# Riverdance: Music from the Show

Riverdance: Music from the Show is an album of the music composed by Bill Whelan for the Riverdance theatrical show, and performed by the show's own musicians and singers.

## Background

The recording was engineered and mixed at Windmill Lane Studios in 1995. In 1997, it won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for 1996. The album was released five times: in 1995, 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2020, each time with a different cover, sometimes different versions or mixes of the songs, and a slightly different track list. Notably, the "Cloudsong" and "Riverdance" segments are placed under one track going by the name of the latter.

## Track listing

Track listing from the original release in 1995:
* "Reel Around the Sun" (Bill Whelan) – 8:40
* "The Heart's Cry" (Bill Whelan) – 2:26
* "The Countess Cathleen/Women of the Sidhe" (Bill Whelan) – 5:42
* "Firedance" (Bill Whelan) – 6:02
* "Caoineadh Cú Chulainn" (Lament) (Bill Whelan) – 4:09
* "Slip into Spring" (Bill Whelan) – 3:44
* "Riverdance" (Bill Whelan) – 5:42
* "Lift the Wings" (Bill Whelan) – 4:58
* "Freedom" (Bill Whelan) – 3:40
* "Andalucía" (Bill Whelan) – 4:19
* "Macedonian Morning" (Bill Whelan) – 2:56
* "Marta's Dance"/"The Russian Dervish" (Bill Whelan) – 6:03
* "Hope To The Suffering" (Bill Whelan) – 4:52

## Re-releases

The album was re-released four times, with a different cover and a slightly different track list each time.

### 1997 release

Track listing from the second release, in 1997:
* "Reel Around the Sun" (Bill Whelan) – 8:40
* "The Heart's Cry" (Bill Whelan) – 2:26
* "The Countess Cathleen/Women of the Sidhe" (Bill Whelan) – 5:42
* "Caoineadh Cú Chulainn" (Lament) (Bill Whelan) – 4:09
* "Shivna" (Bill Whelan) – 3:38
* "Firedance" (Bill Whelan) – 6:02
* "Slip into Spring" (Bill Whelan) – 3:44
* "Riverdance" (Bill Whelan) – 5:42
* "American Wake" (The Nova Scotia Set) (Bill Whelan) – 3:07
* "Lift the Wings" (Bill Whelan) – 4:58
* "Macedonian Morning" (Bill Whelan) – 2:56
* "Marta's Dance"/"The Russian Dervish" (Bill Whelan) – 6:03
* "Andalucía" (Bill Whelan) – 4:19
* "Home and the Heartland" (Bill Whelan) – 3:25
* "The Harvest" (Bill Whelan) – 3:38
* "Riverdance" (Reprise) (Bill Whelan) – 3:47

### 2003 release

Track listing from the third release, in 2003, which was the Japanese version and included two bonus tracks:
* "Reel Around the Sun" (Bill Whelan) – 8:40
* "The Heart's Cry" (Bill Whelan) – 2:26
* "The Countess Cathleen/Women of the Sidhe" (Bill Whelan) – 5:42
* "Caoineadh Cú Chulainn" (Lament) (Bill Whelan) – 4:09
* "Shivna" (Bill Whelan) – 3:38
* "Firedance" (Bill Whelan) – 6:02
* "Slip into Spring" (Bill Whelan) – 3:44
* "Riverdance" (Bill Whelan) – 5:42
* "American Wake" (The Nova Scotia Set) (Bill Whelan) – 3:07
* "Lift the Wings" (Bill Whelan) – 4:58
* "Macedonian Morning" (Bill Whelan) – 2:56
* "Marta's Dance"/"The Russian Dervish" (Bill Whelan) – 6:03
* "Andalucía" (Bill Whelan) – 4:19
* "Home and the Heartland" (Bill Whelan) – 3:25
* "The Harvest" (Bill Whelan) – 3:38
* "Riverdance" (Reprise) (Bill Whelan) – 3:47
* "I Will Set You Free" (Bill Whelan) – 3:45
* "Endless Journey" (Bill Whelan) – 4:42

### 2005 release

Track listing from the fourth release, in 2005, labelled as "10th Anniversary Edition, with newly recorded music":
* "Reel Around the Sun" (Bill Whelan) – 8:42
* "The Heart's Cry" (Bill Whelan) – 2:26
* "The Countess Cathleen/Women of the Sidhe" (Bill Whelan) – 5:44
* "Caoineadh Cú Chulainn" (Lament) (Bill Whelan) – 4:11
* "Shivna" (Bill Whelan) – 4:05
* "Firedance" (Bill Whelan) – 6:04
* "Slip into Spring"/"The Harvest" (Bill Whelan) – 5:01
* "Riverdance" (Bill Whelan) – 5:45
* "American Wake" (The Nova Scotia Set) (Bill Whelan) – 3:07
* "Lift the Wings" (Bill Whelan) – 3:00
* "Heal Their Hearts"/"Freedom" (Bill Whelan) – 6:26
* "Macedonian Morning" (Bill Whelan) – 2:56
* "Marta's Dance"/"The Russian Dervish" (Bill Whelan) – 6:04
* "Andalucía" (Bill Whelan) – 4:22
* "Riverdance" (Reprise) (Bill Whelan) – 4:32

## Personnel

The recording included the following performers and production team:

## Charts

Chart performance for Riverdance: Music from the Show :
| Chart (1995–1999) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 4 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 23 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 24 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 35 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 20 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 8 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 39 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 15 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 3 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 4 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 23 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 31 |

## Certifications

Certifications for Riverdance: Music from the Show :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Platinum | 140,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000$^*$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000$^^$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||