Jazz standards are musical compositions that are widely known, performed and recorded by jazz artists as part of the genre's musical repertoire. This list includes compositions written before 1920 that are considered standards by at least one major fake book publication or reference work. Some of the tunes listed were instant hits and quickly became well-known standards, while others were popularized later. The time of the most influential recordings of a song, where appropriate, is indicated on the list.

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. Certain songs were pushed by recording executives and therefore quickly achieved standard status; this started with the first jazz recordings in 1917, when the Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded "Darktown Strutters' Ball" and "Indiana". Originally simply called "jazz", the music of early jazz bands is today often referred to as "Dixieland" or "New Orleans jazz", to distinguish it from more recent subgenres.

The origins of jazz are in the musical traditions of early twentieth-century New Orleans, including brass band music, the blues, ragtime and spirituals, and some of the most popular early standards come from these influences. Ragtime songs "Twelfth Street Rag" and "Tiger Rag" have become popular numbers for jazz artists, as have blues tunes "St. Louis Blues" and "St. James Infirmary". Tin Pan Alley songwriters contributed several songs to the jazz standard repertoire, including "Indiana" and "After You've Gone". Others, such as "Some of These Days" and "Darktown Strutters' Ball", were introduced by vaudeville performers. 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".

Traditional (author unknown)

"Careless Love". Traditional song of unknown origin, copyrighted by W. C. Handy in 1921. Handy published his version with modified lyrics titled "Loveless Love". "St. James Infirmary Blues" is an American blues song and jazz standard of uncertain origin. Louis Armstrong made the song famous in his 1928 recording on which Don Redman was credited as composer; later releases gave the name Joe Primrose, a pseudonym of Irving Mills. Other jazz-oriented versions include a 1941 recording by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra, with Hot Lips Page providing vocals. "When the Saints Go Marching In". Traditional gospel hymn possibly originating in nineteenth-century New Orleans as a funeral march. The song was popularized in 1938 by Louis Armstrong, who recorded it more than 40 times during his career. The song is often called "The Saints". It is requested notoriously often in performances of Dixieland bands, and sometimes requests for it even have a higher price than normal requests.

1900–1909 1901 – "High Society". Composition by Porter Steele. Originally written as a march and published as a rag, the song soon became one of the most popular tunes of the early New Orleans jazz repertoire. A counterpoint to the melody was arranged by Robert Recker for the piccolo in 1901 and made famous by clarinetist Alphonse Picou. The complex countermelody was often used in auditions for brass band clarinet players. King Oliver's Jazz Band popularized the tune in 1923, and other influential recordings were made by Abe Lyman and His Orchestra in 1932 and by Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen in 1939. 1902 – "Bill Bailey". Ragtime song written by Hughie Cannon. It continued the story of an earlier coon song, "Ain't Dat a Shame" by Walter Wilson and John Queen. The song was introduced by Queen in vaudeville and first recorded by Arthur Collins in 1902. Its popularity inspired a host of "Bill Bailey" songs, including Cannon's own "He Done Me Wrong", which used a variation of the melody from "Frankie and Johnny". Originally titled "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?", the song is also known as "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey".

1910–1914

1910 – "Chinatown, My Chinatown". Popular song with Chinese influences, composed by Jean Schwartz with lyrics by William Jerome. The song was included in the 1910 musical revue Up and Down Broadway and became popular among vaudeville performers in the 1910s. Many Chinese American performers sang the song in both English and Cantonese. Hit recordings were made by the American Quartet in 1915 and by Louis Armstrong in 1932. An easy listening arrangement of the song was also recorded by the John Serry Sextette for RCA Thesaurus in 1954.Eastman School of Music - University of Rochester - Sibley Music Library: John J. Serry Sr. Collection "John Serry Sextette" Audio recording for RCA Thesaurus of arrangements and performances by John Serry at the RCA Victor Studios in 1954 p. 18-19 The John J. Serry Sr. Collection archived at the University of Rochester 1910 – "Some of These Days". Popular song by Shelton Brooks. It was popularized by vaudeville performer Sophie Tucker, who used it as her theme song. Tucker recorded the song six times, and sang it in the films Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Follow the Boys (1944). Brooks's distinctively modern composition was not derived from any of the popular song elements of the time, and the song is considered one of the earliest American pop standards. 1911 – "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Popular song by Irving Berlin. Introduced by vaudeville performer Emma Carus in Chicago, it was Berlin's first international hit and the biggest Tin Pan Alley hit of the time. Although the music contained few ragtime elements, it started a ragtime craze and introduced the vernacular as a valid form of expression in song lyrics. The melody was allegedly copied from a Scott Joplin composition. 1912 – "The Memphis Blues". Blues composition by W. C. Handy with lyrics by George A. Norton. It is one of the earliest printed blues compositions, and two of its three sections are in the twelve-bar blues form. The song possibly originated from a campaign tune for Memphis politician Edward Crump titled "Mr. Crump". Handy claimed composer credit for "Mr. Crump", but some Memphis musicians claimed it was actually written by Handy's clarinetist, Paul Wyer. 1913 – "Ballin' the Jack". Popular song composed by Chris Smith with lyrics by Jim Burris. It was introduced in the Harlem play The Darktown Follies and included in Jerome Kern's 1914 musical The Girl from Utah. It was first recorded by Prince's Band on July 31, 1914. The song introduced a dance of the same name, which can be seen in the 1942 film For Me and My Gal with Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. The dance was later blended with the Lindy Hop. 1914 – "St. Louis Blues".The Real Book, Volume II, p. 366 Blues composition by W. C. Handy. It is the most widely performed blues song and the most popular jazz standard written before the 1920s. It was the most recorded jazz standard for over 20 years. The song was initially only moderately successful, but later became a big hit when vaudeville and revue performers started singing it in their shows. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded the first jazz version in 1921; other notable jazz recordings include Louis Armstrong with blues singer Bessie Smith in 1925 and virtuoso pianist Art Tatum in 1933. The composition combines the traditional twelve-bar blues form with sections in tango rhythm, and its success earned Handy the title "Father of the Blues".Marshall Cavendish 2003, p. 200 Called the "jazzman's Hamlet", it has inspired the Foxtrot dance step and the name of the St. Louis hockey team. 1914 – "That's a Plenty".Listed in The Real Jazz Book Song composed by Lew Pollack with lyrics by Ray Gilbert. It started out as a rag, and is now included in Dixieland jazz repertoire. The first recording was in 1917 by Prince's Band, and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings recorded their rendition in 1923. An early easy listening arrangement was also recorded by Tony Mottola and John Serry with Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette in 1947.Accordion Capers - Tony Mottola, John Serry, Joe Biviano, Leone Jump, Classicajazzguitar.com Television comedian Jackie Gleason used it in his shows in the 1950s. 1914 – "Twelfth Street Rag". Ragtime composition by Euday L. Bowman. There are three versions of the lyrics, written by Jack S. Sumner in 1916, Spencer Williams in 1929 and Andy Razaf in 1942. The earliest jazz recording is from 1927 by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven. Lester Young played an influential solo on Count Basie Orchestra's 1939 recording. Pee Wee Hunt's 1948 recording sold over three million copies, making the tune the best-selling rag in history.

1915–1917

1915 – "I Ain't Got Nobody".The Real Book, Volume III, p. 151 Song composed by Spencer Williams with lyrics by Roger Graham. Charles Warfield, composer of "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", has disputed the song's authorship, asserting that he had composed it. Warfield copyrighted the song as "I Ain't Got Nobody and Nobody Cares for Me" with David Young and Marie Lucas in 1914. It was introduced by Bert Williams in vaudeville, where it was also a popular number for Sophie Tucker. The first of many hit records was by Marion Harris in 1917; Harris recorded the song several times afterwards. The 1939 film Paris Honeymoon with Bing Crosby revived the song's success, and Louis Prima recorded an influential arrangement of it in 1944, paired with "Just a Gigolo". 1915 – "Weary Blues". Ragtime number by Artie Matthews; the published lyrics by George Cates and Mort Greene are almost never performed. It was written for a competition that the publisher John Stark organized to compete with the success of W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues", and quickly became a hit. The first recording was by the Louisiana Five in 1919, and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings recorded their version in 1923. It was the first jazz number to be played in the White House. Originally titled "The Pastime Rag #8", the song is also known as "Shake It and Break It". 1916 – "Beale Street Blues". Blues song by W. C. Handy. Written about the lively black neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee, the Beale Street, it was first recorded by Prince's Band in 1917. Earl Fuller's 1917 hit recording started Handy's commercial success as a composer, earning him more money in royalties than he had ever seen in one place. Gilda Gray's performance in the Broadway musical Gaieties of 1919 caused a sensation in Broadway circles previously unexposed to blues music. The song later became a signature tune of trombonist Jack Teagarden. 1916 – "Li'l Liza Jane". Song composed by Countess Ada de Lachau. It was recorded by Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band in 1917. It was based on earlier minstrel songs, and contains similarities with Stephen Foster's 1850 song "Camptown Races". Alison Krauss & Union Station's 1997 recording won a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. The song is also known as "Little Liza Jane" or "Liza Jane". 1917 – "Darktown Strutters' Ball". Popular song by Shelton Brooks. It was introduced by the vaudeville trio of Benny Fields, Benny Davis and Jack Salisbury. The Original Dixieland Jass Band's instrumental recording from 1917 (coupled with "Indiana" from the same session) is one of the earliest recorded jazz performances. It became an instant hit, selling over a million copies. Sheet music sales for the song exceeded three million. The song is also known as "At the Darktown Strutters' Ball" or "Strutters' Ball".