Piano rolls

This section is dedicated to ragtime piano rolls recorded during the ragtime era. A piano roll contains the full information on how a certain piano piece should be played and inserted in a special player piano it can still today make the piano sound exactly as it did when the roll was new.

Piano rolls can be produced by performers playing on a player piano with a recording mechanism or they can be produced by a skilled person manually punching holes matching the music score in the paper roll. Both of these methods can also be mixed which explains why sometimes notes and chords that are impossible (for one person) to play in real life can be heard on piano rolls.

Today we don't even need player pianos to play the rolls. They can be converted to digital form without loss of information and that explains why below you can find a number of piano rolls with outstanding sound quality (in mp3-format).

The list below contains rags composed by all major ragtime composers as well as some representative examples of quality rags by less well-known ones.

Note: The MIDI files used to make this page can be downloaded here:

Click on the column title to change sort order: Year, Title or Composer. Click on the Play icon to listen to the music. Click again to stop. Click on the Score icon to see or download the piano score in pdf-format. Click on the Download icon to download the mp3-file (or listen to the music if the Play icon does not work for you).

Year Title Composer Play Score Download
1898 Echoes from the Snowball Club Guy, Harry P.
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1899 A Rag-Time Skedaddle Rosey, George
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1899 Cotton Picker's Rag Sutton, Harry O.
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1899 Doc Brown's Cake Walk Johnson, Charles L.
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1899 Maple Leaf Rag Joplin, Scott
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1899 Original Rags Joplin, Scott
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1899 The Bowery Buck Turpin, Tom
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1899 Tickled to Death Hunter, Charles H.
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1900 A Tennessee Tantalizer Hunter, Charles H.
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1901 Cotton Bolls Hunter, Charles H.
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1901 Possum and Taters Hunter, Charles H.
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1901 The Easy Winners Joplin, Scott
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1902 A Cotton Patch Tyler, Chas. A.
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1903 Ashy Africa Wenrich, Percy
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1903 Palm Leaf Rag Joplin, Scott
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1903 Something Doing Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott
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1903 St Louis Rag Turpin, Tom
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1903 Weeping Willow Rag Joplin, Scott
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1904 Car-Barlick-Acid Wiley, Clarence
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1904 Panama Rag Seymour, C.
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1904 St Louis Tickle Barney & Seymore
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1904 The Amazon Rag Hahn, Teddy
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1904 The Cascades Joplin, Scott
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1904 The Favorite Joplin, Scott
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1904 The Sycamore Joplin, Scott
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1904 Whoa You Heiffer Verges, Al.
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1905 Back To Life Hunter, Charles
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1905 Blue Ribbon Rag Aufderheide, May
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1905 Florida Rag Lowry, Geo.L.
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1905 Freckles Rag Buck, Larry
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1905 Peaches and Cream Wenrich, Percy
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1905 The Black Cat Rag Wooster, Frank & Smith, Ethyl B.
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1905 The Cannon Ball Nothup, Jos.
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1906 Cole Smoak St. John, Clarence H.
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1906 Dill Pickles Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1906 Frog Legs Rag Scott, James
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1906 Kinklets Marshall, Arthur
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1906 Pickles and Peppers Shepherd, Adaline
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1907 Fluffy Ruffles Crabb, C. Duane
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1907 Ginger Snap Rag Dugdale, Horace K.
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1907 Gladiolus Rag Joplin, Scott
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1907 Kansas City Rag Scott, James
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1907 Lily Queen Joplin, Scott & Marshall, Arthur
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1907 Missouri Rag Powell, W.C.
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1907 Possum Rag Dobyns, Geraldine
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1907 Searchlight Rag Joplin, Scott
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1907 The Nonpareil Joplin, Scott
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1908 A Black Hand Hoffman, Robert
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1908 Black And White Rag Botsford, George
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1908 Country Club Joplin, Scott
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1908 Fig Leaf Rag Joplin, Scott
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1908 Honeymoon Rag Olman, Abe
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1908 Lightning Rag Jones, Clarence
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1908 Pineapple Rag Joplin, Scott
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1908 Poison Ivy Ingraham, Herbert
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1908 Powder Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1908 Sensation - A Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1908 Sleepy Sidney Scheu, Archie
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1908 Sunflower Tickle Wenrich, Percy
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1908 The Bolo Rag Gumble, Albert
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1908 Wild Cherries Snyder, Ted
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1909 Bud Rag Cross, Budd L.
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1909 Bumble Bee Rag Keithley, E. Clinton
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1909 Buzzer Rag Aufderheide, May
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1909 Cheese and Crackers Denney, Homer
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1909 Ethiopia Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1909 Euphonic Sounds Joplin, Scott
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1909 Funny Bones Woolsey, Calvin Lee
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1909 Grace And Beauty Scott, James
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1909 Honey Rag van Alstyne, Egbert
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1909 Lemons and Limes Salisbury, Cora
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1909 Live Wires Rag Shepherd, Adaline
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1909 Oh You Devil Dabney, Ford T.
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1909 Pansy Blossoms Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1909 Paragon Rag Joplin, Scott
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1909 Pleasant Moments Joplin, Scott
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1909 Porcupine Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1909 Poverty Rag Lincoln, Harry J.
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1909 Razzle Dazzle Rag Stokes, Nellie
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1909 Sapho Rag Robinson, J. Russell
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1909 Sunburst Rag Scott, James
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1909 Temptation Rag Lodge, Henry
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1909 That Poker Rag Blake, Charlotte
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1909 The Franco-American Rag Schwartz, Jean
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1909 The Ragtime "Betty" Scott, James
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1909 The Wish-Bone Rag Blake, Charlotte
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1909 Wall Street Rag Joplin, Scott
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1909 Vanity Rag Pratt, Paul
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1910 A Certain Party Kelley, Tom
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1910 Anoma Rag Dabney, Ford
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1910 Aviation Rag Janza, Mark
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1910 Barbed Wire Rag Spencer, Herbert
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1910 Black Beauty Rag Schwartz, Jean
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1910 Candle-Stick Rag Olman, Abe
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1910 Clover Blossom Rag Heltman, Fred
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1910 Columbia Rag Giblin, Irene M.
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1910 Grizzly Bear Rag Botsford, George
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1910 Halley's Comet Rag Lincoln, Harry J.
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1910 Haytian Rag Dabney, Ford
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1910 Hilarity Rag Scott, James
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1910 Ketchup Rag Giblin, Irene M.
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1910 Medic Rag Woolsey, Calvin Lee
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1910 Old Crow Rag Botsford, George
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1910 Ophelia Rag Scott, James
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1910 Oyster Rag Lyle, Tom
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1910 Rag-a-Tag Rag Brown, Al W.
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1910 Red Pepper - A Spicy Rag Lodge, Henry
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1910 Rig-A-Ma-Role Rag Kendall, Edwin F.
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1910 Sneaky Shuffles Rag Lodge, Henry
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1910 The Aviator Rag Giblin, Irene M.
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1910 The Darkey Todalo Jordan, Joe
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1910 The Ragtime Oriole Scott, James
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1910 Waiman Rag Shannon, J. R.
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1911 Angel Food Marzian, A.F.
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1911 April Fool Rag Schwartz, Jean
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1911 Cloud Kisser Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1911 Crimson Rambler Rag Tierney, Harry A.
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1911 Cum Bac - Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1911 Felicity Rag Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott
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1911 Haunting Rag Lenzberg, Julius
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1911 Honeysuckle Rag Botsford, George
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1911 Hyacinth Rag Botsford, George
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1911 Oh! You Angel Dabney, Ford
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1911 Klassicle Rag Crabb, C. Duane
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1911 Peanuts Earnist, Ethel
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1911 Quality Rag Scott, James
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1911 Ramshackle Rag Snyder, Ted
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1911 Royal Flush Botsford, George
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1911 Scarecrow Rag Morrison, Will B.
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1911 Sunflower Rag Wenrich, Percy
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1911 Tar Babies Johnson, Charles L.
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1911 That Corrugated Rag Mellinger, Edw.J.
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1911 The Fiddler's Rag Trovato and Manning, A. C.
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1911 The Minstrel Man Robinson, J.Russel
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1911 Whirl Wind Rag Robinson, J.Russel
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1911 William's Wedding Tierney, Harry A.
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1911 Will O' The Wisp Haasz, Richard
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1912 A Bag Of Rags McKanlass, W. R.
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1912 Black Diamond Rag Lodge, Henry
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1912 Dockstader Rag Copeland, Les
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1912 Ham Bones Denney, Homer
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1912 Jamaica Jinjer van Alstyne, Egbert
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1912 Mutt & Jeff Rag Eubank, Philip E.
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1912 Piccalilli Rag Reeg, George A.
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1912 Ragtime Jim Phillips, A. Fred
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1912 Red Onion Rag Olman, Abe
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1912 Scott Joplin's New Rag Joplin, Scott
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1912 That Demon Rag Smith, Russell
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1912 The Entertainer's Rag Roberts, Jay
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1912 The Maurice Rag Penn, William H
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1912 The Winter Garden Rag Olman, Abe
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1912 Turkish Towel Rag Allen, Thomas S.
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1912 Variety Rag Tierney, Harry A.
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1913 Alabama Jigger Claypoole, Edward B.
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1913 American Beauty Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1913 Banana Peel Rag Winkler, Gus
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1913 Crazy Bone Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1913 Dynamite Klickmann, F.Henri & Biese, Paul
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1913 Gold Dust Twins Rag Johnson, Nat
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1913 Good Gravy Rag Belding, Harry
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1913 Gulbransen Rag Willet, Herbert W.
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1913 Junk Man Rag Roberts, Luckey
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1913 Kismet Rag Joplin, Scott & Hayden, Scott
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1913 Pastime Rag No 1 Matthews, Artie
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1913 Pastime Rag No 2 Matthews, Artie
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1913 Pork and Beans Roberts, Luckey
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1913 The Incandescent Rag Botsford, George
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1913 Universal Rag Botsford, George
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1913 Whipped Cream Rag Wenrich, Percy
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1914 Black And Blue Rag Nichols, Hal G.
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1914 Blame It On The Blues Cooke, Chas L.
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1914 Calico Rag Johnson, Nat
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1914 Caprice Rag Johnson, James P.
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1914 Climax Rag Scott, James
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1914 Colonial Rag Lenzberg, Julius & Ball, Ernest R.
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1914 Hot House Rag Pratt, Paul
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1914 Magnetic Rag Joplin, Scott
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1914 Motor Bus Houston, Annie
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1914 Peek-A-Boo Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1914 Shine or Polish Rag Heltman, Fred
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1914 Tango Rag Olman, Abe
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1914 The Chevy Chase Blake, Eubie
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1914 The Lily Rag Thompson, Chas.
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1914 The Music Box Rag Roberts, Luckey
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1915 12th Street Rag Bowman, Euday
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1915 Agitation Rag Hampton, Robert
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1915 Cleopatra Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1915 Esther Reichstein, David
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1915 Evergreen Rag Scott, James
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1915 Kentucky Rag Willis, Floyd H.
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1915 Ragtime Nightingale Lamb, Joseph F.
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1915 Reindeer Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1916 Bantam Step Jentes, Harry
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1916 Blue Goose Rag Johnson, Charles L.
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1916 Daintiness Rag Johnson, James P.
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1916 Harmony Rag Nichols, Hal G.
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1916 Honey Moon Rag Scott, James
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1916 Patricia Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1916 Prosperity Rag Scott, James
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1916 The Cactus Rag Gibson, Lucien Porter
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1916 Pastime Rag No 3 Matthews, Artie
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1916 The Two-Key Rag Hollander, Joe
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1916 Top Liner Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1916 Wild Flower Rag Williams, Clarence
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1917 Charleston Rag Blake, Eubie
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1917 Harlem Strut Johnson, James P.
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1917 Rialto Ripples Gershwin, George & Donaldson, Will
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1917 Reflection Rag Joplin, Scott
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1918 Dixie Dimples Scott, James
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1918 Muslin Rag Kaufman, Mel B.
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1918 Sleepy Hollow Rag Woods, Clarence
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1919 Bohemia Rag Lamb, Joseph F.
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1919 New Era Rag Scott, James
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1919 Peace and Plenty Rag Scott, James
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1921 Victory Rag Scott, James
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1922 Deuces Wild Rag Bauersachs, Hubert
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1922 The Melrose Rag Bauersachs, Hubert
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1923 The New Russian Rag Cobb, George L.
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