Most-Recorded Set Dances
The Top Ten Set Dances 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 set dances out of the 36 distinct set dances 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)
124 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of BlackbirdBlackbird, The / An Lon Dubh / An Londubh (3rd in set The Blackbird on JnKlly) (compare as hornpipe #2274, as air #165, song, and reel #162) (composed by Kiely aka Keily (set dance version only))
27 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Job of JourneyworkJob of Journeywork, The / The Job of Journey Work / Job o' Journeywork (mislabeled on PK 1 as Tarbolton, The Longford Collector) (compare Campbell's Reel #3424)
37 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Ace and Deuce of PiperingAce and Deuce of Pipering, The / The Ace and Deuce of Piping / hAon sa Dó na Píobaireachta / The Ace and Deuce (also with 3rd part)
46 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Rodney's GloryRodney's Glory / Rodneys Glory / Irishman's Return from America / My Name Is Moll Mackey / The Praises of Limerick (also in Minor or Major) (compare as song-air included here; compare distantly Princess Royal #3189)
56 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Humors of BandonHumors of Bandon, The / The Humours of Bandon / Pléaráca na Bandan / Jolly Old Woman / Port Choláiste na Mumhan (also in A, also as jig)
65 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of An Suisin Bán An Suisin Bán / An Súisín Bán / Súisín Ban / An Súistín Bán / An Cúisín Bán / The Suisheen Bawn / The White Blanket / The White Cushion / The White Flail (wide range of settings)
75 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Bonaparte's RetreatBonaparte's Retreat / Boneparte's Retreat / The Retreat / Cúlú Napoléon (appears within collage Bonaparte's Retreat on Ch 6) (also in D, also in E Dorian or D Dorian) (compare hornpipe Bonaparte's Defeat included here)
83 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Madame BonaparteMadame Bonaparte / Madam Bonaparte / Madame Boneparte / Bonaparte's Advance (appears in collage Bonaparte's Retreat on Ch 6) (also in A ,also as reel on JD 5) (compare 1st part with 1st part of Tom Billy's #3639)
93 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of HuntHunt, The / The Galtee Hunt / Galtee Hunt / Mount Fabus Hunt / The Mountfamous Hunt (also in F)
103 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Hurry the JugHurry the Jug / Once on a Morning of Sweet Recreation
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This page was updated on 11 May 2008.
© 2006–2008 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
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