Richard Strauss Popular Songs Ranking [2025]

Introduction from the symphonic poem “Also sprach Zarathustra”Richard Strauss1rank/position

Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra / Dudamel · Berliner Philharmoniker

You often hear the phrase on TV shows and commercials, but there may not be many people who know the title of the piece: Also sprach Zarathustra.

It was written by Richard Strauss, one of the most famous German composers around 1900.

The piece is a musical expression of the renowned prose poem by the philosopher and poet Nietzsche.

In the introduction, the scene where one morning Zarathustra awakens with the dawn and addresses the sun with gratitude is vividly recreated through masterful orchestration.

2001: A Space Odyssey Thus Spoke ZarathustraRichard Strauss2rank/position

2001 A Space Odyssey Opening in 1080 HD

2001: A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece by director Stanley Kubrick, often described as the origin of science fiction films.

The film features various classical pieces, and the most famous is Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, which plays at the beginning.

September from Four Last SongsRichard Strauss3rank/position

Four Last Songs. Nº 2. September. Richard Strauss.

Richard Strauss, a German composer said to represent the late Romantic era, left many masterpieces in the realms of tone poems and opera.

Film enthusiasts may know his name from the famous opening of Also sprach Zarathustra, which was used in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In the postwar year of 1948, he composed a song cycle titled Four Last Songs.

From it, I would like to introduce September, the second song, set to a poem by Hermann Hesse.

With lyrics that richly depict the end of summer and the arrival of autumn, and a beautifully lyrical melody, it is truly a perfect piece to listen to in the fall.

Morgen !Richard Strauss4rank/position

R. Strauss: Morgen, Op. 27, No. 4

A gem of a song from the great master of classical music, Richard Strauss.

Composed in 1894 as a wedding gift for his wife Pauline, this work elegantly portrays a vision of tomorrow filled with love and hope.

The poem, woven together with serene melodies, overflows with warmth as it gazes toward the couple’s happy future.

Strauss’s delicate musical expression sublimely elevates the poem’s worldview.

Brimming with the rich sentiment of the Romantic era, this piece remains a beloved classic among music lovers—one to be shared with someone dear.

Trio from “Der Rosenkavalier”Richard Strauss5rank/position

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier “Trio” — conducted by Böhm

There are several famous classical composers named Strauss, but the opera Der Rosenkavalier is the work of Richard Strauss, a composer active during the late German Romantic period.

This opera, Der Rosenkavalier, is known as one of the masterpieces of fairy-tale opera.

An Alpine SymphonyRichard Strauss6rank/position

R. Strauss – An Alpine Symphony (Proms 2012)

Strauss’s experience climbing in the German Alps as a boy forms the basis of this piece, depicting a story from starting the ascent early in the morning to descending the mountain.

Amid the beautiful nature of the summer mountains and a fierce thunderstorm, Strauss returned from the climb and is said to have recreated the experience on the piano the very next day.

Symphonic Poem “Also sprach Zarathustra,” Op. 30 — No. 1: IntroductionRichard Strauss7rank/position

Symphonic Poem “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” Op. 30 — “Introduction”

It’s a classical masterpiece inspired by a book written by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

It’s the famous piece used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It was also used in the commercial featuring Toma Ikuta titled “The Emergence of the Third Detergent.”