Skyliner is a swing tune composed by Charlie Barnet, with the classic arrangement for his band credited to Neal Hefti. Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra recorded it on 3 August 1944, and it was first issued as a 78 rpm single by Decca in 1945, backed by "The Moose". The recording was one of Barnet's major hits, and the tune is listed among his major recordings alongside "Nagasaki" and "Cherokee". The title was later reused for his 1956 album Dance Bash, which gathered recordings made between 1947 and 1952, with "Cherokee" and "Skyliner" as its two biggest hits. Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday performed the song at Newport, where Carmen McRae introduced it. Later versions include recordings by Jackie Gleason, Don Costa, Pete Rugolo, Les and Larry Elgart, Carmen McRae with Jack Pleis, and The Manhattan Transfer. The song is documented with English-language lyrics.
