The history of “Arabian” and music of the Islamicate world remains a relatively small sub-section within the disciplines of musicology. In addition, much of what Western musicologists know about Middle Eastern music (including North Africa and Persia) in the 7th – 13th centuries is still highly dependent on the work of a few late 19th and early 20th century scholars. Of these, Henry George Farmer (1882-1965) is among the most respected pioneers of the field. Along with his book "The History of Arabian Music to the 13th Century," first published in 1929, musicologists still rely on his extensive studies of the history of Middle Eastern music theory, musicians, and instruments, most of which were published in the 1920s and 30s. In addition to Farmer, musicologists continue to refer to studies and translations by other early 20th century scholars. These include Duncan MacDonald’s (1863-1943)1901 translation of the section related to music and singing in al-Ghazali’s "Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din" and the 1937 translation by James Robson (1890-1981) of Ibn Abi al-Dunya’s "Dhamm al-Malahi." Due to shared interests, Robson collaborated with Farmer on partial translations of two of the earliest known music treatises from the 9th century by Ibn Salama (c.830) and Ibn Khurdadhbih (c.820-912); the latter believed to be lost at the time. While the work of these scholars was essential to initiating new areas of music research, few of their studies or conclusions have ever been critically re-examined. In this paper, I offer a reassessment of the work of Henry George Farmer and his continued influence in musicology. I begin with a brief overview of his career and most influential research, followed by a discussion of his place in the field today. My primary questions are: Why hasn’t Farmer’s work been subject to a critical assessment or examination? Where might such a reassessment lead? My purpose is not to negate or undermine the importance of Farmer and his contemporaries. Rather, my intent is to acknowledge their impact while emphasizing the value of a critical reevaluation, particularly in light of new manuscript discoveries, the increase in critical editions of texts related to music, and interdisciplinary studies linking contemporary and cross-cultural music practices to the past.