# Which Composer has the most Mainstream Success?



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Which composer has the most number of easily identifiable melodies in the mainstream audience? I think it's Beethoven! (The Ninth, the Fifth, Moonlight and Fur Elise)


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

In terms of searches on Youtube, the most searched composer in the last year according to Google Trends was Mozart.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Allerius said:


> In terms of searches on Youtube, the most searched composer according to Google Trends in the last year was Mozart.


Good point. But, what about melodies that are easily identified?


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Good point. But, what about melodies that are easily identified?


Well, I don't really know, but considering how awesome melodist he was, I think that it could still be Mozart. He has very famous and popular melodies such as those of _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik_ (all movements), Piano Sonatas Nos. 11 (3rd movement) and 16 (1st movement), symphonies Nos. 25, 29 and 40 (1st movements of the three), Ave Verum Corpus, Requiem (Lacrimosa), piano concerto No. 21 (2nd movement), _Non più andrai_ from _Le Nozze di Figaro_, _Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen_ from _Die Zauberflöte_, and probably others that I'm forgetting to cite now.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

I suspect it could be Puccini, maybe even before Mozart and Beethoven. A lot of his melodies are very famous and I don't think there's another aria so used, abused and ubiquitous as Nessun Dorma. 
Weird comparison, but I think he was a sort of Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson of classical music.


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

"Pa-ram-pam pa-ra-ra-ra-pap-pa, pa-ra-ra-ra-pa. Oh, yes! I know that. Oh, that's charming. I didn't know you wrote that!"

1. Mozart (Eine kleine, Rondo, Dies Irae, Lacrimosa)
2. Beethoven (Ode, Elise, 5th)
3. Tchaikovsky (all those melodies)
3. Wagner (Valkyries, Treulich gefuehrt)
4. Williams (Star Wars, Jaws, Potter, Indiana Jones)

these would be my guesses


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Which composer has the most number of easily identifiable melodies in the mainstream audience?


By "identifiable", do you mean they know the name of the piece and the composer? Or just recognize the tune as something they're familiar with, but not necessarily know the composer or title?

If the latter, I think it's Tchaikovsky or maybe Bach.


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## Lilijana (Dec 17, 2019)

Ludovico Einaudi, Eric Whitacre, Karl Jenkins, Richard Clayderman


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Probably Tchaikovsky, all those melodies that make it into Christmas themed comedy movies, sleeping beauty, Romeo and Juliet love theme etc. I think Tchaikovsky is the composer whose music has been most abused by Hollywood and tv studios anyway.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Everyone has a different idea of who the "mainstream audience" is.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Everyone has a different idea of who the "mainstream audience" is.


Whatever do you mean?

1. Cimarosa
2. Pixis
3.Thuille


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## Lilijana (Dec 17, 2019)

Woodduck said:


> Everyone has a different idea of who the "mainstream audience" is.


considering this post, I'll change my answer to Quincy Jones


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*Which Composer has the most Mainstream Success?*



Captainnumber36 said:


> Which composer has the most number of easily identifiable melodies in the mainstream audience? I think it's Beethoven! (The Ninth, the Fifth, Moonlight and Fur Elise)


Taylor Swift?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Andrew Lloyd Webber (said while holding my nose :lol: )


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

SONNET CLV said:


> *Which Composer has the most Mainstream Success?*
> 
> Taylor Swift?


Not a composer...


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Good point. But, what about melodies that are easily identified?


That's different by almost anyone Captain, so no, not a conclusive answer .


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Noddy Holder and James Lea....or Irving Berlin...


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Beethoven has 21 entries in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, Mozart has 19. 
But Mozart has 13 entries in the top half of the list, while Beethoven has 12.


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

I'm not sure I get the question. For identifiable melodies of composers, not songwriters, the mainstream best are from_ Beethoven, J Williams, and Tchaikovsky. _Everyone will know these melodies and hum them.

Then to a lesser degree Bach > Mozart > Rossini. Mozart (like some others) is a very melodic composer, but that doesn't translate to always making things catchy. The above 3 are more devout in this regard.

Then, there are composers and songwriters who write much better melodies than the above, very easy to find. Certainly a gift to have but not very exclusive to the above whatsoever.

Then, as far as which composers have had the most mainstream success regardless of melodies, the answer is Beethoven and Mozart, and for today's audience there is Hans Zimmer the film composer.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

It's probably Johann Strauss II, given the popularity of Andre Rieu.

Extending it to even more popular, Lennon and McCartney.


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

He's been called "the most famous unknown composer of the 20th century". August Kleinzahler, writing in Slate in 2003, called him "an authentic American genius, an original … as important, in his way, as Ives, Copland, Cage, Partch, and Ellington." Jason Ankeny has said that "his revolutionary...compositions remain a clear forerunner of the experimental music created in his wake -- in fact, it could easily be argued that he succeeded in introducing entire generations of young cartoon fanatics to the music of the avant-garde." 

Carl Stalling was a composer best known for his work on animated films for Disney and Warner Brothers studios. He was responsible for scoring some of the earliest cartoons at Disney, and is credited with numerous innovations he made in the field throughout his career. Between 1936 and 1958 alone, he was responsible for scoring an estimated 600 cartoons for Warner's Looney Toons and Merrie Melodies.

I suspect many of us in the mainstream audience will instantly recognize dozens of Maestro Stalling's easily identifiable melodies.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

RICK RIEKERT said:


> He's been called "the most famous unknown composer of the 20th century". August Kleinzahler, writing in Slate in 2003, called him "an authentic American genius, an original … as important, in his way, as Ives, Copland, Cage, Partch, and Ellington." Jason Ankeny has said that "his revolutionary...compositions remain a clear forerunner of the experimental music created in his wake -- in fact, it could easily be argued that he succeeded in introducing entire generations of young cartoon fanatics to the music of the avant-garde."
> 
> Carl Stalling was a composer best known for his work on animated films for Disney and Warner Brothers studios. He was responsible for scoring some of the earliest cartoons at Disney, and is credited with numerous innovations he made in the field throughout his career. Between 1936 and 1958 alone, he was responsible for scoring an estimated 600 cartoons for Warner's Looney Toons and Merrie Melodies.
> 
> I suspect many of us in the mainstream audience will instantly recognize dozens of Maestro Stalling's easily identifiable melodies.


sure, if you're old enough to have seen those cartoons.

Recently someone here posted a list of the most recorded pieces of classical music, I think it's a good indicator of the popularity of those pieces. In the first 15 positions there are 6 pieces written by Puccini

1. Bach, Air on a G string (419)
2. Bach, Jesu, joy of man's desiring (371)
3. Debussy, Claire de lune (345)
4. Schubert, Ave Maria (334)
*5. Puccini, Tosca: E lucevan le stelle (326)
6. Puccini, La boheme: Che gelida manina (320)
7. Puccini, Turandot: Nessun dorma (314)*
8. Pachelbel, Canon (289)
*9. Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo (287)*
10. Gounod, Ave Maria (280)
11. Ravel, Pavane pour une infante defunte (279)
*12. Puccini, Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro (278)*
13. Verdi, Rigoletto: La donna è mobile (277)
*14. Puccini, Tosca: Vissi d'arte (273)*
15. Rachmaninoff, Vocalise (269)
16. Massenet, Thais: Meditation (268)
17. Handel, Ombra mai fu "Largo" (267)
18. Verdi, Aida: Celesta Aida (263)
19. Bach, Toccata and fugue in D minor (255)
20. Beethoven, Fur Elise (244)
21. Leoncavallo, I Pagliacci: Recitar!...Vesti la giubba (242)
22. Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 (238)
23. J. Strauss, An der schonen, blauen Donau (229)
24. Handel, Messiah: Hallelujah! (226)
25. Saint-Saens, Carnival of the animals: The swan (225)
26. Donizetti, L'Elisir d'amore: Una furtive lagrima (224)
*26. (tie) Puccini, La boheme: Si, mi chiamano Mimi (224)*
*28. Puccini, Tosca: Recondita armonia (222)*
29. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (217)
30. Bizet, Carmen: Flower song (209)
30. (tie) Chopin, Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 (209)
30. (tie) Schumann, Traumerei (209)
33. Mussorgsky, Pictures at an exhibition (208)
34. Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 (207)
34. (tie) Vivaldi, Four seasons (207)
36. Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 (206)
37. Ravel, Flight of the bumblebee (205)
38. Satie, Gymnopedie No. 1 (200)
39. Debussy, Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune (199)
40. Beethoven, Piano concerto No. 5 (198)
41. Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 14 (197)
42. Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 23 (194)
43. Bizet, Carmen: Habanera (193)
44. Debussy, Prelude, Book 1, No. 8 (192)
45. Albinoni, Adagio (187)
*46. Puccini, La boheme: O soave fanciulla (186)*
47. Ravel, Bolero (185)
48. Mozart, Symphony No. 41 (184)
49. Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 (181)
50. Chopin, Polonaise, Op. 53 (180)
51. Liszt, Liebestraum No. 3 (179)
51. (tie) Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik (179)
51. (tie) Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro: Overture (179)
51. (tie) Mozart, Piano sonata No. 11: Rondo alla turca (179)
55. Mozart, Symphony No. 40 (178)
56. Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 8 (176)
57. Mozart, Ave verum corpus (175)
58. Beethoven, Piano concerto No. 4 (174)
56. Chopin, Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1 (172)
56. (tie) Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet (172)
58. Beethoven, Violin concerto (171)
59. Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 (169)
60. (tie) Gershwin, Rhapsody in blue (169)
62. Chopin, Ballade No. 1 (167)
63. Brahms, Symphony No. 1 (166)
63. (tie) Wagner, Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries (166)
65. Chopin, Impromptu No. 4 (164)
65. (tie) Massenet, Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo (164)
67. Brahms, Lullaby (163)
67. (tie) Mozart, Piano concerto No. 20 (163)
67. (tie) Tchaikovsky, Piano concerto No. 1 (163)
70. Brahms, Violin concerto (162)
71. Barber, Adagio for strings (161)
72. Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Largo al factotum (160)
73. Schumann, Piano concerto (156)
74. Chopin, Berceues (155)
74. (tie) Mendelssohn, Hark! The herald angels sing (155)
76. Kreisler, Liebesleid (153)
76. (tie) Mendelssohn, Violin concerto (153)
76. (tie) Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete (153)
79. Brahms, Symphony No. 4 (152)
80. Beethoven, Symphony No. 8 (151)
80. (tie) Ravel, La valse (151)
82. Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Una voce poco fa (149)
83. Tchaikovsky, Violin concerto (148)
83. (tie) Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 (148)
84. Bellini, Norma: Casta diva (146)
84. (tie) Faure, Apres un reve (146)
84. (tie) Verdi, Rigoletto: Questo o quella (146)
87. Chopin, Waltz, Op. 64, No. 2 (145)
87. (tie) Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance of the Blessed Spirits (145)
87. (tie) Schubert, Symphony No. 8 (145)
90. Brahms, Symphony No. 2 (144)
90. (tie) Rachmaninoff, Piano concerto No. 2 (144)
90. (tie) Verdi, La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici (144)
90. (tie) Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Act 1 Prelude (144)
94. Faure, Pavane (143)
95. Beethoven, Symphony No. 4 (142)
96. Bach, Sheep may safely graze (141)
96. (tie) Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 (141)
96. (tie) Handel, Solomon: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (141)
99. Bach, Brandenburg concerto No. 5 (140)
100. Beethoven, Piano concerto No. 3 (139)
100. (tie) Chopin, Piano sonata No. 2 (139)
100. (tie) Verdi, Aida : Ritorna vincitor! (139)
103. Bach, Violin partita No. 2: Chaconne (138)
103. (tie) Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 32 (138)
103. (tie) Chopin, Barcarolle (138)
106. Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 (137)
106. (tie) Chopin, Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15 (137)
108. Beethoven, Egmont overture (135)
109. Mozart, Piano concerto No. 23 (134)
110. Bach, Brandenburg concerto No. 2 (133)
110. (tie) Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C sharp (133)
112. Verdi, Rigoletto: Caro nome (132)
112. (tie) Chopin, Etude, Op. 10, No. 3 (132)
112. (tie) Chopin, Nocturne, Op. 27, No. 2 (132)
112. (tie) Verdi, Il trovatore: Di quella pira (132)
116. Brahms, Symphony No. 3 (131)
116. (tie) Verdi, La traviata: De' miei bollenti spiriti (131)
118. Chopin, Grande valse brillante (130)
118. (tie) Chopin, Scherzo No. 2 (130)
*118. (tie) Puccini, La boheme: Quando m'en vo' soletta (130)*
118. (tie) J. Strauss, Kaiser Waltz (130)
122. Mozart, Requiem (129)
*122. (tie) Puccini, Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai (129)*
124. Mozart, Piano concerto No. 21 (128)
125. Stravinsky, The Rite of spring (127)
125. (tie) Bach, Goldberg variations (127)
125. (tie) Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 21 (127)
125. (tie) Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 31 (127)
125. (tie) Vaughan Williams, Fantasia on Greensleeves (127)
130. Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 30 (126)
130. (tie) Chopin, Ballade No. 2 (126)
130. (tie) Gershwin, Porgy and Bess: Summertime (126)
130. (tie) J. Strauss, Fruhlingsstimmen (126)
134. Bach, Cello suite No. 1 (125)
134. (tie) Debussy, La mer (125)
134. (tie) Liszt, Piano sonata (125)
138. Bach, Cello suite No. 3 (124)
138. (tie) Chopin, Ballade No. 4 (124)
140. Bach, Brandenburg concerto No. 3 (123)
140. (tie) Beethoven, Violin romance No. 2 (123)
140. (tie) Saint-Saens, Samson et Delilah: Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (123)
143. Sibelius, Finlandia (122)
143. (tie) J. Strauss, Tales from Vienna Woods (122)
145. Bach, Orchestral suite No. 2: Badinerie (121)
145. (tie) Elgar, Salut d'mour (121)
145. (tie) Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture (121)
148. Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique (120)
148. (tie) Chopin, Piano sonata No. 3 (120)
148. (tie) Franck, Panis angelicus (120)
148. (tie) Grieg, Piano concerto (120)
148. (tie) Mozart, Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache (120)
153. Rachmaninoff, Piano concerto No. 3 (119)
154. Beethoven, Coriolan overture (118)
155. Gounod, Faust: Salut! Demeure chaste et pure (117)
155. (tie) Liszt, Hungarian rhapsody No. 2 (117)
155. (tie) Mendelssohn, Midsummer night's dream: Wedding march (117)
155. (tie) Mozart, Piano concerto No. 24 (117)
159. Bach, Double violin concerto (116)
159. (tie) Chopin, Piano concerto No. 2 (116)
159. (tie) Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia overture (116)
162. Mozart, Symphony No. 35 (115)
162. (tie) Schubert, Piano sonata No. 21 (115)
162. (tie) Sibelius, Violin concerto (115)
164. Mozart, Violin concerto No. 5 (114)
164. (tie) R. Strauss, Don Juan (114)
166. Bach, Violin concerto No. 2 (113)
167. Mahler, Symphony No. 1 (112)
167. (tie) Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik (112)
167. (tie) Mozart, Symphony No. 39 (112)
167. (tie) Offenbach, Les Contes d'Hoffman: Barcarolle (112)
167. (tie) Verdi, Nabucco: Va, pensiero (112)
172. Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 17 (111)
172. (tie) Brahms, Piano concerto No. 2 (111)
172. (tie) Mozart, Violin concerto No. 3 (111)
172. (tie) Mozart, Don Giovanni: Deh vieni alla finestra (111)
*172. (tie) Puccini, Manon Lescaut: In quelle trine morbide (111)*
172. (tie) Ravel, Piece en forme de Habanera (111)
172. (tie) Verdi, La forza del destino: Pace, pace, mio Dio (111)
179. Chopin, Piano concerto No. 1 (110)
179. (tie) Granados, Danza Espanola, Op. 37, No. 5 (110)
179. (tie) Mozart, Symphony No. 38 (110)
182. Beethoven, Piano concerto No. 2 (109)
182. (tie) Mahler, Symphony No. 5: Adagietto (109)
182. (tie) Mussorgsky, Night on the bare mountain (109)
*182. (tie) Puccini, Turandot: Signore, ascolta (109)*
186. Debussy, Reverie (108)
186. (tie) Dvorak, Cello concerto (108)
186. (tie) Mozart, Fantasy for piano (108)
186. (tie) J. Strauss, Die Fledermaus overture (108)
186. (tie) Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod (108)
191. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (107)
191. (tie) Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 (107)
191. (tie) Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro: Deh vieni, non tardar (107)
194. Beethoven, Piano concerto No. 1 (106)
194. (tie) Bizet, Carmen: Seguidilla (106)
194. (tie) Chopin, Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 2 (106)
194. (tie) Schubert, Standchen (106)
198. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 (105)
198. (tie) Beethoven, Leonore overture No. 3 (105)
198. (tie) Bizet, Les pechers de perles: Au fond du temple saint (105)
198. (tie) Chopin, Scherzo No. 3 (105)
198. (tie) Mozart, Piano sonata No. 11 (105)
198. (tie) Schubert, Symphony No. 9 (105)
204. Massenet, Werther: Pourquoi me reveiller? (104)
204. (tie) Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5 (104)
206. Boccherini, Minuet (103)
206. (tie) Franck, Violin sonata (103)
206. (tie) Rossini, Guillaume Tell overture (103)
209. Beethoven, Violin romance No. 1 (102)
209. (tie) Mozart, Clarinet concerto (102)
211. Khachaturian, Gayaneh: Sabre dance (101)
211. (tie) Kreisler, Liebesfreud (101)
211. (tie) Mozart, Violin concerto No. 4 (101)
211. (tie) Mozart, Die Zauberflote: Ach, Ich fuhl's (101)
211. (tie) Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini (101)
211. (tie) Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker suite (101)
217. Bach, Violin concerto No. 1 (100)
217. (tie) Bruch, Violin concerto (100)
217. (tie) Mozart, Piano sonata No. 14 (100)
217. (tie) Schumann, Fantasiestucke (100)
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## Henkem (Jan 16, 2020)

Anyone remembers Henryk Górecki? The Polish composer of contemporary classical music.http://singingedge.com/


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Ethereality said:


> I'm not sure I get the question. For identifiable melodies of composers, not songwriters, the mainstream best are from_ Beethoven, J Williams, and Tchaikovsky. _Everyone will know these melodies and hum them.
> 
> Then to a lesser degree Bach > Mozart > Rossini. Mozart (like some others) is a very melodic composer, but that doesn't translate to always making things catchy. The above 3 are more devout in this regard.
> 
> ...


I'm intrigued. Could you please enlighten me with the names of such easy to find composers and songwriters that write _better_ melodies than those of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Bach and Beethoven?


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