Favourite albums poll

Confused by the huge numbers of albums and groups out there and wondering what to buy? To answer that question, I polled the members of the Irtrad-L mailing list as to what their favourite albums were. Most of these readers are pretty expert in the music, so their combined pick is bound to be good. It is however strongly biased towards Irish albums, and to traditional rather than progressive music, as is the bias of that mailing list. Another few caveats as to why this or any other list should be taken too seriously: So while this is not a definitive anything, I think it will be fun to read and useful too. Many many thanks to all those who participated and helped to create this list. I received 43 replies (about 1/6th of the mailing list) listing 254 albums, 78 of which had multiple nominations. A few people nominated just a single album, one list had over 30 entries, but the majority were in the range of 8-15 albums.

I have first listed the top albums in ranked order, then the top artists, based on counts of all their albums (for individuals, I have included short- term collaborations (e.g. Kevin Burke's work includes his albums with Micheal O'Domhnaill and Jackie Daly) but not longer term ones, so Frankie Gavin merits a separate entry to that for De Dannan. If all collaborations were included, Matt Molloy (as part of the Chieftains, Planxty, the Bothy Band) and Kevin Burke (Bothy Band, Patrick St) would be doing obnoxiously well!

Irtrad-L members top favourite albums

Nr. of
votes	Artist			Title
------	------			-----
11	Altan			Harvest Storm
10	Altan			The Red Crow
10	Bothy Band		1975 (first album)
8	Planxty			Planxty (Black Album)
7	Patrick Street		Patrick St.
6	Altan			Island Angel
6	Martin Hayes		Martin Hayes
5	Kevin Burke         	If the Cap fits
5	Various			Music at Matt Molloys
5	Matt Molloy		Stony Steps
5	Sharon Shannon		Sharon Shannon
4	Mary Bergin		Feadoga Stain
4	Bothy Band		After Hours - Live in Paris
4	Bothy Band		Old Hag you have killed me
4	Chieftains		Four
4	Chieftains		Live
4	Irvine/Brady		Andy Irvine & Paul Brady
4	Planxty			Well Bellow the Valley
4	Planxty			Cold Blow and the Rainy Night
4	Silly Wizard		Live Wizardry
3	Bothy Band		Best of	
3	Boys of the Lough	Welcoming Paddy Home
3	Burke/O'Domhmaill	Portland
3	Capercaillie		Sidewaulk
3	Cherish the Ladies	The Back Door
3	Clannad			Clannad 2
3	Four Men and a Dog	Barking Mad
3	Paddy Glackin		In Full Spate/Rabharta Cheoil
3	Arty McGlynn & Nollaig Casey	Lead the Knave
3	Conal O' Grada		The Top of Coom	
3	Noel Hill & Tony MacMahon	I gConc na Grai/In Knocknagree
3	Molloy/Brady/Peoples	Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples
3	Kevin Burke/Open House	Open House
3	Tommy Peoples		High part of the road
3	Andy M Stewart & Manus Lunny	Dublin Lady

Irtrad-L members favourite artists, by album count

Nr. of
votes	Musician/group
-----	--------------

32	Altan
23	Bothy Band
22	Planxty
18	Chieftains
17	Kevin Burke (including Open House first album)
15	Matt Molloy (+5 more for "Music at Matt Molloys")
10	Boys of the Lough
10	De Dannan
10	Patrick Street
8	Clannad
8	Tommy Peoples
6	Martin Hayes
6	Noel Hill
6	Andy Irvine
6	Sharon Shannon
6	Silly Wizard
5	Mary Bergin
5	Capercaillie
5	Cherish the Ladies
5	Paddy Glackin
5	Tony MacMahon (with Noel Hill)
5	Dolores Keane & John Faulkner
5	Sean Keane
4	Paddy Keenan
3	Battlefield Band
3	Paul Brady
3	Four Men and a Dog
3	Frankie Gavin
3	Arty McGlynn & Nollaig Casey
3	Conal O'Grada
3	Mick Moloney & Eugene O'Donnell

All nominated albums, sorted by artist name

10	Altan			The Red Crow
2	Altan			Ceol Aduaidh
11	Altan			Harvest Storm
6	Altan			Island Angel
1	Altan			Horse with a Heart
2	Altan			Altan
1	Archetype		Archetype (Breton fiddle)

1	Baal Tinne		About Time 
1	Aly Bain		Aly Bain
1	Aly Bain and others	The Silver Bow
1	Patrick Ball		Fiona
1	Barra McNeills		Traditional Cape Breton Instrumental
2	Battlefield Band	Home Ground
1	Battlefield Band	New Spring
1	Sarah Bauhan		The Untamed Grasses
1	Derek Bell		Musical Ireland
4	Mary Bergin		Feadoga Stain 
1	Mary Bergin 		Feadoga Stain #2
1	Seamus Begley and Stephen Cooney	Meitheal
1	Mary Black		Collected
4	Bothy Band		After Hours - Live in Paris
10	Bothy Band		1975
4	Bothy Band		Old Hag you have killed me
3	Bothy Band		Best of	
2	Bothy Band		Out of the Wind into the Sun
1	Boys of the Lough	Live at Carnegie Hall
3	Boys of the Lough	Welcoming Paddy Home
2	Boys of the Lough 	Loughaber No More
1	Boys of the Lough	Far From Home 
1	Boys of the Lough	Sweet Rural Shade
1	Boys of the Lough	Farewell and Remember me
1	Boys of the Lough	Second Album
2	Paul Brady		Welcome kind stranger
1	Donncha O Briain	Donncha O Briain
5	Kevin Burke		If the Cap fits
2	Kevin Burke		Up Close
2	Kevin Burke/Jackie Daly	Eavesdropper
3	Kevin Burke/Micheal O'Domhmaill	Portland
2	Kevin Burke/Micheal O'Domhnaill	Promenade

3	Capercaillie		Sidewaulk
2	Capercaillie		Crosswinds
1	Liz Carroll		Liz Carroll
1	Bobby Casey		Casey in the Cowhouse
1	Ceilidh House Band	On the Road
2	Celtic Fiddle Festival 
1	Ceolbeg			Seeds to the Wind
1	Ceolteoiri Cualann	O'Riada sa Gaiety
1	Maire Ni Chathasaigh	The New-Strung Harp
2	Cherish the Ladies	Out and About
3	Cherish the Ladies	The Back Door
1	Chieftains 		One
1	Chieftains		Three
4	Chieftains		Four
2	Chieftains		Five
2	Chieftains		Seven
4	Chieftains		Live
2	Chieftains		Bonapartes Retreat
1	Chieftains		Best of
1	Chieftains and Van M.	Irish Heartbeat
1	Clancy Brothers		Live at Carnegie Hall
1	Liam Clancy & Tommy Makem	The Makem & Clancy Collection
2	Wilie Clancy		The Minstrel from Clare
3	Clannad			Clannad 2
1	Clannad			Dulaman
2	Clannad			Fuaim
2	Clannad			Clannad in Concert
1	Michael Coleman		Michael Coleman 1891-1945
1	Joe Cooley
1	Seamus Connolly		Here and There
1	Craobh Rua		Not A Word About It
1	Jimmy Crowley		Camp House Ballads
1	Phil Cunningham		Palomino Waltz
1	Johnny Cunningham	Fair Warning
1	Mary Custy & Eoin O' Neill	With a lot of Help from their Friends
1	McCusker Bros Ceili Band	Irish Country Dances

1	Deanta			Deanta
1	Deanta			Ready for the Storm
2	De Dannan		Ballroom
2	De Dannan		Best of
1	De Dannan		Selected Jigs and Reels
1	De Dannan		Jacket of Batteries
1	De Dannan		Anthem
1	De Dannan		The Star Spangled Molly
1	De Dannan		The Mist Covered Mountains
1	De Dannan		Half set in Harlem
1	Deiseal			The Long Long Note
1	Joe Derrane		(Rego album)
1	John Doherty		Bundle and Go
1	Mairead Ni Dhomhmaill	No Dowry
1	Triona Ni Dhomhnaill	Triona
1	Eugene O'Donnell	Slow Airs and Set Dances
1	Dordan			Irish Traditional and Baroque
1	Connie Dover		The Wishing Well
1	Chris Droney
1	Dubliners		25th Anniversary Celebration

1	Seamus Egan		A Week in January
1	Seamus Ennis		Irish Pipe & Tin Whistle Tunes
1	Seamus Ennis		Feidhim Tonn Ri's Castle

1	Fairport Convention	Liege and Lief
1	Na Fili			Na Fili
1	Archie Fisher		Will Ye Gang
3	Four Men and a Dog	Barking Mad
1	Liam O' Flynn		Liam O' Flynn
1	Liam O' Flynn/Shaun Davey		The Brendan Voyage
1	Alisdair Fraser and Paul Machlis	Skyedance
1	Alisdair Fraser		Portrait of a Scottish Fiddler
1	Albert Fry		Second LP

1	Dick Gaughin		Handful of Earth
1	Bobby Gardiner		Memories of Clare
1	Frankie Gavin and Paul Brock	A Tribute to Joe Cooley
1	Frankie Gavin		Up and away
1	Frankie Gavin Quartet+Stephane Grapelli	Jigs and Jazz
1	General Humbert		General Humbert 2
3	Paddy Glackin		In Full Spate/Rabharta Cheoil
1	Paddy Glackin/Jolyon Jackson	Hidden Ground
1	Glackin Brothers	Northern Lights
3	Arty McGlynn/Nollaig Casey	Lead the Knave
3	Conal O' Grada		The Top of Coom	
1	Len Graham		Ye Lovers All
2	Green Fields of America	Live in Concert
1	Charles Guard		Avenging and Bright
1	Manus McGuire/John Linn	The Missing Reel

1	Tom McHaile		All Ireland Whistle Champion
1	O'Halloran Brothers	The men of the island
1	Mick Hanly		As I went over Blackwater
1	Robbie Hannan		Trad Irish Music played on the Uileann pipes
6	Martin Hayes		Martin Hayes
1	Helicon			Helicon
1	Noel Hill		The Irish Concertina
3	Noel Hill/Tony MacMahon	In Knocknagree (I gConc na Grai)
2	Noel Hill & Tony MacMahon, Iarla O Lionard	Aisling Ceoil
1	House Band		Another Setting
1	House Band		Word of Mouth
1	Hent Sant Jakez
1	Honey, Therese /Johnson, Mark	Christmas Presence
1	Horslips		Drive The Cold Winter Away

1	Ironhorse
4	Andy Irvine & Paul Brady	
2	Andy Irvine & Dick Gaughan	Parallel Lines

1	Nic Jones		Penguin Eggs
1	Nic Jones		The Noah's Ark Trap

1	Ron Kavana		Homefire
1	Tommy Keane		Piper's Apron
1	Sean Keane		Jig it in style
2	Dolores Keane/John Faulkner	Broken Hearted I'll Wander
1	Dolores Keane/John Faulkner	Farewell to Erin
2	Dolores Keane/John Faulkner	Sail Og Rua
2	Paddy Keenan		Poirt a' Phoibaire
1	Paddy Keenan		Paddy Keenan
1	Paddy Keenan/Paddy Glackin	Doublin'
1	Tony Kelliher		Tony Kelliher
1	James Kelly		Capel Street
1	Loreena McKennitt	The Visit
1	John McKenna		His Original Recordings
1	Kornog			Ar Seizh Avel
1	Joe and Antoinette McKenna	Farewell to Fine Weather
1	Kilfenora Ceili Band	(EMI STAL 1013)

1	Charlie Lennon		The Imigrant Suite
2	Donal Lunny		Donal Lunny
1	Kirk Lynch		A Private Recording

1	Sean Maguire & Four Star Quartet (Avoca 33AV139)
1	Natalie MacMaster	Fit As A Fiddle
1	Macalla			Mna na hEireann
1	Mac-talla		Mairidh gaol is ceol
1	Joanie Madden		A Whistle On The Wind
1	Declan Masterson	End of the Harvest
1	Milladoiro		Castellum Honesti
1	Pat Mitchell		Uilleann pipes
1	Christy Moore		Ordinary Man
2	Moving Hearts		The Storm
5	Music at Matt Molloys
3	Matt Molloy, Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples
5	Matt Molloy		Stony Steps
2	Matt Molloy		Matt Molloy
1	Matt Molloy		Heathery Breeze
1	Molloy/Keane		Contentment is Wealth
1	Molloy/Keane		The Missing Reel
2	Molloy/Keane/O'Flynn	The Fire Aflame
2	Moloney/Keane/O'Donnell	There Were Roses
1	Moloney/O'Donnell	Slow Airs and Set Dances
1	M Mulhair, S Connolly, J Coen	Warming Up
1	Mulvihill, Brendan	The Flax in Bloom

1	Chris Norman		The Man with the Wooden Flute

1	Oige			Live in Glasgow
1	Oisin			Oisin
1	Ossian			St. Kilda Wedding
1	Old Blind Dogs		Close to the Bone
3	Open House/Kevin Burke	Open House

1	Niamh Parsons		Loosely Connected
7	Patrick Street		Patrick St
2	Patrick Street 		Nr. 2 Patrick Street
1	Patrick Street		Irish Times
1	Pentangle		Sweet Child
3	Tommy Peoples		High part of the road
1	Tommy Peoples		Tommy Peoples (? Comhaltas)
1	Tommy Peoples		A Traditional Experience With..
1	Cahtherine-Ann MacPhee	Canan na Gaidheal
8	Planxty			Planxty (Black Album)
4	Planxty			Well Bellow the Valley
4	Planxty 		Cold Blow and the Rainy Night
2	Planxty 		Collection
1	Planxty			After the Break
2	Planxty			Words and Music
1	Planxty 		Woman I loved so well
2	Tommy Potts		Liffey Banks

1	Rankin Family		The Rankin Family
2	Tommy Reck		The Stone in the Field
1	Relativity		Relativity
1	Sean O'Riada		O'Riada
1	Sue Richards		Morning Aire
2	Leo Rowsome		King of the Pipers
1	The Russell Family

1	Tommy Sands		Singing of the Times
1	Maggie Sansone		Mist & Stone
2	Scartaglen		Last Night's Fun
1	Joe Shannon		Noonday Feast
5	Sharon Shannon		Sharon Shannon
1	Sharon Shannon		Out the Gap
1	Sileas			Delighted with Harps
1	Silly Sisters		Silly Sisters
4	Silly Wizard		Live Wizardry
1	Silly Wizard		A Glint of Silver
1	Silly Wizard		So Many Partings
2	Skara Brae		Skara Brae
1	John Skelton		One At A Time
1	Davy Spillane, Robbie Hannon..	Pipers rock
2	Daithi Sproule		Heart of Glass
1	Steeleye Span		Hark the Village Wait
3	Andy Stewart/Manus Lunny	Dublin Lady
2	Stockton's Wing		Collection
1	Rod Strandling		Rhythms from the Wold
1	Micheal O'Suilleabhain	Dolphin's Way
1	Sweeney's Men		Time Was Never Here
1	Sweeney's Men		Sweeney's Men

2	Tannahill Weavers	Land of Light
1	Kathryn Tickell		On Kielder Side
1	Touchstone		The New Land
1	Touchstone		Jealousy
2	Trian			Trian
1	Michael Tubridy		The Eagle's Whistle
1	Sean Tyrrell		Cry of a Dreamer

1	Various			A Woman's Heart

1	The Watersons		Country Life

1	Grainne Yeats		The Belfast Harp Festival

Compilations
1	Various Pipers		The Drones and Chanters (Claddagh)
2	From Galway to Dublin	(Rounder 1087)
1	Light Through the Leaves(Rounder 6014)
1	Maiden Voyage (live pub session from Co. Clare)
1	The Best of Irish Folk Music (Fiesta FCD1029)
1	Celtic Folkweave
1	Traditional Fiddling from Cape Breton 
1	My Love is in America	(Boston College Fiddle Fest)
1	Fiddlesticks (from Cork festival)
2	Dear Old Erin's Isle (from Cork festival)
Copyright (c) Ceolas, 1994.


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