So we have done several lists and I saw these on a link and thought it might be interesting.
Nice list and many really good instrumentals. But one thing sure stands out, they just don't do many of these anymore. If you look at the dates, most are from the last decade and more from the earlier years of R&R.
Why has this genre not held up?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/the-20-best-instrumental-songs-of-all-time/ss-BB1biaf4?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=1acc160ae40a4ee4b1d7033bdc59da51
The first thought that came to my mind was "Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass". Loved those guys. Spanish Flea, Taste of Honey, etc. But my favorite was "Lonely Bull". And they were a regular on the radio and among pop music fans often having their records hit No. 1 on the charts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uqPBZncL5Q
I also loved Al Hirt as a kid and used to whistle the song "Java" while I worked and people would ask, "what is that song you're whistling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqwIpH6phJs
Edgar Winter was mentioned in the article and "Frankenstein" was tops, but my favorite of his is "Jazzing the Blues"
There are still a few bands that play instrumentals - I suppose because they can't sing...LOL A good example is Chris Ulrey and Dallen Jimenez rocking the Munsters' theme song. Ulrey started in a garage band, but never got well known...but he is good, as his Jimenez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWkqAZ485F4&t=93s
NOw that you started me, I really started thinking of instrumentals that I've liked over the eyars.
Since I go way back and have always been a fan of the 'big band sound', most were instrumentals. Probably my favorite is '"In The Mood' with the Glenn Miller orchestra
https://youtu.be/6vOUYry_5Nw
Moving on there are several that were not `mentioned especially themes from movies, that became hits on their own
Theme from The Good Bad and Ugly
Gonna Fly Now (Rocky)
Theme From a Summer Place
https://youtu.be/tSsiS-v6_6M
A real oldie--Yakity Sax
https://youtu.be/Zcq_xLi2NGo
Telstar
https://youtu.be/WPDvsLSnUGc
Walk, Don't Run
https://youtu.be/WW21rcHiVU0
And don't forget Pipeline
https://youtu.be/w7c2ZKamzS4
Give me time, I'll think of more
Camellia from the rose movie with bette midlerhttps://www.youtube.com
Blues Theme Hells Angels song David Allan & The Arrows
I only heard "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller about a thousand times...and I like it. It was my parent's dance song. My mom and dad did the swing really well. When we were kids, my parents would put it on and dance in the living room, and of course every wedding the song was played for them to strut their stuff. I was starting to get worried when my dad no longer had good balance a few years ago at one of my kid's wedding in Chicago. At the wedding I had to stand next to him in case he fell, but he didn't. He still shuffled his feet and twisted my mom around, but not with the precision they had 30-70 years ago. I will always remember that song and have the fondest memories of watching my parents swing around like they were kids
Interesting list. The inclusion of Sirius brought a smile to my face. As did One of These Days, (although that's not technically an instrumental). Did I miss seeing Dave Brubeck's Take Five? If Cliffs of Dove makes the list but not Take Five, well....pftftf.
As a pianist, I have followed the careers of many great ones. But one of my favorites is Floyd Cramer (considered a country music artist). His song, "Last Date" was a song I spent many hours trying to master. It's different because of the way he plays chords. Typically, a chord is played with all keys pushed down simultaneously, or they can be rolled. But Cramer uses a technique in which the chord roll is kind of an "staccato outside in" roll - difficult to master and a very unique sound. Anyway, "Last Date" was a great song mastered by the composer himself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KJR-4QJBJU
Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on June 21, 2022, 11:25:48 PMI only heard "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller about a thousand times...and I like it. It was my parent's dance song. My mom and dad did the swing really well. When we were kids, my parents would put it on and dance in the living room, and of course every wedding the song was played for them to strut their stuff. I was starting to get worried when my dad no longer had good balance a few years ago at one of my kid's wedding in Chicago. At the wedding I had to stand next to him in case he fell, but he didn't. He still shuffled his feet and twisted my mom around, but not with the precision they had 30-70 years ago. I will always remember that song and have the fondest memories of watching my parents swing around like they were kids
I was also going to write a silly story about this song. We have 3 grandchildren, the first two being girls. When they were younger, my wife and I saw this sort of dancing flower in a pot that when you pressed the button, then danced and twirled around to music. What music, "In The Mood". Since we have 3 grandchildren, we bought each one, one of these dancing flowers and they simply loved them. We used to pick them up, dance around with them and when the song was over, press the button and do it all over again. I used to kid everyone saying we had the only 3 and 5-year-olds that LOVED In The Mood.
My favorite for awhile in this category has been rhapsody in blue.
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Quote from: LennG on June 22, 2022, 11:01:46 AMI was also going to write a silly story about this song. We have 3 grandchildren, the first two being girls. When they were younger, my wife and I saw this sort of dancing flower in a pot that when you pressed the button, then danced and twirled around to music. What music, "In The Mood". Since we have 3 grandchildren, we bought each one, one of these dancing flowers and they simply loved them. We used to pick them up, dance around with them and when the song was over, press the button and do it all over again. I used to kid everyone saying we had the only 3 and 5-year-olds that LOVED In The Mood.
Great story. Love it. My son used to swing dance and I watched him and his cousin Alysha (both top notch dancers) go wild on the floor at his going away party when he was being shipped to Iraq as a combat medic a few days later. The difference between him and my parents is my parents danced to Glenn Miller's version and my son would swing to the Brian Setzer version. Personally, I prefer Miller's. But I always loved watching the family swing away to "In the Mood"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUWP8d930mg
Must add Henry Mancini to the list..."Peter Gunn", "Pink Panther", "Baby Elephant Walk", "Moon River", etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G50jixUB91g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz3WMFEC9Gs&t=27s
Having given this some serious thought, I came up with a few more and quite alarmed none of these made the original list
More--Kai Winding
https://youtu.be/yBj9KMQ2BNs
Theme from Exodus
https://youtu.be/z_TfM0SwdJE
One of my favorite music pieces when I was in the service
The In Crowd--Ramsy Lewis
https://youtu.be/et8bJy9CSzk
Gosh I almost forgot maybe all guys all time favorite
The Stripper
https://youtu.be/_WClvK15gkk
QuoteHaving given this some serious thought, I came up with a few more and quite alarmed none of these made the original list
More--Kai Winding
Theme from Exodus
One of my favorite music pieces when I was in the service
The In Crowd--Ramsy Lewis
I remember the Kai Winding song from my parent's music
Always loved "Theme from Exodus" - very powerful song
I've heard "The In Crowd" on the radio on the oldies stations quite a bit. Just never knew what it was called.
My father watched "The Lawrence Welk Show" religiously every Saturday night (and Jeopardy every weekday night). And now that he's gone, my mother saves it on the DVR and plays it a lot. My dad loved Benny Goodman. Got acclimated to a lot of older stuff while watching it along with him. I used to make fun of him for his music to pay back all the years he made fun of my music. He used to call my music "Jethro Funk" (for Jethro Tull and Grand Funk Railroad)...LOL and I'd say, "your a good one to talk, you listen to Englebert Humperdink." We'd both laugh and laugh
Your Dad had excellent taste in music. :ok: :ok: :ok: :ok:
heard wipeout on radio yesterday. reminded me of this thread.
I'm going to go 180 degrees from you all to something more modern to start - instrumentals aren as popular in modern day, but will end with a final few you will like. Let me know what you think!
So..... Here are some of mine
https://youtu.be/wzamXSv3lxo
https://youtu.be/L9r-NxuYszg
https://youtu.be/uoERl34Ld00
https://youtu.be/JGJdU2dpYxg
https://youtu.be/XjiOtouyBOg
https://youtu.be/gWTjjm-Gg3c
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I love the examples you're all posting from all genres.
Here are a couple of my favorites from a couple of my favorite guitar players.
A few more
Uriah Heep "Sympathy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pqDC4d8Hio
Edgar Winters "Frankenstein"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8f-Qb-bwlU
An obscure but nice song by Webb Wilder called "sputnik"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMKQxUaZles