Moonlight Serenade is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with later lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was recorded on April 4, 1939 and released in 1939 on the RCA Bluebird label as the B-side to Sunrise Serenade, and it soon became Miller’s signature tune with strong chart success—reaching number 3 on the US Billboard charts and staying on for 15 weeks. The tune began as an instrumental arrangement and only later received lyrics; it evolved from Miller’s earlier ideas dating back to 1935 and reflects the distinctive Miller sound shaped with the Schillinger technique. In 1991 Moonlight Serenade was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The track remains a classic swing dance band number and has appeared on many Glenn Miller albums and compilations.
