Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American
composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film
The Wizard of Oz (lyrics by
E.Y. Harburg), including the classic "
Over the Rainbow", Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the
Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the twentieth century's No. 1 song by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).