# Public Domain's Greatest Hits! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742 "2004-11-26T12:30:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/1 "2004-11-26T12:30:05Z")
Suppose I want to record a cover song for commercial release and I don’t wanna pay nobody. What are your favorite songs in Public Domain? To give you ideas of songs that I would personally dig, I’m thinking “Daisy Bell” (The bicycle built for two song), “And the Band Played On”, “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight”, songs like that. As a matter of fact, if anyone can suggest a CD compilation of songs from the 1890’s that would be awesome! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/2 "2004-11-26T16:24:57Z")
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It has lyrics, after all. I believe “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” is out of copyright; that’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/3 "2004-11-26T16:35:31Z")
If I was going to do a CD of out of copyright music, I’d stick to traditionals. Tend to date better than old ‘popular’ music, to my ear. (Although I now have Daisy Bell stuck in my head. \>\_\<) ---
**Author:** ![Paisley\_Park](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Paisley\_Park](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paisley_Park)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/4 "2004-11-26T16:41:26Z")
Of course the definitive source for this is [PD Info](http://www.pdinfo.com/). I offer up [Rock O’ My Soul (1830)](http://catholic-christian-sheet-music.com/Sheet-Music-Songs/Rock_O'_My_Soul.shtml) and _Magnetic Rag_ by **Scott Joplin** (1914). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/5 "2004-11-27T05:24:46Z")
_Take Me Out to the Ball Game_. It’s just so darn catchy. (This thread reminds me of a sketch I saw on, I think, _MAD TV_- a phony ad for The Presidents of the United States of America’s new album, _Public Domain’s Greatest Hits_.) ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/6 "2004-11-27T05:39:36Z")
[Steven Foster](http://www.pdmusic.org/foster.html). You can’t go wrong with Steven Foster. > [@](#): > > _Among his most popular songs are: Oh! Susanna (1848), De Campton Races (1850), Old Folks at Home [aka Swanee River] (1851), My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night! (1853), Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair (1854), Gentle Annie (1856), Beautiful Dreamer (1862), and The Voices That Are Gone (1865)._ ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/7 "2004-11-27T05:57:41Z")
Well, basically any song or sound recording published before 1923 is in the public domain under U.S. copyright law. But did you know that any U.S. sound recording fixed (i.e., mixed into final format) before [February 15, 1972](http://www.legallanguage.com/lawarticles/Clarida007.html), is not protected by U.S. copyright statutes? However, it may be protected under [state copyright statutes](http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/statute/state.cfm) — it all depends on where you make or distribute a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/8 "2004-11-27T06:49:56Z")
“Greensleeves” would be a safe bet. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/9 "2004-11-27T07:02:26Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Well, basically any song or sound recording published before 1923 is in the public domain under U.S. copyright law. > > But did you know that any U.S. sound recording fixed (i.e., mixed into final format) before [February 15, 1972](http://www.legallanguage.com/lawarticles/Clarida007.html), is not protected by U.S. copyright statutes? However, it may be protected under [state copyright statutes](http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/statute/state.cfm) — it all depends on where you make or distribute a copy. Does that imply that I can legally copy/profit from/fileshare recordings by artists like The Allman Brothers Band or The Velvet Underground? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/10 "2004-11-27T07:04:26Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > Does that imply that I can legally copy/profit from/fileshare recordings by artists like The Allman Brothers Band or The Velvet Underground? Depending on my state, I mean? If I am not in a state that prohibits it, the RIAA cannot sue me for putting Elvis on Kazaa? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/11 "2004-11-27T07:07:52Z")
Keep in mind that there are at least two copyrights involved: the copyright on the song (as a composition), and the copyright on the sound recording. Even if the sound recording is in the public domain, the song may be under copright. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/12 "2004-11-27T07:12:02Z")
I should add that it matters not only in what state you reside (or your server resides), but also in what state the computer is to which you are allowing your song to be downloaded. You are potentially subject to the jurisdiction of both states. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/13 "2004-11-27T09:24:38Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > [Steven Foster](http://www.pdmusic.org/foster.html). You can’t go wrong with Steven Foster. Is there a recently released compilation of new recordings of his songs? About a month ago I heard a story on NPR about a songwriter from the mid-nineteenth century. The story was both a Music History lesson and a review/plug for a new CD of different artists doing the songs. I was driving at the time and couldn’t write the songwriter’s name down but I made a mental note so i would remember (unfortunately my mental notes don’t last very long ☹ ). ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-domains-greatest-hits/276742/14 "2004-11-27T09:29:01Z")
P.S. **yosemite** , It wasn’t until after posting my initial reply that I followed your link and saw that it not only has a Bio, but also recordings of some of his songs. You are brilliant! to post such a helpful link! **Paisley Park** , thanks also for your PD Info link!