It’s a difficult time for musicians. And yet, the world is teeming with music. The problem is – so few are getting paid for their efforts.
Suffice it to say, the punter has spoken, and would sooner pay a small monthly fee to Spotify, for the right to listen to 99% of all recorded music than pay 99 cents in the traditional manner to a deserving musician for a recorded song.
The pandemic didn’t help. So many clubs and pubs that featured live bands went under. Meanwhile, it would appear that most people would rather pay outrageous prices to watch Taylor Swift on a giant screen in a football stadium than risk a group of musos sweating on them in a club.
And what about music appreciators? How do they even figure out what to listen to anymore?
It ain’t easy. I’ve been hosting/producing Celtic Crush on SiriusXM for 19 years and am deluged by music.
So every now and then I encourage Crushers from all over the U,S. and Canada to vote for their Top 100 favorite tracks. Perhaps the list below will help you find some new favorites.
It’s hardly surprising that The Pogues have achieved # 1 and 2 spots, given that Shane MacGowan passed away this year, but then as Bruce Springsteen noted recently, “I don’t know about the rest of us but they’ll be singing Shane’s songs a hundred years from now."
Seán Ó’Riada
But look at #3, Aisling Gheal by Seán Ó’Riada! To my mind, this powerful melody sums up the tragedy of the Irish people during the Penal Laws, colored by a hint of redemption. And what can you say about Ó’Riada – genius that he was - except that we’re all Seán’s children.
Close by at #5, Sleep Tight in New York City, Black 47’s ode to Bainbridge Avenue, given a moody feminist interpretation by Donegal’s Screaming Orphans.
And how about hometown favorites from Paddy Reillys: Pat McGuire with You’re So Beautiful at #7 and Paddy A Go Go with their groundbreaking First Light of the Day at #13.
Skipinnish lead the Scottish contingent with Alive at #15, a testament to survival, while Eva Cassidy, the best singer you’ve never heard of, has 3 songs in the top 30, Fields of Gold, Over The Rainbow and Danny Boy.
Open Letter To You at #19 by Tuatha Dea is a stunning song by a Celtic-tinged band from rural Tennessee.
The list also begs the questions: Will the pride of Dundalk, The Mary Wallopers, become a 21st Century Pogues, are Fontaines DC the best Irish rock band since The Undertones, is Joe McDonnell by The Wolfe Tones one of the greatest political songs.
Here is the 2024 SiriusXM Celtic Crush Top 100
- Rainy Night In Soho – The Pogues
- Fairytale of New York – The Pogues
- Aisling Gheal – Seán Ó’Riada
- The Whole of the Moon – The Waterboys
- Sleep Tight In New York City – The Screaming Orphans
- When You Become Stardust Too – Shay Healy
- You’re So Beautiful – Pat McGuire
- Fisherman’s Blues – The Waterboys
- Mayo Moon – Bible Code Sundays
- The Foggy Dew – The Chieftains & Sinead O’Connor
- Galway Girl – Steve Earle
- Autumn Song – Manic Street Preachers
- First Light of the Day – Paddy A Go Go
- N17 – The Saw Doctors
- Fields of Gold – Eva Cassidy
- Alive – Skipinnish
- The Man From God Knows Where – Phil Coulter
- A Bang on the Ear – The Waterboys
- Open Letter To You – Tuatha Dea
- Streets of Edinburgh – The Proclaimers
- James Connolly – Black 47
- Over The Rainbow – Eva Cassidy
- Fields of Athenry – Dropkick Murphys
- Haunted – Shane MacGowan & Sinead O’Connor
- Samhradh Samhradh – The Gloaming
- Homes of Donegal – Paul Brady
- Danny Boy – Eva Cassidy
- Heroes/Belfast – Larry Kirwan & Co.
- Óró Sé Do Bheatha ‘Bhaile – Sinéad O’Connor
- Soldier – Francis Dunnery
- Wexford – The Mary Wallopers
- Zombie – The Cranberries
- Cello Song – Fontaines DC
- Everything’s a Miracle – Greg Trooper
- Fairlies – Grian Chatten
- Frost Is All Over – The Mary Wallopers
- Joe McDonnell – The Wolfe Tones
- Joxer Goes To Stuttgart – Christy Moore
- Just My Imagination – The Cranberries
- Kentish Town Waltz – Imelda May & Lou Reed
- Never Any Good With Money – Martin Simpson
- Proud to be a Nobody From County Louth – Jinx Lennon
- The Stolen Child – The Waterboys
- Whiskey in the Jar – Thin Lizzy
- Another Round – The Scratch
- Crooked Jack – Seamie O’Dowd
- Dirty Old Town – The Pogues
- Galway Girl – Sharon Shannon & Mundy
- Ghost of the Eastern Seaboard – The Stanfields
- Green Suede Shoes – Black 47
- Loch Lomond (Live Hampden Remix) – Runrig
- My Dearest Friend – The Placks
- Sally MacLennane – The Pogues
- Old Lady – Sinéad O’Connor
- Raglan Road – Luke Kelly
- Song For Ireland – Mary Black
- The Dutchman – Liam Clancy
- An Sabhal Aig Neill – Runrig
- Beeswing – Richard Thompson'
- Boys in a Better Land – Fontaines DC
- Broad Majestic Shannon – The Pogues
- Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
- Downpressor Man – Sinéad O’Connor
- Funky Ceili – Black 47
- Haunted – The Pogues (featuring Cait O’Riordan)
- If I Ever Leave This World Alive – Flogging Molly
- Mojave – Afro-Celt
- Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinéad O’Connor
- Oran – Runrig
- Psalm – The Alarm
- Salsa O’Keefe – Black 47
- The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn – The Pogues
- The Band Played Waltzing Matilda – Liam Clancy
- The Green and Red of Mayo – The Saw Doctors
- When You’re Falling – Afro-Celt
- Alternative Ulster – Stiff Little Fingers
- Caledonia – Dougie McClean
- From Dublin To Wicklow – Dylan Walshe
- Christmas in New York – Shilelagh Law
- Crazy World – Aslan
- Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice – The Mary Wallopers
- Cold Old Fire – Lankum
- The Creggan White Hare – Daoiri O’Farrell
- Dirty Glass – Dropkick Murphys
- Fields of Athenry – The High Kings
- Fire of Freedom – Black 47
- I Useta Love Her – The Saw Doctors
- Kilkelly - Keane, Moloney & O’Connell
- Lisdoonvarna – Christy Moore
- Mandela – Mary Courtney
- Rags – The Waterboys
- Northwest Passage – Stan Rogers
- On a Sea of Fleur de Lis – Solas
- Oran na Cloiche – Manran
- September 1913 – The Waterboys
- Roots – Show of Hands
- Sleepy Maggie – Ashley MacIsaacs
- Streets of Woodlawn – The Narrowbacks
- The Croppy Boy ’98 – Flogging Molly
- The Reel in the Flickering Light – Christy Moore
