These are songs which we feel deserve special praise. They are technically (almost) flawless, and each one has considerable artistic qualities of innovation.

Diane
     - by Lew Pollack and Erno Rapee, 1927
A sophisticated, beautiful, under-rated song,
          which has several interesting features.
     Half-way through it ends on aDominantized(major)III,
               rather than on the expectedV,
          from which it returns without the slightest difficulty,
               as Dvorak should have done
                    in the second movement of hisNew World Symphony(No. 5 or 9).
     However, a cadential 64 chord is missing, a common negligence in popular music.

Bye, Bye, Blackbird
     - by Mont Dixon and Ray Henderson, 1926
Here's a real jazz favorite, a great song, full of unexpected subtleties.
     AnotherAABA, but with
          oneharmonic pattern,M5324(I-I-I-V-V-V-V-I), running through theAA,
               and another pattern,M5154(I-VI-II-V-I-VI-V-I), running through theBA,
          as well as snap femininerhymes(F-) ending bothAs
               2 full ferminine rhymes (F=) in theB,
                    and a solitary masculine rhyme ending the lastA.

Tres Palabras (Without You)
     - Osvaldo Farres, 1942
A very unusual use of theAABAForm, presented twiceAABA AABA,
     with the Melo-harmony, inChromatic Minor, running full-circle each time,
          theBending on aVofV, instead of on theVitself.
     There is extra melodic and harmonic movement in theB,
          by use of theInterlaced Circles.

In A Little Spanish Town
     - by Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, and Mabel Wayne, 1926
A long-time Country favorite in which theAABAform is unique,
     in as much as it applies only to the second half of the song,
          the first half beingAABB, for a completeAABB, AABA.
     Some Melo-harmony changes are suggested for the seond half,
          one of which actually changes the melody.