During World War II, the music industry made significant contributions to the U.S. war effort. It also endured wartime constraints and benefited from the extraordinary changes brought about by the war. By war's end, American music was ready to march to different tunes as a result of the social, cultural, and technological changes of the war years.

Patriotic Songs

Songwriters leaped into the fray early. By 1941 people were taking sides musically, even though many Americans still debated whether the United States should get involved in the war in Europe. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, won an Academy Award that year for Best Song. It evokes wistful memories of one of the world's most beloved cities, which had been under German control since June 1940. A competitor for the award, the bouncy, reveille-inspired Andrews Sisters' hit...