Most-Recorded Strathspeys
The Top Ten Strathspeys 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 strathspeys out of the 39 distinct strathspeys 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)
17 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Miss Lyall'sMiss Lyall's / Miss Lyall / Lady Lyle / Faill na mBan / Faill na m Ban / File Na Mon / The Cat that Kittled in James' Wig / Hard by Seifin (also as schottische or highland with 2nd part singled; also described as a hornpipe)
25 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Jimmy Lyon'sJimmy Lyon's (2nd in set Jimi Lyons on LLPQ 1) (also in B; also described as a highland)
34 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Laird O'Drumblair StrathspeyLaird O'Drumblair Strathspey, The / The Laird of Drumblaire (also as hornpipe and as reel) (composed by J. Scott Skinner)
43 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Peter BailliePeter Baillie / Peter Bailie's / The Brown-Sailed Boat (1st in set John Doherty's Selection on JJK) (also in F#) (compare Miss Chalmer's Reel #4607)
53 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of King George IVKing George IV / Rince Garbhchríche Rí Seoirse IV (compare Cape Breton strathspey #5143 and reels #2111 and #1466)
63 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Drumnagarry StrathspeyDrumnagarry Strathspey / Drumnagarry / The Fisher's Rant (also as reel)
72 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Athol BroseAthol Brose, The (compare Dogs among the Bushes #524) (composed by Red Rob McIntosh or Niel Gow?)
82 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Miss Ramsay'sMiss Ramsay's / Miss Ramsey's (also in E) (compare as reel #1314)
92 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Iron ManIron Man, The (composed by J. Scott Skinner)
102 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Dean Brig of EdinburghDean Brig of Edinburgh, The / Miss Gray of Carse (composed by Archie Allen of Forfar?)
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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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