The greatest Irish song of all time

riffmongous · 14-09-2018 3:50pm #1

This is not a music video list thread

So youtubed Zombie a few days ago for a listen and saw that the music video has over 750 million views!! It's a great song and all but that seems.. excessive. Now I'm on my phone so I can't check how many of those views came after poor Dolores's passing but it got me thinking, what is the greatest irish song ever? Now I'm not asking for personal favourites, but more a song almost everyone could agree on, young and old, and not just the cool kids

Sunday Bloody Sunday (live)? Come Out Ye Black and Tans? Maniac 2000? Aon Focal Eile? River dance ending song?

jester77 · 14-09-2018 3:51pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyQ-tScuzwM

correction · 14-09-2018 3:52pm

Without thinking much I'd consider With or Without You and Sunday Bloody Sunday from U2 to be up there. I'd also throw Cannonball from Damien Rice in there.

Iang87 · 14-09-2018 3:53pm

Fisherman's Blues

MonkeyTennis · 14-09-2018 3:53pm

No Sweat: Heart and Soul.

Lorelli! · 14-09-2018 3:54pm

jester77 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyQ-tScuzwM

Was gonna say the exact same

Sam Quentin · 14-09-2018 3:55pm

Ride On.
Christy Moore

14-09-2018 3:56pm

How about 'The Curragh of Kildare', sung by one of the most under-rated music groups in the last few decades, and one which totally blew their potential. I think Christy Moore is better-known for his version of this track, but I prefer the Johnston's one.

The band had a pretty tragic ending. Adrienne Johnston, one of the singers, died after a fall that is suspected to have been murder/ manslaughter.

I have a personal reason to be fond of this song as it was sung at my Dad's funeral. If you aren't familiar with the Johnstons but like Irish ballads, I'd strongly recommend looking them up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIPWvAmVY2o

GBX · 14-09-2018 3:56pm

Jumbo Breakfast Roll - Dicksie Walsh

Baron Kurtz · 14-09-2018 3:58pm

We don't need nobody else - Whipping Boy
Hole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Speed to my side - Rollerskate Skinny

I dunno if they even count in the manner the OP wants it, but they do to me.

Ashbourne hoop · 14-09-2018 4:01pm

Sinead O'Connor: This is a rebel song

riffmongous · 14-09-2018 4:02pm

Quite a few I haven't even heard of, remember I'm not looking for personal favourites, but the consensus greatest.

I'm going to add, Aslan this is

Sam Quentin · 14-09-2018 4:02pm

Fairy Tale of New York.
Is it Irish, if it is then it's hands down the greatest most famous 'Irish' song ever!?

Lorelli! · 14-09-2018 4:04pm

Dearg Doom by The Horslips would be up there.

o1s1n · 14-09-2018 4:04pm

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

We don't need nobody else - Whipping Boy
Hole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Speed to my side - Rollerskate Skinny

I dunno if they even count in the manner the OP wants it, but they do to me.

Hah, please tell me you go about singing 'The Hole of the Moon' and not 'The Whole of the Moon'

irishgrover · 14-09-2018 4:04pm

there are loads and loads.... but one that always pops to mind is "friends in time" - the golden horde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzCWjXomrhc

Jimmy. · 14-09-2018 4:05pm

Sam Quentin wrote: »

Fairy Tale of New York.
Is it Irish, if it is then it's hands down the greatest most famous 'Irish' song ever!?

Dose of scour is all that song would give you, gets played to death every Christmas.

riffmongous · 14-09-2018 4:07pm

Sam Quentin wrote: »

Fairy Tale of New York.
Is it Irish, if it is then it's hands down the greatest most famous 'Irish' song ever!?

Good call, I hate myself but it's definitely up there

riffmongous · 14-09-2018 4:10pm

Lorelli! wrote: »

Dearg Doom by The Horslips would be up there.

Probably the greatest riff alright, but the rest of the song isnt as good imo

Sam Quentin · 14-09-2018 4:10pm

Jimmy. wrote: »

Dose of scour is all that song would give you, gets played to death every Christmas.

Tell that to the millions of drunk egits in the pubs at Christmas every year belting it out of their mouths and dreaming of Ireland and home,... Not just the Irish the whole World... So that makes it the greatest most famous 'Irish' song ever ever ever.

Irish Guitarist · 14-09-2018 4:11pm

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

We don't need nobody else - Whipping Boy
Hole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Speed to my side - Rollerskate Skinny

I dunno if they even count in the manner the OP wants it, but they do to me.

'Hole' Of The Moon would change the meaning of the song a bit. I imagine it being about a lovelorn couple looking up at the moon smiling then he turns around and flashes at them.

gigantic09 · 14-09-2018 4:12pm

The Pogues, Rainy night in Soho

Luke Kelly, Raglan Road.

Summer wind · 14-09-2018 4:13pm

Baron Kurtz · 14-09-2018 4:13pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Hah, please tell me you go about singing 'The Hole of the Moon' and not 'The Whole of the Moon'

Yeah because that sounds like another word completely!

You'll forgive the predictive error, hopefully.

I don't "go about" doing anything either, for what it's worth

Irish Guitarist · 14-09-2018 4:15pm

The Waterboys aren't exactly Irish by the way. They've had some Irish members as far as I know but Mike Scott is Scottish.

Lorelli! · 14-09-2018 4:19pm

riffmongous wrote: »

Probably the greatest riff alright, but the rest of the song isnt as good imo

How can you not like the lyrics "two heads are better than none. One hundred heads are so much better than one"

only messing.

Everybody likes Teenage Kicks!

bullpost · 14-09-2018 4:21pm

Gloria - Van Morrison

Your Face · 14-09-2018 4:22pm

Any of the Italia 90 songs

Baron Kurtz · 14-09-2018 4:23pm

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

The Waterboys aren't exactly Irish by the way. They've had some Irish members as far as I know but Mike Scott is Scottish.

That's correct. They're as Irish as they are otherwise I suppose. Scott now lives in Dublin and has for years. The rest are Irish. They've had some success in general but I'd imagine they identify closer to these shores. If they have a sway toward hailing from Ireland, then I'm going with that one.

Hitman3000 · 14-09-2018 4:25pm

"Put ' em under pressure". 1990 Irish world cup song. In keeping with the thread title even if I find the song cringey. Great craic in a gathering though.

AlanG · 14-09-2018 4:31pm

Any number of Shane McGowans songs will last long into history - Turkish Song of the Damned, Fairytail of New York and Rainy Night in Soho are masterpieces. The Body of an American being a major part of one of the greatest TV shows of all time (The Wire) will ensure it is sung at funerals throughout America for years to come.
Best of all is probably The Sickbed of Cuchulainn.

Grayson · 14-09-2018 4:34pm

AlanG wrote: »

Any number of Shane McGowans songs will last long into history - Turkish Song of the Damned, Fairytail of New York and Rainy Night in Soho are masterpieces. The Body of an American being a major part of one of the greatest TV shows of all time (The Wire) will ensure it is sung at funerals throughout America for years to come.
Best of all is probably The Sickbed of Cuchulainn.

That'll be sung at christmas for decades to come, long after most songs here are forgotten.

Ipso · 14-09-2018 4:37pm

Summer wind wrote: »

Technically that’s Scottish/Australian.

I’d go with Old Town by Phil Lynott.

bullpost · 14-09-2018 4:37pm

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

That's correct. They're as Irish as they are otherwise I suppose. Scott now lives in Dublin and has for years. The rest are Irish. They've had some success in general but I'd imagine they identify closer to these shores. If they have a sway toward hailing from Ireland, then I'm going with that one.

Whatever about the later stuff, there's nothing Irish about The Whole of the Moon.

gigantic09 · 14-09-2018 4:38pm

AlanG wrote: »

Any number of Shane McGowans songs will last long into history - Turkish Song of the Damned, Fairytail of New York and Rainy Night in Soho are masterpieces. The Body of an American being a major part of one of the greatest TV shows of all time (The Wire) will ensure it is sung at funerals throughout America for years to come.
Best of all is probably The Sickbed of Cuchulainn.

Agree that McGowan was a genius song writer. Hopefully the fact that all those songs titles are foreign ie Turkey, London newyork won't bar him from the discussion

.

Baron Kurtz · 14-09-2018 4:42pm

bullpost wrote: »

Whatever about the later stuff, there's nothing Irish about The Whole of the Moon.

Okay. We'll just leave it so.

Silentcorner · 14-09-2018 4:42pm

Zombie - The Cranberries, is by virtue of its global penetration, the biggest Irish song of all time, it has over 1 billion youtube hits, if you include all versions of it.

It's mad to think of it really, there are very few hits from that era that has anywhere close to that, there isn't one song from the britpop era, or the 80s or 90s that can equal it....when you think about it, even if you don't like the track, that is very impressive!

Hector Bellend · 14-09-2018 4:47pm

Baron Kurtz wrote: »

We don't need nobody else - Whipping Boy
Hole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Speed to my side - Rollerskate Skinny

I dunno if they even count in the manner the OP wants it, but they do to me.

Oh my god.

This is the best typo I've ever seen in my WHOLE life.

riffmongous · 14-09-2018 4:54pm

Lorelli! wrote: »

How can you not like the lyrics "two heads are better than none. One hundred heads are so much better than one" only messing.

Everybody likes Teenage Kicks!

Yeah the lyrics are weirdly funny but compared to some of the others here a bit lacking

I forgot how much of a rocking tune teenage kicks is

Hector Bellend · 14-09-2018 4:56pm

These guys should be superstars.

Baron Kurtz · 14-09-2018 4:58pm

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Oh my god.

This is the best typo I've ever seen in my WHOLE life.

That was pretty pathetic

castletownman · 14-09-2018 5:02pm

I see the Furey's mentioned earlier, and I think that they are responsible for two more all-time classics: The Old Man and When You Were Sweet Sixteen.

Incredibly moving and indicative of that genre of music that has so many of our diaspora pining for home. I for one well up every time I hear The Old Man sung live.

In terms of global success, it's hard to look beyond Zombie and Fairytale of New York, and your pick of U2 songs. But whether success=greatest is a separate issue.

For me "Irish" constitutes traditional sort of music etc.

.red. · 14-09-2018 5:08pm

Silentcorner wrote: »

Zombie - The Cranberries, is by virtue of its global penetration, the biggest Irish song of all time, it has over 1 billion youtube hits, if you include all versions of it.

It's mad to think of it really, there are very few hits from that era that has anywhere close to that, there isn't one song from the britpop era, or the 80s or 90s that can equal it....when you think about it, even if you don't like the track, that is very impressive!

A lot of Irish people don't realise how big a band The Cranberries actually were. They were selling out big venues like our 02 in Asia and South America, but filling the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in their home country.
Outside of Ireland they wouldnt be as big as U2, but would easily be the 2nd largest Irish band of all time.
The YouTube viewing figures aren't all that surprising from a band that sold 40million records.

The top Irish song for me would probably be Zombie or Put em Under Pressure, very different songs and for very different reasons.

AlanG · 14-09-2018 5:14pm

.red. wrote: »

A lot of Irish people don't realise how big a band The Cranberries actually were. Outside of Ireland they wouldnt be as big as U2, but would easily be the 2nd largest Irish band of all time.
.

Second largest band but Enya is far more successful, selling about twice as many records as the Cranberries - yet you almost never hear her played on the radio in Ireland.

sicknotexi · 14-09-2018 5:18pm

With or Without you,Where the Streets have no Name or Bad from U2. Not Even a big U2 fan but their quality is undeniable.

Amalgam · 14-09-2018 5:23pm

AlanG wrote: »

Second largest band but Enya is far more successful, selling about twice as many records as the Cranberries.

People take the piss, but the likes of Orinoco Flow was a huge slow burner for her, if you're in some remote South American Village or the Middle East, the likelyhood is that Enya will be better known than the rest!

The stats for the her albums and single are just.. impressive.

Gilbert O'Sullivan would be another submarine artist, you might not have his name at the tip of your tongue for the domestic market, but he was huge overseas.

I remember the NME would take the piss royally out of him, nasty nasty stuff, but he's outlived them, so there's that..

DEFTLEFTHAND · 14-09-2018 5:27pm

This is my favourite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGlAkiCN4-M

Joe_ Public · 14-09-2018 5:28pm

Gilbert O’Sullivan is a terrific songwriter. Alone Again Naturally is one the saddest and most poignant songs I’ve ever heard, though I’d probably prefer the rough version by Christy Dignam to the original.

CrowdedHouse · 14-09-2018 5:32pm

Gone Forever - Cry before Dawn

Ipso · 14-09-2018 5:34pm

riffmongous wrote: »

Yeah the lyrics are weirdly funny but compared to some of the others here a bit lacking

I forgot how much of a rocking tune teenage kicks is

Isn't teenage kicks about struggling with the one eyed trouser python?

piplip87 · 14-09-2018 5:35pm

Suspect device still little fingers

The greatest Irish song of all time

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