St. Patrick's Day: The pipes are calling with Irish music

(CBS) On St. Patrick's Day, when pondering St. Patrick - that's first on your list, right? - green beer, shamrocks or which parade you'll attend, try listening to Irish songs or music from any one of these bands and musicians. It'll get you in the mood for a night of waiting an extra two minutes for each pint of Guinness you order.

The music listed below (with videos) ranges from the traditionalist Chieftains to the stadium-rock of U2 (in no particular order).

"San Patricio" by The Chieftains and Ry Cooder This 2010 album celebrates a historical footnote: St. Patrick's Battalion - or Battalon de San Patricio - was a mostly Irish-immigrant group of soldiers who deserted the U.S. Army in the Mexican-American war of 1846-1848 and fought for Mexico. The album offers an unusual hybrid of Irish and Mexican music and in addition to the Chieftains and Cooder, features performances by Los Tigres del Norte and Linda Ronstadt. The Chieftains perform on St. Patrick's Day at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.

Anything by U2 It's been a long time since U2 put out music that was specifically about Ireland. Of course, there's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from "War" (1983) and its counterpart "Please" on "Pop" (1997), but because U2 is an Irish band - and still massively popular - you'll be hearing it a lot on Thursday. If you want the more impassioned political stuff, try "War" or "The Unforgettable Fire" (1984). For the more personal, there's "Achtung Baby" (1991).

Sinead O'Connor's "The Lion and the Cobra" O'Connor's debut has everything you'd expect of her: Wails, yelps, screams, off-key moments, drama, strife and percussion that recalls Peter Gabriel. The then-20-year-old would go on to bigger fame for her cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 1990 and for ripping up a picture of the Pope on "Saturday Night Live" in 1992, but this album hints, musically, at everything to come after.

The Pogues has had a colorful career, mostly revolving around lead singer Shane MacGowan's remarkable alcohol intake - he threw up over an audience in 2002 - and his ability to sound lucid one moment and absolutely sloshed the next while belting Irish music. The Pogues kicked MacGowan out for a number of years (or he left, depending on whom you believe) before reuniting with him in 2001 and periodically touring. You're likely to hear the Pogues at any bar Thursday. Those of you in New York can see The Pogues live on St. Patrick's Day at Terminal 5.

"Whiskey in the Jar" This traditional Irish song has been performed countless times by countless musicians but three versions stand out. The Dubliners version from 1967 keeps the song rooted in Irish tradition, with fiddle, guitar, banjo and Irish flute. Thin Lizzy's version is a full-out rocker with different lyrics and a modified melody. Metallica's 1998 version takes what little traditional Irish folk is left in Think Lizzy's and tosses it out in favor of crunchier guitars and a snarling lead vocal.

Celtic Woman will appear live at Radio Music Hall in New York Thursday. The vocal ensemble performs music influenced by several traditions, including Celtic - natch - and also adult contemporary and New Age. If you're into the ethereal, this show may be for you. If you can't make it, try listening to Celtic Woman's latest release, "Songs from the Heart." The current line-up includes Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lisa Lambe and Mairead Nesbitt.

Dropkick Murphys offer some punk on St. Patrick's Day. The band's sound is heavy on the fuzzed-out guitars, big drums and bass, and they throw in some accordion and bagpipes, too. These Boston-based punks are performing at the House of Blues in Boston on St. Patrick's Day. If you can't make the show, try throwing in "Going Out in Style," the Murphys' latest release. It's the story of an Irish immigrant's life, up to and including his death.

On its website under "Tour," the Irish Tenors' website reads, "New 2011 tour dates will be listed soon." Until then, placate yourself by listening to one of the many recordings the group has released or watching one of its PBS specials. The Tenors do a version of "Danny Boy" that's treacly enough to bring a tear to your grandmother's eyes. (Did you know the lyrics for this famous Irish ballad were written by an Englishman? Now you do!)

If you want a little more rock in your St. Patrick's Day musical extravaganza, go with Black 47. Lead singer Larry Kirwan - an Irishman who lives in New York - is as likely to sing about the long lost tapes of Jimi Hendrix as he is James Joyce, and the music has a distinct lower-east-side-of-New-York quality to it. Black 47 plays St. Patrick's Day at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York at 7:00 p.m.