Most-Recorded Tunes of the 1920s

Of related interest:
  • Top Ten Tunes of the
  • Top 100 Tunes of the Century.
  • Top Ten
    of the Century.
  • Recordings by Decade: A graph of the historical distribution of my recorded tune sources.

This list ranks the top 10 most-recorded tunes during the 1920s. By carefully comparing the 294 individual tune recordings dated as from the 1920s which appear on the indexed recordings, I identified a total of 220 musically distinct tunes. The top ten of those tunes are listed below, in order of how many albums they appear on. When tunes have the same number of recordings, tunes having the oldest recordings appear first. Note that reuses of a particular cut in other 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
Rhythm		Explanation
Titles used for this tune (and other notes)
15 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Woman of the HouseWoman of the House, The / Bean an Tí ar lár / Bean á Tí / The Lady of the House (2nd in set Reels from the 1920's on FG 3; 2nd in set Clumsy Love on McP BHB) (also in A) (compare Old Woman of the House #1471)
25 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Ballinasloe FairBallinasloe Fair / The Ballinasloe Fair / The Fair of Ballinasloe / Aonach Bhéal Átha na Slua (also both parts singled)
34 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Boys of the LoughBoys of the Lough, The / Boys of the Lough / The Boys at the Lough / Buachaillí na Locha / Stócaigh an Locha / The Rose of Castletown / Johnstown Reel (compare Master McDermott's #1233)
44 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Green Groves of ErinGreen Groves of Erin, The / Garráin Ghlasa na hÉireann / The Groves of Erin / Groves of Erin / Erin's Groves / The Green Groves / Na Garráin Ghlasa / Down the Groves / The Green Fields of Erin / Green Fields of Erin / The Gay Fellow's Favourite / The Gayfellow's Favourite / The Good Fluter / The Castlecomer Lasses / Castlecomer Lasses / The Queenstown Lasses / The Heather Breeze / Miss Shaw's Reel / Mary in the Mall / Kelly's Fancy / Miss Stewart of Grantully / The Low Highland / Padaí Bhillí na Rópaí's Highland (2nd tune in set The Real Blackthorn Stick on MC) (also singled, also in A Mixolydian)
53 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Moving BogMoving Bog, The / An Criathrach ag Creathadh / The Moving Bogs / The Moving Bogs of Powelsboro / Miss Wallace / The Upper Room / An Seomra in Uachtar / The Bog Ranger's Wife (2nd in The Taproom Set on CLnn 2) (also doubled, also 1st part Mixolydian)
63 – Tune
Info		JigDTranscription of first 2 bars of Basket of TurfBasket of Turf, The / The Creel of Turf / An Cliabh Móna / Up Sligo / Up Sligo! / The Unfortunate Rake / The Disconsolate Buck / Bundle and Go / The Wee, Wee Man / The Wee Wee Man / The Wandering Harper / The Lass from Collegeland / The Lass from College Land (1st in set The Rocks of Bawn on WW 2; 1st in set Munster Buttermilk Selection on CrssCl) (2nd part has 2 different settings; with a 3rd part on Lgcy)
73 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Kerry ReelKerry Reel, The / The Kerryman / The Kerry Man / Rogha Chiarraí / Kerry's Favourite / The Green Fields of Rossbeigh / The Green Fields of Rosbeigh / Green Fields of Rosbeigh / Greenfields of Rossbeigh / Páirceanna Glasa Ros Beithe / The Green Banks of Rossbeigh / The Witch of the Glen / Tom Clark's Fancy
83 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Red-Haired LassRed-Haired Lass, The / The Red Haired Lass / The Redhaired Lass / An Cailín Rua / The Red-Haired Boy / Peter Kennedy's Fancy / The Crusheen / Swing Swang / Jim Seerys / Clare Reel (1st in set Cam a' Lochaigh on ADB; 2nd in set Pat Molloy on MR 2; 2nd in set The New Hall on KCB 6) (also 1st part doubled, also in A) (this tune is only slightly different from Shearing the Sheep #517)
93 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Fisherman's LiltFisherman's Lilt, The / Fisherman's Lilt / The Fishermen's Lilt / Streanncán an Iascaire / The Kerryman's Daughter / Kerryman's Daughter / You're Right My Love / Molly, What Ails You? / Molly What Ails You? / Cunningham's Fancy / Halligan's Fancy / Michael Coleman's Dream / Funny Eye / The Pretty Girls of the Village (also in D, also singled) (compare with polka Siege of Ennis #2410; compare very distantly Fred Finn's #674; according to Breathnach, compare this with Lady Mary Lindsay; compare 2nd part with 2nd part of Old John's Jig #1465)
103 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Green Fields of AmericaGreen Fields of America, The / Greenfields of America / Garranta Glasa Mheiriceá / Cuibhrinn Ghlasa Mheiriceá / Molly Brallaghan / Molly Brallighan / Molly Brannigan / Mollie Brannigan / Charming Molly Brannigan / Charming Molly Brannagan / Molly Brannigan / Charming Mollie Brallaghan / Charming Molly Brallaghan / Purty Molly Brallaghan / Judy Brannagan / Judy Brallaghan / Johnny, When You Die, Will You Will Me the Fiddle? / Whiskey before Breakfast (also in A) (compare Old Mother Flanagan in FF, jig #774, and as air #3291)
Please cite your source when you share information from this document.
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!
Start at