Most-Recorded Slides
The Top Ten Slides of the Century

Of related interest:
  • Top 100 Tunes of the Century.
  • Top Ten
  • Rhythm Distribution: How common is this rhythm (tune type) in the bigger picture of all distinct Irish tunes?
  • Recordings by Decade: A graph of the historical distribution of the recordings considered here.

This list ranks the top ten most-recorded slides out of the 158 distinct slides on the indexed recordings. The tunes are ranked in descending order of number of recordings. When tunes have the same number of recordings, tunes having the oldest recordings appear first. Note that reuses of a particular cut in later anthologies are counted, which is fair, since the popularity of a recording is a good indicator both of the popularity of the tune and of the likelihood that musicians will learn the tune from that recording.

Click Tune Info below to see tune details and sources.

RankNumber of
Recordings		Explanation
Titles used for this tune (and other notes)
19 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Star above the GarterStar above the Garter, The / An Réalt os cionn an Ghairtéir (1st in set Lisheen Slides on JJK)
28 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of An Chóisir An Chóisir / [misspelled as:] An Choisír / An Choisir / The House Party / The Toormore Slide / Jack Regan's (2nd in set Lios Uí Bhigín on NNC) (also as song)
37 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of If I Had a WifeIf I Had a Wife / The Next Wan / Mick Mahony's / Mick Mahoney's / Johnny Leary's Slide / Johnny O Leary's (2nd in set Three Slides on PS 7; 1st in set Lios Uí Bhigín on NNC) (also in A, also without 3rd part) (compare 1st part with 1st part of Barrel Organ #3105)
47 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Kilfenora JigKilfenora Jig / The Old Favourite / The Old Favorite / Miko Doyle's / Sleamhnán Uí Dhúill (4th in set Oh! The Breeches Full of Stitches on Ch 7; 1st in set The Kilfenora Sexy Jig on 4MD 2; 2nd in set Sliabh Luachra Slides on ACB 1; 2nd in set The Kilfenora Set on JCt 5) (also as double jig)
56 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Denis Murphy'sDenis Murphy's / Denis Murphy's Slide / Dennis Murphy's Slide / Denis Murphy's Slide No. 1 / Padraic O'Keefe's Slide / Pádraig O'Keeffe's Slide / Julia Clifford's Slide / Dark Girl in Blue / The Dark Girl in Blue / The Girl in the Dress / The Gleanntan Slide / The Gleannán / Chris Kieran's Jig / Napoleon Crossing the Alps (also as strathspey on JOS 2)
66 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Micko Russell's SlideMicko Russell's Slide / Micho Russell's Slide / Micho Russell's Jig / Micho Russell's / Michael Russell's / Clare Jig (2nd in set Micko Russell's Slides on Ev; 3rd in set Three Slides on PS 7) (also as jig)
76 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Denis Murphy's SlideDenis Murphy's Slide / Denis Murphy's / Murphy's / Bedford Cross / Terry Teahen's 2 / The Paper Plate / The Paper Plate Slide (1st in set Brendan Begley's Slides on JOS 1; 1st in set Three Slides on PS 7) (also in A)
86 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Going to the Well for WaterGoing to the Well for Water / Uisce ón Tobar / The Kaiser / Denis Murphy's / Sliabh Luachra (1st in set Sliabh Luachra Slides on ACB 1) (also with parts reversed)
96 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Eibhlín ni Riordáin's [Eileen O'Riordan's]Eibhlín ni Riordáin's [Eileen O'Riordan's] / The Barna Slide / Denis O Keeffe's (for 4th figure of Mealagh Valley Jig Set on MISD 6; for Ballyvourney Jig Set on MISD 7) (also in G) (there is merely a brief - but significant and consistent - difference between this tune and #3128)
106 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Gale BridgeGale Bridge / Jim Keefe's / Jim Keeffe's No. 3 / Siobhán Hurl's / Colm Danagher's / Michael Murphy's Slide / Rachael Finch's Fancy (for 3rd figure of Sliabh Luachra Set on MISD 7; also for Ballyvourney Jig Set on MISD 7; also for 6th figure of Taille Mhara Jig Set on MISD 7) (also in G) (compare as polka #941)
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This page was updated on 29 June 2008.
© 2006–2008 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
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