Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-11
POPULAR SONGS.
Old and New Favortes-Interesting Facts
About Songs.

Old and New Notwithstanding Facts
! About Songs.
From the New York Sun.
us there any sale now for Annie Rooney'?"
was asked Of the manager of the wholesale de-
partment of a large music publishing house.
There is, said the manager, "a steady but
very much decreased demand for it. As COM
pared with last year we sell about one copy now
to thirty then. This quiet demand is likely to
last for two or three years yet"
What is the most popular song at the pres
ent moment?'
Maggie Murphy's Home which is sung in
Harrigan's Reilly and the 400"
What song is next in popularity"
"Old Home Down on the Farm This song
was copyrighted in 1882. 1t practically lay on
the shelf for six or seven wears. Nobody seemed
70 discover it. Chauncey Olcott sung it in The
Old Homestead and it struck the popular
fancy. That was about three years ago. Thirty
thousand copies of it have been sold since. and
1t is still selling well.'
And the most popular song ever written?"
Il Should hardly want to say, for whatever
answer one might make another might think
Inherently / should say that Home. Sweet
Home might come first and Annie Laurie
1next. but it ia a difficult question to answer
satisfactorily"
DO songs which have once been generally
popular and which have ceased 20 be SO ever
regain their popularity
Not to the fullest extent. but sometimes a
popular singer may revive a song or some I'M
looked-for circumstance may bring it tc mind.
The mention of n song in a popular book will
sometimes cause a steady demand for it. When
Nilsson began singing old Folks at Home (Su-
vance River 1t was almost dormant She sang
II all over the world, and the sales that followed
amounted to thousands"
Are there many old songs which have con-
finued steadily POPULAR"
There are many such songs. Without at
tempting to name them all there might he men
tioned: Robin Adair, Rocked in the Cradle OF
the Deep, an old favoritc Of every bass singer
Home Again, Lone Starry Hours. Silver
moon. do lhey Miss Me at Home. old Oaken
bucket Star OF the Evening. I'd Offer Thee
his Hand OF Mine, Bonnie Doom Grave of
Bonaparte Ben Bolt. Fine Guild Irish Gintle-
man. Minstrel Boy What is Home Without a
Mother, Lament OF the Irish EmlRrant.
,Meeung OF the waters. UT IN the Silly
NIght, MY eirandmas Advice. Flow GENTLY
SWEEP Aiton. Long. Long Ago. IL one could
~o t,, nave reason to be satisfied.
3. What qmahty must song possess to make
pUpuinr.
~ must nave catchlng strain OF melody.
are more humorous or more sentlmentai
songs soio!
,,W,;ni en'ai. .! ereat majority.
"hich are IN greater demand. songs OF love
VI s.nss VI a'eeIon!
"A. nrst 'nouGht should say love; hut when
'onie 10 th,hk again should say perhaps
songs Oh hnection There is greater variety
vi 'oNe spIRS' Inc songs OF affection usually
urn to"ard mother ana nome.
Hoes IN. "emano LOT songs In this country
i"eLe Pr"porl'n 70 rhe ropulatoni
az, 'n'hK " increases more rapidly"
are we growing more humorous or more
Sem .M as 'hoirafed by the sale OF sons-?
u, sn?uiu say 'na' mere Is no noticeable
chanse IN this respect, but the quality Of our
music Is improving.
are 'aere paris OF me country In which the
aenanu lot songs OF one Kind Or the other pre-
ooniia'es
There is in the cities greater demand for
nuhoi"is ana tor rnarac:er songs, but human
n"tuie Is pretty uhiotn In city and country,
an. n ,nelooy ~ most IN demand.
10y ns sGng sna' becomes generally popular
'PI.u quicSy'
o1o IL !" 10 Ieaiiy catchy, Is song that
1.erspouR can sing ana Is properly intro
uuced' III IL taken up by orchestras and bands,
anu n P.a!eu IN coheer' saloons and wherever
peoPie assehpie LOT amusement; 1t Is whistled
nv e s'reets ana Played at home The sales
VI some Oh the songs that have reached wide
Popuirlt! nave been very large. but they are
0tten overstated. Annie Rooney, which is an
iLhsnsh puoucation not copyrighted here has
peer: ISSUED In TINS country IN many cheap edi-
IONS as weil as IN the ordinary form The sales
OF al tnese editions have amounted SO far to
about l3o,OOo copies. This is really an enor-
nous sale, but 1t Is probable that people gener-
any would suppose that a much larger number
ol copies mad been sold The fact is, that cf
those who whistle or hum song that pleases
them not more than one in twenty will buy a
copy. There are produced in this country per-