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. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1896)
2. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814)
3. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851)
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. “Home on the Range” (1873)
10. “Home Sweet Home” (1823)
11. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” (1863)
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. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850)
17. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (1751)
18. “Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilge Nacht)” (1818)
19. “Auld Lang Syne” (1711)
20. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1855)
21. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706)
22. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806)
23. “Clementine (aka ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’)” (1863)
24. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1872)
25. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1881)
26. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (1847)
27. “The First Noel” (1823)
28. “Ave Maria” (Schubert/Scott: 1825, J.S. Bach/Gounod: 1859)
29. “Away in a Manger” (1882)
30. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881)
31. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868)
32. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1868)
33. “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” (1870)
34. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1848)
35. “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (1850)
36. “The Battle Cry of Freedom” (1862)
37. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (1857)
38. “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1744)
39. “Greensleeves” (1580) / “What Child Is This?” (1865)
40. “Rock of Ages” (1763)
41. “Buffalo Girls Will You Come Out Tonight” (1844)
42. “London Bridge Is Falling Down” (1744)
43. “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” (1854)
44. “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (1875)
45. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841)
46. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (1760)
47. “Shenandoah” (1837)
48. “O Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone” (1864)
49. “Grandfather’s Clock” (1876)
50. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884)
51. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (1780)
52. “Alphabet Song (The ABC Song)” (1761)
DMDB Top 2%:
53. “Skip to My Lou” (1832)
54. “Beautiful Dreamer” (1864)
55. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1852)
56. “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” (1867)
57. “Hail Columbia (The President's March)” (1789)
58. “Row Row Row Your Boat” (1852)
59. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830)
60. “A Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1700)
61. “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843)
62. “In the Sweet Bye and Bye” (1868)
63. “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” (1740)
64. “Lorena” (1857)
65. “Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780)
66. “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871)
67. “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me” (1869)
68. “The Liberty Song (In Freedom We’re Born)” (1768)
69. “Deck the Halls” (1862)
70. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (1851)
71. “Alouette” (1879)
72. “Old Dan Tucker” (1843)
73. “In Dulci Jubilo” (1328)
74. “Darling Nellie Gray” (1856)
75. “O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum)” (1824)
76. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (1865)
77. “Long Long Ago” (1843)
78. “Good King Wencelas” (1860)
79. “Nearer My God to Thee” (1859)
80. “We Gather Together (Thanksgiving Prayer)” (1630)
81. “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709)
82. “How Great Thou Art” (1885)
83. “Old King Cole” (1708)
84. “Hail to the Chief” (1820)
85. “Brahm’s Lullaby (Wiegenlied) (aka ‘Cradle Song’)” (1868)
86. “Angels We Have Heard on High” (1862)
87. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (1876)
88. “This Old Man (Nick Nack Paddiwak)” (1842)
89. “Bingo (B-I-N-G-O)” (1780)
90. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820)
91. “Coventry Carol” (1534)
92. “Three Blind Mice” (1609)
93. “Sing a Song of Sixpence” (1790)
94. “Blow the Man Down” (1849)
95. “Rain, Rain, Go Away” (1687)
96. “I Saw Three Ships” (1833)
97. “Humpty Dumpty” (1797)
98. “Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man” (1698)
99. “The Grand Old Duke of York” (1642)
100. “The Farmer in the Dell” (1883)
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Originally posted 6/30/2021. Last updated 2/14/2025. | 
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