The Oldest Song in the World from the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World — ...CIRCLE THROUGH NEW YORK (2024)

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The Oldest Song in the World from the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World — ...CIRCLE THROUGH NEW YORK? ›

The “Hurrian Hymn” is the earliest known song to be recorded in writing, dating to around the 13th century BCE. The text of this hymn is concerned with the promotion of fertility. It refers to the making of offerings and libations to the moon goddess, Nikkal.

Scientists discovered snippets of an intelligible voice singing the French folk song 'Au clair de la lune'. This marked the first known recording of a human voice, predating Edison's wax cylinder phonograph recordings, including 'The Lost Chord', by almost 30 years.

The Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal, also called Hurrian cult hymn or h. 6, is considered the oldest song in the world. The song is part of about 36 hymns written in cuneiform on clay tablets uncovered in the ancient city of Ugarit.

The Hurrian Hymn was discovered in the 1950s on a clay tablet inscribed with Cuneiform text. It's the oldest surviving melody and is over 3,400 years old. The hymn was discovered on a clay tablet in Ugarit, now part of modern-day Syria, and is dedicated the Hurrians' goddess of the orchards Nikkal.

“Hurrian Hymn No. 6” is considered the world's earliest melody, but the oldest musical composition to have survived in its entirety is a first century A.D. Greek tune known as the “Seikilos Epitaph.” The song was found engraved on an ancient marble column used to mark a woman's gravesite in Turkey.

Although the good people at Guinness World Records recognize “Summertime” as the most recorded song in history, they also note that “Amazing Grace” has been recorded thousands of times, appearing on at least 11,000 albums.

No historical evidence exists to tell us exactly who sang the first song, or whistled the first tune, or made the first rhythmic sounds that resembled what we know today as music. But researchers do know it happened thousands of years ago. The earliest civilizations throughout Africa, Europe and Asia had music.

The chart was founded in 1952 by Percy Dickins of New Musical Express (NME), who telephoned 20 record stores to ask what their top 10 highest-selling singles were. Dickins aggregated the results into a top 12 hit parade, which was topped by "Here in My Heart" by Al Martino.

"Song of Moses". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia.

Although interpretations of the melody may vary, modern scholars and musicians have reconstructed and performed the "Hurrian Hymn No. 6," making it one of the oldest known musical compositions still played and appreciated today.

What is the oldest hymn still sung today? ›

The “Hurrian Hymn” is the earliest known song to be recorded in writing, dating to around the 13th century BCE. The text of this hymn is concerned with the promotion of fertility. It refers to the making of offerings and libations to the moon goddess, Nikkal.

1888: 'The Lost Chord'

This is the earliest recording of music known to exist. In 1888 a recording of Arthur Sullivan's song 'The Lost Chord' was etched onto a phonograph cylinder. Sullivan was astounded at this new technology, but had his reservations too.

The Seikilos epitaph is the oldest surviving complete musical composition, including musical notation, being dated between the first and second century CE.

The song is called 'After the Ball' by Charles Harris. It was written in 1891 and debuted in 1892. Sheet music was one of the metrics used to determine the popularity of a song.

Hopkinson, the only American-born composer for whom there is evidence of having written songs prior to 1800, penned "My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free" (words by Thomas Parnell) in 1759. Scored for voice and harpsichord, this song by Hopkinson is America;s earliest surviving secular composition."