List of 1940s jazz standards

This list includes tunes written in the 1940s that are considered standards by at least one major fake book publication or reference work.

The swing era lasted until the mid-1940s, and produced popular tunes such as Duke Ellington's "Cotton Tail" (1940) and Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train" (1941).

When the big bands struggled to keep going during World War II, a shift was happening in jazz in favor of smaller groups.

Some swing era musicians, like Louis Jordan, later found popularity in a new kind of music, called "rhythm and blues", that would evolve into rock and roll in the 1950s.

It appealed to a more specialized audience than earlier forms of jazz, with sophisticated harmonies, fast tempos, and often virtuoso musicianship.