`` What a Wonderful World '' is a pop ballad written by Bob Thiele ( as `` George Douglas '' ) and George David Weiss . It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single , which topped the pop charts in the United Kingdom . Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world ( Thiele as a producer and Weiss as a composer / performer ) . Armstrong 's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 . The publishing for this song is controlled by Memory Lane Music Group , Carlin Music Corp. and BMG Rights Management .

Question: what type of song is what a wonderful world
Answer: pop ballad