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. “Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilge Nacht)” (1818)
2. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851)
3. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814)
4. “Jingle Bells” (1857)
5. “Amazing Grace” (1779)
6. “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (1856)
7. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka ‘Glory! Glory! Hallelujah)” (1861)
8. “Oh! Susanna” (1847)
9. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” (1863)
10. “Home on the Range” (1873)
11. “Home Sweet Home” (1823)
12. “Dixie” (1859)
13. “Yankee Doodle (aka ‘Yankee Doodle Went to Town’)” (1754)
14. “God Save the King” (1740) / “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (1831)
15. “Joy to the World” (1719)
16. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (1751)
17. “Auld Lang Syne” (1711)
18. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850)
19. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1855)
20. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)
21. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806)
22. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1881)
23. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (1847)
24. “Clementine (aka ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’)” (1863)
25. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1872)
26. “The First Noel” (1823)
27. “Away in a Manger” (1882)
28. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881)
29. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
30. “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” (1870)
31. “Ave Maria” (Schubert/Scott: 1825, J.S. Bach/Gounod: 1859)
DMDB Top 2%:
32. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (1850)
33. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (1857)
34. “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1744)
35. “Rock of Ages” (1763)
36. “Buffalo Gals (Buffalo Girls Will You Come Out Tonight)” (1844)
37. “London Bridge Is Falling Down” (1744)
38. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841)
39. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (1760)
40. “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (1875)
41. “Greensleeves” (1580) / “What Child Is This?” (1865)
42. “O Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone” (1864)
43. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)
44. “Twelve Days of Christmas” (1780)
45. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1868)
46. “Alphabet Song (The ABC Song)” (1761)
47. “Skip to My Lou” (1832)
48. “Beautiful Dreamer” (1864)
49. “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” (1854)
50. “The Battle Cry of Freedom” (1862)
51. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1852)
52. “Hail Columbia (The President's March)” (1789)
53. “Row Row Row Your Boat” (1852)
54. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
55. “A Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1700)
56. “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843)
57. “In the Sweet Bye and Bye” (1868)
58. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1848)
59. “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” (1867)
60. “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871)
61. “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me” (1869)
62. “The Liberty Song (In Freedom We’re Born)” (1768)
63. “Deck the Halls” (1862)
64. “Shenandoah” (1837)
65. “Grandfather’s Clock” (1876)
66. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (1851)
67. “Alouette” (1879)
68. “Old Dan Tucker” (1843)
69. “In Dulci Jubilo” (1328)
70. “O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)” (1824)
71. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (1865)
72. “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” (1740)
73. “Long Long Ago” (1843)
74. “Good King Wencelas” (1860)
75. “Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780)
76. “Nearer My God to Thee” (1859)
77. “We Gather Together (Thanksgiving Prayer)” (1630)
78. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709)
79. “The Bonnie Blue Flag” (1861)
80. “How Great Thou Art” (1885)
81. “Hail to the Chief” (1820)
82. “Brahm’s Lullaby (Wiegenlied) (aka ‘Cradle Song’)” (1868)
83. “Angels We Have Heard on High” (1862)
DMDB Top 5%:
84. “This Old Man (Nick Nack Paddiwak)” (1842)
85. “Bingo (B-I-N-G-O)” (1780)
86. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820)
87. “Coventry Carol” (1534)
88. “Three Blind Mice” (1609)
89. “Sing a Song of Sixpence” (1790)
90. “Blow the Man Down” (1849)
91. “Rain, Rain, Go Away” (1687)
92. “I Saw Three Ships” (1833)
93. “Humpty Dumpty” (1797)
94. “Old King Cole” (1708)
95. “Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man” (1698)
96. “The Grand Old Duke of York” (1642)
97. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (1876)
98. “William Tell Overture” (1829)
99. “The Farmer in the Dell” (1883)
100. “Chopsticks” (1877)
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Originally posted 6/30/2021. Last updated 2/12/2025. |