Most-Recorded Waltzes
The Top Ten Waltzes 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 waltzes out of the 88 distinct waltzes 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 Tommy Bhetty's WaltzTommy Bhetty's Waltz / Tom Bhetty's (2nd in set Cooleys Waltzes on CrssCl) (composed by Tommy 'Bhetty' Maguire)
23 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Seamus O'BrienSeamus O'Brien / Seamus McManus's / Seamus McManus (as Waltz Unknown on Shskn; 1st in set The Atlantic on KCB 6)
32 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Low-Backed CarLow-Backed Car, The / The Low Backed Car / The Lowbacked Car / The Nutting Girl (composed by Samuel Lover (text of Low-Backed Car))
42 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Valley of KnockanureValley of Knockanure, The / Valley of Knockanure (mislabeled as The Hunter's Purse on Rnys) (A part returns as coda; also played with structure AABB; also described as a song-air; also in D)
52 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Woodlands of LoughglynnWoodlands of Loughglynn, The (also as song, included here)
62 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Margaret's WaltzMargaret's Waltz (also in A) (composed by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw)
72 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Joyous WaltzJoyous Waltz, The / La Valse Joyeuse (composed by Willy Ringuette)
82 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Mrs. Kenny'sMrs. Kenny's / Mrs. Kenny / Mrs Kennys / Mrs. Kinney's / Men of the West
91 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Day DreamsDay Dreams
101 – Tune
Info		Transcription of first 2 bars of Jamesy Gannon's WaltzJamesy Gannon's Waltz / Gannon's Waltz
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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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