Vienna is the birthplace of western classical music, and so 9 of these 17 are classical. There is also a folk yodel, an Austrian pop classic from the 70s, a global hit from the 80s, and a few recent popular songs from the 10s (5).
Note that the classics on this list include some of the most famous, recognizable music in the world. And by extension, I guess you could say some of the ‘best’. Note that what we call classical music is commonly divided into periods of Baroque (1600s until 1750), Classical (1750 to 1820), and Romantic (until the early 1900s). After that it’s Modernist (through the 1930s) and Post-modern (now). Here we have 5 from the Classical period and 4 from the Romantic period.
The songs are listed below in chronological order. I included the title, artist, year of release, and genre. I also added a sentence or two of background and context. Finally, I also embedded video links.
You can find the Spotify playlist here.
Le Nozze de Figaro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1786 Classical
Austria’s favorite son. Famous as a child, he moved to Vienna at 25 under sponsorship of the emperor, where he died at only 35 years old. “Marriage of Figaro” premiered in Vienna. To this day, it is still among the most frequently performed operas.
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1787 Classical
“A little serenade” (translated literally it would be ‘night music’). Possibly the most famous of all his works. Who commissioned it, and when was it originally performed are lost.
Quartet No. 51 in G Major, Op. 64, No. 4 Franz Joseph Haydn 1790 Classical
Considered the father of symphony music, and similarly for the string quartet. He started as a choirboy at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and rose to become a celebrity in his time. There are a lot of string quartet pieces, this is just one that I like.
Symphony No. 5 Ludwig van Beethoven 1808 Classical
This one is an absolute cornerstone of Western music. Yes, he was German, but he moved to Vienna at age 21. Vienna was occupied by Napoleon’s armies when this was being composed. Also, he was going deaf at this time, but not quite completely yet. So, it was a tough time for him overall.
Symphony No. 9, “Choral” Ludwig van Beethoven 1824 Classical
Ode to Joy. Premiered in Vienna. Considered not merely his greatest work, but also one of the supreme achievements in Western music. The chorus in the 4th movement is based on a 1785 poem by Friedrich Schiller. Since 1985 it has been the official anthem of the European Union. It has also become a popular New Year’s tradition in Japan, with choral performances that routinely have more than 5,000 singers! Popular for flash mob videos. This one has 85 million views. Example youtube comment: “This is the only video that I want aliens to see of our species.”
Radetzky March Johann Strauss I 1848 Classical-Romantic
Viennese composer of many waltzes, which had become fashionable in Vienna in the late 1700s, but it was largely Strauss that sustained its popularity. But his most famous composition is a martial march, composed in honor an Austrian victory against Italian freedom fighters. The reason we have to add “I” after his name is that his eponymous son became even more famous as a composer.
The Blue Danube (An der shönen blauen Donau) Johan Strauss II 1866 Classical-Romantic
Viennese son of JS I, and composer of hundreds of waltzes and other lighter, shorter fare (that is, dance music rather than ‘serious’ operas and symphonies). This one premiered in Vienna, but was propelled to become a global smash at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair.
Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4 Johannes Brahms 1868 Classical-Romantic
“Cradle Song”. You know this lullaby. You might even know it as “the” lullaby. Possibly his most well-known work. Another German who spent the majority of his career in Vienna. A composer of serious works, but his lighter compositions are more accessible.
Hungarian Dance No. 5 Johannes Brahms 1869 Classical-Romantic
The 21 Hungarian Dances are his most popular songs.
Schifoan Wolfgang Ambros 1976 Austropop
Now we jump to the late 20th century and Austropop, which is sort of like the Austrian counterpart to Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave). Not only do the lyrics stick to Austrian dialect, but also include some Alpine folk elements. The most well-known of the genre celebrates skiing (‘Schifoan’), the Austrian national sport, and is considered the unofficial Austrian anthem. “I steh am Gipfel, schau obe ins Tal, A jeder is glücklich, a jeder fühlt sich wohl, Weil i wü schifoan, schifoan” (I am standing at the peak, I look down into the valley. Everyone is happy, everyone is feeling great, And only wants skiing!) Austrians of all ages know the lyrics to this one, as evidenced by this video from a big festival at the Donauinsel, an island in the River Danube in the middle of Vienna.
Rock Me Amadeus Falco 1985 Neue Deutsche Welle
Falco rode the 80s new wave to international stardom. This song, inspired by the 1984 film Amadeus about Mozart, is the only German-language song ever to reach #1 in the US. Multiple versions were released, with the original completely in German and then various combinations of English and German, extended club mixes, etc – but there was never a full English version. Falco emerged from the nightclub scene in Vienna and rose to become Austria’s best-selling singer of all time. But he lived fast and died at 40 after long struggles with substance abuse.
Da Jodel Rudel Werner Bruggemann 1989 Yodeling
Yodeling originated with shepherds in the Alps and is still part of traditional folk music throughout the Alpine lands.
Booty Swing Parov Stelar 2010 Electroswing
He is a DJ who combines house and 1920s swing music. He has won eight of the Austrian equivalent of the Grammy (Amadeus award) in multiple categories since 2012.
Maschin Bilderbuch 2013 Art punk
Based in Vienna since 2008. Versatile, German-language artsy/party rockers with a progressive sound. Big in Austria. Their name means “picture book”.
Me and the Devil Soap&Skin 2013 Ambient
She is a singer-songwriter who trained as a classical musician. Dropped out of technical school to move to Vienna in 2016. She composed the title theme to the 2017 Netflix show Dark.
ILD – Ich Lieb Dich Eric Papilaya 2013 Pop
“I love you” – Pop singer from Vienna, popular on German-language TV and festivals.
You Always Get Me High Joyce Muniz 2015 House
Born in Brazil, but based in Vienna as a DJ since the 1990s. She still plays Brazilian-Euro electronic sounds in clubs and is a respected record producer.