Swing · Genres
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What is swing?

Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. Swing uses a strong anchoring rhythm section which supports a lead section that can include brass instruments, including trumpets and trombones, woodwinds including saxophones and clarinets or stringed instruments including violin and guitar; medium to fast tempos; and a "lilting" swing time rhythm.

Artists to start with

  1. Frank Sinatra
  2. Paul Anka
  3. Michael Bublé
  4. Dean Martin
  5. Nat King Cole
  6. Bobby Darin
  7. Duke Ellington
  8. The Ink Spots
  9. Matt Dusk
  10. Glenn Miller

Albums to hear first

  • Swing When You're Winning by Robbie WilliamsSwing When You're WinningRobbie Williams
  • Michael Bublé by Michael BubléMichael BubléMichael Bublé
  • Rock Swings by Paul AnkaRock SwingsPaul Anka
  • Songs for Young Lovers by Frank SinatraSongs for Young LoversFrank Sinatra
  • Call Me Irresponsible by Michael BubléCall Me IrresponsibleMichael Bublé
  • Solitude by Billie HolidaySolitudeBillie Holiday
  • The Essential Glenn Miller by Glenn MillerThe Essential Glenn MillerGlenn Miller
  • Hot by Squirrel Nut ZippersHotSquirrel Nut Zippers

Swing songs

  1. Somethin' Stupid by Frank Sinatra
  2. Sway by Michael Bublé
  3. That's Life by Frank Sinatra
  4. Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) by Frank Sinatra
  5. Feeling Good by Michael Bublé
  6. It Had to Be You by Frank Sinatra
  7. Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin
  8. L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole
  9. Ain't That a Kick in the Head by Dean Martin
  10. My Way by Frank Sinatra

Swing on Risocast

  • A Winter Romance by Dean MartinA Winter RomanceDean Martin · 1959
  • Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean MartinEverybody Loves SomebodyDean Martin · 1964
  • Cheek To Cheek (Deluxe) by Tony Bennett, Lady GagaCheek To Cheek (Deluxe)Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga · 2014
  • At The Movies by Dean MartinAt The MoviesDean Martin · 2011
  • Dean Martin: The Capitol Recordings, Vol. 9 (1958-1959) by Dean MartinDean Martin: The Capitol Recordings, Vol. 9 (1958-1959)Dean Martin · 1959
  • The Essential Dean Martin by Dean MartinThe Essential Dean MartinDean Martin · 2014
  • Dean Martin: The Capitol Recordings, Vol. 10 (1959-1960) by Dean MartinDean Martin: The Capitol Recordings, Vol. 10 (1959-1960)Dean Martin · 1960
  • The Door Is Still Open to My Heart by Dean MartinThe Door Is Still Open to My HeartDean Martin · 1964
  • Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean MartinEverybody Loves SomebodyDean Martin · 1964
  • Baby, It's Cold Outside by Dean MartinBaby, It's Cold OutsideDean Martin · 1959
  • Houston by Dean MartinHoustonDean Martin · 2014
  • I Will by Dean MartinI WillDean Martin · 1965

Neighbouring genres

In the jazz & blues family. All genres

bluescool jazzbossa novaacid jazzblues rockbebopavant-garde jazzdelta blueschicago bluesdark jazzcountry bluesdesert blues

Questions

What is swing?
Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. Swing uses a strong anchoring rhythm section which supports a lead section that can include brass instruments, including trumpets and trombones, woodwinds including saxophones and clarinets or stringed instruments including violin and guitar; medium to fast tempos; and a "lilting" swing time rhythm.
Who are the best-known swing artists?
By Last.fm listening: Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Michael Bublé, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Bobby Darin.
What genres are similar to swing?
On Risocast it sits with blues, cool jazz, bossa nova, acid jazz, blues rock and bebop.

Risocast is free. Install it once and it logs everything you play.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

Updated 6 October 2026

Risocast Help

A music log that fills itself in. It records the songs you play on your computer and your phone, turns them into your top songs, stats and a public profile, and finds people whose taste overlaps with yours.

Yes. The app and the website are free.

A song counts once half of it has played, or four minutes — whichever comes first. Songs of 30 seconds or less, and videos or podcasts over 20 minutes, never count.

On Windows, anything that shows up in Windows' media controls: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000, Windows Media Player and more (VLC, iTunes and MusicBee through their free media-controls plugin). On Android, any music app — it reads the same now-playing info your lock screen shows. You can also connect Spotify or import from Last.fm.

Yes. Plays are counted on your device and sent when you're back online, and the phone app opens without a connection.

It does the same core job — scrobbling, automatically — without plugins per player, and adds taste matching: see who listens like you and how much your taste overlaps.

Your profile and listening are public so people with similar taste can find you, unless you make your profile private (then only your buddies see it); your email never is. Nothing is sold and there are no ads; anonymous usage analytics (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics) show what to improve. See the privacy policy for the details.

More in Help, the guides and the privacy policy.

Welcome to Risocast
Risocast

Your music, logged. Your people, found.

A small player that sits in your tray, writes down every song you play, and shows you who listens like you.

243 songs logged today

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

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How logging works

On Windows, Risocast reads the system media controls, so any player counts: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000. No plugins.

On Android the app reads what any music app is playing (it's coming to Google Play). Anywhere else, connect Spotify or a Last.fm username.

When a song countsAfter half its length, or four minutes, whichever comes first.Tracks under 30 seconds are ignored.Offline plays are counted on the device and sent later.

More on automatic logging · Risocast vs Last.fm

Taste twins

See how much your taste overlaps with anyone's, and find the people who listen most like you. The match comes from what you both actually play, not a list of favourites.

Open People

How the match works

Weekly Disc and Taste Map

Every week becomes a disc of your top songs. Every record you play goes on a map, grouped by genre.

Weekly DiscTaste Map

Real ones, from the maker's own listening.

Download Risocast

Risocast is free for Windows 10 and 11. Android is coming to Google Play; on any other device, use the web app with Spotify or Last.fm.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm
  • Version 4.0.9 · Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) · about 100 MB
  • Updates itself: new versions download in the background and install on restart.
  • Every installer is published with its SHA-256 checksum on the releases page.

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Automatic loggingWeekly DiscTaste MapTaste matchProfiles and statsMusic windowsBPM, key and soundSong stripLikes that syncPlay in your appFindPeople and buddiesCompare tasteAnthemsGenre labelsAndroid appImport and connectWindows 98 look
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Guides
Track music on WindowsLog YouTube MusicApple Music statsFind people like youPlayers that workLog VLCLog foobar2000Log MusicBeeiTunes on WindowsLog DeezerLog TidalLog SoundCloudAmazon MusicWindows Media PlayerSpotify historyTop songs of all timeWhat genre is it?Describe your tasteExport your dataComing from Last.fm
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243 logged today