Most-Recorded Single Reels
The Top Ten Single 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 single reels out of the 5 distinct single 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)
15 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Ger the RiggerGer the Rigger / Jer an Rigéara / Jer the Rigger / Thadelo's (also in G, also as hornpipe)
22 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Bag of PotatoesBag of Potatoes, The / The Little Bag of Spuds / An Mála Beag Fataí / What the Devil Ails You (also as fling, also in D) (compare 1st part with 1st part of Anything for John-Joe #976)
32 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of PigtownPigtown / Pigtown Fling / Pig Town Fling / Stoney Point / Wild Horses / Wild Horses at Stoney Point / Wild Horse / Kelton's / Warm Stuff (also as reel) (compare American tune In the Woodpile / The Cotton Patch / Nigger in the Woodpile included here in book FF)
42 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Anything for John-JoeAnything for John-Joe / Anything for John Joe / Anything for John Joe? / Anything for Jonjo? / John Joe / Anything When You Die? / Julia Clifford's / The Crane Crook (also as reel, included here) (compare 1st part with 1st part of The Little Bag of Spuds #1134)
52 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Biddy Martin'sBiddy Martin's / Bidí Mháirtín (also in C)
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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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