Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor in their monumental
A Catalogue of Crime (Rev. & Enl. Edition, 1989) include descriptions of works the authors consider Classics of Crime, 1900-1975.
In addition, Barzun and Taylor selected and wrote prefaces for two series of reprints
50 Classics of Crime Fiction 1900–1950 (Garland, 1976) and
50 Classics of Crime Fiction 1950–1975 (Garland, 1983).
The prefaces to the first series of Classics of Crime Fiction were collected in Barzun and Taylor,
A Book of Prefaces.
Here are the titles in the two series by year of publication.
