Not just a song that can be found in the archives, but one that almost everyone can hum, even today.
(Somebody asked what was meant by “today’s…” Throw whatever you want out, somebody tossed out “Love me tender” as being a tune from in the 1860s.)
House of the Rising Sun
Please God, no.
But to the tune of Amazing Grace
/s
This made me wonder what the oldest tune that would still be familiar to a lot of people today would be. Dies Irae is a good candidate. It’s around 800 years old and is probably best known today from the 1980 version of The Shining, although I know it best from the Dr. Tongue stages in Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
The leitmotif for Palpatine is (loosely) based on the Dies Irae. And, AMAZINGLY, that leitmotif shows up in the happy singing of children during the parade scene at the end of the Phantom Menace. Because John Williams is a fucking genius.
“I like to f*ck” by Tila Tequila.
Essentially the same lyrics, even.
It’s it a hummer?
So, 500 years from now people will still be doing this?
I can see it
XcQ, link stays blue
Well, green.
I want to click, but I don’t want to click
Happy Birthday has the kind of universal recognition you’d be looking for. Maybe in 300 years there’ll be a lyrical shift towards something more interesting. I know multiple versions of Greensleeves. The Cuckoo is the other song that I can think of with a long history. The wiki article doesn’t fully capture it. I’ll stick something in here later.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo_(song)
Happy Birthday owes it’s place to function. I don’t think anybody actually enjoys it as music.
My 2 year old begs to differ!
had to staying power
I’ve got questions.
Imo Greensoeeves mostly endured because it can be perfectly whistled by everyone and still be played by professional musicians in a way that awes the audience.
This will probably not be th reason why current songs will stay arround. If society doesn’t break down, I assume that every popular melody, be it from the US, China or Lebanon, will stay around and get reused every ~30 years to crab some quick money.
This MF: Greensleeves can be perfectly whistled by everyone
Me: can’t even whistle Mary has a little lamb
It’s not new, but this tune will keep being reused for a billion years. It’s got religious adaptations, too, providing incredible staying power. It will probably be used for many more years, as it’s one of those “golden” tunes that people will never quite forget.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Mountain_Thyme
If you went to Mass, you have probably heard it. Here’s a modern, secular cover of it:
The nes super Mario bros overworld theme comes to mind. People who have never played a Mario game in their lives know that tune.
Hey Ya
Based on what I hear playing, my money is on Mr. Brightside.
Gershwin’s Summertime is my real answer. It has been covered by so many artists already, it might keep going.
Stairway
‘You are my Sunshine’
Not sure about today’s, but I think the one from the 18th century is Ah! vous dirai-je, maman, better known in English as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or the alphabet song.
I never knew twinkle twinkle little star and the alphabet song were put to the same melody. Thank you!
You won’t like the answer, but I’ll tell you anyway.
It’s The Macarena, by Los Del Rio.
i don’t think so considering your the first and the only one who has even mentioned the song in the last 65 years.
Unfortunately, that’s entirely untrue. I don’t think you’ve put any effort into this exercise at all.
