>The Andrews Sisters were the most popular singing group of the 1940s, and to this day have had more chart-topping records than any female vocal group in the history of popular music. Patty (the lead singer), Maxene, and LaVerne Andrews were born and raised in Minnesota and spent several years singing with local dance bands and touring in vaudeville. They gained national attention in 1937 from a series of radio broadcasts and the release of their first hit record on the Decca label, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon." By 1940 The Andrews Sisters had several chart-topping hits and were a household name thanks to their tight harmonies, rapid-fire singing that kept up with a boogie-woogie beat, and soaring vocals that matched the Big Band sound so popular at the time.

>Their first film was Argentine Nights (1940), in support of the comedy team The Ritz Brothers. Their second movie Buck Privates, (also made at Universal Pictures) was the second film featuring Abbott and Costello and it was an enormous hit at the box office, cementing the popularity of both acts. Buck Privates introduced the song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which became the signature tune of The Andrews Sisters and is their most well-remembered song to this day (it was rerecorded by Bette Midler in 1973 and again became a best-seller). Among their many other hits were such recordings as "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out the Barrel)," "Beat Me, Daddy, Eight To the Bar," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," "Rum and Coca Cola," "I Can Dream, Can't I?," and several records made with Bing Crosby.