Handel Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

“Ombra mai fu” from the opera “Xerxes”Georg Friedrich Händel11rank/position

Ombra Mai Fu Cécilia Bartoli

An aria from Act I of Handel’s opera Xerxes.

King Xerxes I of Persia, resting comfortably in the shade of a tree, sings of his love for the plane tree’s shade, declaring that never before has there been such dear, gentle, and pleasant shade.

It’s a piece that evokes dappled sunlight, a gentle breeze, and the enveloping comfort of a soothing canopy of leaves.

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Hallelujah from the oratorio MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel12rank/position

Händel Messiah – Hallelujah Chorus

Handel’s Messiah is a masterpiece of oratorio that stands alongside Bach’s St.

Matthew Passion, and it is famous in European concerts for the audience giving a standing ovation during the “Hallelujah Chorus.” This custom stems from the British tradition of standing when songs praising God are performed.

Come Again to Please Me (from the opera “Alcina”)Georg Friedrich Händel13rank/position

G. F. Händel: Tornami a vagheggiar

The dazzlingly beautiful “Tornami a vagheggiar,” which sings of the feeling of love, is a famous da capo aria from one of the masterworks of opera by the great Baroque composer George Frideric Handel, Alcina.

From the opera ‘The World of the Moon’: ‘People have discretion.’Georg Friedrich Händel14rank/position

Patricia Petibon – Ragion nell’alma siede – Haydn (Official Video)

Patricia Petibon, a French coloratura soprano, is an artist of remarkable versatility in both acting and singing, whose talent was discovered by William Christie, founder of the period-instrument ensemble Les Arts Florissants.

The famous aria “Ragion nell’alma siede” from Haydn’s opera Il mondo della luna is a piece that showcases Petibon’s allure as a specialist in Baroque opera.

Overture from “Agrippina”Georg Friedrich Händel15rank/position

Handel: Agrippina (Ouverture) – Helsinki Baroque Orchestra

Agrippina was a noblewoman of the Roman Empire, known as the mother of the tyrant Nero.

During Handel’s stay in Italy, it is said that an opera based on Agrippina was created.

In the overture, despite its elegant melody, there is an atmosphere that somehow foreshadows tragedy.