The history of music is as old as humanity itself. Archaeologists have found primitive flutes made of bone and ivory dating back as far as 43,000 years, and it’s likely that many ancient musical styles have been preserved in oral traditions.
When it comes to specific songs, however, the oldest known examples are relatively more recent.
The earliest fragment of musical notation is found on a 4,000-year-old Sumerian clay tablet, which includes instructions and tunings for a hymn honoring the ruler Lipit-Ishtar.
Hurrian Hymn No. 6
But for the title of oldest extant song, most historians point to “Hurrian Hymn No. 6,” an ode to the goddess Nikkal that was composed in cuneiform by the ancient Hurrians sometime around the 14th century B.C.
The clay tablets containing the tune were excavated in the 1950s from the ruins of the city of Ugarit in Syria. Along with a near-complete set of musical notations, they also include specific instructions for how to play the song on a type of nine-stringed lyre.
“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.
“I am a tombstone, an image,” reads an inscription. “Seikilos placed me here as an everlasting sign of deathless remembrance.”
The column also includes musical notation as well as a short set of lyrics that read: “While you live, shine / Have no grief at all / Life exists only for a short while / And time demands its toll.”
Modern Interpretations of Oldest Song
The well-preserved inscriptions on Seikilos Epitaph have allowed modern musicians and scholars to recreate its plaintive melodies note-for-note. Dr. David Creese of the University of Newcastle performed it using an eight-stringed instrument played with a mallet, and ancient music researcher Michael Levy has recorded a version strummed on a lyre.
There have also been several attempts to decode and play “Hurrian Hymn No. 6,” but because of difficulties in translating its ancient tablets, there is no definitive version. One of the most popular interpretations came in 2009, when Syrian composer Malek Jandali performed the ancient hymn with a full orchestra.
FAQs
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.
What is the oldest known song in history? ›
“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.
What was the first piece of music in history? ›
Hymn To Nikkal
The first known form of musical notation is a stone tablet found in Ugarit, an ancient city in the north of Syria, dating back to around 1400BC. The song itself, the Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal (Goddess of Orchards), is the earliest known musical score in the history of any significant size.
What is the first song ever made in the world? ›
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.
What is the earliest piece of recorded music? ›
The first-ever piece of music to be recorded was the French folk song “Au clair de la lune”, sung by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville . He recorded it on April 9th, 1860, using his invention, the Phonautograph . The oldest known recording was of a human voice in 1860. It was recorded with smoke from an oil lamp.
When was music first created? ›
Making music is a universal human trait that goes back to at least 35,000 years ago. Explore the evidence for some of the world's earliest musical instruments.
Who was the first singer? ›
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.
What is the oldest song still played today? ›
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 pop song? ›
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.
What is the oldest instrument? ›
The oldest musical instrument in the world, a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute is a treasure of global significance. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by experts to have been made by Neanderthals. It is made from the left thighbone of a young cave bear and has four pierced holes.
This is the first known song ever written. Its is called Hurrian Hymn no. 6. Originally composed by Syrians about 3400 years ago.
Who is the best singer in the world? ›
In January 2023, Rolling Stone announced American singer, songwriter, and pianist Aretha Franklin as the greatest singer of all time.
Who was the first rapper? ›
One of the first rappers at the beginning of the hip hop period, at the end of the 1970s, was also hip hop's first DJ, DJ Kool Herc. Herc, a Jamaican immigrant, started delivering simple raps at his parties, which some claim were inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting.
What is the oldest rock song? ›
There's still one very important ingredient in rock and roll: a distorted guitar. And that's why we agree that Jackie Brenston's “Rocket 88” from 1951 should be considered the first rock and roll song.
What is the oldest music in America? ›
ountry music is America's oldest musical genre and is arguably its most diverse. Its roots lie in such disparate elements as English folk balladry, Mississippi Delta blues, Irish fiddle tunes, French/Cajun music, Vaudeville, Southern gospel, Mexican conjunto, German polkas and Victorian pop songs.
Is Greensleeves the oldest song? ›
There are tons of tunes much older than Greensleeves. You might be thinking of the song “Sumer is icumin in” which dates from a MUCH earlier time. It is the earliest example of six-part polyphony, but tunes go back FAR earlier than that. There were many chants written for church singing which date to a very early time.
What was the first song on MTV? ›
The first music video played on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles.
