Richard Wagner Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Funeral March for Siegfried from the music drama Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)Richard Wagner43rank/position

Wagner: Siegfried’s Funeral March (Twilight of the Gods) | Marek Janowski

Selected from the final work of Richard Wagner’s master opus The Ring of the Nibelung, this piece can be seen as the culmination of a grand music drama.

Its solemn music mourns the hero’s death and symbolizes a turning point in the narrative.

Skillfully interweaving multiple leitmotifs, it brilliantly portrays Siegfried’s life and fate through sound.

When it premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in August 1876, it must have overwhelmed the audience.

With music that transcends words, it expresses profound emotion and leaves a powerful impression at the story’s climax.

This is a highly recommended piece for those who wish to explore Wagner, the “King of Music Drama,” and experience the fusion of a sweeping tale with monumental music.

Introduction from the music drama ‘Götterdämmerung’Richard Wagner44rank/position

Götterdämmerung (1/19) – Wagner, “Ring”, Akt I – Opening, Nornen – Valencia 2008

From the third day of the music drama The Ring of the Nibelung, Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods): the Prelude.

The three Norns, who are the goddesses of fate, appear and sing of the past, present, and future.

The three Norns are Daniela Denšlak, Pilar Vázquez, and Eugenia Bizancourt.

From the music drama ‘Götterdämmerung’, Act 3: ‘Brünnhilde’s Self-Sacrifice’Richard Wagner45rank/position

Götterdämmerung Act 3 – Brünnhilde’s Self-Sacrifice – Gwyneth Jones (1980)

From Act 3 of “Götterdämmerung” (The Twilight of the Gods), the third evening of the music drama cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen”: “Brünnhilde’s Self-Sacrifice.” This is the scene in which Brünnhilde sings of all she has felt before Siegfried’s lifeless body and the drama moves toward its conclusion.

The soprano is the British opera singer Gwyneth Jones.

“The Dutchman’s Monologue” from the opera “The Flying Dutchman”Richard Wagner46rank/position

Wagner “The Flying Dutchman” — the deadline has expired

From the opera The Flying Dutchman: ‘The time is up’ and ‘The Dutchman’s Monologue.’ In Act I, the Dutchman sings of his cursed fate.

Baritone: Seiichi Furukawa.

Piano: Yuri Kozhevartov.

A recital at Oji Hall.

Senta’s Ballad from the opera The Flying DutchmanRichard Wagner47rank/position

Wagner The Flying Dutchman 'Senta's Ballad' Jones

From the opera The Flying Dutchman: “Senta’s Ballad.” Sung in Act II, it includes sections depicting the storm-tossed ship and the Dutchman who roams the seas, as well as sections expressing the faithful maiden who can save him.

The soprano is the Swedish opera singer Nina Stemme.

Sailors’ Chorus from the opera The Flying DutchmanRichard Wagner48rank/position

From Waseda University Glee Club OB Members: “Sailors’ Chorus” from the German Opera Masterpieces collection.

This is a fiercely lively chorus performed in the scene where the Norwegian sailors sing of the joy of returning home.

Reveling in the sense of release after a harsh voyage, they throw a feast and make merry, and their boisterous voices highlight the contrast with the eerie Dutch ship moored alongside.

It begins with a bright, straightforward harmonic progression, and in the recapitulation adds ominous chromatic tremolos and scales, featuring masterful orchestration that evokes the unsettling atmosphere of the ghost ship awakening.

Premiered in 1843, the work was composed by Richard Wagner, inspired by his own experiences at sea and by Heinrich Heine’s writings.

It’s a highly recommended piece not only for opera fans but also for anyone who enjoys dramatic music and storytelling.

Overture to the opera “The Flying Dutchman”Richard Wagner49rank/position

Richard Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer, Ouvertüre

Overture to the opera “The Flying Dutchman.” A work based on the legend of the Dutch ghost ship said to be sighted near the Cape of Good Hope.

The performance is by the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, which belongs to Spain’s national broadcaster (RTVE) in Madrid.

The conductor is Guillermo García Calvo.