Number 1 Songs in 1933 — UK and US Charts
"Stormy Weather"
Ethel Waters
Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's classic, performed at Harlem's Cotton Club, became a transatlantic hit. Its themes of heartbreak and turmoil resonated powerfully with Depression-era listeners on both sides of the Atlantic.
"Stormy Weather"
Ethel Waters
Ethel Waters' iconic recording of this Harold Arlen standard became one of the defining songs of 1933. Its emotional depth and Waters' extraordinary vocal performance made it a timeless classic that transcended the era.
Biggest Films of 1933 — Box Office Hits
King Kong
Box Office: $2.8 million
Merian C. Cooper's spectacular adventure film featuring revolutionary stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien was a box office sensation. Kong's rampage through New York and his tragic death atop the Empire State Building became one of cinema's most iconic sequences.
Fashion and Style of 1933
Fashion, clothing and visual culture from the era
Architecture and Buildings of 1933
Buildings completed and structures opened in 1933