THE biggest OF ALL TUNES (G.O.A.T.) is a series of posts, creating my 100 preferred tunes of all time.  The master listing is here, as well as I update it about every two weeks or when I have one more 10 tunes or so.

This is the only tune on my growing listing of GOATs that was cowritten by a united states Vice President.

Four decades before Carl Sigman put words to it, as well as seven years before Tommy Edwards used the hit version of the tune (many people miscredit this tune to Tommy Edwards, however he did not compose it), Charles Dawes composed his “Melody in A Major.”

Here’s a cover of that song…

He was a piano-playing banker who had run for Senate as well as subsequently was Vice president under Calvin Coolidge, as well as that level of fame was utilized to offer the tune to the public as well as jazz musicians like Tommy Dorsey who played it live.  Then, in 1951, Sigman—who composed lyrics for music by fight it out Ellington, Glen Miller, Jimmy Van Heusen as well as others (in addition to composing the style to West Side Story), made a decision to put some lyrics to it.  Louis Armstrong, Dinah Shore, as well as others recorded it in the early 1950s, however it didn’t catch on up until Tommy Edwards took a hold of it in 1958.

Edwards was the very first one to take the tune out of the realm of jazz as well as swing as well as put it into rock.  He hit #1 with it in a number of countries.  In 1961, British pop star Cliff Richards had his very first U.S. #1 tune with his version.  Richards had tons of hits with The shadows in the UK, however struggled to break with in the States.  He wouldn’t have one more hit up until 1976, with Devil Woman.  continuing the pattern of one hit cover of the tune per decade, the four Tops covered it in 1970 as well as Merle had a hit in 1984.  however the very best version has to be Van Morrison’s.

And speaking of best, where does this tune autumn in my listing of the biggest of All Tunes?  I’m putting it at #22, ideal above Nena’s 99 Red Balloons.

20. Rockit by Henry Hancock (1983) (link)
21. L.A. Freeway by Roy Clark (1972) (link)
22. It’s all in the game by Charles Dawes as well as Carl Sigman (1951) <—- 23. 99 Red Baloons by Nena (1983) (link) 24. Spirit in the sky by Norman Greenbaum (1969) (link) Further listening: None. Cover versions:  There are so lots of different recordings of “It’s all in the Game,” as well as it’s not simple to discover them all.  Here’s a few crucial ones.  Don’t miss the Van Morrison cover—it’s extraordinary.