List of ragtime composers

A list of ragtime composers, including one or more famous or characteristic compositions.

Pre-1940

• Felix Arndt (1889–1918),"Desecration Rag" (1914), "Nola" (1916), ^[1] "Operatic Nightmare" (1916)
• May Aufderheide (1888–1972), "Dusty Rag" (1908) ^[2]
• Roy Bargy (1894–1974), "Pianoflage" (1922) ^[3]
• Harry Belding (1882–1931), "Good Gravy Rag" (1913) ^[4]
• Theron C. Bennett (1879–1937), "The St. Louis Tickle" (1904) ^[5]
• Irving Berlin (1888–1989), "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1911)
• Jean Schwartz (1878-1956), “April Fool Rag” (1911) ^[6]
• Mike Bernard (1875-1938), "The Ragtime King" (1899), "The Battle of San Juan Hill" (1912), "Tantalizing Tingles" (1913)
• Charlotte Blake (1885–1979), “The Gravel Rag” (1908), "That Poker Rag" (1909) ^[7]
• Eubie Blake (1887–1983), "Charleston Rag" (1903), ^[8] "Chevy Chase" (1914), "Fizz Water" (1914)
• Rube Bloom (1902–1976), "That Futuristic Rag" (1923), "Soliloquy" (1926) ^[9]
• Blind Boone (1864–1927), "Southern Rag Medley No. 2" (1909) ^[4]
• George Botsford (1874–1949), "Black and White Rag" ^[10] (1908), "Grizzly Bear Rag" (1910)
• Euday L. Bowman (1887–1949), "Twelfth Street Rag" (1914) ^[11]
• Fleta Jan Brown, (1882–1938), "Tanglefoot Rag" (1907) ^[12]
• Brun Campbell (1884–1952), "Barber Shop Rag" ^[13]
• Hughie Cannon (1877–1912), "(Won't You Come Home) Bill Bailey" (1902)
• Louis Chauvin (1881–1908), "Heliotrope Bouquet" (1907) ^[14]
• Axel Christensen (1881–1955), "The Ragtime Wedding March (Apologies to Mendelssohn)" (1902), ^[15] "Cauldron Rag" (1909)
• Edward B. Claypoole (1883-1952), "Alabama Jigger" (1913), "Ragging the Scale" (1915), "Spooky Spooks" (1916) ^[16]
• George L. Cobb (1886–1942), "Rubber Plant Rag" (1909) "Russian Rag" (1918) ^[17]
• Nellie Weldon Cocroft (1885–1986), "The Pinywoods Rag" (1909) ^[18]
• Zez Confrey (1895–1971), "Kitten on the Keys" (1921) ^[19]
• Les C. Copeland (1887–1942), "French Pastry Rag" (1914) ^[20]
• Irene Cozad (1888–1970), "Affinity Rag" (1910) ^[21]
• Cecil Duane Crabb (1890–1953), "Fluffy Ruffles" (1907) ^[4]
• Ford Dabney (1883–1958), "Oh! You Devil!" (1910) ^[22]
• Reverend Gary Davis (1896–1972), ^[23] "Italian Rag"
• Claude Debussy (1862–1918), ^[24] "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" and "Général Lavine"
• Harry Engelman (1912-2002) ^[25]
• James Reese Europe (1880–1919), "Castle House Rag" ^[4]
• Libbie Erickson (1875–1938), "Topsy: Two Step" (1904) ^[26]
• Ernst Fischer (1900–1975), ^[27] "Pretty Baby"
• Henry W. Gaul (1895-1947) “Motor Boat Rag” (1911)
• George Gershwin (1898–1937), "Rialto Ripples" (1917)
• Irene Giblin (1888–1974), "Columbia Rag" (1910) ^[28]
• Lucian Porter Gibson (1890–1959), "Jinx Rag" (1911) ^[4]
• George Hamilton Green (1893–1970), "Ragtime Robin" ^[29]
• Gene Greene (1877–1930), "King of the Bungaloos" (1911) ^[30]
• Clifford Adams (1887-1961) “Ink Splotch Rag” (1909) ^[31]
• Charles Roy Cox (1880-1939) “Centennial Rag” (1912) ^[32]
• Albert Gumble (1883–1946), "Bolo Rag" (1908) ^[33]
• Harry P. Guy (1870–1950), "Echoes from the Snowball Club" (1898) ^[4]
• Robert Hampton (1890–1945), "Cataract Rag" (1914), "Agitation Rag" (1915) ^[4]
• W.C. Handy (1873-1958), "Yellow Dog Rag" (1914), "Ole Miss Rag" (1916)
• Ben Harney (1871–1938), "You've Been a Good Old Wagon but You Done Broke Down" (1896) ^[4]
• Scott Hayden (1882–1915), "Something Doing" (1903) ^[34]
• Wallie Herzer (1885–1961), "Everybody Two-Step"
• Ernest Hogan (1865–1909), ^[35] "La Pas Ma La" and "All Coons Look Alike to Me"
• Abe Holzmann (1874–1939), "Smoky Mokes" (1899) ^[4]
• Charles Hunter (1876–1906), "Tickled to Death" (1899) ^[36]
• Harry Jentes (1887–1958), "Bantam Step" (1916) ^[37]
• Charles L. Johnson (1876–1950), "Dill Pickles" (1906) ^[38]
• James P. Johnson (1891–1955), "Carolina Shout" (1925) ^[39]
• Scott Joplin (1868–1917), "Maple Leaf Rag" (1899), "The Entertainer" (1902), ^[40] "Pineapple Rag" (1908), "Magnetic Rag" (1914)
• Joe Jordan (1882–1971), "That Teasin' Rag" (1909) ^[41]
• Verdi Karns (1882–1925), "Bluffton Carnival Rag" (1899)
• F. Henri Klickmann (1885-1966), "Knockout Drops" (1910), "The Squirrel Rag" (1913), "Hysterics Rag" (1914) ^[42]
• Sadie Koninsky (1879–1952), "Eli Green's Cake Walk" (1898) ^[7]
• Max Kortlander (1890–1961), "Deuces Wild" (1923) ^[43]
• William Krell (1868–1933), "Mississippi Rag" (1897) ^[4]
• Joseph Lamb (1887–1960), "American Beauty Rag" (1913), ^[44] "Ragtime Nightingale" (1915), "Top Liner Rag" (1916), "Bohemia Rag" (1919)
• Dominic LaRocca (1889-1961), "Tiger Rag" (1917), "The Original Dixieland One Step" (1917)
• Grace LeBoy ^[45] (1890–1983), "Everybody Rag With Me" ^[46] (1914)
• Grace Walls Linn (1874–1940), "Automobile Spin" ^[47] (1899)
• Henry Lodge (1884–1933), "Temptation Rag" (1909) ^[48]
• George Lyons (1889–1958), "Spaghetti Rag" (1910) ^[49]
• Arthur Marshall (1881–1968), "Ham And!" (1908), ^[50] 'The Pippin'' (1908)
• Artie Matthews (1888–1958), "Pastime Rag No. 3" (1916) ^[51]
• Billy Mayerl (1902–1959), "The Jazz Master" (1925) ^[52]
• Blind Willie McTell (1898–1959) ^[53] "Southern Can Is Mine" (1931)
• Kerry Mills (1869–1948), "At a Georgia Campmeeting" (1897) ^[4]
• Luella Lockwood Moore (aka "Marion Arlington") (1864–1927), "Flamingo: Two-Step" (1910) ^[54]
• Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941), "Frog-I-More Rag" (1918) ^[55]
• Julia Lee Niebergall (1886–1968), "Hoosier Rag" (1907) ^[7]
• Theodore Havermeyer Northrup (1866–1919), "Louisiana Rag" (1897) ^[4]
• Phil Ohman (1896–1954), "Dixie Kisses" ^[56]
• Muriel Pollock (1895–1970), "Rooster Rag" (1917) ^[57]
• Paul Pratt (1890–1948), "Colonial Glide" (1910), "Hot House Rag" (1914) ^[58]
• Arthur Pryor (1870–1942), "Razzazza Mazzazza" (1905) ^[4]
• Luckey Roberts (1887–1968), "Junk Man Rag" (1913) ^[59]
• Bess E. Rudisill (1884–1957), "The Eight O'Clock Rush" (1911) ^[60]
• J. Russel Robinson (1892–1963), "Sapho Rag" (1909) ^[61]
• Alma Sanders (1882–1956), "Hong Kong" (1917)
• Paul Sarebresole (1875–1911), "Roustabout Rag" (1897)
• Arthur Schutt (1902–1965), "Bluin' the Black Keys" (1926) ^[62]
• James Scott (1885–1938), "Frog Legs Rag" (1906), "Grace and Beauty" (1909), ^[63] "Hilarity Rag" (1910), "Ragtime Oriole" (1911)
• Adaline Shepherd (1883–1950), "Pickles and Peppers" (1906) ^[7]
• Willie "The Lion" Smith (1897–1973), "Rippling Waters" ^[64]
• Ted Snyder (1881–1965), "Wild Cherries Rag" (1909), "Ramshackle Rag" (1911) ^[4]
• John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), "With Pleasure" (1912) and "Willow Blossoms" (1916)
• Etilmon J. Stark (1867–1962), "Billiken Rag" (1913) ^[4]
• Nellie Stokes (1880–1914), "Razzle Dazzle: Rag" (1909) ^[65]
• Pauline B. Story (1870–1952), "Keep A Shufflin’ Ragtime Dance" (1905) ^[66]
• Charley Straight (1891–1940), "Red Raven Rag" (1915), "Black Jack Rag" (1917), Rufenreddy" (1917/1922) ^[67]
• Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), "Piano-Rag-Music" (1919)
• Robert Morrison Stults (1861–1933), "Walkin' on de Rainbow Road" (1899) ^[68]
• Wilbur Sweatman (1882–1961), "Down Home Rag" (1911) ^[4]
• Charles Hubbard Thompson (1891–1964), "The Lily Rag" (1914) ^[69]
• Harry Tierney (1890–1965), "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1911) ^[70]
• Tom Turpin (1873–1922), "Harlem Rag" (1897), ^[71] "St. Louis Rag" (1903), ^[71] "Buffalo Rag" (1904)
• Fats Waller (1904–1943), "Valentine Stomp" (1929) ^[72]
• Percy Wenrich (1880–1952), "Peaches and Cream" (1905), ^[4] "Skeleton Rag" (1911)
• Clarence C. Wiley (1883–1908), "Car-Barlick Acid" (1901) ^[4]
• Carlotta Williamson (1869–1957), "The Pickaninny Cakewalk: Two Step" (1901), "Wild flower Rag" (1910) ^[73]
• Clarence Woods (1888–1956), "Slippery Elm Rag" (1912), ^[74] "Sleepy Hollow Rag" (1918)
• Calvin Woolsey (1884–1946), "Medic Rag" (1910) ^[75]
• Bob Yosco (1889–1958), "Spaghetti Rag" (1910) ^[49]
• Bob Zurke (1912-1944), "Hobson Street Blues" (1938) ^[76]

Modern ragtime composers (since 1940)

• William Albright (1944–1998), "Brass Knuckles"
• Peter Andersson (born 1968), "Commonplace Rag"
• Donald Ashwander (1929–1994), "Business in Town", "Old Streets", etc. ^[77]
• Winifred Atwell (1914–1989), "Britannia Rag", "Let's Have a Party", her version of "Black and White Rag", etc.
• Rami Bar-Niv "Blue-Rag" "Drag-Rag" "Breezy Rider Rag"
• William Bolcom (born 1938), "The Graceful Ghost" ^[78]

• Dave Brubeck (1920–2012), "It's a Raggy Waltz" (1961)
• Lou Busch (1910–1979), "Carr's Hop" (1952) ^[79]
• Keith Emerson (1944–2016), "Barrelhouse Shakedown"
• Stephen Flaherty (born 1960), Ragtime
• Frank French (born 1952), "Belle of Louisville" ^[80]
• Dick Hyman (born 1927), "Ragtime Razz Matazz" (1958) ^[81]
• Glenn Jenks, "The Harbour Rag" ^[82]
• Billy Joel (born 1949), "Root Beer Rag" (1974)
• Elena Kats-Chernin (born 1957), "Russian Rag"
• Sue Keller (born 1952), "Cranberry Stomp"
• Koji Kondo (born 1961), "Athlete's Rag" (1990)
• Bill Krenz (1899–1980), "Mud Cat Rag" (1953), ^[83] "Poodle Rag" (1954)
• Tom Lehrer (1928–2025), "The Vatican Rag"
• Johnny Maddox, "Friday Night Stomp"
• Paul McCartney (born 1942), "Martha My Dear", "Honey Pie" (1968), "You Gave Me the Answer" (1975)
• Max Morath (1926–2023), "One for Amelia", "The Golden Hours", etc.
• Carter Pann (born 1972), "The Bills"
• David Thomas Roberts (born 1955), "Roberto Clemente"
• Aaron Robinson (born 1970), "Bluet Rag"
• Reginald Robinson (born 1972), "The Strong Man"
• Thomas Shea (1931–1982), ^[84] "Little Wabash Special"
• Adam Swanson (born 1992), "Strater Shuffle," "A Novice Novelty," ect.
• Trebor Jay Tichenor (1940–2014), "Bucksnort Stomp"
• Hiromi Uehara (born 1979), "The Tom and Jerry Show" (2003)
• Nobuo Uematsu (born 1959), "Spinach Rag" (1994), "Dark City Treno" (2000)
• Kjell Waltman (born 1960), "Orange Blossoms" ^[85]
• Chris Ware (born 1967), "Farewell" ^[86]
• Ian Whitcomb (1941–2020), "Lawns of Louisiana", "Marzipan" and others
• Dick Zimmerman (born 1937), "Lost And Found Rag"

Notes

1. "Felix Arndt". The Unconservatory. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
2. Jasen page 148
3. Jasen pages 222, 225
4. "Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information". Bill Edwards. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
5. Jasen pages 46, 47
6. "Jean Schwartz". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
7. "Female Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information". Bill Edwards. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
8. Jasen pages 190, 192
9. Jasen pages 226, 227
10. Jasen pages 139, 140
11. Jasen pages 49, 50
12. Women Composers of Ragtime
13. Jasen pages 52, 53
14. Jasen pages 101, 103
15. "Axel Waldemar Christensen". Ragpiano.com. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
16. Edwards, Bill. "RagPiano.com - Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information (Page 2)". RagPiano.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
17. Jasen pages 174, 175
18. Women Composers of Ragtime
19. Jasen pages 216, 218
20. Jasen pages 55, 57
21. Women Composers of Ragtime
22. Edwards, Bill. "RagPiano.com - Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information (Page 2)". RagPiano.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
23. "Rev. Gary Davis". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
24. Jacobs page 96
25. Philip Scowcroft. A Sixteenth Garland of British Light Music Composers
26. Women Composers of Ragtime
27. "Fischer, Ernst". Magdeburg Biographical Dictionary. University of Magdeburg. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
28. Women Composers of Ragtime
29. Fairchild, Frederick D. "George Hamilton Green". The Percussive Arts Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
30. "Gene Greene--Singer of "King of the Bungaloos"". Tim Gracyk. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
31. "George Clifford Adams". RagPiano.com. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
32. "Ragtime". Let's rag. March 14, 2025. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
33. Jasen, Dave (2020). Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9781000143843.
34. Jasen pages 104, 105
35. "Ernest Hogan". American Vaudeville Museum. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
36. Jasen pages 34, 35
37. Jasen pages 178, 179
38. Jasen pages 38, 41
39. Jasen pages 242, 243
40. Jasen pages 82, 87, 89
41. Jasen pages 59, 60
42. Edwards, Bill. "RagPiano.com - Male Ragtime Composers Biographies and Information (Page 2)". RagPiano.com. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
43. Jasen pages 198, 199
44. Jasen pages 122, 126
45. ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (Third ed.). ASCAP. 1966. p.  377 . Retrieved February 7, 2018.
46. "Everybody Rag with me". Digital Sheet Music Collection. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
47. "Category:Sandy, Grace Linn - IMSLP". imslp.org. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
48. Jasen pages 143, 144
49. Lyons, George; Yosco, Bob. "Spaghetti rag". University of Colorado Boulder Music Library. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
50. Jasen pages 106, 109
51. Jasen pages 182, 184
52. Jasen pages 228, 229
53. ""Blind Willie" McTell (1898–1959)". New Georgia Encyclopedia . Retrieved February 18, 2013.
54. Women Composers of Ragtime
55. Jasen pages 253, 255
56. Jasen page 231
57. Women Composers of Ragtime
58. Jasen page 180
59. Jasen pages 187, 188
60. Women Composers of Ragtime
61. Jasen pages 150, 151
62. Jasen page 232
63. Jasen pages 111, 113
64. Jasen pages 249, 250
65. Women Composers of Ragtime
66. "Female Composers of Ragtime by Ted Tjaden". www.ragtimepiano.ca. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
67. Jasen pages 195, 223
68. "Walkin' on de Rainbow Road (Stults, Robert Morrison) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music". Imslp.org. September 22, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
69. Jasen pages 185, 186
70. Jasen pages 153, 154
71. Jasen pages 28, 29
72. Jasen pages 247, 248
73. Women Composers of Ragtime
74. Jasen page 156
75. Jasen pages 61, 62
76. Later Composers of Ragtime
77. Jasen page 285
78. Jasen pages 288, 289
79. Jasen pages 267, 268
80. "Frank French". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
81. Jasen pages 272, 273
82. "Glenn Jenks". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
83. Jasen pages 269, 270
84. Jasen page 282
85. "Kjell Waltman". Oleg Mezjuev. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
86. "Rags Stomps and Stride | Access Contemporary Music". Acmusic.org. Retrieved December 5, 2016.

References

• Jacobs, Arthur (1967). A New Dictionary of Music. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books.
• Jasen, David A.; Tichenor, Trebor Jay (1978). Rags and Ragtime: A Musical History . Dover Books on Music. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN   0-486-25922-6.