This book by William Studwell was published in 1997. Amazon.com describes it as “an entertaining and informative collection of over 130 historical essays on various American and foreign songs that have had a significant impact on U.S. popular culture.” The book is divided into sections including dancing songs, marching songs, rural and western songs, songs that excite or amuse, songs that soothe or bring tears, children’s songs, circus songs, drinking songs, and college songs.
There is no ranking of the songs in the book, but I have created a top 100 ranking by putting the songs in order based on their overall status in Dave’s Music Database.
Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.
1. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908)
2. “After the Ball” (1892)
3. “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” (1904)
4. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1880)
5. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851)
6. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853)
7. “Happy Birthday to You” (1893)
8. “Oh! Susanna” (1846)
9. “Home on the Range” (1873)
10. “Rhapsody in Blue” (1924)
11. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820)
12. “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (1855)
13. “Home Sweet Home” (1823)
14. “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (1892)
15. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850)
16. “Auld Lang Syne” (1799)
17. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894)
18. “The Sidewalks of New York” (1894)
19. “The Band Played On” (1895)
20. “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” (1893)
21. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)
22. “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853)
23. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806)
24. “The Entertainer” (1902)
25. “Clementine” (1884)
26. “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” (1918)
27. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1846)
28. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)
29. “My Wild Irish Rose” (1899)
30. “Stein Song (University of Maine)” (1910)
31. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1867)
32. “The Arkansaw Traveler” (1863)
33. “Beautiful Ohio” (1918)
34. “Buffalo Gals (Will You Come Out Tonight)” (1844)
35. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (1852)
36. “Red River Valley” (1896)
37. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
38. “The Missouri Waltz (Hush-a-Bye Ma Baby)” (1914)
39. “Beautiful Dreamer” (1864)
40. “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” (1854)
41. “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (1875)
42. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709)
43. “Three Blind Mice” (1609)
44. “Indiana” (1917)
45. “The Little Brown Jug” (1869)
46. “Brahms’ Lullaby (Wiegenlied)” (1868)
47. “Sing a Song of Sixpence” (1790)
48. “The Hokey Pokey” (1826)
49. “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes” (1762)
50. “The Whiffenpoof Song” (1909)
51. “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” (1842)
52. “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” (1867)
53. “Vive la Compagnie (Vive l’Amour)” (1818)
54. “Git Along Little Dogies (Whoopee, Ti Yi Yo)” (1893)
55. “Give Me That Old Time Religion” (1965)
56. “Maryland, My Maryland!” (1861)
57. “The Streets of Laredo” (1911)
58. “Simple Gifts” (1848)
59. “William Tell Overture” (1829)
60. “Chopsticks” (1877)
61. “While Strolling Through the Park One Day (The Fountain in the Park)” (1884)
62. “The Blue Danube Waltz” (1867)
63. “The Big Rock Candy Mountain” (1928)
64. “Reuben and Rachel” (1871)
65. “March of the Toys” (1903)
66. “Jesse James” (1919)
67. “An American in Paris” (1929)
68. “The Merry Widow Waltz (I Love You So)” (1907)
69. “The Anvil Chorus” (1853)
70. “Mississippi Mud” 1927)
71. “Invitation to the Dance (Aufforderung Zum Tanze)” (1821)
72. “Sabre Dance” (1948)
73. “Romeo and Juliet” (1871)
74. “Flying Dutchman Overture” (1844)
75. “Green Grow the Lilacs” (1800)
76. On Wisconsin!” (1909)
77. “The Hearse Song (The Worm Crawls in, the Worm Crawls Out)” (1796)
78. “Drinking Song” (1953)
79. “Humoresque” (1894)
80. “Sleeping Beauty Waltz” (1890)
81. “There Is a Tavern in This Town” (1883)
82. “Flight of the Bumblebee” (1940)
83. “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” (1936)
84. “1812 Overture” (1880)
85. “Can Can” (1858)
86. “A Night on Bald Mountain” (1887)
87. “Dance of the Hours” (1905)
88. “Funeral March of a Marionette” (1879)
89. “Grand Canyon Suite” (1932)
90. Tales from the Vienna Woods” (1868)
91. “Light Cavalry Overture (Leichte Cavallerie)” (1869)
92. “Far Above Cayuga’s Waters” (1870)
93. “The Sorcerer's Apprentice (L’Apprenti Sorcier)” (1897)
94. “Toreador Song” (1875)
95. “Ride of the Valkyies” (1856)
96. “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” (1921)
97. “Over the Waves” (1916)
98. “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” (1928)
99. “How Dry I Am” (1919)
100. “Peter and the Wolf” (1937)
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First posted 12/9/2025.
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