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. “Amazing Grace” (1779)
5. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851)
6. “Happy Birthday to You” (1893)
7. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka ‘Glory! Glory! Hallelujah)” (1861)
8. “Oh! Susanna” (1847)
9. “Home on the Range” (1874)
10. “Yankee Doodle (aka ‘Yankee Doodle Went to Town’)” (1754)
11. “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (1856)
12. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (1863)
13. “Dixie” (1859)
14. “God Save the King” (1740) / “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (1831)
15. “Home Sweet Home” (1823)
16. “Jingle Bells” (1857)
17. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850)
18. “Auld Lang Syne” (1796)
19. “Scarborough Fair” (1891)
20. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894)
21. “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1744) / “Alphabet Song (The ABC Song)” (1761) / “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806)
22. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)
23. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1872)
24. “Clementine (aka ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’)” (1884)
25. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841)
26. “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” (1899)
27. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1848)
28. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881)
29. “Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilge Nacht)” (1818)
30. “Joy to the World” (1719)
31. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (1751)
32. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)
33. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1855)
34. “Ave Maria” (Schubert/Scott: 1825, J.S. Bach/Gounod: 1859)
35. “The Battle Cry of Freedom” (1862)
36. “Buffalo Gals (Buffalo Girls Will You Come Out Tonight)” (1844)
37. “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” (1867)
38. “Greensleeves” (1580) / “What Child Is This?” (1865)
39. “Shenandoah” (1837)
40. “Skip to My Lou” (1832)
41. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1868)
42. “London Bridge Is Falling Down” (1744)
43. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
44. “Away in a Manger” (1882)
45. “O Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone” (1864)
46. “A Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1700)
47. “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843)
48. “Rock of Ages” (1763)
49. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (1847)
50. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1852)
51. “Row Row Row Your Boat” (1852)
52. “The First Noel” (1823)
53. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853)
54. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
55. “Grandfather’s Clock” (1876)
56. “Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780)
57. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (1857)
58. “Beautiful Dreamer” (1864)
59. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (1850)
60. “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” (1854)
61. “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (1875)
62. “Hail Columbia (The President's March)” (1789)
63. “In the Sweet By-and-By” (1868)
64. “Old Dan Tucker” (1843)
65. “Lorena” (1857)
66. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (1780)
DMDB Top 2%:
67. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (1760)
68. “This Old Man (Nick Nack Paddiwak)” (1842)
69. “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871)
70. “Alouette” (1879)
71. “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” (1740)
72. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709)
73. “Frankie and Johnny” (1899)
74. “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me” (1869)
75. “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” (1865)
76. “Hail to the Chief” (1820)
77. “Bingo (B-I-N-G-O)” (1780)
78. “We Gather Together (Thanksgiving Prayer)” (1630)
79. “Old King Cole” (1708)
80. “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” (1752)
81. “Deck the Halls” (1862)
82. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (1865)
83. “Blow the Man Down” (1849)
84. “How Great Thou Art” (1885)
85. “The Hokey Pokey” (1826)
86. “Three Blind Mice” (1609)
87. “Humpty Dumpty” (1797)
88. “Brahm’s Lullaby (Wiegenlied) (aka ‘Cradle Song’)” (1868)
89. “The Farmer in the Dell” (1883)
90. “Hickory Dickory Dock” (1744)
91. “Ring Around the Rosie” (1881)
92. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820)
93. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (1851)
94. “O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)” (1824)
95. “Rain, Rain, Go Away” (1687)
96. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (1876)
97. “Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man” (1698)
98. “Over the River and Through the Woods” (1844)
99. “Angels We Have Heard on High” (1862)
100. “Coventry Carol” (1534)
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Originally posted 6/30/2021. Last updated 11/29/2025. | 
