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Most-Recorded Single Jigs
The Top Ten Single Jigs of the Century

Of related interest:
  • Top 100 Tunes of the Century.
  • Top Ten
  • Top Session Single Jigs
  • 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 single jigs out of the 49 distinct single jigs 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)
18 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Hag at the ChurnHag at the Churn, The / Hag at the Churn / Old Hag at the Churn / The Maid at the Churn / The Merry Woodsman / The Killina Jig (also as slide)
26 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Dinny Delaney'sDinny Delaney's / Dinny Delaney / Dinney Delaney's / Denis Delaney's / The Old Hag in the Kiln / The Old Hag at the Kiln / The Hag in the Kiln / An Chailleach sa Tornóig (also as slide or double jig, both included here) (2nd in set Old Hag You Have Killed Me on BB 2)
36 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Miller's MaggotMiller's Maggot, The / Miller's Maggot
45 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Ballintore FancyBallintore Fancy, The / Port Sheáin Pléamonn / John Fleming's Jig / Kiss in the Furze / The Kerry Jig (2nd in set Nightingale on McP BHB) (also reversed parts; also as slow reel; mislabeled as Farewell to Erin on some reissues of BB 2)
55 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Pat Ward'sPat Ward's / Pat Ward's Jig / The Highlander's Kneebuckle / Búcla Glúine an Híleantóra / Leather Buttons / A Galway Reel (also as fling and reel, also in G) (compare jig Pathway to the Well #1553)
65 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Behind the Bush in the GardenBehind the Bush in the Garden / The Bargain Is Over / Royal Charley / Who'll Be King But Charlie? / We Have No King But Charley / The Tidy Woman / Times Are Mighty Hard / I Sat in the Valley Green (for 3rd figure of the quadrille Off to Skelligs in book R) (also as slide, also in G)
75 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Get Up Old Woman and Shake YourselfGet Up Old Woman and Shake Yourself / Get Up Old Woman & Shake Yourself / Growling Old Woman / Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself / Last Night amid Dreams / Irish Whim / O'Tuomy's Carousal / Capt. Thornton's Delight / Conor O'Sullivan's Vision / Donogh O'Sullivan's Reply / When Sick is it Tea You Want? (1st in set O'Connor's on CBnds) (as slide on CBnds; as jig on WFO 1; parts reversed in CRE 2; with third part and structure AABC on KClns 2)
85 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of John McHugh'sJohn McHugh's / [Kevin McHugh's No 3] (2nd in set A Set of Single Jigs Learned from Kevin's Father - John's Grandfather on MMM; untitled on MtRd; 1st in The Adam and Eve Set on AtR 2)
94 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Kerry JigKerry Jig, The / Rowesome's (2nd in set Ballintore Fancy on BB 2; this set in turn was mislabeled on some reissues as Farewell to Erin) (also as reel)
104 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Ask My FatherAsk My Father / Ask Me Father / Fiafraigh de m'Athair é / The Four Courts (1st in set Away with Ye on Ch 6) (also singled, also as hornpipe, included here) (compare With All My Heart #2645 and Johnny Allen #986)
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This page was updated on 9 February 2010.
© 2006–2010 Alan Ng, agng@facstaff.wisc.edu. Questions? Comments? Please use the easy Feedback Form. Thank you!
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