One of the most spellbinding character entrances in opera, ‘Habanera’ is the first aria sung by the titular character in Carmen, Georges Bizet’s 1875 masterpiece. Melodic and infinitely hummable, it’s the sort of song that sticks in your mind – you may have heard it in the movie Up or Beyonce’s Pepsi commercial, but our favourite has to be the incredible Ginger Costa-Jackson‘s performance with ENO in 2023.

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The Queen of the Night’s Act II aria from The Magic Flute, ‘Der Hölle Rache’ is most of Mozart’s most recognisable pieces of music. Best-known for the fast repetition of a high C and reaching several top F’s, this aria challenges even the best sopranos.

The aria comes as the vengeful Queen demands her daughter, Pamina to plunge a knife into the heart of her rival, the sorcerer Sarastro.

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The most famous part of Verdi’s Rigoletto is the aria ‘Women abandon us’ – or as it’s known in Italian, ‘La donna è mobile’: One of the most familiar pieces of music in all of opera, the aria is sung by the character Duke of Mantua and is all about the ‘fickleness of women’ (his words, not ours).

You will recognise this from all sorts of popular culture references – from the Pizza Ristorante advert to the soundtrack of the computer game Grand Theft Auto III and many other films and TV shows including Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Simpsons.

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Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance is chock-full of memorable melodies, including the famous tongue-twisting song from the Major-General, ‘I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General’.

You might recognise this from all sorts of popular culture references – from The Muppet Show, to Family Guy to Frasier.

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Unquestionably an operatic masterpiece, ‘Nessun dorma’ is one of the most famous songs in opera. From Act 3 of Puccini’s 1926 opera Turandot, this iconic aria became a pop culture hit when the BBC paired Pavarotti’s recording of the song with their 1990 World Cup coverage, leading it to hit number 2 in the UK charts nearly 20 years after its initial release.

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With at least 25,000 versions, Porgy and Bess’s opening aria, ‘Summertime’, is the most covered song in the world.

Written in 1934, ‘Summertime’ was one of the first compositions George Gershwin worked on for his brand-new opera Porgy and Bess. The jazz-inspired song is a lullaby for Clara to sing to her child, and it is reprised several more times throughout the opera. The versatile hit went on to be covered by thousands of artists, in every genre from disco to reggae. Unfortunately, Gershwin wouldn’t live to see his song become the world-famous one it is today.

Learn about the history of ‘Summertime’

‘Ride of the Valkyries’ is one of the most popular opera songs in the whole canon. Due to being featured in a plethora of films and TV shows, including Apocalypse Now and Star Wars, it’s a favourite amongst film buffs and opera goers alike.

Found in the beginning of Act 3 of Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) – the second of the four operas in Wagner’s Ring Cycle – Wagner’s epic score accompanies a powerful scene where the Valkyries carry fallen soldiers to rest in Valhalla.

Read about Wagner’s most famous music

An exquisite aria which has somewhat eclipsed the fame of the opera itself, ‘O mio babbino caro’ features in Puccini’s one act opera Gianni Schicchi (1918). One of the most iconic opera songs, ‘O mio babbino caro’ has been performed countless times over the last century, never failing to bring audiences to tears.

Read our Puccini composer guide

Another belter from Bizet’s popular opera Carmen, the ‘Toreador Song’ has been a pop culture favourite for some time, having been covered by opera singer Samuel Ramey on Sesame Street, as well as in The Simpsons, where it is heard when the family pay a visit to see Carmen at the opera.

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‘Figaro Figaro Figaro!’

The Barber of Seville is full of great tunes that are all incredibly familiar, including Figaro’s famous aria, ‘Make way for the servant who does everything’ (‘Largo al factotum’). Sung by Figaro (the barber of Seville himself) as he shows how in demand he is, singing his own praises – ‘bravo Figaro, bravo, bravissimo!’ You may have also heard Robin William’s comedic rendition in Mrs Doubtfire.

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Perhaps one of Verdi’s most well-known operas, La traviata is brimming with famous music. ‘Brindisi’ (‘toast’ in Italian) is the celebrated Drinking Song, a lively piece performed in Act 1 during a party scene where the characters toast to life and love.

Read about La traviata in popular culture

One of the best-known and most successful Italian composers, it’s no surprise that Puccini pops up yet again as we look at the most famous arias of all time. ‘Un bel di vedremo’ features in Madam Butterfly, one of opera’s most enduring tales of unrequited love. Transalated as ‘One fine day we’ll see’ this aria is sung by Cio-Cio-San as she hopes and believes that her love will return to her.

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As with any opera by Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro is bursting with recognisable music. You’re probably already familiar with Cherubino’s Aria from The Marriage of Figaro – ‘Tell me what love is’ (‘voi che sapete).

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The first song performed in Handel’s opera Xerxes (1738), ‘Ombra mai fu’, isn’t your classic opera love song in that it’s sung to a tree. So overwhelmed is Xerxes by its beauty that he decorates it and arranges for it to be guarded before he goes on his travels.  It remains one of the most famous opera pieces in the world.

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It’s one of the most famous pieces of music in the world, but you might not recognise the ‘Galop infernal’ by name.

Featuring in the final Act of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, the ‘Galop infernal’ is the most famous example of Can-can music.

The fast paced, high-energy music has been used regularly in TV and film throughout the years.

Find out where you’ve heard it before