Richard Wagner Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Imperial March in B-flat major, WWV 104 (1871)Richard Wagner64rank/position

Wagner - Imperial March.wmv

It is known as a grand march celebrating the founding of the German Empire.

Characterized by a solemn and powerful melody, it makes effective use of brass and percussion, creating a structure that imparts exhilaration and majesty to the audience.

The piece includes lyrics written by Richard Wagner himself, singing of loyalty to the emperor, the prosperity of the nation, and hopes for the future.

Completed in 1871, it was composed with the aim of stirring the patriotism of the German people at the time.

Strongly reflecting patriotic sentiment, it emphasizes national unity and the dawn of a new era.

It is a recommended piece for those interested in German history and music history, as well as for anyone who wishes to enjoy a magnificent march.

Arrival at the Black Swan (Album Leaf), WWV 95Richard Wagner65rank/position

Wagner – Ankunft bei den Schwarzen Schwänen – sheet music

Richard Wagner’s “Ankunft bei den schwarzen Schwänen, WWV 95” evokes a scene that is both mysterious and romantic.

Composed in 1861, this piece reveals a gentle, elegant side that sets it apart from Wagner’s large-scale operas, yet beneath the surface one can glimpse the passion and dramatic qualities that permeate his music.

It’s a beautifully wistful work that also conveys a certain warmth—recommended not only for classical music enthusiasts but also for those beginning to explore the allure of piano pieces.

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Act 1 (complete) — Nilsson / conducted by SoltiRichard Wagner66rank/position

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Complete) (1/3) — Nilsson / conducted by Solti

This is a pastoral song by Wagner, a great composer who worked across a range of musical genres, not limited to pastoral music.

Compared to his other works, it is performed with a somewhat subdued rhythm, and it is characterized by lyrics that frequently express sorrow and grief.

Prelude to Die Meistersinger von NürnbergRichard Wagner67rank/position

Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

With its resplendent timbre ringing out, this is one of Richard Wagner’s signature works.

Marked by a majestic atmosphere and festive sonorities, it is a perfect piece for award ceremonies.

Premiered in Munich in June 1868, the work serves as the prelude to a comic music drama set in 16th-century Germany, depicting a harmony between tradition and innovation.

Completed after more than 20 years of conception, it is a monumental composition that distills Wagner’s artistic vision.

Used at ceremonies or celebrations and other auspicious occasions, it will instantly elevate the mood of the event.

Liebestod (Isolde’s Love-Death) from Tristan und IsoldeRichard Wagner68rank/position

2014 PTNA Special Class Semifinal – Tomoya Umeda – Wagner-Liszt: Isolde’s Liebestod

Tristan und Isolde is a very famous opera composed by Richard Wagner between 1857 and 1859.

The influence this work has had on artists around the world is far too great to recount here, but what I will introduce in this article is the piece Isolde’s Liebestod, arranged by Franz Liszt in 1867 from the original aria that crowns the finale of Act 3 of Tristan und Isolde.

As a work used at the climax, it is highly renowned and is not only frequently performed as an independent piece, but also often used in films and television.

One is astonished by Liszt’s brilliance in expressing Wagner’s solemn and weighty worldview with a single piano and ten fingers.

Of course, even without knowing the story of Tristan und Isolde, listeners can have a moving experience that stirs the emotions; nevertheless, it is certain that knowing the original will allow one to be even more deeply moved.

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KOH-1

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Tannhäuser: Grand MarchRichard Wagner69rank/position

Wagner: Opera “Tannhäuser”: Grand March [Naxos Classical Curation #Energetic]

This piece was composed by Richard Wagner.

It is played in Act II of his opera Tannhäuser and the Singers’ Contest at Wartburg, which premiered in 1845, and it was written as the march for Tannhäuser, a knight of Wartburg Castle.

Beyond its liveliness, the march also conveys a sense of nobility, and it might make participants at a sports day feel as though they’ve become protagonists in a role‑playing game.

It’s a piece that lets you fully enjoy the extraordinary atmosphere of a sports festival.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Ride of the Valkyries from the music drama The ValkyrieRichard Wagner70rank/position

Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries — Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Solti (1957)

This piece is the prelude to Act III of the music drama Die Walküre, the First Day of the cycle The Ring of the Nibelung.

It is a rousing, heroic work, and it was used in the film Apocalypse Now, which depicts the Vietnam War, during the scene of U.S.

military helicopters in flight.

In that scene, the music is not merely background score; it is portrayed as being blasted at high volume from the helicopters to boost the soldiers’ morale and instill fear in the Vietnamese being attacked.