# Pop Songs Based On Classical Works



## ulyssestone

I made a playlist here:

http://www.spotifyclassical.com/2010/02/pop-songs-based-on-classical-works-open.html

Paul Simon - American Tune
Bach, JS : St Matthew Passion BWV244 : "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden"
The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
Ensemble Modern - Electric Counterpoint - Fast
Tony Bennett - Stranger In Paradise
Paavo Jarvi - Prince Igor, Polovtsian Dances: Dance II
Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love
London Symphony Orchestra - Martini: Plaisir d'amour
Kelis - Like You
Mozart : Die Zauberflöte : Act 2 "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen"
Barry Manilow - Could It Be Magic
Evgeny Kissin - Prelude No. 20 in C Minora
Mario Lanza - And This Is My Beloved - From Kismet
Borodin Quartet - String Quartet No.2 In D Major: Notturno: Andante
Tony Martin - Here
Kurt Eichhorn & Lucia Popp - Rigoletto: "Caro Nome" (Verdi)
Della Reese - Don't You Know?
Rolando Panerai - La Bohème: Quando me'n vo soletta
The Toys - A Lover's Concerto
Gustav Leonhardt - Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 116
Van Cliburn - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: Adagio sostenuto
Jem - They
Glenn Gould - Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881: Praeludium
Eric Carmen - All By Myself - Digitally Remastered 1997
Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
BWV 140 - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme: Choral: Zion Hört Die Wächter Singen
Frank Sinatra - I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
Yundi Li - Chopin: Impromptu No.4 in C sharp minor, Op.66 "Fantaisie-Impromptu"
Eric Carmen - Never Gonna Fall In Love Again
St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Symphony No. 2 in E minor Op. 27: III. Adagio
Monty Python - Oliver Cromwell (Monty Python Sings)
Martha Argerich - Polonaise No. 6 in A flat 'Heroic' Op. 53
Ella Fitzgerald - My Reverie
Zoltán Kocsis - Debussy: Rêverie
The Crew Nuts - Mostly Martha
Orchestra - Martha (1997 Digital Remaster): M'appari tutt'amor
Perry Como - Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)
The Philadelphia Orchestra - España
Jo Stafford - No Other Love
Murray Perahia - 12 Études, Op. 10: Étude No. 3 in E Major
Patti Page - All My Love
Daniel Barenboim & Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Ravel : Bolero
Xzibit featuring Dr. Dre - Symphony In X Major - Explicit Version
Ton Koopman - Bach, JS : Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major BWV1048 : I Allegro
Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover (Single Edit)
Francine Kay - Gymnopedie No 1 (Satie)

Any more suggestions?


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## KaerbEmEvig

Yundi Li – Chopin: Impromptu No.4 in C sharp minor, Op.66 "Fantaisie-Impromptu"???

Nevermind, I've read the list and now understand.


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## Art Rock

Yvonne Keeley & Scott Fitzgerald - If I had words
A #1 hit in Holland in the 70s, based on
Saint Saens - Symphony 3 (organ)


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## Il Seraglio

"Graduation" by Vitamin C *shudder*


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## Art Rock

> Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
> BWV 140 - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme: Choral: Zion Hört Die Wächter Singen


I doubt this. First off, there is no reason to list the cover rather than the famous original by Procol Harum, but more importantly, although the song has a very strong Bach influence, there is as far as i know not one single Bach composition that you can point too as the original (certainly not Air, which is often quoted for this song).


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## ulyssestone

Hi, Art Rock, The original version of A Whiter Shade of Pale is not available on Spotify at this moment, so I use my favourite cover. 

Thanks for If I Had Words, I have put it in my playlist.

@Il Seraglio 

Graduation Day doesn't belong here, see the youtube video from my OP


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## Welsh Classical Fan

ulyssestone said:


> Any more suggestions?


Several (but would like to confirm that they match your requirements)

Scooter: Sound above my Hair ("Lord of the Dance / Applainahcan Spring" by Copland)
Captain Jack: Dream a Dream ("In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Grieg)
Scooter: Raving, I'm Raving ("Scotland the Brave")


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## ulyssestone

Welsh Classical Fan said:


> Several (but would like to confirm that they match your requirements)
> 
> Scooter: Sound above my Hair ("Lord of the Dance / Applainahcan Spring" by Copland)
> Captain Jack: Dream a Dream ("In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Grieg)
> Scooter: Raving, I'm Raving ("Scotland the Brave")


ThanksI put them in the playlist, just replaced the first with Weezer's The Greatest Man Ever Lived, which also borrowed from the hymn Copland used.


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## hankz

There was a song called "full Moon and empty Arms" that I think is based on Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto. (Or the Raphsody on a theme of Paganini)


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## Jules141

Anyone want to hear the 15th variation of Elgar's Enigmas?! Of course you do! - 




... at least according to Rob Dougan, surprised this hasn't been mentioned!


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## ulyssestone

Jules141 said:


> Anyone want to hear the 15th variation of Elgar's Enigmas?! Of course you do! -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ... at least according to Rob Dougan, surprised this hasn't been mentioned!


Thanks, I added to the playlist, though it's more like a remix of the Enigma theme.

I never watched the Matrix


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## OperaSaz

Apparently "Somewhere Out There" sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram is based on the second movement to Beethoven's "Pathetique" sonata


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## Romantic Geek

Thrice - Music Box (based off of the Japanese folk song Sakura, Sakura)


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## Mozartgirl92

Evanescence-Lacrymosa


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## Jules141

Suddenly remembered this one:


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## Sid James

Jazz singer *Della Reese*, who's actually on the original list, did a whole album of pop songs based on classical tunes called "The classic Della" in the 1960's. I have it on cd, it's a bit schmaltzy, but apart from that quite good. "Don't You Know," based on a Puccini tune, reached up pretty high in the charts back then (maybe No. 1, I'm not sure?)...


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## ulyssestone

Thanks for all the tips

I just found Sinatra's version of the Brahms "Lullaby" and added to the playlist.

btw, I updated some playlists of Brahms op.1-122 in the site, and a new way to get Spotify anywhere without an invite, check out http://www.spotifyclassical.com/


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## TWhite

Don't forget the pop singer Eric Carmen who made a full career out of ripping off Sergei Rachmaninov. 

In fact, if Rachmaninov had lived another twenty or thirty years, he could have made a fortune off of all the times his themes were adapted into popular songs. 

Full Moon and Empty Arms: Second Piano Concerto, Third Movement, Second Theme
Never Gonna Fall In Love Again: Second Symphony, main theme Third Movement
All By Myself: Second Piano Concerto, Second Movement, main theme

And the justly forgotten Broadway Musical "Anya", based on "Anastasia", ripped off of poor Sergi in the same manner as "Kismet" was with Borodin, with the 'unforgettable' "All Hail The Empress Now" based on the first theme of the last movement of the First Symphony. 
EH??
Whew!
Tom


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## ulyssestone

Check out the comments on http://www.spotifyclassical.com/2010/02/pop-songs-based-on-classical-works-open.html Some nice new entries


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## JRFuerst

The Run Lola Run (Lola rennt) contains many quotations of the string part from Charles Ives Unanswered Question. This is just an example:


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## David58117

Apoptygma Berzerk + Carmina Burana ? Sure!






I love Apoptygma Berzerk, but I think that sounds kind of goofy...


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## amcarlson

ulyssestone said:


> Any more suggestions?


Night on Disco Mountain - from the Movie: Saturday Night Live - 



Modest Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain - 




The piece was also used in Disney's Fantasia. Night On Bald Mountain - Fantasia (1941)


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