Most-Recorded Tunes of the 1970s

Of related interest:
  • Top Ten Tunes of the
  • Top 100 Tunes of the Century.
  • Top Ten
    of the Century.
  • Recordings by Decade: A graph of the historical distribution of my recorded tune sources.

This list ranks the top 10 most-recorded tunes during the 1970s. By carefully comparing the 1,733 individual tune recordings dated as from the 1970s which appear on the indexed recordings, I identified a total of 1,128 musically distinct tunes. The top ten of those tunes are listed below, in order of how many albums they appear on. When tunes have the same number of recordings, tunes having the oldest recordings appear first. Note that reuses of a particular cut in other 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
Rhythm		Explanation
Titles used for this tune (and other notes)
19 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription 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)
28 – Tune
Info		SetDTranscription 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))
38 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription 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)
47 – Tune
Info		AirBlackbird, The / An Lon Dubh (1st in set The Blackbird on JnKlly) (compare air #163 and as set dance #164)
57 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Wind that Shakes the BarleyWind that Shakes the Barley, The / Wind that Shakes the Barley / An Ghaoth a Bhogann an Eorna / An Gaoth A Chroitheanna An Eorna / An Ghaoth a Chroitheann an Eorna / An Ghaoth a Bhogann / I Sat within the Valley Green / I Sat In The Valley Green / The Kerry Lasses / Rolling Down the Hill (also in G) (also as songs The Donavons; If I Were A Young Maid)
67 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Tear the CalicoTear the Calico / Rip the Calico / The Fair Wind / A Fair Wind / Fair Wind / The Blue Meadow / Burren Reel / West Clare Reel / Tommy Glenny's Reel (3rd in set Kilfenora Reels on KCB 3; 3rd in set West Clare Reels on Chlr; mislabeled as I Have No Money on CTL 3; as untitled Reel on Dnu 1; 3rd in set Out on the Road on Drv 5) (also in G, also with parts doubled, also with 1st part last, also with 2nd part last) (compare Tear the Calico #2106)
76 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of SalamancaSalamanca, The / The Salamanca Reel / Wild Salamanca / The Wild Salamanca / Salamango / Salamander / The Salamander / The Tartan Plaid / The Maigue's Tide / The Coronation Reel / The Coronation
86 – Tune
Info		JigDTranscription of first 2 bars of Garrett Barry'sGarrett Barry's / Garrett Barry's Jig / Garret Barry's / Garret Barry's Jig / Rogha Ghearóid De Barra / Gearóid de Barra / Port Garrett Barry / Tune the Fiddle / The Ladies' Fancy / The Pipe on the Hob (mislabeled on MRaf as Story about My Father's Uilleann Pipes) (also in D minor and also as hornpipe on Ev) (compare Sergeant Early's Jig #2353)
96 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription 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)
106 – Tune
Info		ReelTranscription of first 2 bars of Heather BreezeHeather Breeze, The / The Heathery Breeze / Leoithne an Fhraoigh / Feochán an Fhraoich / The Heathery Braes / The Heathery Braes of Ballyhealey / The Heather Braes of Ballyhealy / The Heather Bloom / Coppers and Brass / Coppers & Brass / Coppers of Brass / Limerick Lasses / The Limerick Lasses / Lady's Pantaloons / The Ladies' Pantaloons / Ladies Pantaloons / The Humours of Appletown / The Dublin Lasses / The Green Fields of Erin / McNamara's Reel / McNamara's / Fitzmaurice's Flight (3rd in set Gerry's Set on Dnu 5) (also doubled; also with a 3rd part; also in D) (compare setting in E Dorian #3378 and compare Crossing the Fields)
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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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