Most-Recorded Polkas
The Top Ten Polkas 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 polkas out of the 254 distinct polkas 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 Toormore #1Toormore #1 / The Tuar Mor #1 (1st in set The Tourmore Polkas on JOL 1; 1st in set The Tuar Mór Polkas in JOL; 2nd in track 6 The Toormore Polkas and 2nd in track 14 Toormore Polkas on CBnds) / The Tournmore / Wallace's Cross / The Maid in the Blue Bonnet / Tony Lowe's Polka / Newmarket #2 / The Gullane Polka (3rd in set If I Had Maggie in the Wood on Ch 8; 2nd in set Ballydesmond Polka on ESL 1; 1st in set Dave Hennesseys / Brendan Begley's Favourite on CrssCl; for 2nd figure of Borlin Valley Polka Set on MISD 6)
28 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Maid of ArdaghMaid of Ardagh / The Maids of Ardagh / Toormore No. 2 (2nd in set The Tourmore Polkas on JOL 1; 2nd in set The Tuar Mór Polkas in JOL; 1st in track 6 The Toormore Polkas and 1st in track 14 Toormore Polkas on CBnds) / The Back of the Haggard / Johnny O'Leary's / O'Keefe's (1st in set Ballydesmond Polka on ESL 1; 4th in set Polkas on NCrg 1)
37 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Green CottageGreen Cottage, The / The Green Cottage Polka / The Little Green Cottage / The Glen Cottage / From Billy to Jack / The Quarry Cross (1st in set The Glin Cottage Polkas on JDa 1; 2nd in set Kerry Polkas on LAC) (wide range of settings; also in F#)
47 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Pádraig O'Keeffe'sPádraig O'Keeffe's / Padraig O'Keefe's Polka / John Clifford's / Johnny O'Leary's 1 (3rd in set The Cuas Polkas on Beg 1; 1st in set Dan O'Callaghan's on ACB 1) (also in D or G)
56 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Denis Murphy's PolkaDenis Murphy's Polka / Dennis Murphy's Polka / Dennis Murphy's / Casey's / Kitty Molloy's Favourite / Sweeney's (2nd in set Casey's on MC; 2nd in set Scartaglen Polkas on ESL 1)
66 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Farewell to WhiskeyFarewell to Whiskey / The Humors of Whiskey / My Love Is But a Lassie / Níl in Mo Ghrá ach Cailín Óg / Ladies Triumph / Young America Hornpipe (in set The Jolly Beggarman on CTL 8; follows song The Mickey Dam on LLPQ 3; for The Seige of Ennis [Siege of Ennis] in A; 1st part of tune used during 4th figure of Orange and Green in book R) (also as march) (composed by Niel Gow)
76 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Knocknaboul PolkaKnocknaboul Polka / The Knocknaboul / The Knocknaboul Polka (2) / The Knocknaboul #2 / Knocknabower Polka 2 (2nd in set Knocknaboul Polkas on SatG; mislabeled as Ballydesmond on ItS)
86 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Ballydesmond PolkaBallydesmond Polka, The / Ballydesmond Polka #3 / Ballydesmond Polka No. 3 / The Ballydesmond Polka No. 3 / The Ballydesmond (3) / Balleydesmond No. 1 / Tom Billy's / Gneeveguilla Polka (3rd in set The Ballydesmond Polkas on SatG and in JOL) (also in D Dorian or E Dorian, also as air)
96 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of O'Keefe's PolkaO'Keefe's Polka / O'Keeffe's Polka / The Cobbler / Din Tarrant's / High Point Polka (1st in set Din Tarrant's on JOL 1; 1st in set Polkas on Dnu 1) (also in A)
106 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Ballyvournie PolkaBallyvournie Polka / The Ballyvourney / Ballyvourney / Cuil Aodha / Cul Aodh Polka / Lackagh Cross (2nd in set Seamus Creagh's on NCrg 1)
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This page was updated on 29 April 2008.
© 2006–2008 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
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