Chart Hits - traditional music

Hit Singles.

Band/Soloist Year. Title. Author credits.
Johnny Dankworth 1956 Experiments With Mice (Three Blind Mice) (7) Traditional
Lonnie Donegan 1956 Lost John/ Stewball Trad arr Donegan/Ledbetter/Lomax
Lonnie Donegan 1956 Bring a Little Water Sylvie/ Dead or Alive Trad arr Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan 1957 Cumberland Gap Trad arr Lonnie Donegan
Vipers 1957 Cumberland Gap Trad arr Lonnie Donegan
Shirley Bassey 1957 Banana Boat Song Traditional
Harry Belafonte 1957 Banana Boat Song Traditional
Tarriers 1957 Banana Boat Song Traditional
Laurie London 1957 He's Got the Whole World In His Hands Traditional
Lonnie Donegan 1958 Tom Dooley Traditional
The Kingston Trio 1958 Tom Tooley Traditional
Lonnie Donegan 1959 Battle of New Orleans Trad arr Jimmy Driftwood
Johnny Horton 1959 Battle of New Orleans Trad arr Jimmy Driftwood
Lonnie Donegan 1960 I Wanna Go Home Traditional
Anthony Newley 1960 Strawberry Fair Trad arr Nolly Clapton
Bobby Darin 1960 Clementine Trad arr Woody Harris
Lonnie Donegan 1961 Michael Row the Boat/ Lumbered Trad arr Leslie Bricasse
Highwaymen 1961 Michael (Row the Boat Ashore) Trad arr Dave Fisher
Duane Eddy 1961 Theme From Dixie (7)Trad arr Duane Eddy
Lonnie Donegan 1961 Have a Drink on Me Trad arr Lonnie Donegan/Buchanan
Jimmy Rodgers 1962 English Country Garden Trad arr Robert Jordan
Johnny Keating 1962 Theme From Z Cars (8)Trad arr Bridget Fry
Karl Denver 1962 Wimoweh Trad arr Karl Denver
Frankie Vaughan 1963 Loop-De-Loop Trad arr Teddy Van/ Joe Dong
The Animals 1964 House of the Rising Sun Trad arr Alan Price
Steve Benbow1965 The Gallows Pole/ I can't TellTrad
Ian Campbell Folk Group1965 The Times They Are A-Changin'Bob Dylan (42 in chart)
Beach Boys1966 Sloop John B Trad arr Brian Wilson
The Dubliners 1967 Seven Drunken Nights Traditional
The Dubliners1967 Black Velvet BandTraditional
The Dubliners1967 Maids When You're Young Never Wed and Old ManTraditional
Des O'Connor 1968 1-2-3 O'Leary Trad arr Michael Carr
Simon and Garfunkel 1968 Scarborough Fair Paul Simon (Trad arr Carthy)
Judy Collins 1970 Amazing Grace Trad arr John Newton
Olivia Newton-John 1971 The Banks of the Ohio Traditional
East of Eden1971Jig a Jig (7)Trad arr East of Eden
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 1972 Amazing Grace Trad arr John Newton
Shag 1972 Loop Di Love Trad arr Michael Schepior/Dierks
Wings 1972 Mary Had a Little Lamb Trad arr Paul McCartney
Thin Lizzy 1973 Whisky In The Jar Trad arr Phil Lynott/ Bell/ Donney
Steeleye Span 1973Gaudete/ The Holy and the IvyAnon/ Trad
Steeleye Span 1975 All Around My Hat Traditional
Mike Oldfield1975 In Dulce Jubilo (4)Traditional
Mike Oldfield 1976 Portsmouth (3)Traditional
Gheorghe Zamfir 1976 (Light of Experience) Doina De Jale Trad arr Gheorghe Zamfir
Ram Jam 1977 Black Betty Trad arr Huddie Leadbetter
Boney M 1978 Rivers of Babylon/ Brown Girl In The Ring Trad arr Frank Farian/George Reyam
Sky 1980 Toccata Trad arr Kevin Peek (*)
Tight Fit 1982 The Lion Sleeps Tonight Traditional
Malcolm McLaren 1982 Buffalo Gals Trad arr John Hodges
Roger Whittaker & Des O'Connor 1986 The Skye Boat Song Trad arr Roger Whittaker/ Keyes
The Pogues and The Dubliners 1987 The Irish Rover Traditional
Los Lobos 1987 La Bamba Traditional
Simple Minds 1989 Belfast Child Trad arr Simple Minds
Doctor Spin 1992 Tetris Trad arr Andrew Lloyd Webber
Status Quo With Maddy Prior1996 All Around My HatTraditional
Cartoons 1999 Doodah! Trad arr Toonie/ Sponge (**)
Cliff Richard 1999 The Millennium Prayer Trad arr Nigel Wright/ Arch 
(Some of these songs are not so much traditional as "out of copyright"
* Toccata is by J.C. Bach
** Doodah! is "Camptown Races" by Stephen Foster
"Wimoweh" is essentially the same as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Also worth noting.

Band/Soloist Year. Title. Author credits. Highest Position
Johnny Duncan 1957 Last Train to San Fernando   2
Fairport Convention1969 Si Tu Dois PartirBob Dylan 21
Rednex1994 Cotton Eye Joe Ericsson, Oban, Pat Reiniz  
("Cotton Eye Joe" is similar to the traditional tune "Cotton Eye Joe")

Hit albums.

Band/Soloist Year. Title. Highest position.
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem 1966 Isn't It Grand Boys 22
The Dubliners1967 A Drop of the Hard Stuff 5
The Dubliners1967 The Best of The Dubliners 25
The Dubliners1967 More of the Hard Stuff 8
The Dubliners1968 Drinkin' and Courtin' 31
Pentangle1968 The Pentangle 21
Fairport Convention1969 Unhalfbricking 12
Pentangle1969 Basket of Light 5
Fairport Convention1970 Liege and Lief 17
Fairport Convention1970 Full House 13
The Corries1970 Scottish Love Songs 46
Pentangle1970 Cruel Sister 51
Fairport Convention1971 Angel Delight 8
Steeleye Span1971 Please to See The King 45
Steeleye Span1972 Below The Salt 43
The Corries1972 Sound The Pibroch 39
Steeleye Span1973 Parcel of Rogues 26
Steeleye Span1974 Now We Are Six 13
Steeleye Span1975 Commoner's Crown 21
Steeleye Span1975 All Around My Hat 7
Fairport Convention1975 Rising For The Moon 52
Steeleye Span1976 Rocket Cottage 41
Horslips1977 The Book of Invasions - A Celtic Symphony 39
The Pogues1984 Red Roses For Me 89
The Pogues1985 Rum, Sodomy and the Lash 13
The Dubliners1987 25 Years Celebration 43
James Galway and the Chieftains 1987 In Ireland 32
Van Morrison and the Chieftains 1988 Irish Heartbeat 18
The Pogues1988 If I Should Fall From Grace With God 3
Fairport Convention1989 Red and Gold 74
The Pogues1991 The Best of 11
Barbara Dickson1994 Parcel of Rogues 30
The Chieftains1996 The Long Black Veil 17
The Chieftains1999 Tears of Stone 36
Kate Rusby2001Little Lights 15
The Pogues2001 The Very Best of 18
The Chieftains2002 The Wide World Over 37
Sinead O'Connor2002 Sean Nos Nua 52
The Dubliners2003 Spirit of the Irish 19
Kate Rusby2005The Girl Who Couldn't Fly45
The Pogues2005 The Ultimate Collection15
The Dubliners2006 Too Late to Stop Now - The Very Best of 54
Kate Rusby2007 Awkward Annie32
Kate Rusby2008Sweet Bells 91
Bellowhead2008 Matachin73
Bellowhead2010 Hedonism57
The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder2010 San Patricio93
The Imagined Village2010 Empire and Love68
Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends2010 Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends9
Annie Lennox2010 The Christmas Cornucopia16
- Every Hit in the UK (www.everyhit.com/retros/index.php?page=rchart&y1=1959&m1=12&y2=1959&m2=12&sent=1&day1=1&day2=1)

- Hits in Norway (www.everyhit.com/retros/index.php?page=rchart&y1=1959&m1=12&y2=1959&m2=12&sent=1&day1=1&day2=1)

Last updated on 11/02/2011