Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-03-05
POPULAR SONGS.
Old and New Notwithstanding Facts
About Duties That Are Much Liked.


About Duties That Are Much Liked.
lis there any sale now for Annie
Rooney'?" was asked by a n. Y. Sun
reporter of the manager of the whole
sale department of a large music pub
fishing house.
There is" said the manager. "a
steady but very much decreased de-
mand for it. As compared 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 present moment?n
Maggie Murphy's Home which is
sung in Harrigan's Reilly and the
AGO."
What song is next in popularityPn
"Old Home Down on the Farm
This song was copyrighted in 1892 1t
practically lay on the shelf for six or
seven Years. Nobody seemed to dis
cover 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 it is still
selling well.
And the most popular song ever
wriiten?'
81 should hardly want to say, for
whatever answer one might make an
other might think differently. / should
say that Home, Sweet Home might
come first and Annie Laurie next;
but it is Il difficult question to answer
satisfactorily
DO songs which have once been
generally popular, and which have
ceased TO be SO, ever regain their pop
ularity?"
Not to the fullest extent. but some
times popular singer may revive a
song or some uulooked-for circum-
stance may bring it to mind. The
mention OF song in a popular book
Will sometimes cause steady demand
fer IL. When Nilsson began singing
Odd Folks at Home (Suwanee River)
1t was almost dormant She sang it
a,l over the world and the sales that
followed amounted TO the thousands"
Are there many old songs which have
continued steadily popularg'
81 erc are many such songs. With
out attempting to name them all there
might be mentioned Robin Adair,
Rocked in the Cradle oi the Deep, an
odaynritr of every bass SINGER; Home
A-au. 'l.uue Starry Hours, Silver
Moon Do They Miss Ne at Home
odd Oaben Bucket Star of the Eve
ming, I'd Offer Thee This Hand of
Mine Bonnie Doom Grave of Bona
paUe, Ben Bolt Fine Ould Irish
Giut.eman, Minstrel Boy, What Is
Home Without Il Mother Lament of
the Irish Emigraut,' Meeting of the
Waters Oft in the Silly Night, My
Grandma's Advice, Flow Gently,
Sweet Alton, Long, Long Ago If
one could own the copyright of the
popular old songs he would have
reason to be satisfied
What quality must a song possess
to make it POPULAR"
'lt must have catching strain of
melody"
Are more humorous or more senti-
mental ~pugs sold?"
sentimental by Z great majority"
Which are in greater demand;
va IOFG VI 5OuEH VI dAtCLlOu-
"a, first thought | should say love;
Out when | come to think again |
should say perhaps songs OF affection.
1here is a greater variety of love
songs the songs Of affection usually
'uIn toward mother and home"
Does the demand for songs 10 this
country increase in proportion to the
p5puation?n
lauk it increases more rapidly
are there parts Of the country in
,"t'e1 the demand for songs of one
A.A4 or the other prodominates?
aele is in the cities greater de-
A4nd for humorous and for character
A-> bat human nature is pretty uni
.m % city and country and melody
o. Un~. 10 demand
D.es a song that becomes general
popular spread quickly,
j. does if it is really catchy, ii a
mat everybody can sing and is
perry introduced. Ii is taken MP
'.gAastras and bands and is played
concert saloons and wherever peo-
assemble for amusement; it IS
s.l ID the streets and PLAYED at
The sales of some of songs
lave reached wide popularity have
very large. but they are often
red Annie Rooney, which is
english publication not copyrighted
as been issued ia this country
cheap editions as well as IN
"Ia51ary form; the sales Of all
editions have amounted so far 20
10000 copies. This IS really
nous sale. but it is probable
hte generally would suppose
aHed arger number Of copies
say .4sl sold. The fact is that Of