Top 10 Harry Connick Jr. Songs

Harry Connick Jr. Songs

This Harry Connick Jr. Songs list presents the best Harry Connick Jr. Songs including “Promise Me You’ll Remember” “It Had to Be You” and many more. Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, Harry Connick Jr. was born and raised as the son of a lawyer and judge for a mother and a district attorney for a father. His mother, however, died of ovarian cancer, leaving him, his sister, and his father behind to carry on with their lives without her. Although his mother was Jewish, little Harry and his sister were raised as Roman Catholics as this was the religion his father followed. This is reflected in the schooling he and his sister experienced as children, as well as in the music lessons they received as children. For Harry, he took the lessons a step further by enrolling into the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, as well as the Manhattan School of Arts. In addition to his exposure in classical, funk, gospel, jazz, and pop music, Harry Connick Jr. has also developed a talent for acting and serving as a television host.

Harry Connick Jr.’s Success Story

Harry Connick Jr. signed up with Columbia Records after earning quite a reputation for himself as a composer and musician. In 1989’s movie, When Harry Met Sally…, Connick Jr.’s music was featured on that soundtrack and was impressive enough to earn it a double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He also won his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance in 1990. In addition to his musical resume, he also got into acting. He made his film debut in 1990 in the WWII-themed movie, Memphis Belle, before embarking on a world tour and releasing additional recordings that same year. The first of the two albums produced that year was the instrumental Lofty’s Roach Souffle and the second was We Are in Love. In 1991, Connick Jr. won his second Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance for the second of these two albums.

1993 marked the year of Harry Connick Jr.’s best-selling Christmas album, When My Heart Finds Christmas. It became a triple-platinum seller with the RIAA and was certified gold in Canada. From there, Connick Jr. opted to branch into performing funk music but it wasn’t as well received by European fans as they were accustomed to the musician’s jazzier style. Although he was still successful and earned a new fan base due to the funky musical experiment, Connick Jr. realized his true niche was in the brilliant combination of classical and jazz. However, hints of funk can still be found in some of his musical material that has managed to become fan favorites themselves.

The winning streak for Harry Connick Jr. has continued to keep his name in the spotlight as one of the elite performers in the entertainment industry. He has twenty-eight studio albums to his credit as well as eight video albums. Eight of the albums Connick Jr. released earned Grammy Award nominations which saw We Are in Love win for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male, and Songs I Heard earn the the win for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. From Songs I Heard, this compilation album featured classic songs that were performed from some of the most popular movies of all-time. Connick Jr.’s coverage of these songs turned these classics into a big band masterpiece.

From 1988 through to 1994, the first six studio albums produced by Harry Connick Jr. became RIAA-certified platinum sellers, as did 2003’s Harry for the Holidays and 2004’s Only You. His albums were also popular in Australia and Canada where he also earned gold and platinum certifications from those nations. According to the RIAA, Harry Connick Jr. has sold over twenty-eight million albums worldwide and has the most amount of chart-topping jazz albums on the US Billboards than any other artist in the genre.

Top 10 Harry Connick Jr. Songs

#10 – When My Heart Finds Christmas

There is a reason why Harry Connick Jr. is among the best-selling musical artists of all time. His performance of “When My Heart Finds Christmas” is nothing short of stellar. Only with Connick Jr. can he cover some of the major holidays and still make a phenomenal Christmas song out of it. If there was a song that could best describe the Christmas spirit, “When My Heart Finds Christmas” is definitely it.

 

#9 – Just the Way You Are

Harry Connick Jr.’s cover to “Just the Way You Are” brought Billy Joel’s all-time classic to an amazing performance level that should make Joel proud to hear his chart-topper become such a sweet number. Billy Joel’s original was, and still is, an all-time adult contemporary favorite. Connick Jr.’s version also has a special place in the heart of fans with its softer style and a lyrical way for lovers to appreciate their time together as a couple.

 

#8 – (It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus

1993’s When My Heart Finds Christmas featured Harry Connick Jr. covering the classic “(It Must’ve Been Ol’) Santa Claus.” To this day, this funk-style Christmas tune remains an all-time favorite. Jazzy with happy piano playing alongside Connick Jr.’s festive delivery of a cute Christmas tune that takes a step out of the norm.

 

#7 – A Wink and A Smile

The awesome mix of various musical styles blended into a single song such as “A Wink and a Smile” was a work of genius Harry Connick Jr. performed, which earned it an Academy Award nomination for Best Music. It was recorded for the soundtrack, Sleepless in Seattle, and beautifully served as a dreamy number meeting with heartfelt appreciation. This jazzy number is among many tunes destined to become an all-time classic for the ages.

 

#6 – One Last Pitch

“One Last Pitch” earned a 1990 Grammy Award nomination for Best Instrumental Composition, a song that came from Harry Connick Jr.’s album, Lofty’s Roach Souffle. It, as well as the entire album, saw Connick Jr. brilliantly bring forth a dramatic number as he carried forth his experience from the movie, Memphis Belle, which was based on the true story of a bomber crew during the Second World War.

 

#5 – We Are in Love

“We Are in Love” as a song and as an album, rightfully earned the Grammy Award win for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Harry Connick Jr., as a vocalist, was nothing short of magnificent in this song that could easily win over the crowd from the Roaring Twenties if both the elite performers and their audience had the chance to hear it.

 

#4 – It Had to Be You

The 1924 classic, “It Had to Be You” was already a popular song performed by Isham Jones Orchestra before Harry Connick Jr. recorded his cover version for the When Harry Met Sally… soundtrack. Set up like a big production from early Hollywood, “It Had to Be You” Connick Jr. easily rivals the greats who’ve already added their magic touch to this classic. From Ruth Etting to Ray Charles, this staple favorite has always been a fan favorite. Harry Connick Jr.’s has since been considered among the best ever performed.

 

#3 – Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Already a fan favorite as it is, “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” earned new heights of popularity in 2008 after Harry Connick Jr. covered his own version of it for his album, What a Night! A Christmas Album. His version has become one of the most performed Christmas-themed songs since its release, often played on radio stations during that special time of year, and in shopping, outlets opt for modernized versions of such classics as a means to appease the shoppers.

 

#2 – Recipe for Love

On the UK Singles Chart, “Recipe for Love” became a number thirty-two hit after it was released in 1990. This timeless favorite has remained as one of Harry Connick Jr.’s signature songs as a vocalist and continues to be an all-time favorite among the fans of good quality music only the caliber of Connick Jr. could produce. Jazzy and fun, “Recipe for Love” has become an anniversary favorite among couples who’ve stood the test of time as they’ve been known to express their own recipe secrets that has been shared on radio stations which are known to embrace special occasions such as Valentine’s Day to play dedication songs celebrating the most powerful emotion of them all.

 

#1 – Promise Me You’ll Remember

From the Godfather III soundtrack, “Promise Me You’ll Remember” earned two award nominations in 1991 for Harry Connick Jr.’s performance. This brilliant piano piece was Harry Connick Jr. at his best with the beautiful mix of blues and jazz. The perfect song for couples to either dance to or simply enjoy some quality time together, “Promise Me You’ll Remember” already became an all-time classic the moment it was recorded and released in the movie and its soundtrack. Listeners taking the time to appreciate this incredible ballad are likely to remember it for a lifetime.

Feature Photo: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Top 10 Harry Connick Jr. Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022

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