Who doesn’t love a good whistling song? It’s pretty much a guarantee your life will be a tad bit happier after a listening session. Here is a list honoring the greatest of all whistling songs.
*Disclaimer: The songs that made the list here are compositions that have whistling as a featured instrument, rather than songs that happen to have a little whistling in it, like Otis Redding’s “Dock of the Bay” or David Bowie’s “Golden Years”, for example.
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30. Patience (1988), Guns N’ Roses
Gutsy call for the heavy metal rock gods to kick off their first and most famous rock ballad with…a whistle! In the year of its release, Axl Rose, who performed the lovely whistling solo, potentially could have been laughed right out of his tight leather pants, but the band took the risk, and it paid off as the song went all the way to #4 on the Billboard Top 100.
29. Young Folks (2006), Peter Bjorn and John
Just as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” will forever be linked to grunge culture, “Young Folks” will forever be linked to the birth of hipster culture…skinny jeans, beards, expensive haircuts, ugly mustaches, gentrified urban areas, coffee shops with MacBooks everywhere, and whistling! OK, maybe not whistling, but it should be linked to hipsters because whistling is vintage and cool…OK maybe not cool, but neither is the mustache, so the analogy still works.
28. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (1979), Monty Python
It’s the closing number in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Normally in a film, a happy whistling song wouldn’t quite work in a crucifixion scene, but in Monty Python’s world it is absolutely perfect and hilarious.
27. The Moog and Me (1969), Dick Hyman
This song is what happens when a classically trained jazz pianist and composer gets his hands on a Moog synthesizer in the 1960s. Most people will recognize its opening whistle solo from the 1996 Beck song, “Sissyneck”.
26. Whistle While You Work (1937), Artie Shaw & His New Music
All songs with the word “whistle” in its title should be considered in a Top 30 Whistling Songs countdown, and although “Whistle While You Work” ironically doesn’t have a whole lot of whistling in it, it’s enough to make the list. Along with the original composition from Walt Disney’s Snow White, Louis Armstrong and Mary Martin also covered the song, but Artie Shaw and vocalist Tony Pastor provide the jazziest version with some nice improvisational whistling…if it only had more whistling!
25. The River Kwai March/Colonel Bogey March (1957), Malcolm Arnold
One of a few songs on the list that was specifically written for whistling, and one of the most recognizable whistling songs ever recorded. “Colonel Bogey March” is not only heard in the epic war film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, but the catchy and repetitive whistling march is also featured in two classic comedic scenes that were clearly written for this song (The Breakfast Club and The Parent Trap.)
24. Little Jazz Bird (1957), Mark Murphy
One of the more underrated jazz singers, Mark Murphy perfectly places a whistle solo in the intro and outro, setting up this delightful little Gershwin jazz number from his swinging sophomore album, Let Yourself Go.
23. Bright Stars (2003), Daedalus
It’s not the cleanest of whistles, but when you mix a samba with a pleasant whistle melody, the result is pretty great. Daedalus was clearly having fun with this one.
22. Stranger In Moscow (2016), Joo Kraus & Tales In Tones Trio
German horn player Joo Kraus knows how to cover Michael Jackson, he has 1.5 albums full of MJ songs, and they are all impressive arrangements. “Stranger In Moscow” is a sweet, laid-back rendition, complete with whistling in every chorus.
21. City of Stars (2016), Ryan Gosling
In a film musical full of ultra-cute songs (La La Land), “City of Stars” just might be the cutest, thanks to the nice whistling chops of Ryan Gosling. This song would rank higher on the list if there were only more whistling!
20. Heartaches (1933), Ted Weems and His Orchestra featuring Elmo Tanner
The oldest song on the list, dating all the way back to the prohibition era, and I suspect an excellent choice of song to drink to. All-Star whistler Elmo Tanner puts in a great performance, but interestingly, the song never gained prominence until 15 years after its initial release, when a disc jockey in North Carolina randomly played the record over the air. The song eventually became a Billboard number 1 hit, and lasted 16 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 charts.
19. Deep In The Heart of Texas (1942), Horace Heidi & His Musical Knights
Big Band Jazz gets a bit Country-Western with some old-school vocal harmonies and a rousing whistling section, spending 6 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 and peaking at number 7.
18. Trinity: Titoli (1970), Anninale El l Cantori Moderni
“Trinity” was originally composed for the 1970 Italian Western They Call Me Trinity, but today most people will recognize it from Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012). It works great for both movies, and the cowboy whistle tones really help the music shine.
17. Whistle Stop (1973), Roger Miller
A bit of a nostalgia pick here, as many children of the 70s and 80s grew up with the Disney Robin Hood soundtrack. It’s a simple and repetitive piece and is one of those songs that gets stuck in your head forever, but what fun to sing and whistle along to!
16. Black-Eyed Susan Brown (1949), Brother Bones & His Shadows
A master of any instrument you can find in the kitchen, Brother Bones (AKA Freeman Davis) got his start playing for large crowds on the street corner. According to legend, his massive street audience was in such awe of his talent that traffic would stop for miles whenever he was performing. He turned playing spoons, knives, and bones into an art form, and his lush and versatile whistling is a sound to behold. “Black-Eyed Susan Brown” is the B-side and sequel to his massively famous hit, “Sweet Georgia Brown”. Sadly, “Black-Eyed Susan Brown” never made it to the digital era, so if you are fortunate enough to find the now out of print 7-inch record (or find it on YouTube), you are in for a real treat. You can also hear the song sampled by Hip-Hop greats, De La Soul, on the song “Peas Porridge” from their 1991 album, De La Soul Is Dead.
15. Standin’ On The Corner (Whistlin’ At The Pretty Girls) (1958), Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
The greatest vocal jazz trio of all time take on the Count Basie standard, complete with the wolf-whistle and politically incorrect lyrics. “Lots of chicks I whistle at, turn around and whistle right back” is one of the more redeeming lyrics to a song that is mostly pretty funny…and lots of great whistling.
14. Danse Caribe (2012), Andrew Bird
You have to wait a little over two minutes to get there, but when you do, you will hear Bird bust out one of his signature whistling solos, solidifying himself as the greatest of all indie-rock whistlers. This particular solo is especially pleasing as it sparks a shift in the song with a smart tempo change and charged-up rhythm section.
13. Finnish Whistler (1975), Roger Whittaker
Kenyan-British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker is best known for his extraordinary whistling skills. He recorded “Finnish Whistler” while taking interest in Nordic countries. The track was later used as the theme song for a popular cooking television show in Finland.
12. Twisted Nerve (1968), Bernard Herrmann
A whistling song with an eerie-like charm, the song is placed perfectly in the revenge film, Kill Bill, as the character Elle Driver (code name California Mountain Snake), a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, casually attempts to assassinate fellow squad member Beatrix Kiddo (code name Black Mamba). The song’s composer, Bernard Herrmann, is also credited for scoring several classic films including Psycho, Cape Fear, Citizen Kane, Taxi Driver, as well as the theme song to the Twilight Zone.
11. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (1972), Paul Simon
A fun song about two boys with some sort of legal troubles down by a schoolyard. It’s an all-time classic, but the song just wouldn’t be complete without the middle whistling section.
10. Something (1981), Sarah Vaughan
It’s a bit of an odd cover of one of the Beatles greatest love songs. Vaughan mixes bossa nova and seamless whistling with an almost over-exaggerated vocal jazz phrasing, but it all somehow works. Other than the original, it would be hard to find a better version of “Something”.
9. I Didn’t Slip, I Wasn’t Pushed, I Fell (1950), Bing Crosby
Hundreds of songs by Bing Crosby tragically were never transferred to digital, including this extremely adorable song. It’s the complete package: clever lyrics, beautiful tight harmonies, Bing’s voice, and Bing’s whistle! You can only hear it on 7-inch vinyl (or of lesser quality on YouTube).
8. Charleston (1949), Brother Bones & His Shadows
We are now getting into mind-blowing whistle-performance territory at this point of the countdown. In “Charleston”, Brother Bones does a series of relatively brief but astonishing bird-like whistling intervals that do not seem humanly possible. His music appears to be built around the goal of stealing the audience’s full attention, and this song in particular really catches the listener off guard. In all fairness, Brother Bones is so good that every single one of his songs could probably make this Top 30 list. I mean, let’s face the facts, Axl Rose has got nothing on Brother Bones.
7. Tritsch Tratsch Polka (1951), Ronnie Ronalde & Arturo Steffani’s Orchestra
Along with Brother Bones, Elmo Tanner, Roger Whittaker, Andrew Bird, and Bing Crosby, British performer Ronnie Ronalde also belongs to the Whistler’s Hall of Fame. Ronalde, known also for his yodeling, had a pretty great run in the 1940s-1950s, breaking worldwide box office records as he toured. He even brought his whistling/yodeling act to the London Coliseum, where he performed for Queen Elizabeth II and other royalty on more than one occasion. The Strauss II song, “Tritsch Tratsch Polka”, is basically a rousing show-off encore piece.
6. The Whistling Caruso (2011), Andrew Bird
The whistling heard on “Whistling Caruso”, which was written and performed by Bird for the critical climax moment in The Muppets, is so awesome that it almost sounds like it was manufactured. It’s another “that can’t be possible” type of whistling song, leaving the listener in awe.
5. Who Wouldn’t Love You (1942), Kay Kyser
A classic song that is reminiscent of the type of songs that were being written during the WW2 era. “Who Wouldn’t Love You” has both a lovely vocal and whistling duet, performed by Elmo Tanner, Harry Babbitt, and Trudy Erwin. Playful, cute, romantic…something Captain America would be proud of.
4. The Happy Whistler (1956), Ronnie Ronalde
The combination of the bass line, tempo, hand claps, and Ronalde’s unique whistling tone make this one of the best whistling songs of all-time. The title of the song is accurate, it’s happy alright, and it’s impossible not to smile while listening.
3. The Andy Griffith Show Theme Song (The Fishin’ Hole) (1960), Earle Hagen
The real legacy of this television sitcom is not the show itself, but its glorious theme song, composed and whistled by Earl Hagan. It’s the most whistled song in the history of whistle songs by anybody who can moderately whistle. The majority of post baby boomers who know this song have likely never even seen a single episode of the show, which tells us something about the song’s greatness.
2. Sweet Georgia Brown (1949), Brother Bones & His Shadows
Perhaps the most famous song on the list, “Sweet Georgia Brown”, is also known as “The Harlem Globetrotters Song”, which became the anthem to the beloved basketball team from Harlem in 1952. Everyone recognizes the song, but not many know the artist, Brother Bones (AKA Whistling Sam and Freeman Davis). Between 1931–1943 many before him also made records of the jazz standard, most notably Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. But it was Brother Bones in 1949 who performed the version of “Sweet Georgia Brown” that has now become one of the most recognizable songs ever to be recorded. The magic of the Harlem Globetrotters brought the song to life, but it’s also the combination of the syncopated rhythms with the rattling sound of the bone percussion that blend perfectly with the sweet whistle melody that make this the masterpiece that it is.
1. Donna Lee (2010), The Marsalis Family
“Donna Lee” at the number one spot may come as a surprise. It’s not exactly the most well-known song outside the Jazz universe, but the performance by Jason Marsalis and the Marsalis family is so spectacular, it frankly blows away the rest of the competition. The Charlie Parker be-bop masterpiece, with the whistle as its featured instrument, may seem like a silly idea…and yeah, it kind of is, but this complex and fast-tempo song is perfectly suited for the highly skilled drummer/whistler who rips through the fast changing chord progressions like a tornado. The improvisation and melody-play between Jason and his trumpeter-brother, Wynton, is an extraordinary listening experience. What’s even more impressive is this recording was performed live for an audience. Have you ever tried whistling in front of an audience? It ain’t easy.
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