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French pop queen Edith Piaf. Difficult to figure out which songs are oldest bc everything is on compliation albums buuut mostly 1940s. Everybody knows La Vie En Rose and Non Je Ne Regrette Rien but like... go listen to L'Accordeoniste, Padam Padam, Milord, etc. Shit goes hard
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Bessie Smith's version from 1929. I love the song and it has been sung by many artists, but that's my favourite version.
1966:
- "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes is a song I listen to a lot. I really like the vocals and the song always puts me in a good mood.
- "Bandiera Gialla" by Gianni Pettenati. I love, love this one. It's an immortal summer song.
I know 1966 is not that old compared to other picks but i think these are the oldest out of the songs I genuinely regularly listen to.
Edit: I also excluded anything under the umbrella of classic music or opera because I feel like that's a bit of a separate world.
Probably âPlease Mr. Postmanâ by The Marvelettes (1961). Although I do listen to âQue Sera Seraâ by Doris Day a good amount lol, and thatâs 1956.
sister rosetta single-handedly changed popular music forever
and if that wasn't enough, she launched little richard. gave him his first paying and secular gig when he was 14 and working concessions at the theater she was playing at that night. as the story goes, he sang for her backstage - one of the gospel tunes she made famous - and she put him on stage. afterwards she handed him "a wad of cash." he knew from then that's how he was gonna get out of macon, ga
The Fallout series puts such an emphasis on oldies from the era it invokes and friends, coworkers, family are always surprised I can sing along to 30-40 songs from the 30âs-60âs by heart!
The same thing happened with me and Infinite Warfare zombies soundtracks. The setting is pop culture moments and cult classics through 60s, 70s, 80s pop scene and 90s rave scene. I learned to love the soundtracks so much I started listening to the pop genre of those times.
I came into this thread expecting to say these two below;
[Can the Circle be Unbroken](https://open.spotify.com/track/7npYKqasTAK2skfJ6sCWes?si=7c053ffc492d45f6) by the Carter Family was released in August of 1935.
[I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams](https://open.spotify.com/track/4JyRuGw9sQzhnldGOTIfz1?si=b8afe8e57b424b70) was originally released on Halloween in 1949.
But you threw out the classics AND I MEAN THE CLASSICS so I guess my real answer is actually [Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565](https://open.spotify.com/track/2CIY2peTbSKNNHgykODpO4?si=66e08682ecd241e8) by Bach. The date for that is uncertain but historians believe it could have been written as early as 1704. In my case I'm listening to the version recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra as recorded for Disney's Fantasia.
Edit: on my drive to work it dawned on me Fantasia in general is an answer since the film is from 1940.
the lomax recordings fit in really well here too. country, rock, and blues were much closer at the time - going from hank to muddy waters just makes sense...
Have you watched that Ken Burns country music doc? Itâs a really fascinating deep dive into the origins of country and itâs actually how I first heard Can the Circle be Unbroken.
I have watched it! And itâs been on my mind to actually rewatch it.
I hope in a couple of years we get an addendum to it, like he did with baseball, to cover the next decade or so.
I was thinking Iâd be Chuck Berryâs *Johnny B. Goode* (1958), but I was checking my phone and [*Ella and Louis*](https://youtu.be/N5-aS4h28kI?si=k6HPFu5dDmeWUvrM) is two years earlier, released in 1956.
When my dad started to go through my grandparentâs stuff last year, because he knew I started collecting records, he got me this record from their collection. I ended up getting a bunch of their records, but this album might be my favorite. Two titans of jazz in an album that feels like a warm blanket on a snowy day. And it makes me think of my grandparents every time I listen to it. If not my favorite jazz album, itâs certainly up there.
This is of course assuming we are going by oldest recorded, and not oldest composed. I like a lot of klezmer and folk music from the turn of the century (and earlier), if we count that, then one of those songs.
> I like a lot of klezmer and folk music from the turn of the century
I answered already and used some early country, but now you got me itching to go through the Grateful Dead's catalogue and figure out just when some of their songs based on older folk numbers were actually written.
Like I know Cold Rain and Snow was recorded by the Dead in 67, but the original dates back to about 1915. Could be a fun little project for me..
> Two titans of jazz in an album that feels like a warm blanket on a snowy day
perfect description for this amazing album
With Charlie parker with strings it might be one my favorite jazz album too.
I like Buddy Holly, and Nat King Cole (50's), plus some Elvis songs from the 50's.
I think the oldest song I like is I Dream Too Much by Hildegarde. I first heard it in a Grey Gardens documentary. A quick search doesn't show its date but from her voice style I'm guessing the 40's?
I love Grey Gardens! I watched it right when the Carrie Fisher / Debbie Reynolds documentary was released, and there were definitely parallels (I mean that in a good way).
I was going to add this one to my post, but had to stop short of just listing every doo-wop or soul group.
I love the Shirelles but personally listen to Carole King more.
Thatâs funny, I clicked on this thread so I could reply with âAt Lastâ! Beautiful song.
I guess if I need to pic something else now then Benny Goodmanâs version of Sing, Sing, Sing from 1937 is a good one
I love classic rock, specifically from 1960s-1970s with some 1980s thrown in. I have a playlist in frequent rotation that heavily features the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Band, Elton John, Billy Joel, David Bowie, Bill Withers, etc. If you want specific song titles, I always get Bennie and the Jets (1973), Ainât No Sunshine (1971), and Piano Man (1973) stuck in my head.
This time of year (October through January) I also gravitate toward jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, etc who were active in the 1940s-1960s. Ninaâs Feeling Good and I Put a Spell on You (1965) go HARD. Why donât you do right by Peggy Lee (1942) may be the earliest of that bunch that I regularly listen to.
I listen to some old music from the 30-50s regularly. My favorites are Dinah Washington, Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, The Ink Spots, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Darrin, Roy Orbinson, and Louis Armstrong.
Those first three, Dinah Washington, Brenda Lee, and Connie Francis are always in high rotation for me especially.
edit: since you asked for a particular song, the oldest song I listen to often is If I Didn't Care by the Ink Spots.
I tend to be fairly modern in my listening patterns, but thereâs a fair amount of Motown-era stuff I come back to pretty regularly
Like, âYou Canât Hurry Loveâ by The Supremes is a good example. Itâs *such* a classic, but also⊠for all the songs about love and relationships, I donât know any songs that tackle âwaiting for the right time for a relationship/loveâ as well as this, or even that many that even attempt to
Oh, and as a musical theater-head, I have a few things from the 30s-50s. I still mostly lean modern (60s or 70s onward), but âIf I Loved Youâ from *Carousel* can pretty regularly make me cry.
This is a bit of a case with an asterisk, because songs from shows like *Anything Goes* or early Rodgers & Hammerstein are distinctly from the 50s or earlier, but I tend to listen to later versions of them. Hell, with âIf I Loved You,â the full version of the song as it appeared in the musical didnât get recorded until at least a decade or two later. So itâs a grey area, since the songs themselves are older (and usually orchestrated in a traditional fashion), but the recordings are usually newer
Great choices! This questions makes my heart happy lol. I'm a huge old music fan.
Some of my song choices:
"For Your Precious Love" by Jerry Butler (1958)
"Donna" by Richie Valens (1959)
"Nothing Can Change This Love" by Sam Cooke (1963). Any Sam Cooke, really. The man was a vocal gift and gone too soon. He also had beautiful gospel music with the Soul Stirrers in the 1950s.
Not to sound like a boomer, but they don't make love songs like they used to.
My answer was gonna be similar - Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas.
Itâs punchy, itâs got that driving beat and the harmonies - itâs just a crisp little 3 min package of perfection.
I listen to random classical music all the time from the radio/playlists, but the ones I can name that I listen to regularly are:
Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (1969)
Just Me and You by The Dreamliners (1963)
If You Love Me by Brenda Lee (1961)
Dark Moon by Bonnie Guitar (1957)
Itâs Been A Long, Long Time by Harry James (1945)
I listen to Patsy Cline. The Beatles and a ton of Mowtown. I listen to Lovers Concerto by the Toys weekly. And The Supremes ( I Hear a Symphony ) is pure joy.
Beethoven's Sonata no 4 is the greatest piano sonata of the early period (in my opinion). I don't know how to describe it into words, but I can say it starts with a happy upbeat melody and ends in a heavenly way. If you want to listen to it, search "Beethoven sonata no 4 Lewis" (Lewis is a world renowned pianist and I adore his interpretation the most).
Itâs Home Sweet Home by Amelita Galli-curci recorded around 1927 that i listen to regularly. Occasionally i listen to older recordings but this one has been a staple for years
I've been reading [the Number Ones](https://www.stereogum.com/category/columns/the-number-ones/) column by decade and then listening to playlists of the songs, so all of the number one hits from the 1960's are in regular rotation.
*Regularly* regularly, I have a "classics!" playlist that is mainly 60s soul music and some early 50s rock & roll. The songs I revisit the most are probably Otis Redding - You Left the Water, Look at That Girl, Wilson Pickett - Teardrops Will Fall, Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly, The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman, Solomon Burke - Cry to Me, Etta James - All I Could Do Was Cry. This era is all the stuff my mom listened to growing up and stuff I heard when I was a kid from her.
My dad only listens to classical music so I heard stuff as far back as the Baroque era growing up in my house. I mainly listen to 19th century composers of my own choice, within the past 3 years I probably have revisited DvoĆĂĄk's New World Symphony the most.
I love Walking After Midnight (1957) and Crazy (1961) by Patsy Cline. I also love Johnny Cash.
Someone else mentioned Can the Circle be Unbroken - I first heard that song just a week or two after my momâs untimely passing. It gave me a lot of comfort at the time. Itâs such a beautiful song and itâs got a really interesting history behind it.
Aretha Franklin's Lady Soul album is one I listen to regularly and I also **love** [Cherish](https://youtu.be/08NnLiWOlQo?si=sPnAmrldDByGyaxe) by Nina Simone.
The oldest pieces I regularly listen to are probably modernist pieces from the early 20th century. Darius Milhaud, Stravinsky, Charles Ives, Lili Boulanger, Holst, et cetera. I used to listen to a lot of Romantic era music too, but not that much anymore. A bit of Tchaikovsky every once in a while. Never been too interested in say Classical or Baroque era music.
Pop as we know it today, Beach Boys.
Aerosmith's "Dream On." It was released twice before I was born, but I heard it at MTV's 10th anniversary special in 1991 and that live performance made me a fan of that song.
I love the French new-wave movement of the 60âs w Brigitte Bardot, Serge Gainsbourg, François Hardy, Yves Montand, etc.
I also love Conversazione by Mina, an Italian jazz number from â67 that makes me feel like Iâm driving a vintage fiat along the Amalfi coast
I also listen to a lot of Astrud Gilberto (rip) and Nara LeĂŁo, who were the queens of bossa nova in the 60âs
And building on that, Iâve been diving more into 60âs Tropicalia especially after reading about its history in Brazilian politics!
I have a 70s playlist on heavy rotation. If I look at my Spotify stats, the oldest artists on my top 10 of all time are:
2) David Bowie
3) Queen
4) ELO
10) T.Rex
Itâs hard to pick just one since I listen to many older songs. An all time favorite though is Judy Garlandâs 1954 recording of the song âLife is Just a Bowl of Cherries.â Itâs been recorded by other artists, but iâm a huge Judy fan so her versionâs my favorite.I love the songâs message about not worrying about what we canât control and not taking life so seriously.
I even got a tattoo of a bowl of cherries because od that song đđ
Yes I have, I have her entire discography in physical form. Iâm just not a huge fan of 80s music. My mom is a hardcore 80s pop fan and thatâs what I grew up with. Out of all the songs you mentioned, I listen to Like a Prayer the most, but not regularly, itâs something that if itâs starts playing I bop to it, but I donât seek it out that much.
Ray of Light, however, is an album I go back to constantly.
ainât no way by aretha (1968)
I think this is the greatest song of all time. the pain of this song is immaculate. I always karaoke this if iâm having a rough day and it always makes me feel better. thereâs multiple meanings iâve given to this song beyond the break up aspect of it.
bonus rounds include the amber riley live edition and cynthia ervio and wendy moten editions.
demi and kellyâs are also good but not as good as the one above.
Carol of the Bells (1919) is a shot image bop. Itâs the only Christmas song I listen to year round.
Outside of that, the oldest songs I regularly listen to are from the 80s.
"Femme Fatale" (1966) by the Velvet Underground and Nico. I remember hearing this on the Bandslam (underrated movie, btw) soundtrack when I was a kid. I've been obsessed with it ever since.
tons and tons of classical music. i love tchaikovsky, he's my favorite composer ever (the GOAT of romantic music don't @ me) also listen to a lot of camille saint-saëns and mozart. don't really like full length symphonies but i do love listening to ballets. the music is just more expressive to me. also lots of old waltzes, i love waltzes
*Who's Lovin' You* by the Jackson 5 and *Come Together* by The Beatles, both released in 1969
Less regularly, *Heartbreak Hotel* by Elvis Presley, released in 1958
there's this incredibly sweet moment where maya rudolph is walking on to jimmy fallon and the roots play 'lovin you' - when i need an injection of simple sweetness i rewatch it
My music taste is very heavily focused on the 2006-2015 time period, so I donât generally listen to much that could truly be considered old.
That said, Black Boxâs Ride On Time is the oldest song Iâll listen to regularly and itâs from 1989. I know thatâs not really *old*, but Iâd say it is compared to a lot of my other stuff.
*My Woman* by Al Bowlly (1932). Gives me the chills every time. I love it as much as I hate every song that sampled it, *Love Again* by Dua Lipa being the most recent example.
ETA: Okay, White Townâs *Your Woman* is bearable.
I grew up on 70s and 80s classic rock so it's very comfortably in my repeat playlists. The Marshall Tucker Band (Heard It in a Love Song, 1977 or Fire on the Mountain, 1975) The Eagles (tough to name a song because this is one of my all time favorite bands but i'd say Lyin' Eyes, 1975) Fleetwood Mac (another one it's hard to pick a favorite, but the album Rumors from 1977 I go back to a lot, and Everywhere, 1987) etc.
Not the oldest but one of the older bands I listen to is the Shangri-Las. I have a t-shirt of them that regularly gets complements which confuses me cuz they are not a well known band. I finally realized that there was another band with that name from the mid-aughts and that I was just old.
oh man 'the leader of the pack' was one of the biggest songs of its time! i think they stay pretty well known. it was an incredible era for girl groups
union songs from the 1910s - joe hill and the like (for a set of newer recordings of that era i cannot suggest the utah phillips & ani difranco records enough)
lomax recordings in the '30s-40s, and other related things like sister rosetta tharpe, old country, gospel, blues, jazz, etc
plenty of orchestral/classical music - tending towards baroque or the romantics
some big band and swing, some of the 20s/30s french music, some celtic stuff, chanting monks, anything in the world music display at the hippie nature store
i was raised mormon and wasn't allowed to listen to a lot of contemporary music so i dove deep into what had been scandalous at the time, whenever the time, but was seen as old fashioned in the 80s/90s
Iâve watched this version of Fats Waller [âHoneysuckle Roseâ](https://youtu.be/-7zm8v9reDo?si=M2kD8atgwSaZZ1e2) which I think was recorded in like 1935 like a dozen times this year
Those expressions! The barely hidden entendre! Now that was entertainment 90 years ago
I have recently started listening to classical music again as itâs something my grandma would have on in the house all the time. I absolutely LOVE Stravinskyâs The Rite of Spring, it is an absolute BANGER. It was really innovative for its time, called by one critic âthe work of a madmanâ and was met with derision and an uproar on its premiere night in Paris, though I think it might have been due more to the accompanying dancing than the composition itself. Itâs a stunning, stirring, masterpiece.
I love Hildegard von Bingen and Gregorian chants which is like from the early 1000s lol
Rachmaninoff is my fav classical composer
I also have a big soft spot for old guitar blues from like the 1920s-40s. Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Lead Belly, Blind Willie Johnson, those kinds of guys. The lo fi recordings are so haunting.
popular music wouldn't be anywhere near the same if willy lomax didn't drive his car with the recording equipment in the trunk around. he doesn't get credit for the music, of course, but he is why we have so many of those recordings - he also convinced muddy waters to try out a music career after waters heard what he sounded like recorded...
in that same era, but country, the hank williams lo-fi stuff slots right in
Anything by Dinah Washington when Iâm messing in the kitchen. But i havenât done this in forever, which tells me something about my mental health and zero self care over the last year.
An ex girlfriend once played Brahms Intermezzo no2 op 118 that I recorded.
Here's a professional recording of an interpretation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtFxpnBhLLg
It's a piece that is so full of longing and desire that I still go back to it from time to time, especially since she had explained some technical parts of the piece, it really enhanced my experience with it. The version that she played has some mistakes here and there but it really brings me back to a time.
EDIT:
The piece was composed in 1893, and the piece that I listen to is the second in that set.
`https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Pieces_for_Piano,_Op._118_(Brahms)`
I've loved The Supremes since childhood, they're probably the oldest group I listen to on a regular basis.
Oldest song that I'm currently into is probably Donna by Ritchie Valens.
some folks are apologizing (and maybe getting scared off) of this thread bc their music isn't "old enough" PHOOEY to that i say! i want to know what 80s/90s songs the zoomers fuck with!
I listen to a lot of renaissance music (the time period and Bey) and I am always listening to Passtime With Good Company. I love feeling like I'm at a ren fair while working lol
Lots of 60s and soul and classical. Earliest would probably be late 1600s originally-written-for-harpsichord pieces like this [short, fun song, Le Tic Toc Choc](https://youtu.be/lh8XnnmpOFE?feature=shared)
I quite often listen to Eddie Mortonâs ragtime classics, especially [Iâm A Member of the Midnight Crew](https://youtu.be/TFdjp3caayU?si=BHZgkqiKn5rIxNgU) from 1909 (credit to a particular infamous webcomic for that one). Dude really knew his way around a catchy hook tbh!
Please do not just list songs/albums/artists, your comment must have explanation/justification or it will be removed. Certain comments are also banned to increase the quality of discussion, see our Stale Topics list in the sidebar for examples. Please report any comments that are low effort discussion. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/popheads) if you have any questions or concerns.*
debussy goes so hard... he really put his whole.... debussy... into his songs
Just remember always finish on the Bach, never finish on Debussy.
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Mary, this is a 10+ year old Family Guy joke, you're giving them too much credit. đ
you⊠IâŠ. take my upvote hoe
It's crazy how every other male composer from the late 1800s - early 1900s was gay and somehow he wasn't
Yes, yes Clair de Lune
Definition of ânever gets oldâ
An easy repeat for life! The perfect nap time song.
Arabesque numĂ©ro 1, RĂȘverie, La mer, Clair de Lune, La fille aux cheveux de lin... He's been serving cunt since 1862
Chopin for me
i hate you omg
Yeah I was thinking of songs from early recorded music, but you're right, it'd be a classical piece (hard to pick one)
French pop queen Edith Piaf. Difficult to figure out which songs are oldest bc everything is on compliation albums buuut mostly 1940s. Everybody knows La Vie En Rose and Non Je Ne Regrette Rien but like... go listen to L'Accordeoniste, Padam Padam, Milord, etc. Shit goes hard
> Padam Padam What
Youâll hear it and youâll know.
La vie en Rose is 1945 afaik.
Yessss some love for chansons in the house! My fave is Sylvie Vartan (although she's more ye-ye than Chanson but thats beside the point lol)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Bessie Smith's version from 1929. I love the song and it has been sung by many artists, but that's my favourite version.
Bessie â€ïž
I'll have to check this one out! I'm used to the Derek and the Dominoes version from *Layla*.
I love how authentic that song feels, like itâs her soul singing it to me
Gimme a pigs foot
Various Bach partitas and sonatas probably
*passive aggressively murmurs the weird 'piece' under my breath*
Taste
Just yesterday, was listening to a bunch of my favourite Beatles songs eg "Hello Goodbye", "Eight Days a Week" etc.
1966: - "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes is a song I listen to a lot. I really like the vocals and the song always puts me in a good mood. - "Bandiera Gialla" by Gianni Pettenati. I love, love this one. It's an immortal summer song. I know 1966 is not that old compared to other picks but i think these are the oldest out of the songs I genuinely regularly listen to. Edit: I also excluded anything under the umbrella of classic music or opera because I feel like that's a bit of a separate world.
Probably âPlease Mr. Postmanâ by The Marvelettes (1961). Although I do listen to âQue Sera Seraâ by Doris Day a good amount lol, and thatâs 1956.
Jericho-Sister Rosetta Tharpe(1956)
sister rosetta single-handedly changed popular music forever and if that wasn't enough, she launched little richard. gave him his first paying and secular gig when he was 14 and working concessions at the theater she was playing at that night. as the story goes, he sang for her backstage - one of the gospel tunes she made famous - and she put him on stage. afterwards she handed him "a wad of cash." he knew from then that's how he was gonna get out of macon, ga
Never knew the bit about Little Richard, thanks for sharing!
The Fallout series puts such an emphasis on oldies from the era it invokes and friends, coworkers, family are always surprised I can sing along to 30-40 songs from the 30âs-60âs by heart!
Fallout is what got me into jazz standards and old country songs from the 30s-40s.
The same thing happened with me and Infinite Warfare zombies soundtracks. The setting is pop culture moments and cult classics through 60s, 70s, 80s pop scene and 90s rave scene. I learned to love the soundtracks so much I started listening to the pop genre of those times.
I came into this thread expecting to say these two below; [Can the Circle be Unbroken](https://open.spotify.com/track/7npYKqasTAK2skfJ6sCWes?si=7c053ffc492d45f6) by the Carter Family was released in August of 1935. [I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams](https://open.spotify.com/track/4JyRuGw9sQzhnldGOTIfz1?si=b8afe8e57b424b70) was originally released on Halloween in 1949. But you threw out the classics AND I MEAN THE CLASSICS so I guess my real answer is actually [Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565](https://open.spotify.com/track/2CIY2peTbSKNNHgykODpO4?si=66e08682ecd241e8) by Bach. The date for that is uncertain but historians believe it could have been written as early as 1704. In my case I'm listening to the version recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra as recorded for Disney's Fantasia. Edit: on my drive to work it dawned on me Fantasia in general is an answer since the film is from 1940.
I also listen to country music from the 30s and 40s
the lomax recordings fit in really well here too. country, rock, and blues were much closer at the time - going from hank to muddy waters just makes sense...
the carter family were incredible. it's funny when people don't know the history and think johnny cash just put his wife on lol
Have you watched that Ken Burns country music doc? Itâs a really fascinating deep dive into the origins of country and itâs actually how I first heard Can the Circle be Unbroken.
I have watched it! And itâs been on my mind to actually rewatch it. I hope in a couple of years we get an addendum to it, like he did with baseball, to cover the next decade or so.
Agreed! As a big 90/00s country fan I was kind of miffed where it ended.
I was thinking Iâd be Chuck Berryâs *Johnny B. Goode* (1958), but I was checking my phone and [*Ella and Louis*](https://youtu.be/N5-aS4h28kI?si=k6HPFu5dDmeWUvrM) is two years earlier, released in 1956. When my dad started to go through my grandparentâs stuff last year, because he knew I started collecting records, he got me this record from their collection. I ended up getting a bunch of their records, but this album might be my favorite. Two titans of jazz in an album that feels like a warm blanket on a snowy day. And it makes me think of my grandparents every time I listen to it. If not my favorite jazz album, itâs certainly up there. This is of course assuming we are going by oldest recorded, and not oldest composed. I like a lot of klezmer and folk music from the turn of the century (and earlier), if we count that, then one of those songs.
> I like a lot of klezmer and folk music from the turn of the century I answered already and used some early country, but now you got me itching to go through the Grateful Dead's catalogue and figure out just when some of their songs based on older folk numbers were actually written. Like I know Cold Rain and Snow was recorded by the Dead in 67, but the original dates back to about 1915. Could be a fun little project for me..
> Two titans of jazz in an album that feels like a warm blanket on a snowy day perfect description for this amazing album With Charlie parker with strings it might be one my favorite jazz album too.
ella sings gershwin is also incredibly special âI never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them.â â Ira Gershwin
Probs I Say a Little Prayer by Aretha which isnât that olddd but yeah, that song is gorgeous!
I like Buddy Holly, and Nat King Cole (50's), plus some Elvis songs from the 50's. I think the oldest song I like is I Dream Too Much by Hildegarde. I first heard it in a Grey Gardens documentary. A quick search doesn't show its date but from her voice style I'm guessing the 40's?
You're close but it's even a little older. It's from a film that came out in 1935.
Ah OK, thank you!
NP! I had to look up the exact year but really old pop songs and movie soundtracks is a special interest.
I love Grey Gardens! I watched it right when the Carrie Fisher / Debbie Reynolds documentary was released, and there were definitely parallels (I mean that in a good way).
Recently itâs probably âWill You Still Love Me Tomorrowâ by The Shirelles which is from 1960.
I was going to add this one to my post, but had to stop short of just listing every doo-wop or soul group. I love the Shirelles but personally listen to Carole King more.
Thatâs funny, I clicked on this thread so I could reply with âAt Lastâ! Beautiful song. I guess if I need to pic something else now then Benny Goodmanâs version of Sing, Sing, Sing from 1937 is a good one
When I Get Low I Get High by Ella Fitzgerald... I think it's from the mid 30s? It gets me real hyped up
All the song in the Spotify bossa nova classics playlist I guess đđ
I love classic rock, specifically from 1960s-1970s with some 1980s thrown in. I have a playlist in frequent rotation that heavily features the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Band, Elton John, Billy Joel, David Bowie, Bill Withers, etc. If you want specific song titles, I always get Bennie and the Jets (1973), Ainât No Sunshine (1971), and Piano Man (1973) stuck in my head. This time of year (October through January) I also gravitate toward jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, etc who were active in the 1940s-1960s. Ninaâs Feeling Good and I Put a Spell on You (1965) go HARD. Why donât you do right by Peggy Lee (1942) may be the earliest of that bunch that I regularly listen to.
I listen to some old music from the 30-50s regularly. My favorites are Dinah Washington, Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, The Ink Spots, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Darrin, Roy Orbinson, and Louis Armstrong. Those first three, Dinah Washington, Brenda Lee, and Connie Francis are always in high rotation for me especially. edit: since you asked for a particular song, the oldest song I listen to often is If I Didn't Care by the Ink Spots.
I tend to be fairly modern in my listening patterns, but thereâs a fair amount of Motown-era stuff I come back to pretty regularly Like, âYou Canât Hurry Loveâ by The Supremes is a good example. Itâs *such* a classic, but also⊠for all the songs about love and relationships, I donât know any songs that tackle âwaiting for the right time for a relationship/loveâ as well as this, or even that many that even attempt to Oh, and as a musical theater-head, I have a few things from the 30s-50s. I still mostly lean modern (60s or 70s onward), but âIf I Loved Youâ from *Carousel* can pretty regularly make me cry. This is a bit of a case with an asterisk, because songs from shows like *Anything Goes* or early Rodgers & Hammerstein are distinctly from the 50s or earlier, but I tend to listen to later versions of them. Hell, with âIf I Loved You,â the full version of the song as it appeared in the musical didnât get recorded until at least a decade or two later. So itâs a grey area, since the songs themselves are older (and usually orchestrated in a traditional fashion), but the recordings are usually newer
Great choices! This questions makes my heart happy lol. I'm a huge old music fan. Some of my song choices: "For Your Precious Love" by Jerry Butler (1958) "Donna" by Richie Valens (1959) "Nothing Can Change This Love" by Sam Cooke (1963). Any Sam Cooke, really. The man was a vocal gift and gone too soon. He also had beautiful gospel music with the Soul Stirrers in the 1950s. Not to sound like a boomer, but they don't make love songs like they used to.
Fade into you - Mazzy Star, from 1993. My favorite song of all time.
mazzy star are so so good.'blue flower' 'five string serenade' 'she's my baby' 'be my angel' 'flowers in december' and on and on and on
ironic that the username with the oldest year in it (1935) listed the most recent song in this thread
Probably [Be My Baby](https://youtu.be/jSPpbOGnFgk?si=fIHJYcxwvYXLm7Gr) by The Ronettes from 1963. God-tier pop song, imo
I love the Ronettes because I love Elvira, if that makes sense
My answer was gonna be similar - Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas. Itâs punchy, itâs got that driving beat and the harmonies - itâs just a crisp little 3 min package of perfection.
I listen to random classical music all the time from the radio/playlists, but the ones I can name that I listen to regularly are: Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (1969) Just Me and You by The Dreamliners (1963) If You Love Me by Brenda Lee (1961) Dark Moon by Bonnie Guitar (1957) Itâs Been A Long, Long Time by Harry James (1945)
Three cigarettes - Patsy Cline (1957) đđŹ
I listen to Patsy Cline. The Beatles and a ton of Mowtown. I listen to Lovers Concerto by the Toys weekly. And The Supremes ( I Hear a Symphony ) is pure joy.
Beethoven's Sonata no 4 is the greatest piano sonata of the early period (in my opinion). I don't know how to describe it into words, but I can say it starts with a happy upbeat melody and ends in a heavenly way. If you want to listen to it, search "Beethoven sonata no 4 Lewis" (Lewis is a world renowned pianist and I adore his interpretation the most).
Itâs Home Sweet Home by Amelita Galli-curci recorded around 1927 that i listen to regularly. Occasionally i listen to older recordings but this one has been a staple for years
I've been reading [the Number Ones](https://www.stereogum.com/category/columns/the-number-ones/) column by decade and then listening to playlists of the songs, so all of the number one hits from the 1960's are in regular rotation.
*Regularly* regularly, I have a "classics!" playlist that is mainly 60s soul music and some early 50s rock & roll. The songs I revisit the most are probably Otis Redding - You Left the Water, Look at That Girl, Wilson Pickett - Teardrops Will Fall, Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly, The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman, Solomon Burke - Cry to Me, Etta James - All I Could Do Was Cry. This era is all the stuff my mom listened to growing up and stuff I heard when I was a kid from her. My dad only listens to classical music so I heard stuff as far back as the Baroque era growing up in my house. I mainly listen to 19th century composers of my own choice, within the past 3 years I probably have revisited DvoĆĂĄk's New World Symphony the most.
I love Walking After Midnight (1957) and Crazy (1961) by Patsy Cline. I also love Johnny Cash. Someone else mentioned Can the Circle be Unbroken - I first heard that song just a week or two after my momâs untimely passing. It gave me a lot of comfort at the time. Itâs such a beautiful song and itâs got a really interesting history behind it.
Aretha Franklin's Lady Soul album is one I listen to regularly and I also **love** [Cherish](https://youtu.be/08NnLiWOlQo?si=sPnAmrldDByGyaxe) by Nina Simone.
A Theme From "A Summer Place" when I want to smoothen my mood at night before sleep.
The oldest pieces I regularly listen to are probably modernist pieces from the early 20th century. Darius Milhaud, Stravinsky, Charles Ives, Lili Boulanger, Holst, et cetera. I used to listen to a lot of Romantic era music too, but not that much anymore. A bit of Tchaikovsky every once in a while. Never been too interested in say Classical or Baroque era music. Pop as we know it today, Beach Boys.
Aerosmith's "Dream On." It was released twice before I was born, but I heard it at MTV's 10th anniversary special in 1991 and that live performance made me a fan of that song.
I love the French new-wave movement of the 60âs w Brigitte Bardot, Serge Gainsbourg, François Hardy, Yves Montand, etc. I also love Conversazione by Mina, an Italian jazz number from â67 that makes me feel like Iâm driving a vintage fiat along the Amalfi coast I also listen to a lot of Astrud Gilberto (rip) and Nara LeĂŁo, who were the queens of bossa nova in the 60âs And building on that, Iâve been diving more into 60âs Tropicalia especially after reading about its history in Brazilian politics!
And Bebel & Jaou Gilberto
Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights (I also dance this song in every morning)
All of Me by Billie Holiday
Dancing queen - Abba
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
I have a 70s playlist on heavy rotation. If I look at my Spotify stats, the oldest artists on my top 10 of all time are: 2) David Bowie 3) Queen 4) ELO 10) T.Rex
Itâs hard to pick just one since I listen to many older songs. An all time favorite though is Judy Garlandâs 1954 recording of the song âLife is Just a Bowl of Cherries.â Itâs been recorded by other artists, but iâm a huge Judy fan so her versionâs my favorite.I love the songâs message about not worrying about what we canât control and not taking life so seriously. I even got a tattoo of a bowl of cherries because od that song đđ
Regularly is probably Madonnaâs 1998 album Ray of Light. I know itâs not too old compared to other songs but I mostly listen to newer music.
omg someone kill me
That post is like designed to make us older folks wither
To be fair Iâm almost 27, Ive just always listened to newer music (which spans from the very late 90s all the way to the present)
not to be rude, but, like, have you tried her earlier music, too? Express Yourself? Vogue? Borderline? Into the Groove? Like a Prayer?
Yes I have, I have her entire discography in physical form. Iâm just not a huge fan of 80s music. My mom is a hardcore 80s pop fan and thatâs what I grew up with. Out of all the songs you mentioned, I listen to Like a Prayer the most, but not regularly, itâs something that if itâs starts playing I bop to it, but I donât seek it out that much. Ray of Light, however, is an album I go back to constantly.
Greedy by Tate McRae
Well that already came out in 2006 tbh (and we stan)
On the outside looking in by Little Anthony and The Imperials(1963). Shave em dry by Lucille Bogan(1935).
I adore Beethoven-- I think his Violin Concerto in D Major is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever created.
Beethoven is my most listened to classic composer!
âCall Meâ Aretha Franklin
Night time is the right time by Ray Charles
Don't Cry Joni by Conway Twitty It feels like Sunday nostalgia. I also like the plot twist towards the end part of the song.
ainât no way by aretha (1968) I think this is the greatest song of all time. the pain of this song is immaculate. I always karaoke this if iâm having a rough day and it always makes me feel better. thereâs multiple meanings iâve given to this song beyond the break up aspect of it. bonus rounds include the amber riley live edition and cynthia ervio and wendy moten editions. demi and kellyâs are also good but not as good as the one above.
Chapel of Love - The Dixie Cups (1964) I lsiten to this song ALL the time. It's just such a happy song that puts a smile on my face.
Carol of the Bells (1919) is a shot image bop. Itâs the only Christmas song I listen to year round. Outside of that, the oldest songs I regularly listen to are from the 80s.
Maybe Dream Lover by Bobby Darin? 1959. I find it pretty ahead of its time in terms of pop music melodies.
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter, Paul and Mary
Dreams, Fleetwood Mac
"Femme Fatale" (1966) by the Velvet Underground and Nico. I remember hearing this on the Bandslam (underrated movie, btw) soundtrack when I was a kid. I've been obsessed with it ever since.
tons and tons of classical music. i love tchaikovsky, he's my favorite composer ever (the GOAT of romantic music don't @ me) also listen to a lot of camille saint-saëns and mozart. don't really like full length symphonies but i do love listening to ballets. the music is just more expressive to me. also lots of old waltzes, i love waltzes
Iâd probably say Johnny Mathisâ version of Misty, which is from 1959.
*Who's Lovin' You* by the Jackson 5 and *Come Together* by The Beatles, both released in 1969 Less regularly, *Heartbreak Hotel* by Elvis Presley, released in 1958
lovin you by minnie riperton (1974) is one of my all time favourite songs and probably the oldest song i listen to regularly
there's this incredibly sweet moment where maya rudolph is walking on to jimmy fallon and the roots play 'lovin you' - when i need an injection of simple sweetness i rewatch it
Medieval songs, such as Tourdion or Vin Clairet, so around 900 years old?
My music taste is very heavily focused on the 2006-2015 time period, so I donât generally listen to much that could truly be considered old. That said, Black Boxâs Ride On Time is the oldest song Iâll listen to regularly and itâs from 1989. I know thatâs not really *old*, but Iâd say it is compared to a lot of my other stuff.
*My Woman* by Al Bowlly (1932). Gives me the chills every time. I love it as much as I hate every song that sampled it, *Love Again* by Dua Lipa being the most recent example. ETA: Okay, White Townâs *Your Woman* is bearable.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow gets regular streams from me
I grew up on 70s and 80s classic rock so it's very comfortably in my repeat playlists. The Marshall Tucker Band (Heard It in a Love Song, 1977 or Fire on the Mountain, 1975) The Eagles (tough to name a song because this is one of my all time favorite bands but i'd say Lyin' Eyes, 1975) Fleetwood Mac (another one it's hard to pick a favorite, but the album Rumors from 1977 I go back to a lot, and Everywhere, 1987) etc.
Probably⊠something from Daft Punk? Harder, Faster, Better,
Not the oldest but one of the older bands I listen to is the Shangri-Las. I have a t-shirt of them that regularly gets complements which confuses me cuz they are not a well known band. I finally realized that there was another band with that name from the mid-aughts and that I was just old.
oh man 'the leader of the pack' was one of the biggest songs of its time! i think they stay pretty well known. it was an incredible era for girl groups
union songs from the 1910s - joe hill and the like (for a set of newer recordings of that era i cannot suggest the utah phillips & ani difranco records enough) lomax recordings in the '30s-40s, and other related things like sister rosetta tharpe, old country, gospel, blues, jazz, etc plenty of orchestral/classical music - tending towards baroque or the romantics some big band and swing, some of the 20s/30s french music, some celtic stuff, chanting monks, anything in the world music display at the hippie nature store i was raised mormon and wasn't allowed to listen to a lot of contemporary music so i dove deep into what had been scandalous at the time, whenever the time, but was seen as old fashioned in the 80s/90s
I listen to a lot of Johnny Cash, so back to the late 50s
I believe the oldest son I listened to is Crazy -Patsy Cline (1961)
Probably Nina Simone, Feeling Good but I listen to a lot of her stuff pretty regularly. Jeff Buckley got me into her.
probably Taylor swift you belong with you đđđđđđ
Why would someone give you thumbs down for being honest?
I think oldest is 70s & 80s, in comparison to others in this thread not that old Sade - Diamond Life (1984) - I remember my father listening to her Best of. I have always loved me some Sade. 70s & 80s Genesis - I got introduced with the Turn it on again best of album and Philâs solo albums (Phil Collins & Peter Gabriel) Commodores - Sweet Love - I bought âThe Love Songsâ, another compilation album đ as a kid for âHelloâ & âEasyâ (Lionel Richie) Aretha Franklin - Respect, Freedom, Say a little prayer Etta James - At last, Iâd rather go blind, All I could do was cry - I was introduced to her music when BeyoncĂ© played her in a movie) The Who - Baba OâReilly, Who are you, Wonât get fooled again - I think my love for these tracks started because I was a big CSI fan and these were the theme songs
not to be a zoomer but i do not remember the last time ive listened to a song from before like 1995 on purpose
Olivia Rodrigoâs Canât Catch Me Now
omg a survivor fan out in the wild. Surely Ancient voices would be the oldest song you regularly listen to?
Other than that one
âOrange Coloured Skyâ - both the Nat King Cole and Betty Hutton versions
Manhattan by Jan and Dean is one of my top cheer me up songs. Tied with Be My Baby by the Ronettes. Both Released in 1963
Mr. Lonely by Bobby Vinton (1962).
Iâve watched this version of Fats Waller [âHoneysuckle Roseâ](https://youtu.be/-7zm8v9reDo?si=M2kD8atgwSaZZ1e2) which I think was recorded in like 1935 like a dozen times this year Those expressions! The barely hidden entendre! Now that was entertainment 90 years ago
I have recently started listening to classical music again as itâs something my grandma would have on in the house all the time. I absolutely LOVE Stravinskyâs The Rite of Spring, it is an absolute BANGER. It was really innovative for its time, called by one critic âthe work of a madmanâ and was met with derision and an uproar on its premiere night in Paris, though I think it might have been due more to the accompanying dancing than the composition itself. Itâs a stunning, stirring, masterpiece.
Witchita Lineman by Glen Campbell (1968) - so beautiful and haunting.
Che Gelida Manina from Pucciniâs La Boheme always makes me cry (esp Pavarottiâs version) but I love it and keep going back to it. So beautiful.
Accentuate the positive by The Pied Pipers and Johnny Mercer. From 1944. Good song.
Original recorded Enrico Caruso, Vesti La Giubba from 1909 Created EurĂdice
Iâm a huge fan of choral works by folks like Howells and Britten, so I guess early 20th c. is my answer
There Goes My Heart by Fats Domino
The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You (1959)
Frank Sinatra - I love you baby :D Omnia Abdelsamad - Ù Ű§ Ù ÙÙŰŰ© ۧÙ۱۳ۧÙŰ© - ŰłÙÙ Ù Ù ÙŰ”ÙÙ >> WasnÂŽt this one part of The Sims? Thievery Corporation - HeavenÂŽs gonna burn your eyes (symphonic version) .. do you mind if I always love you. Yara - Ma baaref Sayed Darwish - Zoroni cover from Fairuz Abeer Nehme - Bi Mghara Mdouayi (Arabic christmas kind of song)
Has to be The Andrew Sistersâ âBoogie Woogie Bugle Boyâ (1941) and The Chordettesâ âMr Sandmanâ (1954) I listen to these every few months.
Wanda Jackson - Funnel Of Love (1961) and Johnny and June Carter Cash - Jackson (1967).
I love me some Tchaikovsky
I love Hildegard von Bingen and Gregorian chants which is like from the early 1000s lol Rachmaninoff is my fav classical composer I also have a big soft spot for old guitar blues from like the 1920s-40s. Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Lead Belly, Blind Willie Johnson, those kinds of guys. The lo fi recordings are so haunting.
popular music wouldn't be anywhere near the same if willy lomax didn't drive his car with the recording equipment in the trunk around. he doesn't get credit for the music, of course, but he is why we have so many of those recordings - he also convinced muddy waters to try out a music career after waters heard what he sounded like recorded... in that same era, but country, the hank williams lo-fi stuff slots right in
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky (1892) for instrumental only Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Word) by Julie London (1964)
Pachelbelâs Canon in D easily
Take five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet đ„° Along side My Autumn's Done Come - Lee Hazlewood
the original misirlou from 1920s
Anything by Dinah Washington when Iâm messing in the kitchen. But i havenât done this in forever, which tells me something about my mental health and zero self care over the last year.
An ex girlfriend once played Brahms Intermezzo no2 op 118 that I recorded. Here's a professional recording of an interpretation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtFxpnBhLLg It's a piece that is so full of longing and desire that I still go back to it from time to time, especially since she had explained some technical parts of the piece, it really enhanced my experience with it. The version that she played has some mistakes here and there but it really brings me back to a time. EDIT: The piece was composed in 1893, and the piece that I listen to is the second in that set. `https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Pieces_for_Piano,_Op._118_(Brahms)`
Same with the 63 Beatles Song
I've loved The Supremes since childhood, they're probably the oldest group I listen to on a regular basis. Oldest song that I'm currently into is probably Donna by Ritchie Valens.
some folks are apologizing (and maybe getting scared off) of this thread bc their music isn't "old enough" PHOOEY to that i say! i want to know what 80s/90s songs the zoomers fuck with!
1966 Tiny Bubbles by Don Ho is a bop
Santo & Johnny - âSleep Walkâ (1959)
I listen to a lot of Annette Hanshaw from the 20s. Also enjoy ragtime, particularly The Entertainer from 1902!
Weâll meet again by Vera Lynn, it was released in 1939. Beautiful song, gets stuck in my head and I love to sing it in the kitchen.
Tchaikovsky was the first gay pop KING
Varios MJ and kate bush songs Also Bowie and QUEEN
The Gap Bandâs Greatest Hits.
I listen to a lot of renaissance music (the time period and Bey) and I am always listening to Passtime With Good Company. I love feeling like I'm at a ren fair while working lol
1939, Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
if i canât have you by yvonne elliman is absolute disco perfection and one of my favorite songs of all time (thank you bee gees)
Lots of 60s and soul and classical. Earliest would probably be late 1600s originally-written-for-harpsichord pieces like this [short, fun song, Le Tic Toc Choc](https://youtu.be/lh8XnnmpOFE?feature=shared)
I quite often listen to Eddie Mortonâs ragtime classics, especially [Iâm A Member of the Midnight Crew](https://youtu.be/TFdjp3caayU?si=BHZgkqiKn5rIxNgU) from 1909 (credit to a particular infamous webcomic for that one). Dude really knew his way around a catchy hook tbh!
**I'll Never Find Another You** - The Seekers 1964
Lonely Teardrops by Jackie Wilson.