Sunday, December 7, 2025

The Top 100 Songs of Pre-Recorded Music History

Pre-Recorded Music History:

Top 100 Songs

The history of recorded music is generally marked as beginning with the introduction of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1877. With a few exceptions, this list focuses on music written before that era. These are songs which have been around 150 years or more and have entered the public conscience because of the song itself instead of its performance by a specific artist. This list consists of Christmas songs, children’s songs and nursery rhymes, hymns, and patriotic songs. Song titles are followed by their years of publication.

Click here to see other song lists focused on specific eras.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. “America the Beautiful” (1895)
2. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1896)
3. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814)
4. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851)
5. “Amazing Grace” (1779)
6. “Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilge Nacht)” (1818)
7. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853)
8. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka ‘Glory! Glory! Hallelujah)” (1861)
9. “Happy Birthday to You” (1893)
10. “Oh! Susanna” (1847)

11. “Home on the Range” (1874)
12. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (1863)
13. “Dixie” (1859)
14. “Yankee Doodle (aka ‘Yankee Doodle Went to Town’)” (1754)
15. “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (1856)
16. “Jingle Bells” (1857)
17. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850)
18. “Auld Lang Syne” (1796)
19. “God Save the King” (1740) / “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (1831)
20. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820)

21. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894)
22. “Home Sweet Home” (1823)
23. “Scarborough Fair” (1891)
24. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806) / “The Alphabet Song (The ABC Song)” (1834) / “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1879)
25. “Clementine (aka ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’)” (1884)
26. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)
27. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1846)
28. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1872)
29. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841)
30. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)

31. “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” (1899)
32. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881)
33. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1868)
34. “Buffalo Gals (Will You Come Out Tonight)” (1844)
35. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (1852)
36. “Greensleeves” (1580) / “What Child Is This?” (1865)
37. “Joy to the World” (1719)
38. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (1751)
39. “Ave Maria” (Schubert/Scott: 1825, J.S. Bach/Gounod: 1859)
40. “The Battle Cry of Freedom” (1862)

41. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1855)
42. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
43. “Shenandoah” (1837)
44. “Away in a Manger” (1882)
45. “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” (1867)
46. “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843)
47. “Rock of Ages” (1763)
48. “Skip to My Lou” (1832)
49. “Beautiful Dreamer” (1864)
50. “London Bridge Is Falling Down” (1744)

51. “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” (1854)
52. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1852)
53. “Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1549)
54. “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (1875)
55. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
56. “Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780)
57. “Grandfather’s Clock” (1876)
58. “O Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone” (1864)
59. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (1857)
60. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (1847)

61. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (1850)
62. “The First Noel” (1823)
63. “Old Dan Tucker” (1843)
64. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709)
65. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (1760)
66. “In the Sweet By-and-By” (1868)

DMDB Top 2%:

67. “Lorena” (1857)
68. “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871)
69. “Alouette” (1879)
70. “Hail Columbia (The President's March)” (1789)

71. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (1780)
72. “This Old Man (Nick Nack Paddiwak)” (1842)
73. “Frankie and Johnny” (1899)
74. “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” (1740)
75. “Three Blind Mice” (1609)
76. “Deck the Halls” (1862)
77. “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me” (1869)
78. “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” (1865)
79. “Bingo (B-I-N-G-O)” (1780)
80. “Hail to the Chief” (1820)

81. “Blow the Man Down” (1849)
82. “Brahm’s Lullaby (Wiegenlied) (aka ‘Cradle Song’)” (1868)
83. “We Gather Together (Thanksgiving Prayer)” (1630)
84. “Old King Cole” (1708)
85. “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” (1752)
86. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (1868)
87. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (1865)
88. “The Hokey Pokey” (1826)
89. “Humpty Dumpty” (1797)
90. “How Great Thou Art” (1885)

91. “The Farmer in the Dell” (1883)
92. “O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)” (1824)
93. “Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man” (1698)
94. “Angels We Have Heard on High” (1862)
95. “Hickory Dickory Dock” (1744)
96. “Ring Around the Rosie” (1881)
97. “Rain, Rain, Go Away” (1687)
98. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (1851)
99. “Over the River and Through the Woods” (1844)
100. “Coventry Carol” (1534)

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