List of pre-1920 jazz standards

This list includes compositions written before 1920 that are considered standards by at least one major fake book publication or reference work.

From its conception at the change of the twentieth century, jazz was music intended for dancing.

This influenced the choice of material played by early jazz groups: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, New Orleans Rhythm Kings and others included many Tin Pan Alley popular songs in their repertoire, and record companies often used their power to dictate which songs were to be recorded by their artists.

Tin Pan Alley songwriters contributed several songs to the jazz standard repertoire, including "Indiana" and "After You've Gone".

The most often recorded standards of this period are W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues", Turner Layton and Henry Creamer's "After You've Gone" and James Hanley and Ballard MacDonald's "Indiana".

A jazz band playing: A drummer on the left behind a drum set, a trombonist next to him facing right. A cornetist standing behind the trombonist facing left, and a clarinetist sitting on a chair in the front. A pianist sitting on the far left, facing right.
The earliest jazz recordings were made by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. Their composition " Tiger Rag " has become a popular jazz standard.
Short-haired African American man wearing a black suit and tie and holding a trumpet, standing facing the camera and smiling.
Songwriter and bandleader W. C. Handy was the first to transcribe and publish blues songs. [ 5 ] His compositions " The Memphis Blues " (1912), " St. Louis Blues " (1914) and " Beale Street Blues " (1916) have become popular jazz standards.
Sheet music cover showing a white house in a forest by a lake. The forest is orange and brown, and the sky is dark blue. On the other side of the lake, the moon is rising. The word "Indiana" is written at the top of the poster. Underneath it, there is a text "Words by Ballard MacDonald, music by James F. Hanley".
Hanley and MacDonald 's " Indiana " (1917) is one of the most popular pre-1920s standards.
Blue and white picture of a smiling dark-haired woman, facing the camera and looking to the right. She wears a dark brimmed hat and a fur coat. Her right hand is holding the fur coat and there's a ring in her little finger. The text "Sophie Tucker" is written on the picture with small white letters.
Vaudeville performer Sophie Tucker popularized the jazz standards " Some of These Days ", " I Ain't Got Nobody " and " After You've Gone ".