# Ludwig van Beethoven — Every Record We Rank

Ludwig van Beethoven appears 4 times in our Classical Period and Romantic lists, placing as high as No. 1. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.

- **Ranked entries:** 4
- **Appears on:** Classical Period and Romantic
- **Years:** 1801–1824
- **Highest placing:** No. 1 in Classical Period
- **Updated:** 2026-08-30
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/artist/ludwig-van-beethoven/

## Appears on

### [Symphony No. 5 in C minor](https://waxonia.com/track/ludwig-van-beethoven--symphony-no-5-in-c-minor/)

*1808 · No. 1 in [Classical Period](https://waxonia.com/genre/classical-period/)*

Four notes, and a forty-minute argument about what can be built from them. The most famous opening in music is also the most thoroughly worked-out, which is not a coincidence.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven%20Symphony%20No.%205%20in%20C%20minor) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hv-F6LZ1sJk)

### [Symphony No. 9 in D minor](https://waxonia.com/track/ludwig-van-beethoven--symphony-no-9-in-d-minor/)

*1824 · No. 1 in [Romantic](https://waxonia.com/genre/romantic/)*

A choir in a symphony, which was not done, singing Schiller in praise of universal brotherhood. Beethoven was too deaf to hear the applause and had to be turned around to see it.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven%20Symphony%20No.%209%20in%20D%20minor) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=iOAzVcFJVTE)

### [Symphony No. 3 in E-flat "Eroica"](https://waxonia.com/track/ludwig-van-beethoven--symphony-no-3-in-e-flat-eroica/)

*1804 · No. 4 in [Classical Period](https://waxonia.com/genre/classical-period/)*

Twice the length of any symphony before it, and the dedication to Napoleon scratched out so hard it tore the page. The single clearest break between one era and the next.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven%20Symphony%20No.%203%20in%20E-flat%20%22Eroica%22) · [Search YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven%20Symphony%20No.%203%20in%20E-flat%20%22Eroica%22)

### [Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"](https://waxonia.com/track/ludwig-van-beethoven--piano-sonata-no-14-moonlight/)

*1801 · No. 6 in [Classical Period](https://waxonia.com/genre/classical-period/)*

A first movement marked to be played with the dampers raised throughout, so the harmonies smear into one another. Nobody called it Moonlight until after he was dead.

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven%20Piano%20Sonata%20No.%2014%20%22Moonlight%22) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=B2LcJTqwVug)

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Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.