Bing Crosby’s recording career began on October 18, 1926 with I’ve Got the Girl, a record that also featured his early singing partner Al Rinker and the Don Clark Orchestra. His final recording, Once In a While, from October 11, 1977 – just three days before his death – marked the end of a career that included over 2,000 recordings.
Bing’s records occupied the number one position on the charts 44 times, for a total of 179 weeks in the top spot. His first three number one records were as the vocalist in Paul Whiteman’s orchestra. 
Bing had over a dozen number one records before starting his long association with Decca Records in 1934. Bing Crosby records topped the charts for 23 consecutive weeks in 1944. His version of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas remains the best selling recording of all time with The Guinness Book Of World Records reporting worldwide sales over 100 million. Approximately 50 million of those sales are for singles and White Christmas has entered the American pop charts twenty separate times, reaching the number one spot three times.
Bing Crosby’s number one hits:
| Date Charted | Peak Position (Weeks at #1) | Weeks Charted | Title | Label & Catalog # |
| 10/15/27 | 1(1) | 16 | My Blue Heaven (Paul Whiteman, Rhythm Boys) | Victor 20828 |
| 3/31/28 | 1(1) | 11 | Ol’ Man River (Paul Whiteman) | Victor 21218 |
| 12/14/29 | 1(2) | 9 | Great Day (Paul Whiteman) | Columbia 2023 |
| 10/18/30 | 1(3) | 13 | Three Little Words (The Rhythm Boys) | Victor 22528 |
| 4/25/31 | 1(3) | 8 | Out of Nowhere | Brunswick 6090 |
| 6/6/31 | 1(2) | 19 | Just One More Chance | Brunswick 6120 |
| 1/9/32 | 1(2) | 9 | Dinah (w/ The Mills Brothers) | Brunswick 6240 |
| 10/8/32 | 1(6) | 16 | Please | Brunswick 6394 |
| 11/19/32 | 1(2) | 8 | Brother Can You Spare a Dime? | Brunswick 6414 |
| 2/11/33 | 1(4) | 14 | You’re Getting to be a Habit With Me | Brunswick 6472 |
| 7/1/33 | 1(2) | 8 | Shadow Waltz | Brunswick 6599 |
| 3/31/34 | 1(5) | 11 | Little Dutch Mill | Brunswick 6794 |
| 8/4/34 | 1(6) | 15 | Love in Bloom | Brunswick 6936 |
| 11/24/34 | 1(7) | 12 | June in January | Decca 310 |
| 3/16/35 | 1(1) | 11 | Soon | Decca 392 |
| 3/16/35 | 1(2) | 9 | It’s Easy to Remember | Decca 391 |
| 12/14/35 | 1(2) | 7 | Red Sails in the Sunset | Decca 616 |
| 11/28/36 | 1(10) | 15 | Pennies From Heaven | Decca 947 |
| 4/3/37 | 1(10) | 25 | Sweet Leilani | Decca 1175 |
| 4/3/37 | 1(1) | 10 | Too Marvelous for Words | Decca 1185 |
| 9/11/37 | 1(4) | 11 | The Moon Got in My Eyes | Decca 1375 |
| 10/30/37 | 1(3) | 6 | Remember Me? | Decca 1451 |
| 11/20/37 | 1(1) | 12 | Bob White (w/Connee Boswell) | Decca 1483 |
| 8/6/38 | 1(4) | 17 | I’ve Got a Pocketful of Dreams | Decca 1933 |
| 8/20/38 | 1(2) | 11 | Alexander’s Ragtime Band (w/Connee Boswell) | Decca 1887 |
| 12/3/38 | 1(2) | 11 | You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby | Decca 2147 |
| 7/6/40 | 1(4) | 14 | Sierra Sue | Decca 3133 |
| 9/7/40 | 1(4) | 17 | Trade Winds | Decca 3299 |
| 9/28/40 | 1(9) | 20 | Only Forever | Decca 3300 |
| 10/3/42 | 1(11) | 17 | White Christmas | Decca 18429 |
| 12/12/42 | 1(2) | 17 | Moonlight Becomes You | Decca 18513 |
| 8/21/43 | 1(7) | 19 | Sunday, Monday or Always | Decca 18561 |
| 3/11/44 | 1(5) | 22 | San Fernando Valley | Decca 18586 |
| 4/8/44 | 1(5) | 18 | I Love You | Decca 18595 |
| 4/22/44 | 1(4) | 24 | I’ll Be Seeing You | Decca 18595 |
| 5/13/44 | 1(9) | 28 | Swinging on a Star | Decca 18597 |
| 9/23/44 | 1(6) | 14 | A Hot Time in the Town of Berlin (w/ The Andrews Sisters) | Decca 23350 |
| 11/25/44 | 1(8) | 21 | Don’t Fence Me In (w/ The Andrews Sisters) | Decca 23364 |
| 10/13/45 | 1(2) | 16 | It’s Been a Long, Long Time (w/ The Les Paul Trio) | Decca 18708 |
| 11/24/45 | 1(6) | 20 | I Can’t Begin to Tell You | Decca 23457 |
| 12/15/45 | 1(2) | 4 | White Christmas | Decca 18429 |
| 12/7/46 | 1(1) | 6 | White Christmas | Decca 18429 |
| 1/31/48 | 1(3) | 23 | Now Is the Hour | Decca 24279 |
Bing started out singing the jazz and pop songs of the Roaring Twenties but his repertoire soon came to encompass a wide variety of styles, including light opera, ballads, Irish, Hawaiian, religious, patriotic, country & western, French, ish and Italian songs, and even “sing-along” and spoken word recordings. 
He was the first star to sign with Decca Records, following his friend Jack Kapp from Brunswick as the new company was started. 
Records were selling for 35 cents and Bing maintained his high sales and popularity through the Great Depression and World War II. [BingRecording1940s.jpg] At the same time, he was a popular movie star and many of Bing’s hit records were first heard in his movies. 
Fourteen songs introduced by Crosby in various films were nominated for Academy Awards and four of them won the Oscar – Sweet Leilani, Swinging on a Star, White Christmas and In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.
Academy Award nominated songs introduced by Bing Crosby:
1934: Love in Bloom from She Loves Me Not
1936: Pennies from Heaven from Pennies from Heaven
1937: Sweet Leilani from Waikiki Wedding
1940: Only Forever from Rhythm on the River
1942: White Christmas from Holiday Inn
1944: Swinging on a Star from Going My Way
1945: Accentuate the Positive from Here Comes the Waves
1945: Aren’t You Glad You’re You from The Bells of St. Mary’s
1946: You Keep Coming Back Like a Song from Blue Skies
1951: In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening from Here Comes the Groom
1952: Zing a Little Zong from Just For You
1954: Count Your Blessings from White Christmas
1956: True Love from High Society
1960: The Second Time Around from High Time
A few years after completing a twenty-one year association with Decca Records, during which he made approximately 1200 recordings for the company, Bing Crosby started Project Records, Inc. Initially named Roxbury Records, the company was formed in the spring of 1959. 
By having his own record company, Bing was able to retain ownership of the masters of his recordings and also benefit from the tax advantages of recording for his own company. Project did not have a distribution system, so the recordings Bing made for Project were licensed to other labels for distribution.] Project served as a production company. Record producer Si Rady was hired by Bing to run the label and Rady produced Bing’s Project albums while also serving as the company’s president. Project’s board of directors included Bing’s brothers, Everett and Larry.
Bing Crosby’s recordings for Project Records:
How the West Was Won (2 LP set)
Recorded July 20, 21, 23 & 24, 1959
(Distributed by RCA Victor, released March 1960)
Join Bing and Sing Along – 33 Great Songs
Recorded November 9 & 13, 1959
(Distributed by Warner Bros. and the RCA Victor Record Club, released February 1960)
El Senor Bing
Recorded June 22 & 23, 1960
(Distributed by MGM, released September 15, 1961)
Bing and Satchmo (w/ Louis Armstrong)
Recorded June 28 & 29, 1960
(Distributed by MGM, released October 18, 1960)
The Second Time Around / Incurably Romantic (single)
Recorded August 25, 1960
(Distributed by MGM, released September 15, 1960)
Join Bing and Sing Along – 101 Gang Songs (2 LP set)
Recorded December 20 & 28, 1960
(Distributed by Warner Bros. and the RCA Victor Record Club, released January 18, 1961)
(This double LP was also released as two separate single LPs under the titles, Join Bing in a Gang Song Sing Along in September 1961 and Join Bing and Sing Along-51 Good Time Songs in January 1962)
Holiday in Europe
Recorded May 8 & 9, 1961
(Distributed by Decca, released November 15, 1962
The Road to Hong Kong (soundtrack album)
Recorded September 1961
(Distributed by Liberty, released March 1962)
On the Happy Side
Recorded April 30, 1962
(Distributed by Warner Bros., released October 1962)
On the Sentimental Side
Recorded June 21 & 22, 1962
(Distributed by Collectors’ Choice Music, released March 1, 2010)
I Wish You a Merry Christmas
Recorded October 5, 1962
(Distributed by Warner Bros., released October 1962)
Project Records was dissolved in 1963 and Bing continued to record independently for the remainder of his career, making albums for several labels including Capitol, Reprise and United Artists.
The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded Bing the first Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1962. This award later became known as the Bing Crosby Lifetime Achievement Award. He also won the first American Music Award for lifetime achievement in 1973, at the inaugural ceremony.
Bing Crosby has sold close to one billion records, tapes, compact discs and digital downloads around the world.
