Classic 100 Countdowns


Since 2001, ABC Classic has organised a number of Classic 100 Countdown surveys. The results of each survey are decided by votes cast by the listeners of ABC Classic. After the voting, the works are played in reverse order of popularity over an intense period of programming. A feature of the countdown is that the top 100 pieces are kept secret until announced.
The top five in each of the countdowns are as follows:
YearCountdownTop 5
2001Classic 100 Original
  1. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622
  2. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
  3. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 Choral
  4. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 73 Emperor
  5. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
2004Classic 100 [Piano (ABC)|Classic 100 Piano]
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27/2 Moonlight
  • Bach, J.S.: Goldberg Variations
  • Debussy: "Clair de lune" from Suite bergamasque
  • Satie: Gymnopédie No. 1
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 Pathétique
    • 2005/6Classic 100 Opera
  • Bizet: "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers
  • Verdi: "Va, pensiero" from Nabucco
  • Delibes: "Sous le dôme épais" from Lakmé
  • Mozart: "Soave sia il vento" from Così fan tutte, K. 588
  • Purcell: "Thy hand, Belinda... When I am laid in earth" from Dido and Aeneas
    • 2006Classic 100 Mozart
  • Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622 – Adagio
  • Ave verum corpus, K. 618
  • Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467 – Andante
  • "Soave sia il vento" from Così fan tutte, K. 588
  • Requiem, K. 626 Lacrimosa
    • 2007Classic 100 Concerto
  • Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 73 Emperor
  • Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
  • Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61
  • Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
  • Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
    • 2008Classic 100 Chamber music
  • Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, D667 Trout
  • Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D956
  • Schubert: Nocturne in E-flat major for piano trio, D897
  • Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97 Archduke
  • Schubert: String Quartet in D minor, D810 Death and the Maiden
    • 2009Classic 100 Symphony
  • Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 New World
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 Choral
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 Pastoral
  • Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 Organ
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
    • 2010Classic 100 Ten Years On
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
  • Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor Concerto
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 Pastoral
  • Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
  • Handel: Messiah, HWV 56
    • 2011Classic 100 Twentieth Century
  • Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor
  • Holst: The Planets
  • Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
  • Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
  • Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
    • 2012Classic 100 [Music of France]
  • Bizet: Carmen
  • Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3
  • Fauré: Requiem
  • Satie: Gymnopédies
  • Bizet: "Au fond du temple saint"
    • 2013Classic 100 Music in the Movies
  • Morricone: The Mission
  • Williams: Star Wars
  • Shore: The Lord of the Rings
  • Vangelis: Chariots of Fire
  • Jarre: Doctor Zhivago
    • 2014Classic 100 Baroque and Before
  • Handel: Messiah, HWV 56
  • Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Op. 8
  • Allegri: Miserere
  • Handel: Water Music
  • Bach, J.S.: St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
    • 2015Classic 100 Swoon
  • Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
  • Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
  • Barber: Adagio for Strings
  • Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel
  • Allegri: Miserere
    • 2016Classic 100 Voice
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
  • Bizet: The Pearlfishers "
  • Handel: Messiah
  • Faure: Requiem, Op. 48
  • Allegri: Miserere
    • 2017Classic 100 Love
  • Bizet: "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers
  • Purcell: "When I am laid in earth" from Dido and Aeneas
  • Wagner: "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde
  • Dvorák: "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka
  • Puccini: "Un bel dì" from Madama Butterfly
    • 2018Classic 100 Dance
  • Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
  • Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
  • Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
  • Bernstein: West Side Story
  • Bizet: Carmen
    • 2019Classic 100 Composer
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  • George Frideric Handel
    • 2020Classic 100 Beethoven
  • Symphony No. 9 Choral
  • Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor
  • Symphony No. 6 Pastoral
  • Symphony No. 7
  • Symphony No. 5
    • 2021Classic 100: The Music You Can't Live Without
  • Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
  • Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
  • Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
  • Elgar: Enigma Variations
    • 2022Classic 100: Music for the screen
  • John Williams: Star Wars series
  • Howard Shore: The Lord of the Rings trilogy
  • Ennio Morricone: The Mission
  • John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat: Harry Potter series
  • John Williams: Schindler's List
    • 2023Classic 100: Your Favourite Instrument
  • Cello
  • Piano
  • Violin
  • Oboe
  • Clarinet
    • 2024Classic 100: Feel Good
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Choral"
  • Gustav Holst: The Planets
  • Georges Bizet: The Pearl Fishers
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"
  • George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
    • 2025Classic 100: Piano
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"
  • Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9: No. 2
  • George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
  • Claude Debussy: Suite bergamasque, 3rd movement, Clair de lune