Most-Recorded Tunes of the 1930s

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 1930s. By carefully comparing the 204 individual tune recordings dated as from the 1930s which appear on the indexed recordings, I identified a total of 168 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)
14 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Lass of CarracastleLass of Carracastle, The / The Carracastle Lass / Miss Langford / Miss Langford's Reel / Iníon Langfort / James Morrison's / John Eddie's (3rd in set Dinny O'Brien's Reels on KCB 3) (also in C or G) (compare Crowley's No. 1 #423) (composed by Paddy Sweeney?)
23 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Farrell O'GaraFarrell O'Gara / Farrell O'Gara's / Farrell O Gara's / Farrell O' Gara / Farrell Ó Gara / Farral O'Gara / Farrel O'Gara / Faral O'Gara / Fearaíl Ó Gára / Fearghal Ó Gadhra / Fearghal O' Gadhra / Fearghal O'Gara / Fergal O'Gara / Feargal O'Gara / Farral Gara / Farrell Gara / The Falcarragh Reel / Turas go Trá Lí / The Trip to Tralee / Mist on the Mountain
33 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Silver SpireSilver Spire, The / Silver Spire / An Spiora Airgid / John Brennan's / John Brennans / Great Eastern Reel / The Great Eastern Reel / Pat Sweeney's Medley / La Grandeuse / La Grondeuse (3rd in set Captain O Kane on NNC) (compare Great Eastern #2965)
43 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Longford CollectorLongford Collector, The / The Longford Beggarwoman / Longford Beggar Woman / Longford Maid / The Longford Tramp / Bailitheoir Longphoirt / Sailor's Bonnet / The Bonny Boy (mislabeled as The Job of Journeywork on PK 1)
53 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Hunter's PurseHunter's Purse, The / Hunters Purse / The Heel of the Hunt / The Five-Leaved Clover / The Five Leaved Clover / The Haymaker / The Old Bush / The Bush / An Sceach / Bridie Morley's Reel / Paddy Kelly's / The Indian on the Rock (also in E) (mislabeled as The Valley of Knockanure on Rnys)
62 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Miss Thornton'sMiss Thornton's / Miss Thornton's Reel / Miss Thornton / Miss Thorton / Iníon Uí Dhroighneáin / Coming thro' the Field / Coming through the Field / Coming through the Fields / Through the Fields / Thro' the Fields / The Boat Street Lasses / The Bout Street Lasses / The Maid of the Forest / Maid of the Forest / Lady Anna Hope / The Creeping Mouse / Down the Street / Down the Hill / The House on the Hill / House on the Hill / Spike Island Lasses / Salamanca / The Salamanca / O'Loughlin's Reel / O'Loughlin's (2nd in set The Moving Bogs Medley on WW 1; mislabeled as Reevey Johnson on KHe; 3rd in set Within a Mile o' Jamestown on MMlvy) (also in D or C) (compare 2nd part with 2nd part of Music at the Gate #1379)
72 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Mullingar RacesMullingar Races, The / The Mullinger Races / Rásaí an Mhuilinn Chearr / Murphy's Favourite / The Hunchback (1st in set The Maid behind the Barrel on FG 3)
82 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Bunch of KeysBunch of Keys, The / Paddy on the Turnpike / The Turnpike / The Groves Reel / The Fairy Hunters / Walsh's Favourite / The Galway Rambler / Paddy Finlay's Favourite (2nd tune in set The Sailor on the Rock on MC) (compare Flowers of Limerick #648 which is very close, but 2-part; compare The Mills Are Grinding #2378; compare with 1st, 3rd, and 4th parts of The Groves Hornpipe #780)
92 – Tune
Info		HpipeTranscription of first 2 bars of Off to CaliforniaOff to California / The Humours of California / Sweet Flowers of Milltown / The Sweet Flowers of Miltown / Bláthanna Cumhra Bhaile an Mhuilinn / Whiskey Hornpipe / The Whiskey Hornpipe / Fireman's Reel (3rd in set Up the Hill of Down on FBros) (also in A or D, also as schottische) (compare 1st part with 1st part of hornpipe Whiskey You're the Devil! #3691 and 1st part of reel Tom Morrison's #1924)
102 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Scotch MaryScotch Mary / Scots Mary / Máire Albanach / Irish Molly / Knocknagow / The Knocknagow / Knocknagow Reel / Máire na Sop / Mary O'Wisp / Ríl Bhaile na Finne / The Fintown Reel / My Love Is Far Away (also doubled, also in Mixolydian, also with 3rd part by John Doherty; with Doherty's 3rd part as 1st part on Nms 2) (compare as highland #3162; compare Tom Keane's #4433, Eddie Duffy's Favourite #3567 and compare 2nd part with 2nd part of Grand Canal #759)
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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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