Most-Recorded Reels
The Top Ten Reels 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 reels out of the 1,542 distinct reels 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)
131 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Flogging ReelFlogging Reel, The / The Flogging / The Floggin' / Floggin' Reel / The Floggin / Floggan Reel / The Slashing Reel / Ríl an Lasctha / An Lascadh / The Flaggon Reel / The Flaggon / The Flagon / The Flagon Reel / The Humours of Bantry Bay / The Newry Lass (also in D or F, also with some or all parts doubled) (compare The Fife Reel and 1st part with 1st part of Pirrie Wirrie #3326)
230 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Miss McLeodMiss McLeod / Miss Mc Leod / Miss McLeod's / Miss MacLeod's / Miss McLeod's Reel / Miss McCleod's Reel / Miss McCloud's Reel / Miss McCloud's / Mrs. McLeod / Mrs. MacLeod's Reel / Mrs. McCloud's Reel / Mrs McLeod's Reel / Mrs McLeod's / Misses McLoud's Reel / Miss Macleod of Raasay / Mrs McLeod of Rasay / Ríl Iníon Mhic Leod / Iníon Mhic Leóid / Ríl Mhic Leoid / McLeod's Reel / Macleod's Reel / The Other McCleods / Hop High Ladies / Hop Light Ladies / Hop Up Ladies / The Enterprising Boxer / Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe? / May Day (2nd in set Jig Selection on MR 2; 1st in set Miss McClouds Reels on ESL 1, which in turn is mislabeled there as The Belburry Hills) (also in A or D or F, also with parts reversed in American music) (compare #2693)
328 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Bucks of OranmoreBucks of Oranmore, The / Bocannaí Uaráin Mhóir / Bocanna Óráin Mhóir / The Bucks of Carranmore / The Bucks of Cranmore / The Hearty Bucks / The Bucks (also with fewer parts and in different order) (compare The Leitrim Bucks included here; compare Killavil Bucks #4886 and compare 1st part with 1st part of Fermanagh Highland #2110)
425 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of SteampacketSteampacket, The / The Steam Packet / Steam Packet / The Steam-Packet / An Bád Gaile / The Steam Boat / The Mountain Lark / The Mountain Lark No. 2 / Fuiseog an tSléibhe / New Tobacco / The Gauger / An Colamóir Súgach / An Colamoir Sugach / An Colamór Sugach / Last House in Connaught / The Connacht Rangers / Lady O'Brien's Reel / Frieze Kneebreeches / The Father Henebry's Reel / O'Connell's Reel (follows The Banks of the Suir on GP; in set Ballinakill Reels on GCJR; 2nd in set Midsummer's Night on Drv 5) (also in Mixolydian) (compare Mountain Lark #2223)
524 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Pigeon on the GatePigeon on the Gate, The / Pigeon on the Gate / Pidgeon on the Gate / A Pigeon on the Gate / An Colúr ar an nGeata / Pigeon on the Pier / The Pigeon on the Pier / Lagan Slashers / The Lagan Slashers / League and Slasher / The Athol Braes / The Scotch Braes / Reidy's Reel / The Drinking Reel / The Drunken Tailor / The Wandering Tinker / Gallagher's Best / The Swallowtail (2nd in set The Chattering Magpie on Ch 6; 3rd in The Taproom Set on CLnn 2) (also in A or G or G Minor; quite a bit of variation in the 2nd part) (compare The Drunken Landlady #549 and compare 1st part with 1st part of Drunken Tailor #551)
623 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Star of MunsterStar of Munster, The / The Bright Star of Munster / Star Munster / Birds in the Bushes / Kitty's Wishes / The Greenfields of America / The Eight O'Clock Train (2nd in set O'Dowd's Favourite Reel Medley on IDM 1) (also 2nd part singled, also in G Dorian or E Dorian or G Mixolydian)
723 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Sligo MaidSligo Maid, The / Sligo Maid / Gearrchaile Shligigh / The Sligo Maid's Lament / Sligo Maid's Lament / The Glendoan Fancy / The Glendowan Reel (1st in set The Ritz on KCB 6; in D Major as Sligo Maid - Connemara Version on JCt 1 and on JCt 4) (also in E) (compare The Glendowan Reel / The Glendown Reel / The Glendoan Fancy included here)
823 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Abbey ReelAbbey Reel, The / The Abbey / The Moher Reel / The Pullet / The American Reel / Touhey's Favorite / Drag Her Around the Road / Reddigan's Reel / The Irish-American (3rd in set The Cappataggle Shuffle on SGMM; note mistake in track numbering on FDys) (also in G or E)
922 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Silver SpearSilver Spear, The / Old Silver Spear / The Silver Tip / Sliabh Bána / The Top of the Cliff / Miss Lane's Fancy / The New Mown Meadows / New Mown Meadows / Anderson's (2nd in set Miss McClouds Reels on ESL 1, which in turn is mislabeled as The Belburry Hills; 3rd in set The Silver Spire on ADB) (also in G) (compare The New-Mown Meadows #1409)
1021 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Hand Me Down the TackleHand Me Down the Tackle / Sín Chugam Anuas an Tácla / Hand Down the Tackle / The Pure Drop / Tom Steele / Tomás Stíl / Thomas Steele / The Hielander's Kneebuckle / The Hielanman's Kneebuckle / Búcla Glúine an Híleantóra / Reidy Johnson's / Reidy Johnston's / Drogheda Lasses (4th in set Humours of Galway on FG 3) (compare settings included here of The Drogheda Lasses, and The Pure Drop; compare very distantly Callan Lasses #4741)
Please cite your source when you share information from this document.
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!
Start at