This list of "100 Hymns Everyone Should Learn" is not my own list of great hymns. For one thing, it doesn't include St. Patrick's Breastplate, nor any of the three versions of Hail Thee, Festival Day! However, it's a fun list and was sent as a challenge by a friend of mine whose experience with it turns out to be similar to my own. You can see the original article by following the above link; it includes more information, as well as—in most cases—a link to an image and/or recording of the hymn. I've listed them below in three catgories of familiarity. (The numbers correspond to the article's numbering, which is in reverse order.)

I find three things particularly notable in this exercise.

  • My eclectic denominational experience has stood me in good stead.
  • Knowing 85+% of the hymns on this list, I still find myself encountering a surprising number of completely unknown hymns when our grandchildren pick hymn numbers at random when we sing together.
  • Knowing 85+% of the hymns on this list of important, time-honored, congregational music of the Church does not help me in the least in a great number of church services, where I often stand mute during the singing (and those who know me, know that standing mute during singing is almost physically painful). I'll happily sing unfamiliar hymns if you give me the music—but these churches only provide the words, and I'm not a good enough musician (or psychic) to guess at the tune. Sometimes I can manage a harmony, as that gives more notes to choose from. :)

Hymns I know well (85)
98. There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
97. I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
94. At the Name of Jesus
93. O Splendor of God's Glory Bright
92. When in Our Music God Is Glorified
91. What Child Is this?
90. God of Grace and God of Glory
89. Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
87. Blessed Assurance
85. Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
84. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
83. Take My Life and Let It Be
82. What Wondrous Love Is this
81. Go to Dark Gesthemane
80. To God Be the Glory
78. Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
77. Savior of the Nations, Come (maybe in a different translation)
76. Come We That Love the Lord (but to a different tune)
75. Jesus, Lover of My Soul
74. Lead On, O King Eternal
73. Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
71. O Jesus I Have Promised
70. Come, Christians, Join to Sing
69. My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
68. Beneath the Cross of Jesus
67. Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
65. For the Beauty of the Earth
64. It Is Well with My Soul
61. All Glory, Laud, and Honor
60. Ah, Holy Jesus
59. Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
59. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
55. Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart
54. O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
53. My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
52. This Is My Father's World
51. Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
49. O Worship the King
48. Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation
47. And Can It Be That I Should Gain?
46. This Is My Song (I know other words better to this tune, but I've sung these as well)
45. Praise My Soul the King of Heaven
44. Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
43. How Firm a Foundation
42. O Little Town of Bethlehem
41. Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
40. Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
39. When Morning Gilds the Skies
38. Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come
37. Be Still My Soul
36. Thine Be the Glory (aka Thine Is the Glory)
35. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
34. Great Is Thy Faithfulness
33. O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go
32. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
31. Lift High the Cross
30. Rejoice, the Lord Is King
28. Come, Thou Almighty King
27. For All the Saints
26. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
25. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
24. Be Thou My Vision
23. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
22. Of the Father's Love Begotten
21. All People That on Earth Do Dwell
20. Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise
19. In the Cross of Christ I Glory
18. Holy God, We Praise Your Name
17. Tell Out My Soul
16. Abide with Me
15. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
14. Crown Him with Many Crowns
13. Now Thank We All Our God
12. Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer (aka Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
11. The Church's One Foundation
10. O God, Our Help in Ages Past
9. O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
8. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
7. The God of Abraham Praise
6. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
5. All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
4. All Creatures of Our God and King
3. Jesus Shall Reign
2. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
1. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty

Hymns I've heard of or sort of know (6)
96. There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
86. Leaning On the Everlasting Arms
72. Come Holy Ghost Our Souls Inspire (I know the tune well)
79. Hymn of Promise (the children's choir sang this when our kids were young)
62. Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands (the words sound familiar, but not the tune)
61. Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know (but I know the tune)

Hymns I don't know at all (9)
100. Built On the Rock, the Church Doth Stand (beautiful tune)
99. Forward Through the Ages (I know the tune well, though)
95. There Is a Higher Throne (the link mistakenly takes you to In Christ Alone, which I do know)
88. By Gracious Powers (it looks to be worth knowing better)
66. When the Church of Jesus (no tune is given so i don't know if that's familiar; the words are not)
63. King of My Life I Crown Thee Now (also apparently called Lead Me to Calvary)
56. The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended
50. I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath
29. God Is Here! As We Your People

Posted by sursumcorda on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 11:10 am | Edit
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Of the three lists you gave, tjere are 15 I don't know (at least not with the words provided). Perhaps, I'd recognize some of them by the hymntune.



Posted by Diane Villafane on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 1:52 pm

I know one hymn "Come Holy Ghost our Souls Inspire", but it's an ancient Latin one, and they attribute their choice to Wesley. But they also attribute "Savior of the Nations Come" to Luther and he just translated it from Latin (Veni, Redemptor Gentium) to German (Nun komm, den Heiden Heiland)



Posted by Kathy Lewis on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 6:52 pm

I'm intrigued by the Bonhoeffer one - I didn't know he's written any hymns.



Posted by Kathy Lewis on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 6:53 pm

Sorry for the need to moderate your comments, Kathy, which is why they didn't show up at first. It happens whenever someone posts from a new computer, or something else changes. It should remember you again now. I deleted the duplicate. Which one is Bonhoeffer's?



Posted by SursumCorda on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 7:04 pm

"By Gracious Powers"
I'm now sitting in the Charlotte airport due to a four-hour flight delay, so it might refuse to recignize me again.



Posted by Kathy Lewis on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 6:03 pm

Bonhoeffer's poem "Von guten Mächten treu und still umgeben" has been set to music and is quite popular, especially the pop version that uses the last verse as the refrain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPuX5vZ_Ggw.



Posted by Stephan on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 7:08 pm

That is so beautiful! Especially the voice and the oboe. We have "By Gracious Powers" in our hymnal, to two different tunes, neither one of which is the one he is singing. Do you know what that tune is? It wounds vaguely familiar, as if I may sometime, somewhere, have sung the pop version you mention, but my mind can dredge up no lyrics.



Posted by SursumCorda on Monday, December 17, 2018 at 9:07 am

Aargh. Now I'm going crazy. The more the tune goes through my head, the more I know I've sung it, and I think in a very emotional context. Yet I cannot bring any words to mind. Time, perhaps, will tell.



Posted by SursumCorda on Monday, December 17, 2018 at 9:30 am

I was hoping to be able to help you out, but it is not familiar to me. Very beautiful, though!



Posted by Joyful on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 8:08 am
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