Classic FM Hall of Fame

The Classic FM Hall of Fame is an annual compilation of the 300 most popular classical works as polled by listeners of Classic FM through a public vote.[1] With more than 200,000 voters, each choosing their three favourites in order of preference, Classic FM claim their Hall of Fame is the world's most comprehensive poll of classical music tastes.[2][3]

The countdown, first broadcast in 1996, airs over the four-day Easter holiday weekend.[1]

The compilation is notable for featuring a wide variety of classical works. Pieces by composers such as Elgar and Beethoven feature alongside works by contemporary composers such as Karl Jenkins and Ludovico Einaudi. Movie soundtracks by John Williams, John Barry and Ennio Morricone are also regular features of the chart. And, for the first time in 2012, the chart featured two original works from video game soundtracks.

In 2015, 12 pieces of music from video game soundtracks were voted into Classic FM's top 300 chart.[4]

Top twenty

The current top twenty was revealed on 1 April 2024:[5]

Previous top three

Year 1 2 3
1996 Max Bruch – Violin Concerto No. 1 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ludwig van Beethoven – Pastoral Symphony
1997
1998 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Clarinet Concerto
1999
2000
2001 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Max Bruch – Violin Concerto No. 1
2002 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
2003 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Clarinet Concerto Max Bruch – Violin Concerto No. 1
2004
2005 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Clarinet Concerto
2006 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Clarinet Concerto Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
2007 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending Edward Elgar – Cello Concerto Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2
2008 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ralph Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
2009
2010
2011 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
2012
2013 Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy series
2014 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ralph Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
2015
2016
2017
2018 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
2019 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending Edward Elgar – Enigma Variations
2020 Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 9
2021 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ralph Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
2022
2023 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2 Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending
2024

Source[6]

Criticism and controversy

The Hall of Fame reflects voter preferences, rather than public purchases of recordings, so there has been a lack of variation at the top of the chart.[7] The pieces that make up the top ten have changed very little since the chart began. Only five different pieces have ever held the number one position, and fewer than a dozen works have held the top three spots throughout the chart's existence.[8][9][10][11][12]

2013 provided the most controversial Hall of Fame to date as a result of an organised voting campaign concerning video game soundtracks by UK based games promoter Mark Robins.[13] Several video game soundtracks were voted into the 2013 Hall of Fame, with the highest being Nobuo Uematsu's music for Final Fantasy at number three.[14] This led to more than 200,000 votes being cast, the highest in the chart's history. John Suchet stated that he was "delighted that we've attracted so many votes for our chart" and that what he finds "truly exciting is the continued increase in a younger audience for classical music - I didn't expect to be thanking the video game industry for introducing the genre to a new generation of people, but it's wonderful."[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Crace, John (6 September 2017). "Classic FM at 25: The sweet sound of success". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Classic FM - Hall of Fame".
  3. ^ a b Farmer, Ben (6 April 2015). "Video games bring new generation to classical music". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  4. ^ Ward, Alexander (6 April 2015). "Video game soundtracks hit classical music charts". The Independent. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Welcome to the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2024!". Classic FM. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame: the facts and figures behind the world's biggest classical music poll". Classic FM. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  7. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (8 April 2012). "Rewind radio: Classic FM Interview". The Guardian. London.
  8. ^ "Bruch and Beatles top radio polls". BBC News. 6 April 1999.
  9. ^ "Rachmaninov tops classical survey". BBC News. 28 March 2005.
  10. ^ "Mozart 'UK's favourite composer'". BBC News. 18 April 2006.
  11. ^ "Vaughan Williams tops radio vote". BBC News. 24 March 2008.
  12. ^ Savage, Mark (3 April 2018). "1812 Overture is 'top classical piece'". BBC News. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Final Fantasy and Skyrim beat Beethoven in Classic FM Hall of Fame". Metro. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Classic FM Hall of Fame (retrieved 6 April 2013)". Classic FM's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.