Popular American Hymns of the 18th and 19th Centuries

There are numerous popular American hymns that have shaped culture and worship in the United States. On this page, we dive into the different types of American hymns to show their significance and better understand the meaning behind them.

American Hymns from 1700-1899

According to research done by many different scholars and organizations, we’ll split this list of American Hymns into three main categories.

Early American Psalmody

This list was originally published in The Core Repertory of American Psalmody that was edited by Richard Crawford. It lists 50 of the most influential hymns in American history in the order of the number of prints which were published.

Song TitleSongwriter: WordsSongwriter: MusicYear Written
Psalm 100Psalm 57European1551
WellsIsaac Watts Israel Holdroyd1724
St. Martin's Isaac Watts Wiliam Tans'ur1735
Little Marlborough Isaac Watts English1763
Aylesbury Isaac Watts English1718
Mear Isaac Watts English1720
Psalm 149 Psalm 149 European1708
Windsor Isaac Watts English1591
Psalm 34 Psalm 34 Joseph Stevenson1760
Bangor Isaac WattsWiliam Tans'ur1735
LenoxIsaac WattsLewis Edson1782
GreenfieldPsalm 46Lewis Edson1782
Plymouth Isaac WattsWiliam Tans'ur1735
Bridgewater Isaac WattsLewis Edson1782
Colchester Isaac WattsWiliam Tans'ur1735
Funeral Thought Isaac WattsEnglish1763
Denmark Isaac WattsMartin Madan 1769
VirginiaIsaac WattsOliver Brownson 1782
BathIsaac WattsEnglish1713
CanterburyIsaac WattsEnglish1585
BrookfieldIsaac WattsWilliam Billings 1770
St. Anne Isaac WattsWilliam Croft 1708
Norwich Isaac WattsHibbard1779
Stafford Isaac WattsDaniel Read 1782
Landaff Isaac WattsEuropean1758
Bedford Psalm 147William Wheall 1720
Rochester Isaac WattsIsrael Holdroyd 1724
Greenwich Isaac WattsDaniel Read 1786
Irish Isaac WattsEnglish or Irish 1749
Bristol Joseph Addison Timothy Swan 1785
Sherburne Nahum Tate Daniel Read 1785
Ocean Isaac WattsAmerican1787
Majesty Thomas SternholdWilliam Billings 1778
Amherst William BillingsWilliam Billings 1770
BuckinghamIsaac WattsEnglish1763
Angels Hymn Psalm 95Orlando Gibbons 1623
Dalston Isaac WattsEnglish 1763
JordanIsaac WattsAaron Williams 1763
St. Helen's Isaac WattsJoseph Stevenson 1760
Putney Isaac WattsDaniel Read 1786
Milford ArnoldEnglish 1763
RussiaIsaac WattsDaniel Read 1785
Wantage Isaac WattsDaniel Read 1785
Lisbon Isaac WattsAmos Bull 1779
Windham Isaac WattsEnglish 1720
Middletown Isaac WattsEnglish 1729
Isle of Wight Isaac WattsEnglish 1780
Bromsgrove Isaac WattsOliver King 1779
Newton Isaac WattsEnglish 1760
Suffield Isaac WattsAbraham Wood 1778

Popular Hymns of the 19th Century

Here is a list of the most popular hymns during the 1900s.

Song TitleSongwriter: WordsSongwriter: MusicYear Written
Silent Night! Holy Night! Joseph Mohr [Translated by Joseph Freeman Young]Franz Xaver Gruber1818
The Tyrolese Evening Hymn Mrs. Felicia Dorethea HemansAugusta Browne1828
From Greenland's Icy Mountains Reginald HeberLowell Mason1829
My Faith Looks Up to Thee Ray PalmerLowell Mason1832
Rock of Ages Augustus Montague TopladyThomas Hastings1832
Jesus, Lover of My Soul Charles WesleySimeon Butler Marsh1834
See, Gentle Patience Smiles on PainAnne SteeleHenry Kemble Oliver1835
Joy to the WorldIsaac WattsGeorge Frederick Handel1836
God Bless Our Native Land Siegried A. MahlmanHenry Carey1844
Blest Be the Tie That BindsJohn FawcettJohann (Hans) Georg Naegeli1845
Just As I Am Without One Plea Charlotte ElliotWilliam Batchelder Bradbury1849
Fairest Lord Jesus Munster GesangbuchSchleische Volkslieder1850
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Edmund Hamilton SearsRichard Storrs Willis1850
The Spacious Firmament on High Joseph AddisonJ. Huntington1850
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing Charles WesleyFelix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy1855
Cantique de NoëlCappeau de RoquemaureAdolphe Adam1858
Nearer, My God, to TheeSarah Francis AdamsDr. Lowell Mason1859
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God AlmightyReginald HeberJohn Bacchus Dykes1861
Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God AlmightyReginald HeberJames B. Taylor1861
Jerusalem the GoldenBernard of ClunyAlexander Ewing1861

A Treasury of 101 Best-Loved Hymns

This list was published by EMI-Capitol Music in a 3 Disc set called A Treasury of 101 Best-Loved Hymns that was released in 1997 by the label.

Song TitleSongwriter: WordsSongwriter: MusicYear Written
Abide With Me Henry Francis LyteWilliam Henry Monk1861
Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed Isaac WattsHugh Wilson1707
All Creatures of Our God and King St. Francis of AssisiGeistliche Kirchengesang1623
All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name Edward PerronetOliver Holden,1779
Amazing Grace John NewtonTraditional1779
And Can It Be? Charles WesleyThomas Cambell1738
At the Cross Isaac WattsRalph E. Hudson1885
Be Thou My Vision Translation: Mary Elizabeth ByrneArrangement: Norman Johnson1966
Because He Lives Gloria GaitherWilliam J. Gaither1971
Beneath the Cross of Jesus Elizabeth Cecilia ClephaneFrederick Charles Maker1872

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