YMMV / Louis Armstrong

• Broken Base: Critics and historians tend to favor Armstrong's 1920s and '30s output over his later recordings, when he transformed into more of a pop crooner and mainstream entertainer. The man himself dismissed this.
• Creator Worship: All jazz musicians look up to Armstrong as the man who made the genre popular. The general public and music fans outside the jazz field also regard him as an artistic genius
• Fan Nickname: "Satchel Mouth" (often shortened to "Satchmo"), "Dippermouth". Musicians invariably referred to him as "Pops".^note The name "Pops" came from Armstrong's own inability to remember most people's names—he became so famous so early, and met so many people, that he forgot names and called everyone "Pops" instead. Eventually, everyone called him that.
• Funny Moments: He produced an album of Disney covers. Just try and keep from cracking a smile by the time he and his band get to "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo."
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: "What a Wonderful World" only sold 1,000 copies when released as a single in the United States (largely due to a lack of promotion because of the head of the label's hatred of the song) but it became one of the biggest hits of 1968 in the United Kingdom. "What a Wonderful World" wouldn't see widespread popularity back home until the late 1980s, when it was featured on the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack.
• Once Original, Now Common:
  • Armstrong's 1920s recordings with his Hot Five and Hot Seven bands are the first masterpiece jazz recordings ever, but we're so used to jazz musicians playing blazing solos that it's hard to realise that nobody had ever done it as brilliantly as this before. Armstrong was the musician whose example made other jazz musicians want to be great improvisers, which is why he's often considered to be the "Godfather of Jazz".
  • Compared to the likes of Coltrane or Davis, Armstrong's playing sounds soulful sure but pretty simple. But at the time, it was gamechangingly blazing and expressive. He actually improvized rather than simply sticking or embellishing the written melody of the verses/chorus.
• Signature Song: "What A Wonderful World" is his most iconic song to modern listeners despite being a Black Sheep Hit. "West End Blues" is second behind in terms of a song that better represents his acclaimed early years.
• Sweet Dreams Fuel: "What A Wonderful World" is famous for being one of the most beautiful and uplifting songs ever written. Its gentle melody and lyrics celebrating the beauty of the world are bound to bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye (unless it's being used for a case of Soundtrack Dissonance).

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