# Classical quotations in pop music



## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

I know there are a lot - what are your favorites?

I'm starting this thread because I just came across this song by Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra that quotes freely from the _Lachrymosa_ of Mozart's requiem. Quite unexpected, and I dig it:






Others?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I've always liked Paul Simon's American Tune. He takes a secular song which was turned into O Sacred Head Now Wounded, then he made it secular again.






Evanescence also appropriated Mozart's Lacrymosa.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Greg Lake-I Believe In Father Christmas uses some famous music by Prokofiev.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Sting used a snippet of Prokofiev in _Russians_.

Less well-known, but very effective, is a quote from Sibelius' 5th in the song _Beach baby_ by First Class.


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

King Crimson used a bit of Elgar's Inroduction and Allegro in the track, Islands (from the album of the same name).


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2015)

Secret Chiefs 3

On their spiffing album Book of Horizons, Exterminating Angel has a couple of Penderecki samples and an Arvo Part sample.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Sappy pop balladier Eric Carmen used Rachmaninoff melodies for his 70s hits.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Hip-hoppers CunninLynguists sampled a snippet of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Works quite well, IMO.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This was a big hit back in the 1970s, and one of the first things I ever played on a flute.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

So is Procul Harum's, Whiter Shade of Pale really based on something by Bach? If so, what exactly?


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

^I forgot about that Jethro Tull thing! That's a good one.



Belowpar said:


> So is Procul Harum's, Whiter Shade of Pale really based on something by Bach? If so, what exactly?


I don't think it is. I think it's just Baroque-sounding.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Another one, Carlos Santana quoting Brahms' 3rd Symphony. Regrettably featuring Dave Matthews. I don't like this song so much, but it belongs here:


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

The start of Nat King Cole's 1948 hit _Nature Boy_ is based on the opening bars of the 2nd movement of Dvořák's Piano Quintet, Op. 81. _Nature Boy_ was also covered by David Bowie for the opening track of the film _Moulin Rouge_.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

And here is the stylishly dressed Barry Manilow with _Could It Be Magic_ based on Chopin's Prelude, Op. 28/20. This is probably the most literal appropriation of a classical piece I know of.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Big Boi samples Verdi: 




(warning, vulgar language, probably not to the taste of most people here)


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Emerson Lake & Palmer - The Barbarian is based on Bartok's Allegro Barbaro


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

^ Emerson, Lake & Palmer also used an arrangement of Janáček's _Sinfonietta_ in "Knife Edge."


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

Emerson, Lake and Palmer filled an entire album with quotes from Mussorsgsky.

But we all knew that.

The Korgis "If I Had You" sampled variation 18 of Rachmaninov's Variations on a Theme by Paganini.


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2015)

I think ELP did a lot of pillaging! (and I say that as a time-served fan). I reckon Keith had a good listen to Schoenberg prior to Trilogy.


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2015)

starthrower said:


> Emerson Lake & Palmer - The Barbarian is based on Bartok's Allegro Barbaro


Well, you learn something every day! I can only wish they'd pillaged some more Bartok, rather than serve up Love Beach!


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

The Move's 1966 debut single, Night of Fear, is based on the "1812".


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

dogen said:


> I think ELP did a lot of pillaging! (and I say that as a time-served fan). I reckon Keith had a good listen to Schoenberg prior to Trilogy.


Keith had a bloody good listen to Bartok before he did anything.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This song, "Himno a la alegría (A Song of Joy)", based on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, was a huge, huge hit in Spain some 45 years ago. It was also very popular in Germany, Switzerland, Austria,... and was even listed in US and UK hit lists.


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

Just thought of another...

'The Bomber' by the James Gang (from the 1970 album 'James Gang Rides Again') quotes Ravel's Boléro, The composer's estate was none too pleased and threatened action against both band and record label unless it was removed, which it was for a number of years until presumably the situation was resolved.


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## gHeadphone (Mar 30, 2015)

Dan Fogelberg - Same Old Lang Syne is Tchaikovskys 1812 overture slowed down, which he freely admitted afterwards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Old_Lang_Syne


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Remember this disco/classical hit?


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## HolstThePhone (Oct 11, 2015)

Pink Martini - Splendor in the Grass






Tchaikovsky's 1st piano concerto incorporated nicely


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

Rick Wakeman quotes Grieg's _Hall of the Mountain King_ in *Journey to the Centre of the Earth*.


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2015)

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath grew out of Geezer Butler playing a fragment of Mars by Holst.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Plan B uses a snippet from the last movement of Shostakovich's 7th symphony as the basis for "Ill Manors". This is the instrumental version.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

"They," by Jem, samples the Swingle Sisters' version of Bach's prelude in f minor from bk 2 of the WTC.






p.s. Annoying earworm alert.


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## Guest (Nov 1, 2015)

Classical Quotations In Pop Music: Metal Edition!

A goofy "quote" before a great song:






And a couple more, but just straight-up samples in these:

Gounod sample: 




Penderecki sample: 




Penderecki tribute:


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

schigolch said:


> This song, "Himno a la alegría (A Song of Joy)", based on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, was a huge, huge hit in Spain some 45 years ago. It was also very popular in Germany, Switzerland, Austria,... and was even listed in US and UK hit lists.


"Based" on Beethoven's 9th? The whole damned thing is Beethoven.


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