Bing Crosby was easily the most popular personality in radio history.

These 57 radio performances begin, fittingly, with Crosby' s career- defining rendition of Swinging on a Star on the Kraft Music Hall show in 1944, and include such dream finds for Crosby collectors as Bing' s performance of It' s Magic, his only version of the song ever released, and renditions of My Foolish Heart and for You, for Me, Forever More.

Then there are the duets-33 of them, including numerous tandems with Nat King Cole (Sam' s Song), the Andrews Sisters (Don' t Fence Me In), Louis Armstrong (Blueberry Hill) and other luminaries, plus instrumental accompaniment from the likes of Joe Venuti, Red Nichols and Les Paul.

Essential American pop culture.