Do you listen to classical music?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (386686)
Rockingham, Australia
June 9, 2026 8:44am CST
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) holds a radio poll each year to determine the top 100 classical music pieces. The theme this year was The Classic 100: Greatest of All Time. Listeners send in their votes and there were some interesting statistics apart from just the order of pieces. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 was given most votes and his Emperor Concerto took out second place. The former piece includes the well-known Ode to Joy.
Twelve German composers, 10 Australian, seven American, seven French, seven Italian and five Russian composers made the chart. The Chinese zodiac sign, Year of the Dog, is a musical year and nine composers of the top 100 were born in Dog years. The Year of the Horse, and the Year of the Goat, each had seven composers.
The top choices changed according to the generation. John Williams' Star Wars (Original Film Soundtrack) was the top choice for Gen X and Generation Alpha while Millennials and Gen Z chose Holst’s The Planets.
Do you listen to classical music?
The photo of Mozart’s statue was taken in Leipzig, Germany.
16 people like this
15 responses
@JudyEv (386686)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jun
@teamfreak16 Smetana wrote some great stuff but you don't hear it too often on the radio.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (45230)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Jun
I like it, but don't own any of it and recognize very few pieces. I do like "The Moldau" by Smetana a lot.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (177436)
• United States
9 Jun
No, I don't... I don't listen to any music unless I know the person playing it or singing the song that goes with the music. I do listen to pony's (@TheHorse 's) songs because it's pony singing and playing.
2 people like this
@epiffanie (11337)
• Australia
9 Jun
I used to listen to classical music in the middle of night just as I fall asleep.. but lately. I got hooked to listening to podcasts…
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (177436)
• United States
9 Jun
@epiffanie I listen to favorite gamers playing games when I'm falling asleep.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (87180)
• United States
9 Jun
Yes, I do, believe it or not. I went over to my niece’s in Lexington one time listening to Bach the entire trip.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (87180)
• United States
10 Jun
@JudyEv — I enjoy listening to it because I want to, not because the music appreciation professor says we have to.
1 person likes this
I cannot imagine what it means "too fluffy" referred to Mozart.
@Ineeddentures (45060)
•
9 Jun
John Williams' Star Wars (Original Film Soundtrack
I actually have that on Vinyl
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (386686)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jun
@Ineeddentures Of course, in a way it's only valuable if you actually sell it. But it's nice to have it.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (45060)
•
10 Jun
@JudyEv
I want to show you the cover
So I am this afternoon going to look for it
Someone told me long ago it's quite valuable now
1 person likes this
@valherma00 (5069)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
9 Jun
o, i do but i always liked Vivaldi the most. he made me always so cheerful and hayden too.
1 person likes this
@valherma00 (5069)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
13 Jun
@JudyEv Spring always makes me happy.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (170452)
• United States
10 Jun
I occasionally get to listen to classical music. I do enjoy it, do not know if I have a favorite. Rachmaninoff was the composer of a theme to a movie I really liked. I like his style.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (386686)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jun
There are so many great composers. John Williams was up there in the 100 along with several other scores from movies.
@allen0187 (59971)
• Philippines
9 Jun
Yes, I do back when I was a student. Nowadays, not so much.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59971)
• Philippines
13 Jun
@JudyEv got it.
Found a website that plays radio stations from all over the world. Listened to some classical music yesterday.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (99974)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 Jun
I have written about classical music and composers but I really do not listen to it much, If I lsiten to something other than rock I rather like some arias from operas,
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91838)
• United States
9 Jun
I don't listen to classical music very often but I do remember when I was in high school our music classes were all geared around classical music. I don't know why I don't listen to it. Probably just that I never think about it
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (386686)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jun
Our radio is tuned to a classical station but we don't listen to it very often.
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (18834)
• Torrington, Connecticut
9 Jun
I do enjoy classical music, although I go through phases with it. Some pieces are so familiar that even people who think they “don’t listen to classical music” would recognize them instantly. Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is definitely one of those.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (223762)
• United States
14 Jun
I used to. Four Seasons by Vivaldi is one of my favorites.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (36146)
• United Kingdom
9 Jun
Yes. I have our radio alarm set to BBC radio 3 so I wake up to soothing classical music and not anything too bouncy or to miserable news 
I sometimes listen to it when driving as a change from talking, and I sometimes listen to it when working as I can't concentrate on anything if I listen to anything with words.
I have quite a collection f classical music and a lot of it I was introduced to by my 'Goth' college friend, rather surprisingly. You would probably never expect it but she introduced me to all sorts of composers I would probably never have heard of until years later otherwise!
I sometimes listen to it when driving as a change from talking, and I sometimes listen to it when working as I can't concentrate on anything if I listen to anything with words.
I have quite a collection f classical music and a lot of it I was introduced to by my 'Goth' college friend, rather surprisingly. You would probably never expect it but she introduced me to all sorts of composers I would probably never have heard of until years later otherwise!1 person likes this
