# Instrumental Pop



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Has it ever been done? I think some of my pieces that are instrumental fall under this category!


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Has it ever been done? I think some of my pieces that are instrumental fall under this category!


I'd _venture_ to say it's been done before. Perhaps you could _vai_ with _outlaws_ to _return to forver_. Then you'll find what you're looking for in the whirlwinds of _tornados_ and hiding in _the shadows_. You could drive with _Booker_ in his _MG_ and look in the South for the _dregs of dixie_. Just remember to _walk, don't run_ when you go on your _safaris_ looking for that _taste of honey_. Yes, _love is blue_ just don't _wipe out _ in your _chariot of fire_ because of it. And since there is _the good, the bad, and the ugly_ in any situation, always keep a _fifth of beethoven_ close to your side to ward off the smell of _green onions_.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

B. Bumble and the Stingers






The Tornados






The Shadows






Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny
Classical Gas by Mason Williams
Sylvia by Focus
Love Is Blue by Paul Mauriat
Rise, and A Taste Of Honey by Herb Alpert
Chariots Of Fire by Vangelis
Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione
Star Wars by John Williams
Pick Up The Pieces by AWB


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

starthrower said:


> Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny
> Classical Gas by Mason Williams
> Sylvia by Focus
> Love Is Blue by Paul Mauriat
> ...


Great call with Vangelis. Speaking of, I need to listen to more of him, I love his music!


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

On my iPod I made a folder of instrumental rock and roll. 

Classical Gas Mason Williams 
Whipped Cream Herp Alpert
Taste of Honey Herp Alpert
Pet Sounds The Beach Boys
Waiting Santana 

Bouree Jethro Tull
Underture The Who
Albatross Fleetwood Mac
Black Mountain Side Led Zeppelin 
Moby Dick Led Zeppelin 

Glad Traffic 
Soul Sacrifice Santana 
Interstellar Overdrive Pink Floyd
Beck's Bolero Jeff Beck et al.
One of these days Pink Floyd

The Clap Yes
Memory of Elizabeth Reed Allman Brothers 
Jessica Allman Brothers 
Freeway Jam Jeff Beck
Led Boots Jeff Beck

Mood for a day Yes
Bron-y-ar Led Zeppelin 
Fanfare for a common man ELP
*** Down ELP (Copland)
Honky Tonk Train Blues ELP

Love's Theme Love's Theme Orchestra 
Breezin George Benson 
Also Sprach Zarathustra Deodata
L'enfant Vangelis
Exit Tangerine Dream

Not all pop music, but that's the playlist in total


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Frankenstein by Edgar Winter is another great one!
Los Endos by Genesis 
Peaches En Regalia by Frank Zappa is a wonderful tune, although it wasn't a radio hit.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Lo Borges/Milton Nascimento - Clube da Esquina 2 (altough there are also versions with lyrics)





Teenage Fanclub - Is this music?





Todd Rundgren - Breathless





R Stevie Moore - Melbourne


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Maybe my definition of POP differs from others here, but I don't consider the Dregs, Yes (pre 90125), Peaches in Regalia, Los Endos, Sylvia by Focus, ANYTHING by Return to Forever, to be POP.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Quite a few hit the UK singles chart when I was young - these are a few of the earliest I remember:

Mr. Bloe - _Groovin' with Mr. Bloe_ (1970):
East of Eden - _Jig-a-Jig_ (1971):
Titanic - _Sultana_ (1971):
Sakkarin - _Sugar Sugar_ (1971):
Hot Butter - _Popcorn_ (1972):


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Simon Moon said:


> Maybe my definition of POP differs from others here, but I don't consider the Dregs, Yes (pre 90125), Peaches in Regalia, Los Endos, Sylvia by Focus, ANYTHING by Return to Forever, to be POP.


Sylvia, and Peaches are just very catchy tunes that can compete for the attention of a pop audience. It's too bad Peaches never got any airtime. I can't think of any Dregs tunes that would fit into a pop format. The poster was trying to be clever with puns.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Simon Moon said:


> Maybe my definition of POP differs from others here, but I don't consider the Dregs, Yes (pre 90125), Peaches in Regalia, Los Endos, Sylvia by Focus, ANYTHING by Return to Forever, to be POP.


Ya, I agree. I really don't think it's been done before! Not in the way I envision it, I'm trying to be on the top 10 billboard charts with highly artistic instrumental pop tunes!


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm trying to be on the top 10 billboard charts with highly artistic instrumental pop tunes!


In the light of who is currently charting on the Billboard Pop Chart, and who the buying public is driving those sales, I fear your project may be a "heavy lift."

"Artistic" and "Billboard Charts" are not concepts that have collided much historically!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Room2201974 said:


> In the light of who is currently charting on the Billboard Pop Chart, and who the buying public is driving those sales, I fear your project may be a "heavy lift."
> 
> "Artistic" and "Billboard Charts" are not concepts that have collided much historically!


If I can have one instrumental hit, I'll be happy!


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Captainnumber36 said:


> If I can have one instrumental hit, I'll be happy!


some of the recommendations above were hits, for instance Sleepwalk mentioned by Starthrower is definitely a beautiful tune and it's a very famous one


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I'm creating a playlist for myself on Spotify called Songs without words. There are plenty of suggestions here. I'm resurrecting this thread to see if you have anymore suggestions. My playlist will be rock and roll, pop, some cross over jazz, and some New Age music. And probably spanning the 1960s through 1980s. I hope to get 100 pieces of music in my playlist. 

Anymore suggestions?


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Earth, everything you liked about grunge without the yarling

Dylan Carlson was a close friend of Kurt Cobain and purchased the shotgun Kurt killed himself with


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Taggart said:


> The Shadows
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What ever happened to them?


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## Potiphera (Mar 24, 2011)

I can't find a better recording, this seems ancient.


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## Potiphera (Mar 24, 2011)

Love Pink Floyd.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

senza sordino said:


> I'm creating a playlist for myself on Spotify called Songs without words. There are plenty of suggestions here. I'm resurrecting this thread to see if you have anymore suggestions. My playlist will be rock and roll, pop, some cross over jazz, and some New Age music. And probably spanning the 1960s through 1980s. I hope to get 100 pieces of music in my playlist.
> 
> Anymore suggestions?


It may not exactly fit in with the stylistic criteria of your playlist, senza, but this early track by the Commodores is worth considering.


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)




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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

Here's a link to a list of contemporary instrumental artists -

https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/contemporary-instrumental-ma0000012005/artists

and here's a list entitled "Best 100 Instrumental Songs" - (with samples of each selection - covers all genres of music) -

https://archive.org/details/Best100InstrumentalSongs


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

Snooping around the world wide web, I found this article on wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rock_instrumentals

I already have a list of 62 pieces in my spotify list. This list included rock and roll, jazz, new age and four or five film scores. But I think I'll drop the film scores and add some more jazz and rock and roll. This wikipedia list will really help.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I have just completed a playlist on Spotify of 100 Songs Without Words. Eight hours and twenty one minutes. I have given some thought to the order - chronological but also a gradual change in style. Though there are a couple of jarring transitions. There is no Brian Eno, because I don't know his music and I didn't know really where to start. And no King Crimson because they're not on Spotify (though this will change later this year I read). I accept feedback. I will keep this list capped at 100. It is also a public playlist. (I use my real name on Spotify, and I have one follower - a student of mine)

*Songs without Words Playlist*
Sleep Walk Santo and Johnny
Tequila The Champs
Pipeline The Ventures
Walk, Don't Run The Ventures
Miserlou Dick Dale
Apache The Shadows
Green Onions Booker T and the MGs
Time is Tight Booker T and the MGs
A Taste of Honey Herb Alpert and the Tijuna Brass
Whipped Cream Herb Alpert and the Tijuna Brass

Classical Gas Mason Williams
Let's Go Away for a While The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds The Beach Boys
Waiting Santana
Soul Sacrifice Santana
Return to Forever Chick Corea
Peaches En Regalia Frank Zappa
The Grand Wazoo Frank Zappa
Eat that Question Frank Zappa
Canon Chicago

Once upon a Time Chicago
Progress? Chicago
The Approaching Storm Chicago
Man vs Man: The End Chicago
Taurus Spirit
Frankenstein The Edgar Winter Group
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed The Allman Brothers Band
Blue Sky	The Allman Brothers Band
Jessica	The Allman Brothers Band
Free Wheelin'	Bachman Turner Overdrive

Hideaway	John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers
Toad	Cream
Albatross	Fleetwood Mac
Overture	The Who
Underture	The Who
Bouree	Jethro Tull
Horizons	Genesis
Glad Traffic
Interstellar Overdrive	Pink Floyd
One of these Days	Pink Floyd

The Barbarian	Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Beck's Bolero	Jeff Beck
Black Mountain Side	Led Zeppelin
Moby Dick	Led Zeppelin
Bron-y-aur	Led Zeppelin
The Clap	Yes
Mood for a Day	Yes
Catherine of Aragon	Rick Wakeman
Quadrophenia	The Who
After the Ordeal	Genesis

Hairless Heart	Genesis
The Waiting Room	Genesis
Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats	Genesis
Hoedown	Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Fanfare for the Common Man	Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Honky Tonk Train Blues	Emerson, Lake and Palmer
East St Louis Toodle-Oo	Steely Dan
Sylvia	Focus
Meeting of the Spirits	John McLaughlin
You know, You Know	John McLaughlin

Cause We've Ended as Lovers	Jeff Beck
Freeway Jam	Jeff Beck
Led Boots	Jeff Beck
Los Endos	Genesis
Pipeline	The Alan Parsons Project
Pick up the Pieces	The Average White Band
Machine Gun	Commodores
Love's Theme	The Love's Theme Orchestra
Breezin'	George Benson
Feel's So Good	Chuck Mangione

Birdland	Weather Report
Café Amore	Spyro Gyra
Two Folk Songs	Pat Methany
Miles Runs the Voodoo Down	Miles Davis
Chameleon	Herbie Hancock
Popcorn	Hot Butter
Phaedra	Tangerine Dream
L'enfant	Vangelis
Pulstar	Vangelis
Also Sprach Zarathustra	Deodato

Oxygene Part 1	Jean-Michel Jarre
Computer World	Kraftwerk
A New Career in Town	David Bowie
Warszawa	David Bowie
Art Decade	David Bowie
Weeping Wall	David Bowie
I Robot The Alan Parsons Project
Rockestra Theme	Paul McCartney and Wings
YYZ Rush
Cinema	Yes

Signe	Eric Clapton
Cluster One	Pink Floyd
Marooned	Pink Floyd
Sign Language	Yes
The Crush of Love	Joe Satriani
Flying in a Blue Dream	Joe Satriani
Speed of Light	Joe Satriani
Little Wing	Stevie Ray Vaughan
The Roots of Coincidence	Pat Methany


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)




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## Hiawatha (Mar 13, 2013)

elgars ghost said:


> Quite a few hit the UK singles chart when I was young - these are a few of the earliest I remember:
> 
> Mr. Bloe - _Groovin' with Mr. Bloe_ (1970):
> East of Eden - _Jig-a-Jig_ (1971):
> ...


Yes that list strikes a chord with me as someone who first took notice of the full singles chart in 1970. Here is the original version of "Popcorn" from Gershon Kingsley's groundbreaking 1969 album "Music to Moog By". This is an odd area where easy listening is at the root of cutting edge, especially long term.






From that era, I guess "Neanderthal Man" by Hotlegs, the precursor to 10CC, has an instrumental vibe about it but as it has words it doesn't count. There must be many records which have stress on the music.

There were a lot of TV tunes in the charts as well. "Sleepy Shores" by the Johnny Pearson Orchestra from the series "Owen MD"; John Barry's "Theme from The Persuaders"; the theme to "The Onedin Line" (Adagio from Spartcus) by the London Symphony Orchestra; and "Eye Level", the theme to "Van Der Valk" by the Simon Park Orchestra, plus "Amazing Grace" by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band. I am doing this from memory so correct me if any detail isn't quite right. I think it is there or thereabouts.


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## Hiawatha (Mar 13, 2013)

senza sordino said:


> I have just completed a playlist on Spotify of 100 Songs Without Words. Eight hours and twenty one minutes. I have given some thought to the order - chronological but also a gradual change in style. Though there are a couple of jarring transitions. There is no Brian Eno, because I don't know his music and I didn't know really where to start. And no King Crimson because they're not on Spotify (though this will change later this year I read). I accept feedback. I will keep this list capped at 100. It is also a public playlist. (I use my real name on Spotify, and I have one follower - a student of mine)
> 
> *Songs without Words Playlist*
> Sleep Walk Santo and Johnny
> ...


Excellent list for which thanks - and yes, I am on Spotify.


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## Hiawatha (Mar 13, 2013)

Mollie John said:


> Here's a link to a list of contemporary instrumental artists -
> 
> https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/contemporary-instrumental-ma0000012005/artists
> 
> ...


I like this too.


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## Hiawatha (Mar 13, 2013)

One question now is whether rave culture counts as pop and if so when and where.

For example, are these two instrumentals?

808 State - Pacific State:


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## Hiawatha (Mar 13, 2013)

A Guy called Gerald - Voodoo Ray:


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