Music: Happy Talk

Bands and broadcasters pumped out more popular music in 1951 than ever before. Sample happy talk from ASCAP's year-end review:

¶ ASCAP's 2,500 tunesmiths will divide a record $14 million in royalties for the year, an increase of $4,000,000 over 1950.

¶ The most popular composer was Irving Berlin. His songs were performed commercially 600,000 times, earned him royalties of $60,000. Distant second: Cole Porter, with some 30,000 performances.

¶ The songs played most often last year: Hoagy Carmichael's 1929 Stardust and Porter's 1935 Begin the Beguine.

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