21 Best Dean Martin Songs Ever

12. You Belong To Me

Song Year: 1952

“You Belong To Me” has one of the most famous openings of any Hollywood song. Jo Stafford’s sultry vocals made it famous, but she wasn’t the only artist to sing it.

Dean Martin’s rendition of the song limits the jazz to the orchestration. The instruments get all the fun of blue notes and complex harmonies while Martin spins a mellow and sinuous vocal line. He infuses it with a nostalgic, yearning quality that heightens the song’s innate romance.

The gentle slurs on phrases and syllables evoke hazy, tropical nights. All reasons to enjoy this crooning arrangement of a popular 1950s song.

13. Gentle On My Mind

Song Year: 1968

If you want one of the best Dean Martin songs with a zip to it, “Gentle On My Mind” is the obvious choice.

You wouldn’t think so if you only saw the title. But when the song strikes up, it has a big-band sound. It moves at a clip, with the drum beat driving the rhythm forward.

Martin evidently enjoys the chance to swing his melody. He effortlessly tosses the wordy, fast-moving phrases off.

It’s playfully swung, and Martin has his work cut out for him holding his own against Glen Campbell’s popular recording. Whether or not he did is debatable. The song did disastrously in America. But when it reached the UK it catapulted to number two on the song charts, only eclipsed by the Brits’ beloved Beatles.

14. Let It Snow!

Song Year: 1959

Today, “Let It Snow” is widely believed to be the best Dean Martin song. While it wasn’t his biggest hit in the 1950s, it’s probably his most popular song today.

That makes sense if you think about how often you hear this song blaring from shopping mall speakers during the holidays.

Other versions of “Let It Snow” exist, but this is the most recognizable. From its tinkling sleigh bells to Martin’s warm vocals, it oozes fireside warmth. It’s richly evocative of the coziness and holiday cheer we crave during the chilly winter months.

15. How Do You Like Your Eggs In The Morning?

Song Year: 1958

Dean Martin recorded this song in collaboration with Helen O’Connell. It’s one of Martin’s most overrated songs. You don’t typically see it on lists of hits.

But it deserves recognition. It has a bold, brassy big-band sound, and a rhythm that waits for no one.

Martin makes terrific use of dotted rhythms to toss off playfully swung phrases. They give the song an intimate, conversational feel. With O’Connell singing opposite it’s like listening to a musical tennis match or at least a mild flirtation.

16. Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Song Year: 1959

“Dream A Little Dream” was originally a 1931 jazz standard written by Wilbur Schwandt and Fabian Andre.

What’s interesting about Martin’s recording is that it smooths out the syncopated phrases and irons out the more complex harmonies.

It’s still an interesting musical interpretation, but you can see why it was featured on Dean Martin’s album Sleep Warm. Martin interprets the title literally. He turns a flirtatious jazz standard into a tender lullaby. That’s impressive.

Martin wasn’t the only artist to record a popular version of this song. Other well-known artistic interpretations include:

• The Mamas and the Papas
•  Cass Elliott
•  Michael Bublé

17. Ghost Riders In The Sky

Song Year: 1954

In addition to being one of the best Dean Martin Songs, “Ghost Riders In the Sky” is an unusual one.

Stylistically it’s miles from his usual pop ballad. Instead, it has a lugubrious, folksy feel. Elsewhere, as discussed, Martin reinterprets songs and brings them into his style. But he doesn’t do that with “Ghost Riders.”

Instead, he leans into the folk tradition, and it blends beautifully with his warm vocals. 

18. Under the Bridge of Paris

Song Year: 1954

“Under All the Bridges of Paris” is much more obviously a Dean Martin song. He’s in his element crooning elegant and indulgently slow phrases. He makes them sound like a swoon, and the choir takes their cue from him. They stretch the phrases ever longer until you think time might stop.

It’s a highly romantic and sentimental song. The high flute and strings add to the romance. They bring a European sensibility to this piece.

19. All I Do Is Dream of You

Song Year: 1959

Another of the best Dean Martin songs from his 1959 album Sleep Warm was “All I Do Is Dream of You.”

Today most listeners know it as the jazzy, upbeat dance number from Singing in the Rain. And that’s where the song debuted. But it was so successful that many popular artists reimagined it.

Like much of the music on Sleep Warm, this rendition is slower than the original. But the jazz is still there in the orchestration. There are even some interesting harmonies at play between Martin’s vocals and the orchestration.

Martin still favors the off-beats, but there’s a definite crooning quality to the song in his hands.

20. Bye Bye Blackbird

Song Year: 1967

There’s nothing slow about “Bye Bye Blackbird.” Dean Martin has fun swinging the rhythm of this melody. He glances off of strong beats and lands with confidence on the off-beats.

It’s fast without galloping along. You could dance to Martin’s “Blackbird” but be prepared to move briskly.

The band is in fine form too. It plays a beautifully swung and brassy melody at a steady clip. 

The result is a blend of Martin’s famous vocal smoothness and bravado that makes for memorable listening.

21. Buona Sera

Song Year: 1958

We end our list with this charming goodnight from Dean Martin. “Buona Sera” hearkens back to Martin’s Italian ancestry.

It’s got a pronounced Neapolitan rhythm and lively jazzy orchestration. The fast-talking verses give a lilting Italian flavor to the song. But because it’s a goodnight, Martin infuses it with romantic lyricism. Right up until that arch bid for a kiss at the end of each verse.

It sounds like he’s stealing a kiss from his sweetheart and it should because to tuck that phrase in, he steals time from other parts of the music.

Top Dean Martin Songs, Final Thoughts

To the modern ear, Dean Martin can sound old-fashioned. His style is often sentimental and crooning.

But the best Dean Martin songs exhibit a timeless charisma and musicality that unfailingly charms listeners. “Let It Snow” might be the song younger listeners recognize, but it barely scratches the surface of Martin’s career. So, sit back, relax and prepare to succumb to old-fashioned charm.