This tune is now correctly referred to as a jazz standard. In 1917 the Original Dixieland Jass Band (Edwin Edwards, Dominick LaRocca, Henry Ragas, Larry Shields and Tony Sbarbaro) recorded "Tiger Rag". They changed the band name to jazz later and copyrighted the song as being composed by band members.

The Mills Brothers (Donald, Harry, Herbert and John Mills Jr.) added the lyrics of Harry DaCosta in 1931 and topped Billboard with the million selling "Tiger Rag". This was the group's first release on Brunswick Records and there is no instrumentation other than a guitar.

Les Paul (Polsfuss) and Mary Ford (Iris Summers) peaked at number two on Billboard in 1952 with this version of "Tiger Rag" (The Original Dixieland Jazz Band).