Why is Glenn Miller's music still popular today even though it was written in the 1940's?

Answer 1

There are several reasons I can think of.

First, Glenn Miller had a musical sense about him that was similar to George Gershwin, the Beatles, Elvis, and so on - performers and composers who could choose tunes that were of a higher quality than simple pop songs. One observation has been that Miller didn't just play what his listeners wanted at the moment; he had a feel for what they would want in the future, and helped lead them there. He would sprinkle performances with songs that sometimes had stylings years ahead of their time, such as Daisy Mae, Harlem Chapel Bells, and Blues in My Heart. Even "fluff" songs such as Elmer's Tune were chosen for a catchy melody that would linger in listeners' minds.

He also chose a mix of jazz and ballads so that listeners wouldn't become jaded by one particular style. Although the band had such an identifiable style that it was almost instantly recognizable, fans could find themselves jitterbugging to Sun Valley Jump one minute and languorously dancing to Blue Afterglow in the next. He made sure that the band was well-rehearsed, and added touches such as having the trombones wave back and forth on an up-tempo number so that the performance was visually as well as musically interesting.

While he wasn't a great jazz performer, his choice of ballads was another reason the band is so fondly remembered. The unique and eminently danceable "Miller Sound" of a clarinet playing the melody above 3 or 4 saxophones was the orchestra's trademark. Many couples fell in love or proposed to the melody of a Miller ballad, and passed that memory on to their children, so that's another reason the band's popularity remained high.

Finally, there's of course the depth of emotion surrounding his mysterious disappearance while serving in the Army Air Force. World War II was already a time of separation and in many cases horrible loss for so many people, and his disappearance in some way gathered together all of the individual sacrifices so many had made. It put a single face on the loss of so many whose contributions to society were cut short

Answer 2

Yes, although obviously less so than it was during the height of the Swing Era.

Many jazz and early-Pop Music fans still revere the band's sound, so major music companies continue to reissue his original recordings. Three orchestras are officially licensed by Glenn Miller Productions to perform his music, one in the US, another in the UK, and a third in the continental EU. In addition dozens of other orchestras around the world continue to perform his hits.