Top 10 Songs in the Oldest Musical Genres

When it comes to choosing my favorite songs in each musical genre, I often am most influenced by how the song has had a profound impact on my life or if it tells my story in one small way or another. After compiling countless lists of my favorite top ten songs in every genre I could think of, I decided to group the lists by similar genres. This is the first of those groups and the reason is obvious - these five genres are the backbone to all other music to follow. Though some could argue that folk, world, or other genres could be listed here, I have categorized them into other groups. The history of music is like many other pedigrees, at times it changes with every small ebb and flow, or it stays true to it's roots and only deviates slightly. My hope is that these lists are not just typical top tens we disregard, but that they are lists of music to discover and integrate into the soundtrack of our lives. Enjoy!

CLASSICAL

What would music be like without classical? I shutter to think of the outcome. In my opinion the masters of music and composition all originate with classical, for it required a sublime level of thinking and an imagination beyond compare. It makes you wonder whether the composers walked with God while they wrote each note. Personally I am partial to Beethoven, but Mozart and the other greats are all here too. I must confess choosing only one composition per composer was often too difficult to decide, so a few have ties for my favorites.

1. Piano Sonata #14 - Moonlight Sonata/Piano Sonata #8 - Pathetique/Symphony #9 - Ludwig van Beethoven

2. Mozart : Requiem In D Minor K626 : VIII Lacrimosa/Serenade No. 13 in G major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

3. Canon in D major - Johann Pachelbel

4. Nutcracker, Op. 71a: III. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy/Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act II No. 10: Scene, "Swan Theme" - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

5. 12 Etudes, Op. 10: No. 12 in C minor, "Revolutionary" - Fryderyk Chopin

6. Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18: II Adagio sostenuto - Sergei Rachmaninov

7. Handel: Messiah: Hallelujah - Chorus/Water Music: Suite No. 1 in F major, HWV 348: I. Overture - George Fredrich Handel

8. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Toccata - Johann Sebastian Bach

9. String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, Andante con moto/Symphony No. 8 in B minor ("Unfinished"), Allegro moderato - Franz Schubert

10. Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 120: I. Allegro amabile - Johannes Brahms

OPERA

I was introduced to opera at a young age by my grandmother. She sang opera professionally for a time, and then later taught opera at Pacific Lutheran University. Though I didn't truly appreciate opera till later in life, I thank her for preparing my palette for a more refined taste in music. You will notice that Wagner is listed twice. That's because he has so many operas worth mentioning and I've heard are even more spectacular to hear performed in person.

1. Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of Nibelung) - Richard Wagner

2. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)/Don Giovanni - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

3. Madama Butterfly/Tosca - Giacomo Puccini

4. Tannhauser/Tristan and Isolde/Parsifal - Richard Wagner

5. Faust - Charles Gounod

6. Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) - Gioachino Rossini

7. Aida/Rigoletto - Giuseppe Verdi

8. Carmen - Georges Bizet

9. Medee - Luigi Cherubini

10. I puritani (The Puritans) - Vincenzo Bellini

CHOIR/RELIGIOUS/GOSPEL

The beloved hymns, choir music, and some gospel songs were commonplace in my home growing up. Of course this made the narrowing down process that much more difficult. All of these songs of praise are ones I could sing over and over again and never tire of. The one gospel song on the list - "Amazing Grace," has such emotionally charged lyrics and a history behind them that it had to make the list. I encourage you to read the rich history of the other songs, for in them you will find amazing stories of humility, tragedy, and grace as well.

1. Abide With Me (1861) - Words by Henry Francis Lyte, Music by William Henry Monk

2. A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief (1826) - Words by James Montgomery, Music by George Coles

3. Nearer My God To Thee (1859) - Words by Sarah Flower Adams, Music by Dr. Lowell Mason

4. Be Still My Soul (1752) - Words by Katharina A. von Schlegel, Music by Jean Sibelius

5. Amazing Grace (1779) - John Newton

6. Lead, Kindly Light (1868) - Words by John Henry Newman, Music by John B. Dykes

7. I Need Thee Every Hour (1872) - Words by Annie Sherwood Hawkes, Music by Robert Lowry

8. Silent Night (1818) - Words by Joseph Freeman Young, Music by Franz Xaver Gruber

9. I Stand All Amazed (1905) - Charles H. Gabriel

10. How Great Thou Art (1953) - Stuart Wesley Keene Hine

JAZZ

Sadly but truthfully, I didn't come to appreciate jazz until my grandfather passed away when I was in college. Following that family loss, I listened to a John Coltrane CD that featured my grandfather on the piano and was deeply connected to jazz music from then on. Since his passing, I have built up a small collection of my jazz favorites, from which I chose many of the songs that are on this list. One remarkable thing about jazz music is that it has the power to console, enliven, or amuse me, depending on the situation I'm in, so it fits many of my moods.

1. Footprints/Flamenco Sketches - Miles Davis

2. In A Sentimental Mood/My Favorite Things - John Coltrane

3. (You'll Have to Swing It) Mr. Paganini/Oh, Lady Be Good - Ella Fitzgerald

4. The Girl from Ipanema - Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto

5. What a Wonderful World/St. James Infirmary - Louie Armstrong

6. Reincarnation of a Lovebird - Charles Mingus

7. I Put a Spell on You/Feeling Good - Nina Simone

8. Blue Monk - Thelonius Monk

9. Bloomdido - Charlie Parker

10. Take the "A" Train - Duke Ellington

BLUES

My first experience with blues music came not longer after I bought my first guitar. I bought a used hollow-bodied blues guitar (not knowing it at the time) from a friend and learned blues scales, then promptly fell in love with blues music. I often imagine blues music was born when a black gospel singer sinned for the first time or a preacher took up drinking and left his clergy. Blues is the music for the common man and the wandering soul down rough roads. I have wandered down those roads before and blues music was always there to greet me.

1. Sweet Little Angel/The Thrill is Gone - B.B. KING

2. My Home is In the Delta/Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters

3. Cross Road Blues - Robert Johnson

4. Scarey Day Blues - Blind Willie McTell

5. Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf

6. Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues - Skip James

7. Little Dreamer - John Lee Hooker

8. Red House - Jimi Hendrix

9. Good Morning Schoolgirl - Junior Wells

10. Juke - Little Walter

Those fifty favorite songs in the five oldest genres represent the first installment of top ten lists of music that I will publish from here on out. Next week - Folk, World, Latin, Reggae, and (yes it's hard to believe) Country. There's plenty to look forward to.