To narrow down these songs, my main priority to was include songs from each continent as I felt a duty to include songs that were representative of our world as a whole and not simply the “winners.” Rumsey’s statement about documenting the losers as well as the winners was an important notion for me (Rumsey, 2017). This made it fairly easy to eliminate several songs as, for instance, there were quite a few from Germany alone. I also tried to include songs that represented a variety of different instruments and musical genres. I recognize that European and North American songs still have a strong presence in my top 10. This is likely due to my own biases and inability to recognize differences of instruments and genres in songs that are more foreign to me.

My Top 10

• Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle. 2:08
• Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. 1:26
• Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14
• “Johnny B. Goode,” written and performed by Chuck Berry. 2:38
• Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (“Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi. 4:51
• Azerbaijan S.S.R., bagpipes, recorded by Radio Moscow. 2:30
• Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. 7:20
• Holborne, Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, “The Fairie Round,” performed by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London. 1:17
• Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen. 0:38
• India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar. 3:30

References

Rumsey, A.S. (2017, July 11). Abby Smith Rumsey: “Digital Memory: What Can We Afford to Lose?” [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBrahqg9ZMc&ab_channel=BrownUniversity