Theodore Raph The American Song Treasury

Theodore Raph: The American Song Treasury

First published in 1964, this book collects lyrics and offers commentary for 100 American favorites from 1620 to 1958. The book presents the songs in chronological order but I have re-ordered the songs based on how many total lists these songs appear on in the Dave’s Music Database of standards. Publication years for songs are indicated, but no specific artist is attached to each song. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. 1. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1880) 2. “You’re a Grand Old Flag (aka “The Grand Old Rag”)” (1906) 3. “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” (1902) 4. “Home on the Range” (1873) 5. “America the Beautiful” (1895) 6. “Give My Regards to Broadway” (1904) 7. “Yankee Doodle Boy” (1905) 8. “Yankee Doodle (aka ‘Yankee Doodle Went to Town’)” (1754) 9. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806) 10. “Oh! Susanna” (1846) 11. “Hello Ma Baby” (1899) 12. “After the Ball” (1892) 13. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (1863) 14. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894) 15. “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” (1904) 16. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850) 17. “In the Good Old Summertime” (1902) 18. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853) 19. “Auld Lang Syne” (1799) 20. “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (1892) 21. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1873) 22. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841) 23. “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” (1870) 24. “Clementine” (1884) 25. “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853) 26. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1846) 27. “The Sidewalks of New York” (1894) 28. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881) 29. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (1927) 30. “In My Merry Oldsmobile” (1905) 31. “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” (1905) 32. “Skip to My Lou” (1832) 33. “My Gal Sal” (1905) 34. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1853) 35. “The Marines’ Hymn” (1919) 36. “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” (1893) 37. “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843) 38. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” (1867) 39. “Beautiful Dreamer” (1864) 40. “The Band Played On” (1895) 41. “Red River Valley” (1896) 42. “Shenandoah” (1837) 43. “On the Banks of the Wabash” (1897) 44. “Hail Columbia (The President’s March)” (1789) 45. “Listen to the Mocking Bird (aka “The Mocking Bird”)” (1855) 46. “My Wild Irish Rose” (1899) 47. “Buffalo Gals (Will You Come Out Tonight)” (1844) 48. “Mighty Like a Rose (aka ‘Mighty Lak a Rose’)” (1901) 49. “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (1875) 50. “Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1549) 51. “I Love You Truly” (1906) 52. “Greensleeves” (1580) 53. “Because” (1902) 54. “The Little Brown Jug” (1869) 55. “Dem Golden Slippers” (1879) 56. “Mary's a Grand Old Name” (1906) 57. “Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)” (1861) 58. “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” (1740) 59. “Sweet Betsy from Pike” (1851) 60. “When You and I Were Young, Maggie” (1866) 61. “Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?” (1792) 62. “Billy Boy” (1800) 63. “Vive la Compagnie (Vive l’Amour)” (1818) 64. “Oh Promise Me” (1889) 65. “Tom Dooley” (1929) 66. “Long, Long Ago” (1843) 67. “The Rosary” (1898) 68. “The Girl I Left Behind” (1650) 69. “Blow the Man Down” (1849) 70. “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes” (1616) 71. “Love’s Old Sweet Song” (1887) 72. “Wait for the Wagon” (1851) 73. “The Wayfaring Stranger” (1807) 74. “The Foggy, Foggy Dew” (1804) 75. “I Gave My Love a Cherry” (1785) 76. “Hinky Dinky Parlay Voo (Mademoiselle from Armentieres)” (1918) 77. “There’s a Tavern in the Town” (1883) 78. “Wabash Cannonball” (1882) 79. “We Gather Together (Thanksgiving Song)” (1630) 80. “Barbara Allen” (1622) 81. “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” (1949) 82. “While Strolling Through the Park One Day (The Fountain in the Park)” (1884) 83. “Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms” (1808) 84. “The Wearing of the Green” (1797) 85. “Bell Bottom Trousers” (1945) 86. “Flow Gently Sweet Afton” (1838) 87. “The Blue Bells of Scotland” (1800) 88. “The Campbells Are Coming” (1847) 89. “Dear Old Girl” (1903) 90. “Where Did You Get That Hat?” (1888) 91. “Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail)” (1835) 92. “Careless Love Blues” (1925) 93. “Aura Lee” (1861) 94. “Annie Laurie” (1838) 95. “St. Patrick’s Day” (1865) 96. “All Through the Night” (1825) 97. “John Peel” (1820) 98. “Charlie Is My Darling” (1830) 99. “Cindy” (1857) 100. “Ida” (1903) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations Theodore Raph (1964). The American Song Treasury: 100 Favorites First posted 12/17/2025.

 

Folk/Traditional: Top 100 Songs

Folk/Traditional: Top 100 Songs

Originally this was a list of the top top folk and folk rock songs. However, I’ve now split it into two lists – one focused on folk rock and this one on folk and traditional songs. These lists were generated by aggregating multiple lists that focused on folk and folk rock and then reordering the songs based on their overall status in Dave’s Music Database. Songs are listed by songwriters, then title, and then year. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 1. George M. Cohan “You’re a Grand Old Flag” (1906) 2. Katharine Lee Bates (lyrics) and Samuel A. Ward (music) “America the Beautiful” (1910) 3. Irving Berlin “God Bless America” (1918) 4. Ella Fitzgerald, Al Feldman “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938) 5. Francis Scott Key (lyrics) John Stafford Smith (music) “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814) 6. John Newton “Amazing Grace” (1772) 7. James M. Black, Katharine E. Purvis “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1896) 8. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (music & lyrics: Stephen Foster, 1851) 9. Patty S. Hill & Mildred J. Hill “Happy Birthday to You” (1893) 10. Woody Guthrie “This Land Is Your Land” (1940) 11. Julia Ward Howe (lyrics), William Steffe (music) “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (1862) 12. John Kelly, Don George, traditional “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853) 13. Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter “Goodnight Irene” (1933) 14. Stephen Foster “Oh! Susanna” (1847) 15. Daniel E. Kelly (music), Dr. Brewster M. Higley (lyrics) “Home on the Range” (1874) 16. Harry Dacre “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (1893) 17. Louis Lambert as Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore (lyrics), unknown (m) “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” (1863) 18. Daniel Decatur Emmett “Dixie” (aka “I Wish I Was in Dixie” or “Dixie’s Land”) (1859) 19. traditional, adapted by Fred Weatherly “Danny Boy” (1913) 20. Robert Burns (adapted by) “Auld Lang Syne” (1799) 21. Stephen Foster (music/lyrics) “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850) 22. Richard Shuckburgh (lyrics), music: traditional “Yankee Doodle (aka ‘Yankee Doodle Went to Town’)” (1754) 23. James R. Shannon (music/lyrics) “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby)” (1913) 24. Traditional “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894) 25. Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell “You Are My Sunshine” (1940) 26. Hugo Peretti et al “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1939) 27. Percy Montrose “Clementine” (1863) 28. Frank Kidson (first published by) “Scarborough Fair” (1891) 29. Dave Guard “Tom Dooley” (1958) 30. Thomas D'Urfey (music), Frederick Thomas Nettleingham (lyrics) “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706) 31. J.A. Roff, adapted by A.P. Carter “Wabash Cannonball” (1882) 32. Wallace Willis, arranged by Henry Thacker Burleigh “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1872) 33. Traditional “Jimmy Crack Corn” (1848) 34. Jane Taylor (lyrics) “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806) 35. Traditional “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain” (1899) 36. Cool White “Buffalo Gals (Buffalo Girls Will You Come Out Tonight)” (1844) 37. Carl Sandburg “Skip to My Lou” (1832) 38. Unknown “Greensleeves” (1580) 39. Ada R. Habershon, Charles H. Gabriel, A.P. Carter (adapted by) “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)” (1935) 40. A.P. Carter “Wildwood Flower” (1928) 41. unknown “Baa Baa Black Sheep” (1744) 42. Daniel Decatur Emmett (music/lyrics) “Old Dan Tucker” (1843) 43. Traditional “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841) 44. Charles E. Pratt “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881) 45. Effie I. Canning (music/lyrics) “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884) 46. Lowell Mason (music), Sarah Josepha Hale (lyrics) “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830) 47. Traditional “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” (1863) 48. Eliphalet Oram Lyte “Row Row Row Your Boat” (1852) 49. Anonymous “Froggie Went A-Courtin’” (1700) 50. Edith Piaf (lyrics), Louiguy (music) “La Vie En Rose” (1950) 51. Septimus Winner (music/lyrics) “O Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone” (1864) 52. Unknown “Frère Jacques” (aka “Brother John, Are You Sleeping?”) (1780) 53. Eugene Raymond (adapted by) “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1852) 54. Unknown “Shenandoah” (1837) 55. Daniel Decatur Emmett (music/lyrics) “Polly Wolly Doodle (All the Day)” (1843) 56. John Wesley Work Jr. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (1865) 57. William Jerome (lyris), Harry Von Tilzer (music) “The Green Grass Grew All Around” (1913) 58. Sabine Baring-Gould (lyrics), Sir Arthur Sullivan (music) “Onward Christian Soldiers” (1871) 59. Bill Monroe “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (1947) 60. William Swords (lyrics), unknown (music) “Bingo (B-I-N-G-O)” (1780) 61. Traditional “Alouette” (1879) 62. Geoff Love (adapted) “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (1927) 63. Traditional “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” (1709) 64. Billy Reeves (w), Frank Campbell (m), arranged by Rollin Howard “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me” (1869) 65. Traditional “Red River Valley” (1896) 66. William King (publisher) “Old King Cole” (1708) 67. Traditional “This Old Man (Nick Nack Paddiwack)” (1842) 68. Jay Roberts (copyrighted by) “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” (1865) 69. Unknown “Three Blind Mice” (1609) 70. translated and arranged by Dr. Theodore Baker “We Gather Together (Thanksgiving Prayer)” (1630) 71. “The Hokey Pokey” (1826) 72. Traditional “The Farmer in the Dell” (1883) 73. Unknown “Blow the Man Down” (1849) 74. Traditional/Alan Price “The House of the Rising Sun” (1933) 75. Traditional; arranged by Harry Belafonte, William Attaway, Lord Burgess “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” (1956) 76. Elliott Daniel “Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)” (1685) 77. Verna Hills “The Wheels on the Bus” (1939) 78. Traditional “Hickory Dickory Dock” (1744) 79. “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” (1910) 80. Dr. Alfred B. Smith “If You’re Happy and You Know It” (1905) 81. Unknown “The Wayfaring Stranger” (1807) 82. Traditional “Sweet Betsy from Pike” (1851) 83. Lester A. Walton, C. Lucky Roberts “Billy Boy” (1800) 84. Clarence (Tom) Ashley “The Coo Coo Bird” (1929) 85. “Ring Around the Rosie” (1881) 86. Bill Dooley “Frankie and Johnny” (1899) 87. “Rock Island Line” (1937) 88. Traditional “The Midnight Special” (1923) 89. Steve Nelson, Jack Rollins “Peter Cottontail” (1950) 90. H. Wylie “Kumbaya” (1926) 91. Jean-Jacques Rousseau “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” (1752) 92. “John Henry” (1859) 93. Ken Darby (adapted by) “Aura Lea” (1861) 94. Carl Sandburg “Down by the Riverside” (1918) 95. “Do You Know the Muffin Man” (1829) 96. Epe Sargent (lyrics), Henry Russell (music) “Follow the Drinking Gourd” (1860) 97. “Hush Little Baby” (1918) 98. “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” (1842) 99. “Over the River and Through the Woods” (1844) 100. “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” (1870) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 100 Folk Rock Songs” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 100 Modern Folk Songs (1980-)” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 100 Folk/Americana Albums of All Time” First posted 4/19/2020; last updated 11/17/2025.

Gospel Songs & Hymns: Top 100

Gospel Songs & Hymns: Top 100 Songs

More than 30 lists focused on gospel songs or hymns were aggregated to create this list. The top 50 point getters were ranked first. After that, any songs featured on 2 or more lists were ranked by overall DMDB points and then re-ordered based on their points specifically on gospel songs and hymns lists. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
1	Amazing Grace	John Newton (w)	1779	The Pipes & Drums & Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (1972)
2	How Great Thou Art	Carl Boberg (w)	1885	George Beverly Shea (1955)
3	What a Friend We Have in Jesus	Hartius Bonar (w), Charles Crozat Converse (m)	1876
4	It Is Well with My Soul	Horacio C. Spafford (w), Paul P. Bliss (m)	1873
5	Blessed Assurance	Fanny Crosby	1873
6	Oh Happy Day	Philip Doddridge (w)	1891	Edwin Hawkins Singers with Dorothy Combs Morrison (1969)
7	I'll Fly Away	Albert E. Brumley	1929	The Chuck Wagon Gang (1948)
8	Be Thou My Vision	Elizabeth Byrne (w), Dallan Forgaill (m)	1905
9	Abide with Me	Henry Francis Lyte (w), William Henry Monk (m)	1861
10	Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty	Reginald Heber (w), John Bacchus Dykes (m)	1826

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
11	Take My Hand, Precious Lord	Thomas A. Dorsey	1932	Thomas A. Dorsey (1932)
12	Rock of Ages	Augustus Montague Toplady (w), Thomas Hastings (m)	1763	Alma Gluck & Louise Homer (1914)
13	Jesus Paid It All	Elvina Hall	1865
14	His Eye Is on the Sparrow	C.D. Martin, C.H. Gabriel	1905	Mahalia Jackson (1951)
15	The Old Rugged Cross	Rev. George Bennard (m/w)	1913	Homer Rodeheaver with Virginia Asher (1921)
16	Morning Has Broken	Eleanor Farjeon/Bunessan/Rick Wakeman	1931	Cat Stevens (1971)
17	Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)	Ada R. Habershon, Charles H. Gabriel, A.P. Carter (adapted by)	1907	The Carter Family (1935)
18	There'll Be Peace in the Valley	Thomas A. Dorsey	1937	Elvis Presley (1957)
19	He's Got the Whole World in His Hands	Geoff Love (adapted)	1927	Laurie London (1957)
20	Great Is Thy Faithfulness	Thomas Chisolm	1923	Jordan Smith (2015)

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
21	When I Survey the Wondrous Cross	Isaac Watts	1707
22	I Saw the Light	Hank Williams	1947	Hank Williams (1948)
23	Just a Closer Walk with Thee		1941	Jimmie Rodgers (1960)
24	Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing	Robert Robinson	1757
25	Swing Low, Sweet Chariot	Wallace Willis, arranged by Henry Thacker Burleigh	1873	Fisk Jubilee Singers (1910)
26	Give Me That Old Time Religion	Charles Davis Tillman	1873	Etta James (1983)
27	Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen		1867	Marian Anderson (1925)
28	All Hail the Power of Jesus Name	Edward Perronet	1779
29	All Creatures of Our God and King	St. Francis of Assisi	1225
30	Touch the Hem of His Garment		1956	The Soul Stirrers (1956)

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
31	When the Saints Go Marching In	James M. Black/Katharine E. Purvis	1896	Louis Armstrong (1939)
32	Crown Him with Many Crowns	Matthew Bridges, Godfrey Thring	1852
33	Mary Don't You Weep	traditional	1915	Swan Silvertones (1959)
34	There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood	William Cowper	1771
35	In the Garden	C. Austin Miles	1912	Elvis Presley (1967)
36	Just As I Am	Charlotte Elliot (w)	1834
37	Move on Up a Little Higher	Rev. William Herbert Brewster	1946	Mahalia Jackson (1948)
38	Jerusalem	William Blake (w), Hubert Parry (m)	1916	Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1973)
39	How Firm a Foundation	John Rippon	1787
40	The Lord's My Shepherd	traditional (w), Jessie Seymour Irvine (m)	1871

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
41	Jesus on the Mainline	traditional	1960	Ry Cooder (1974)
42	Down by the Riverside	Carl Sandburg	1918	The Four Lads (1953)
43	Wings of a Dove	Bob Ferguson	1958	Ferlin Husky (1960)
44	Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer	William Williams (w), John Hughes (m)	1745
45	Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus	Helen Lemmel	1922
46	The Lord's Prayer	Albert Hay Malotte	1935	Sister Janet Meade (1974)
47	I Vow to Thee My Country	Sir Cecil Spring Rice (w), traditional	1910
48	Ave Maria	Charles Gounod/J.S. Bach (m)/Franz Schubert (m)	1825	Enrico Caruso (1913)
49	Great Is Your Mercy	Donnie McClurkin	2000	Donnie McClurkin (2000)
50	Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho	traditional	1930	Elvis Presley (1960)

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
51	All Things Bright and Beautiful	Cecil Frances Alexander (w)	1849
52	Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour	Frances Jane Crosby (w), William Howard Doane (m)	1870	Lyle Lovett (1992)
53	O God, Our Help in Ages Past	Isaac Watts (w), William Croft (m)	1708
54	A Mighty Fortress Is Our God	Martin Luther	1529
55	Nearer My God to Thee	Sarah Adams Flower (w), Lowell Mason (m)	1861	Richard Jose (1906)
56	Shackles (Praise You)	Erica Atkins, Trecina Atkins, Warryn Campbell, Franne Golde, Dennis Lambert, Duane Hitchings	2000	Mary Mary (2000)
57	In the Sweet Bye and Bye	Joseph Philbrick Webster (m), Sanford F. Bennett	1868
58	Bridge Over Troubled Water	Paul Simon	1970	Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
59	Never Would Have Made It	Matthew Brownie, Marvin Sapp	2008	Marvin Sapp (2008)
60	Eternal Father, Strong to Save (The Navy Hymn)	William Whiting (w), John Bacchus Dykes (m)	1860

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
61	Jesus Loves Me	Anne Warner (w), William Bradbury (m)	1862
62	At the Cross	Isaac Watts (w), R.E. Hudson (m)	1707
63	When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder	James M. Black (m/w)	1893	Haydn Quartet with Harry Macdonough (1906)
64	Jesus Is Just Alright	Art Reynolds	1966	The Doobie Brothers (1972)
65	The Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!")	Julia Ward Howe (w), William Steffe (m)	1862	Charles Harrison & the Columbia Stellar Quartet (1918)
66	I Surrender All	Judson W. Van DeVenter	1896
67	People Get Ready	Curtis Mayfield	1965	The Impressions (1965)
68	Dear Lord and Father of Mankind	John Greeleaf Whittier (w), Hubert Parry (m)	1872
69	I Need Thee Every Hour	Annie S. Hawks (w), Rev. Robert Lowry (m)	1872
70	Onward Christian Soldiers	Sabine Baring-Gould (w), Sir Arthur Sullivan (m)	1871	Harry Simeone Chorale (1960)

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
71	My Sweet Lord	George Harrison	1970	George Harrison (1970)
72	The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended	John Ellerton (w)	1870
73	Awesome	Charles Jenkins	2012	Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago
74	I’ll Take You There	Al Bell	1972	The Staple Singers (1972)
75	Let the Church Say Amen	Andraé Crouch	2011	Andraé Crouch & Marvin Winans (2011)
76	Faith of Our Fathers	Frederick William Faber (w), Henri F. Hemy (m)	1849
77	Up to the Mountain	Patty Griffin	2007	Kelly Clarkson with Jeff Beck (2007)
78	Fairest Lord Jesus (Crusader's Hymn)	anonymous	1850
79	For the Beauty of the Earth	Folliott Sandford Pierpont	1864
80	Hallelujah Chorus	George Frideric Handel	1741	Reginald McAll (1916)

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
81	This Train	Flick/Foley/Paine/Kirkland	1922	Sister Rosette Tharpe (1939)
82	Wade in the Water	unknown	1901	Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1961)
83	We Shall Overcome	Charles Albert Tindley	1901	Pete Seeger
84	Shall We Gather at the River? (aka "Beautiful River" and "Hanson Place")	Robert Lowry	1864
85	Grateful	Eric Davis, Deon Kipping, James Leon Hairston	2005	Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Choir
86	Make Me a Channel of Your Peace	Sebastian Temple	1967	Sinéad O'Connor (1997)
87	Put Your Hand in the Hand	Gene MacLellan	1971	Ocean (1971)
88	How Great Is Our God	Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash	2004	Chris Tomlin (2004)
89	Michael Row the Boat Ashore	traditional	1867	The Highwaymen (1961)
90	10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)	Matt Redman	2013	Matt Redman (2013)

Rank	Song Title	Songwriter(s), w = words, m = music	Year of Publiciation	Highest Ranked DMDB Version, if applicable (Year of Release)
91	A Change Is Gonna Come	Sam Cooke	1964	Sam Cooke (1964)
92	Yah Mo B There	James Ingram, Quincy Jones, Michael McDonald, Rod Temperton	1983	James Ingram & Michael McDonald (1983)
93	Wholy Holy	Marvin Gaye, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Al Cleveland	1971	Aretha Franklin (1972)
94	Wanna Be Happy?	Kirk Franklin, Al Green	2015	Kirk Franklin (2015)
95	Blessings	Chancelor J. Bennett, Peter Wilkins, Nico Segal, Nate Fox, Fred Hammond, Byron Cage	2016	Chance the Rapper (2016)
96	The Battle Is the Lord's	V. Michael McKay	1996	Yolanda Adams (1996)
97	Lead Kindly Light	John Henry Newman (w), John Bacchus Dykes (m)	1868
98	Love Lifted Me	James Rowe, Howard E. Smith	1912	Kenny Rogers (1975)
99	Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us	Dorothy Ann Thrupp	1836
100	Safe in the Arms of Jesus	Frances Jane Crosby (w), William Howard Doane (m)	1870

Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” First posted 9/1/2023.

Louis Armstrong - Happy 100th Birthday!: Top 50 Songs

Louis Armstrong Top 50 Songs

Jazz great Louis Armstrong is easily one of the most important American musical figures of all time. He ranks in the top ten of the DMDB’s Top 100 Music Makers of the Pre-Rock Era list. The renouned singer and trumpet player was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901 and died of heart failure on July 6, 1971. By 1918 he was protégé of King Oliver and when Armstrong went to Chicago to join Olivier’s band, it was at the dawn of a new jazz age. By 1926, “Satchmo” formed his own band and recorded songs which helped create a new international audience for jazz. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. 1. St. Louis Blues (with Bessie Smith, 1925) 2. What a Wonderful World (1967) 3. Hello, Dolly! (1964) 4. Stardust (1931) * 5. West End Blues (1928) 6. St. Louis Blues (1930) * 7. All of Me (1932) 8. When the Saints Go Marching In (1939) 9. Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1937) * 10. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1929) * 11. I Got Rhythm (1932) * 12. I’m in the Mood for Love (1935) * 13. Summertime (with Ella Fitzgerald, 1960) * 14. Body and Soul (1932) * 15. Cabaret (1968) 16. After You’ve Gone (1932) * 17. Mack the Knife (1956) * 18. Memories of You (1930) 19. I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues (1933) 20. Potato Head Blues (1927) 21. Heebie Jeebies (1926) 22. St. James Infirmary (1929) 23. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (1932) 24. Struttin’ with Some Barbeque (1928) 25. When You’re Smiling (1929) * 26. Red Sails in the Sunset (1936) * 27. The Peanut Vendor (El Manciero) (1931) * 28. La Vie En Rose (1950) * 29. Chinatown, My Chinatown (1932) * 30. Basin Street Blues (with Earl Hines and Mancy Cara, 1938) * 31. A Kiss to Build a Dream On (1951) 32. Jeepers Creepers (1939) * 33. Love Walked In (1938) 34. Muskrat Ramble (1926) 35. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (1929) * 36. What a Wonderful World (with Kenny G, 1999) * 37. Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now (1932) 38. Rockin’ Chair (with Hoagy Carmichael, 1932) 39. Weather Bird (with Earl Hines, 1928) 40. Hotter Than That (1928) 41. Blueberry Hill (1956) * 42. That Lucky Old Sun (1949) * 43. If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight (1930) * 44. You Can Depend on Me (1932) 45. Love You Funny Thing (1932) 46. Lazy River (1931) 47. You Are My Lucky Star (1935) * 48. Once in a While (1938) * 49. Shine (1932) 50. Darling Nellie Gray (with the Mills Brothers, 1937) * In the event of multiple versions of a song, the DMDB typically recognizes only the highest ranked version. These songs, while all recorded by Armstrong, were recorded by other artists who had higher ranked versions. Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Louis Armstrong Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 8/4/2012; last updated 6/5/2022.

Ronald Herder 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics

Ronald Herder: Best-Loved Song Lyrics: Top 100

The book 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, collected and edited by Ronald Herder, was published by Dover in 1998. It doesn’t offer any background or history about the songs, focusing just on printing the lyrics. The book doesn’t rank the songs but I have created a top 100 ranking by looking at how many other lists the songs are featured on. Publication years for songs and the songwriters are indicated, but no specific artist is attached to each song. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations 1. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) by Irving Berlin 2. “St. Louis Blues” (1914) by W.C. Handy 3. “Amazing Grace” (1772) by John Newton 4. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908) by Albert Von Tilzer & Jack Norworth 5. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic (aka ‘Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!’)” (1861) by Julia Ward Howe & William Steffe 6. “When the Saints Go Marching In” (1880) by James M. Black & Katharine E. Purvis 7. “Over There” (1917) by George M. Cohan 8. “You’re a Grand Old Flag (aka “The Grand Old Rag”)” (1906) by George M. Cohan 9. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814) by Francis Scott Key & John Stafford Smith 10. “Silent Night” (1818) by Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber, & John Freeman Young 11. “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” (1902) by Hughie Cannon & Johnnie Queen 12. “Home on the Range” (1873) by Dr. Brewster M. Higley & Daniel E. Kelly 13. “America the Beautiful” (1895) by Katherine Lee Bates & Samuel A. Ward 14. Billy Murray “Give My Regards to Broadway” (1905) by George M. Cohan 15. “You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)” (1913) by Jimmy Monaco & Joseph McCarthy 16. “Yankee Doodle Boy” (1905) by George M. Cohan 17. “Jingle Bells” (1857) by James S. Pierpont 18. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (1806) by Jane Taylor 19. “Oh! Susanna” (1847) by Stephen Foster 20. Arthur Collins with Bryon G. Harlan “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1918) by Shelton Brooks 21. “Some of These Days” (1911) by Shelton Brooks 22. “Shine on Harvest Moon” (1909) by Jack Norworth & Nora Bayes 23. “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (1706) by Thomas D’Ufey & Frederick Thomas Nettingham 24. “Swanee” (1920) by George Gershwin & Iving Caesar 25. “Hello Ma Baby” (1899) by Joseph E. Howard & Ida Emerson 26. “After the Ball” (1892) by Charles K. Harris 27. “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (1832) by Henry Carey/music: traditional French melody 28. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” (1863) by Louis Lambert as Parick Sarsfield Gilmore 29. “Tiger Rag” (1918) by Harry DeCosta & the Original Dixieland Jazz Band 30. “Dixie” (1859) by Daniel Decatur Emmett 31. “My Melancholy Baby” (1928) by Ernie Burnett & George A. Norton 32. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (1894) by traditional 33. “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” (1904) by Arthur B. Sterling & Kerry Mills 34. “O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)” (1751) first published by John Francis Wade 35. “Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night)” (1850) by Stephen Foster 36. “For Me and My Gal” (1942) by George Meyer, Edgar Leslie, & E. Ray Goetz 37. “Carolina in the Morning” (1923) by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn 38. “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” (1909) by Edward Madden & Gus Edwards 39. “Moonlight Bay” (1912) by Edward Madden & Percy Wenrich 40. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1910) by Leo Friedman & Beth Slater Whitson 41. “In the Good Old Summertime” (1902) by Ren Shields & George Evans 42. “Joy to the World” (1719) by George Frideric Handel & Isaac Watts, arranged by Lowell Mason 43. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (1852) by Eliphalet Oram Lyte 44. “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1853) by Edwin Christy, John Kelly, & Don George 45. “Peg O’ My Heart” (1913) by Alfred Bryan & Fred Fisher 46. “After You’ve Gone” (1918) by Turner Layton & Henry Creamer 47. “Anchors Aweigh (U.S. Navy Song)” (1906) by Alfred Hart Miles, Royal Lovell, Charles A. Zimmerman, & George D. Lottman 48. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1739) by Charles Wesley & Felix Mendessohn 49. “O Holy Night (Minuit, Chrétiens)” (1847) by Adolphe Adam & John Sullivan Dwight 50. “Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart)” (1903) by Richard H. Gerard & Harry Armstrong 51. “Whispering” (1920) by John Schonberger, Richard Coburn, & Vincent Rose 52. “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” (1911) by Nat D. Ayer & Seymour Brown 53. “Auld Lang Syne” (1799) adapted by Robert Burns 54. “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” (1892) by Hary Dacre 55. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1873) by Wallace Willis, arranged by Henry Thacker Burleigh 56. “On Top of Old Smoky” (1841) traditional 57. “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” (1899) traditional 58. “Clementine” (1884) by Percy Montrose 59. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (1830) by Lowell Mason & Sarah Josepha Hale 60. “London Bridge is Falling Down” (1744) writer unknown 61. “Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)” (1780) traditional 62. “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” (1851) 63. “Home Sweet Home” (1823) by John Howard Payne, arranged by Sir Henry Rowley Bishop 64. “Turkey in the Straw” (1820) by George Washington Dixon, Bob Farell, Otto Bunnell/traditional 65. “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” (1918) by Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, & Jean Schwartz 66. “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” (1922) by Turner Layton & Henry Creamer 67. “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853) by Stephen Foster 68. “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (1918) by Irving Berlin 69. “I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad” (1911) by William Dillon & Harry Von Tilzer 70. “Rock-a-Bye Baby” (1884) by Effie I. Canning 71. “The Alphabet Song (The ABC Song)” (1834) by Charles Bradlee, music unknown 72. “Danny Boy” (1913) traditional, adapted by Fed Weatherly 73. “The Japanese Sandman” (1920) by Richard A. Whiting & Ray Egan 74. “Jimmy Crack Corn (The Blue Tail Fly)” (1846) by Daniel Decatur Emmett 75. “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” (1909) by Joseph E. Howard, Harold Orlob, Frank R. Adams, & Will M. Hough 76. “The Sidewalks of New York” (1894) by Charles B. Lawlor & James W. Blake 77. “Ballin’ the Jack” (1914) by James Henry Burris & Chris Smith 78. “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (1881) by Charles E. Pratt 79. “Rock of Ages” (1763) by Augustus Montague Toplady & Thomas Hastings 80. “Away in a Manger” (1882) by James Ramsey Murray & Charles H. Gabriel 81. “The First Noel” (1823) by Davies Gilbert 82. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (1927) adapted by Geoff Love 83. “Till We Meet Again” (1919) by Richard A. Whiting & Raymond B. Egan 84. “In My Merry Oldsmobile” (1905) by Vincent Bryan & Gus Edwards 85. “My Buddy” (1922) by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn 86. “School Days (When We Were a Couple of Kids)” (1907) by Gus Edwards & Will D. Cobb 87. “Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” (1906) by Andrew B. Sterling & Harry Von Tilzer 88. “Down by the Old Mill Stream” (1910) by Tell Taylor 89. “A Hot Time in the Old Town” (1896) by Theodore August Metz & Joe Hayden 90. “Skip to My Lou” (1832) by Carl Sandburg 91. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1868) by Lewis H. Redner & Phillips Brooks 92. “My Gal Sal” (1907) by Paul Dresser 93. “In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” (1905) by Harry H. Williams & Egbert Van Alstyne 94. “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” (1919) by Irving Berlin 95. “The Battle Cry of Freedom” (1862) by Geoge Frederick Root 96. “When You Wish Upon a Star” (1940) by Leigh Harline & Ned Washington 97. “Margie” (1921) by Benny Davis, Con Conrad, & J. Russell Robinson 98. “Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay” (1891) by Henry J. Sayers 99. “Pop Goes the Weasel” (1853) adapted by Eugene Raymond 100. “The Marines’ Hymn” (1919) arranged by A. Tregina Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lists from other publications and/or organizations” Ronald Herder (10/1/1998) 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics. Dover Publications. First posted 12/20/2025.

William Studwell The Americana Song Reader

William Studwell: The Americana Song Reader

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) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations William Studwell (3/14/1997). The Americana Song Reader. The Haworth Press, Inc.: Binghampton, NY. First posted 12/9/2025.

Today in Music (1939): “The Saints Go Marching” marched onto the charts

When the Saints Go Marching In Louis Armstrong

Writer(s): James M. Black, Katharine E. Purvis (see lyrics here) First Charted: April 1, 1939 Peak: 10 US, 6 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 24.05 video, -- streaming

Awards (overall): Click on award for more details. Awards (Armstrong): Awards (Bruce Springsteen):

About the Song: “When the Saints Go Marching In,” also known as “When the Saints Are Marching In” and simply “The Saints,” has “African-American spiritual origins, so its history is vague at best.” TY2 It was likely passed down from generation to generation via oral tradition until someone wrote it down. TY2 It gained attention as a traditional slavery-era spiritual and it has been suggested it developed in the Bahamas. FU The song promised “an end to suffering for the righteous,” SS a reference to the Book of Revelations. SS It has famously been used as a funeral hymn. Many African Americans in New Orleans belonged to fraternities, societies or burial clubs and when one of their own died, the song would be played in a mournful, slow tempo as the funeral parade headed from the church to the cemetery. After the service, the song would be played again, but with a more exuberant tempo and mood. TY2 This helped the song evolve into a “joyous hymn, especially in New Orleans,” SS and standard often played by jazz bands. WK Lyricist Katharine Purvis and composer James Milton Black published the song as “When the Saints Are Marching In” in 1896. She was the daughter of a Methodist minister who became a music teacher at the seminary of a Methodist Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. FU Black was a hymn composer, choir teacher, and Sunday school teacher who worked at the same church. FU The song was published again as “When the Saints Go Marching In” in 1927 with similar words and music. FU The Paramount Jubilee Singers were the first to record it in 1923. Over the next few years it was recorded by the Four Harmony Kings (1924), the Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers (1924), Wheat Street Female Quatet (1925), Bo Weavil Jackson (1926), Deaconess Alexander (1926), Rev. E.D. campbell (1927), Barbeque Bob (1927), Blind Willie Davis (1928), the Pace Jubilee Singers (1928), DX and Memphis Minnie (1935), sometimes under slightly different titles. SS SecondHandSongs.com notes there have been more than 700 recordings of the song, SH including versions by the Beatles with Tony Sheridan, Harry Belafonte, Bing Crosby, Fats Domino, Ella Fitzgerald, Connie Francis, the Isley Brothers, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, Lady Gaga, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Guy Lombardo, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Tears for Fears, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Ike & Tina Turner, the Weavers, and Hank Williams. The song remained relatively unknown nationally until Decca Records asked Louis Armstrong to record some songs in the Dixieland tradition. He tapped into some of his own classics from the 1920s as well as this hymn he knew from childhood. SS Whle the song had been a staple in New Orleans for years, it was Armstrong’s recording which turned it into an American jazz standard. It became the “universally known anthem” for the 1940s Dixieland revival. SS Resources: DX Robert M. W. Dixon, John Godrich, & Howard Rye (1997). Blues and Gospel Records 1890–1943. Oxford University Press: Oxford, NY. FU James J. Fuld (1966). The Book of World Famous Music: Classical, Popular and Folk. Crown Publishers, Inc.: New York, NY. Pages 641-2. SH SecondHandSongs.com SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Pages 750-1. TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 246. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 4/11/2020; last updated 11/30/2025.