Why Is Pachelbel’s Canon in D Everywhere? The Story Behind the World’s Most Famous Wedding Song

If you’ve been to more than one wedding in your life, I’d put money on the fact that you’ve heard this song. You may not know it by name, but the second those opening notes start, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

It’s Pachelbel’s Canon in D — and it has one of the strangest backstories in classical music. This piece sat in a drawer, essentially forgotten, for almost 300 years. Then it came roaring back and became one of the most recognized pieces of music on the planet. I dug into the whole story for episode 104 of my podcast, Busy Kids Love Music, and I wanted to write it all out here too, because it’s too good not to. Continue reading “Why Is Pachelbel’s Canon in D So Popular? The Real Story”