Claude Debussy Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

From a woodblock print: Rainy GardenClaude Debussy29rank/position

From Debussy's Estampes: Jardins sous la pluie (Rain in the Garden) / Debussy Jardins sous la Pluie (Estampes)

This piece, with its powerful yet emotional melody, as its name suggests, evokes a rain-soaked garden; toward the end, it clears up as if all the preceding rain had been a lie.

It even leaves that kind of impression.

This highly fantastical work is included in Debussy’s collection called “Estampes,” and the other pieces in the set are also wonderfully dreamy, so I strongly recommend listening to them together.

Starry NightClaude Debussy30rank/position

C. Debussy Nuit d’étoiles (Night of Stars) composed by Debussy / Ayano Nonomura

This is an early study from the youth of Claude Debussy, a composer who epitomizes French Impressionism.

Composed when he was around 18, the work is regarded as an important piece that paved the way for his later impressionist style.

Gentle harmonies embrace a poem that depicts dreaming beneath the starry sky, creating a calm and fantastical world.

The piano part features compound chords and the tender nuances of diminished seventh chords, showcasing Debussy’s characteristic delicacy of tone to full effect.

It is a piece you can savor for its quintessential Debussian sound—why not listen to it at leisure while gazing at the stars?

Estampes, No. 3: Gardens in the RainClaude Debussy31rank/position

42nd Prizewinner Commemorative Concert, Category C [Gold Prize] Kaho Onishi / Debussy: “Estampes” — “Jardins sous la pluie”

The third piece, “Gardens in the Rain,” from Claude Debussy’s mid-period masterpiece Estampes, stimulates children’s imaginations with a melody based on a French nursery song and richly shifting timbres that evoke a garden drenched in rain.

Although its performance time is relatively short at about three minutes, it incorporates challenging elements both technically and expressively, so students should feel their growth as they practice for a recital.

By performing with delicate dynamic control—one of the work’s chief attractions—while infusing your own interpretation, you can experience Debussy’s world more intimately, as beautifully as a watercolor painting.

Arabesque No. 2Claude Debussy32rank/position

Debussy: Arabesque No. 2 Mai Morimoto

Claude Debussy wrote two Arabesques in his lifetime.

Of these, the Arabesque No.

2 is performed less frequently than the first, yet it is a light, beautiful piece that is very popular among piano learners.

The term “arabesque” refers to the Arabic-style ornamental patterns that were fashionable at the time.

The dazzling, triplet-rich melodic lines may be meant to evoke those delicate, Arabic-inspired motifs composed of interlacing curves.

When you play it, try not to focus only on the fine movement of the notes, but also savor the beauty of the shifting harmonies.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

yuri

Report a problem

Romantic Waltz in F minorClaude Debussy33rank/position

Romantic Waltz (Debussy) – Debussy – Valse romantique – pianomaedaful

Claude Debussy’s representative work “Romantic Waltz in F minor” is an early piano solo piece composed in 1890.

Brimming with passionate momentum, it creates a fantastical atmosphere through its distinctive use of ornamentation and chords.

At the time, with his thirtieth birthday approaching, Debussy was in a transitional phase: while still following the Romantic tradition, he was gradually shifting toward his own unique musical language.

Throughout the piece, one can enjoy the striking use of waltz rhythms and a light, transparent character—an embodiment of Debussy’s distinctive charm.

The Symphonic Poem “La Mer” — Three Symphonic Sketches for OrchestraClaude Debussy34rank/position

Claude Debussy: La Mer (Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado)

Claude Debussy, a master of Impressionist music, established his own musical style after studying at the Paris Conservatory.

His symphonic poem La Mer is a work that delicately and vividly depicts the sea’s various expressions.

It skillfully conveys subtle nuances of nature—such as the movement of waves, reflections of light, and the timbre of the wind—guiding listeners into seascapes.

This piece is an innovative work that opened up new possibilities in music, unconstrained by traditional symphonic form, and an ambitious attempt to depict sensations and atmospheres through sound.

Influenced also by Impressionist painting, Debussy’s music overflows with distinctive harmonies and a rich sense of color, and its beautiful melodies continue to captivate countless classical music enthusiasts.

Symphonic Poem “La Mer”: Three Symphonic Sketches — III. Dialogue of the Wind and the SeaClaude Debussy35rank/position

Debussy: La mer – Three Symphonic Sketches: From Dawn to Noon on the Sea [Naxos Classical Curation #Chic]

This is the climactic movement from Claude Debussy’s orchestral masterpiece La Mer, a work that brilliantly renders the ocean’s grandeur and mystery in sound.

In this piece, a powerful yet beautiful natural drama unfolds as if the wind and sea are conversing.

The surging strings, the piercing timbres of the woodwinds, and the brass and percussion in unison create a vividly compelling sonic tableau.

Premiered in October 1905, the work carries a refreshing coolness that seems to make one forget the summer heat.

It is recommended for those who wish to immerse themselves in the orchestra’s rich palette of colors, as well as for listeners who want to experience the grandeur of classical music through wind band arrangements and other adaptations.