Harry Warren and
Johnny Mercer's unforgettable, Oscar-winning train song, "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" dominated the airwaves during and the summer and fall of 1945, several months before the film's national opening on January 18, 1946. Mr. Mercer's pairing with
The Pied Pipers on Capitol Records entered the "Billboard" singles charts on July 5, 1945, and the disc kept hold for 16 weeks, claiming the number-one spot for seven solid weeks between July 28 and September 8. The movie's top-billed star,
Judy Garland, teamed with
The Merry Macs, had their Decca 78 arrive at "Billboard"'s tenth position during the week of September 20, 1945. Another couple of versions charted high in "Billboard":
Bing Crosby's Decca take, supported by
Six Hits and a Miss, entered the singles list on July 19, 1945, staying for 10 weeks and rising to number four; plus Victor's release by
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, vocal by The Sentimentalists, a rendition housed on the listing for six weeks beginning August 2, 1945, and cresting at number six.
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