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MY List of Top 100 Instrumental Songs/Artists - and at #1 Frankenstein (2 Viewers)

T

Tom Skerritt

Footballguy
Have wanted to do something like this for a while now, and I have been inspired by Krista and Tim. So here we go.

But before we begin, a few disclaimers:

1. This is MY list. Yours might differ slightly.

2. It is by no means definitive and ever-changing.

3. Most of this list will include individual songs, but some will be artists with multiple pieces.

4. Please allow for a small amount of lyrics. It should mostly be one word (usually the title), or a few words (that includes the title), or perhaps a line/verse. But the essence of the song is instrumental.

5. New rules shall be added as necessary.

For the record, I have been into music since I can remember. My mother was a huge Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Janis Joplin fan. Had an eclectic and somewhat psychedelic record collection growing up. I used to listen to the records and read along with the liner notes. I was a band geek growing up. My brother played the drums. I was a sax player and later picked up the bass guitar. Now I dabble in a little bit of everything. And I've started doing friendly DJ gigs.

And finally, I'm in the middle of a national industry inspection this week. I will do my best to keep up, but no guarantees this week.

#100. Press Play - Stone Temple Pilots

One of my favorite intros to an album. TINY MUSIC … SONGS FROM THE VATICAN GIFT SHOP, a record so striking, it seemed surprising that the same band and producer (Brendan O'Brien) that had made CORE and PURPLE were responsible for it.

From the first notes on the album, listeners recognized they were in for something different. The 80-second "Press Play" ventures into cocktail jazz (with O'Brien on electric piano) and sounds/feels/smells like a studio jam that just happened to be captured on tape.

#99. Slammin' - Huey Lewis & The News

#98. Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer

#97. Hill Street Blues Theme - Mike Post

#96. The River Kwai March - Mitch Miller

#95. Popcorn - Hot Butter

#94. Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk

#93. Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat

#92. Out Of Limits - The Marketts

#91. Dragnet - Ray Anthony

#90. The Stripper - David Rose

#89. Aquarium (from The Carnival of the Animals) - Camille Saint-Saens

#88. The Odd Couple Theme - Neal Hefti

#87. Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless) - Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin Jr.

#86. The Munsters Theme Song - Jack Marshall

#85. Whale & Wasp - Alice In Chains

#84. Barney Miller Theme - Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson

#83. Exodus - Ferrante and Teicher

#82 Hawaii Five-0 - Morton Stevens

#81. Songbird - Kenny G

#80. Take the 'A' Train - Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington

#79. What's Happening!! - Henry Mancini (full-length version)

#78. Last Night - The Mar-Keys

#77. Theme from Mission: Impossible - Lalo Schifrin

#76. Harlem Nocturne - written by Earle Hagen and **** Rogers (performed by The Viscounts)

#75. Batman Theme - Neal Hefti

#74. Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy

#73. Rockford Files Theme - Mike Post and Pete Carpenter

#72. TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - MFSB

#71. Soul Finger - The Bar-Kays

#70. Fire On High - Electric Light Orchestra

#69. April In Paris - Count Basie & His Orchestra

#68. Perfidia - written by Alberto Dominguez (performed by The Ventures)

#67. Rise - Herb Alpert

#66. Breezin' - composed by Bobby Womack (performed by George Benson)

#65. Sirius - The Alan Parsons Project

#64. Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield

#63. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller

#62. Hocus Pocus - Focus

#61. Toccata & Fugue in D Minor (BMV 565) - J.S. Bach

#60. Groove Holmes - Beastie Boys

#59. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) - Yes

#58. Jungle Fever - The Chakachas

#57. Take 5 - composed by Paul Desmond, recorded by the Dave Brubek Quartet

#56. Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang

#55. Baby Elephant Walk - Henry Mancini

#54. Glad - Traffic

#53. Morning Mood - Edvard Grieg

#52. Pipeline - The Chantays

#51. Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones

#50. Also Sprach Zarathustra - Richard Strauss

#49. Love's Theme - Barry White

#48. Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited

#47. Rhapsody In Blue - George Gershwin

#46. Classical Gas - Mason Williams

#45. Walk Don't Run - The Ventures

#44. Toreador Song (from Carmen) - George Bizet

#43. Mountain Jam - The Allman Brothers Band

#42. Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela

#41. Theme from The Pink Panther - Henry Mancini

#40 Theme from A Summer Place - Percy Faith & His Orchestra

#39. Cliffs of Dover - Eric Johnson

#38. Peter Gunn Theme - Henry Mancini

#37. Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny

#36. Time Is Tight - Booker T and the MG's

#35. Rumble - Link Wray

#34. Dean Town - Vulfpeck

#33. Third Stone From The Sun - Jimi Hendrix

#32. The Entertainer - Scott Joplin

#31. The Hustle - Van McCoy

#30. Flight of the Bumblebee - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

#29. A Fifth of Beethoven - Walter Murphy

#28. Outa Space - Billy Preston

#27. William Tell Overture Finale - Gioachino Rossini

#26. Yakety Sax - James Q. "Spider" Rich & Boots Randolph

#25. Machine Gun - The Commodores

#24. Eruption - Van Halen

#23. Gonna Fly Now - Bill Conti

#22. Feels So Good - Chuck Mangione

#21. Ride Of The Valkyries - Richard Wagner

#20. Scuttle Buttin' - Stevie Ray Vaughan

#19. The Streetbeater - Quincy Jones

#18. YYZ - Rush

#17. Wipeout - The Surfaris

#16. Moby **** - Led Zeppelin

#15. Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer

#14. Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell

#13. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

#12. John Williams

#11. Rockit - Herbie Hancock

#10. In The Mood - Glenn Miller

#9. Misirlou - **** Dale

#8. Tequila - The Champs

#7. Hoedown - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

#6. Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi

#5. 5th Symphony in C Minor - Beethoven

#4. Green Onions - Booker T & The MGs

#3. Birdland - Weather Report

#2. Great Gig In The Sky - Pink Floyd

 
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Looking forward to the inevitable Axel F Theme/Chariots of Fire showdown. And hoping for not too much Yanni.

 
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Love all the music countdowns coming from all over 👍

As with others, can you place the songs (and links in possible) in the OP - otherwise will be hard to circle back and listen.

Thanks - looking forward.

 
I disliked STP when they first came out. It wasn’t until Tiny Music that I really got into them. This album was more Beatlesesque than the previous ones. But since Tiny Music, I’ve been a huge fan. 

 
So many music threads now it’s hard to stay on top of them, but this sounds like a great one! I might not post much but will be happily following along.

 
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Tin Cup said:
Looking forward to the inevitable Axel F Theme/Chariots of Fire showdown. And hoping for not too much Yanni.
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Pretty certain you will not see Yanni on this list. No comment on the other two.

 
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Leroy Hoard said:
Just wait for my top 55 banjo tunes thread. Will make the rest of you look silly.
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Well, Leroy - we definitely know that I will look silly... 

...cause when you do this, I promise to put on my overalls & floppy hat & yodel every single one them... 

...and then strategically bomb yous thread with the vids to scare all the crows away... 

...well - except for one certain crow that is. 

OH LOOKOUT! 

 
krista4 said:
So many music threads now it’s hard to stay on top of them, but this sounds like a great one! I might not post much but will be happily following along.
Click to expand...
I think the time has come for a music subforum

 
#97. Hill Street Blues Theme - Mike Post

Mike Post is quite possibly the most prolific TV theme song composer of all time. Had hits with Law & Order, The A Team, NYPD Blue, CHiPs, The White Shadow, Doogie Howser, LA Law, Magnum PI, Quantum Leap, and many others. Won a grammy at age 23. Also produced Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 and Van Halen III. Putting Hill Street Blues here simply because I always remember watching this show in the early 80's, and the theme song just had a calming effect on the room. A memorable instrumental in my life. Mike Post is so influential, Pete Townsend wrote a song about him for The Who.

Mike Post Theme - The Who

BTW, I'm anxious to get through the first 20-25 songs. These are obviously at the bottom, and as we get higher, the songs will get better.

 
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zamboni said:
One of the best TV themes in history IMO. With the great Larry Carlton on guitar.
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And there will be more TV theme songs on this list, including one more from Mike Post.

Up Next: An instrumental composed for a movie from the 1950's. This tune was "whistled" in a classic teen angst movie from the 1980's. And the tail end of this whistled tune from the 80's blended into a Beethoven classic.

 
Tom Skerritt said:
#97. Hill Street Blues Theme - Mike Post

Mike Post is quite possibly the most prolific TV theme song composer of all time. Had hits with Law & Order, The A Team, NYPD Blue, CHiPs, The White Shadow, Doogie Howser, LA Law, Magnum PI, Quantum Leap, and many others. Won a grammy at age 23. Also produced Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 and Van Halen III. Putting Hill Street Blues here simply because I always remember watching this show in the early 80's, and the theme song just had a calming effect on the room. A memorable instrumental in my life. Mike Post is so influential, Pete Townsend wrote a song about him for The Who.

Mike Post Theme - The Who

BTW, I'm anxious to get through the first 20-25 songs. These are obviously at the bottom, and as we get higher, the songs will get better.
Click to expand...
Rockford Files theme too, the first time i remember filing a TV soundtrack name.

I was high on coke for most of the 80s, so i simply didn't have that many chill moments. But my best pal moved to Albuquerque the year Hill Street Blues started and was staying at my house while he looked for a place when it premiered. We loved the show & the theme. Once he found a pad, we'd switch off going to each other's house to watch HSB. The host would buy a half gallon of the craziest ice cream they could find, put half of it in a giant mixing bowl for the guest (if we had gfs, they might get a cup) and eat the other half from the tub. The first spoonful would be timed for the theme (and fishtailing squad cars) and it was just bliss. mmmm

 
wikkidpissah said:
Rockford Files theme too, the first time i remember filing a TV soundtrack name.

I was high on coke for most of the 80s, so i simply didn't have that many chill moments. But my best pal moved to Albuquerque the year Hill Street Blues started and was staying at my house while he looked for a place when it premiered. We loved the show & the theme. Once he found a pad, we'd switch off going to each other's house to watch HSB. The host would buy a half gallon of the craziest ice cream they could find, put half of it in a giant mixing bowl for the guest (if we had gfs, they might get a cup) and eat the other half from the tub. The first spoonful would be timed for the theme (and fishtailing squad cars) and it was just bliss. mmmm
Click to expand...
I really like St. Elsewhere too (NOT a Mike Post theme), and I considered it for this list. But after listening to it after many years, it didn't make the cut.

 
#96. The River Kwai March / Colonel Bogey March - Mitch Miller

"The River Kwai March" is a march composed by Malcolm Arnold in 1957. It was written as an orchestral counter-march to the "Colonel Bogey March", which is whistled by the soldiers entering the prisoner camp in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai and again near the end of the film when the bridge is formally dedicated. The Arnold march re-appears (without the "Colonel Bogey March") several times in the film and is repeated at the finale.

The two marches have been recorded together by Mitch Miller as "March from the River Kwai - Colonel Bogey". Due to this, the "Colonel Bogey March" is often mis-credited as "River Kwai March".

The Breakfast Club Cover

 
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Up Next: A synth-pop instrumental first recorded in 1969, but it became a bigger hit when re-recorded by a different group in 1972.

 
Tom Skerritt said:
#96. The River Kwai March - Mitch Miller
Click to expand...
Trivia: this song was not part of the script. But the actors had trouble marching in unison, so the director suggested that they whistle a tune to stay aligned with each other. So, one of the extras started whistling "The Colonel Bogey March" (a British marching tune that dates to 1914).

The film's musical director was impressed by the whistling, and decided to incorporate the melody into his own theme song, which was called "The River Kwai March".

So, what you're hearing here is a combination of the two slightly different melodies from "The Coloney Bogey March" (the whistling) and "The River Kwai March" (the horns).

 
#94. Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk

"Stranger on the Shore" is a piece for clarinet written by Acker Bilk for his young daughter and originally named "Jenny" after her.[1] It was subsequently used as the theme tune of a BBC TV drama serial for young people, Stranger on the Shore.[2] It was first released in 1961 in the UK, and then in the US, and reached number 1 in the US and number 2 in the UK.[3]

In May 1969, the crew of Apollo 10 took "Stranger on the Shore" on their mission to the moon. Gene Cernan, a member of the crew, included the tune on a cassette tape used in the command module of the Apollo spacecraft.

The composition has been covered by many other artists, most prominently a vocal 1962 version by Andy Williams, which reached #9 on the adult contemporary chart, #30 in the UK, and #38 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a group vocal version by the Drifters, which reached #19 on the adult contemporary chart and #73 on the Billboard Hot 100. Booker T & the MGs recorded a version on their debut album, Green Onions in 1962.

 
Tom Skerritt said:
Have wanted to do something like this for a while now, and I have been inspired by Krista and Tim. So here we go.

But before we begin, a few disclaimers:

1. This is MY list. Yours might differ slightly.

2. It is by no means definitive and ever-changing.

3. Most of this list will include individual songs, but some will be artists with multiple pieces.

4. Please allow for a small amount of lyrics. It should mostly be one word (usually the title), or a few words (that includes the title), or perhaps a line/verse. But the essence of the song is instrumental.

5. New rules shall be added as necessary.

For the record, I have been into music since I can remember. My mother was a huge Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Janis Joplin fan. Had an eclectic and somewhat psychedelic record collection growing up. I used to listen to the records and read along with the liner notes. I was a band geek growing up. My brother played the drums. I was a sax player and later picked up the bass guitar. Now I dabble in a little bit of everything. And I've started doing friendly DJ gigs.

And finally, I'm in the middle of a national industry inspection this week. I will do my best to keep up, but no guarantees this week.

#100. Press Play - Stone Temple Pilots

#99. Slammin' - Huey Lewis & The News

#98. Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer

#97. Hill Street Blues Theme - Mike Post

#96. The River Kwai March - Mitch Miller

#95. Popcorn - Hot Butter

#94. Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk
Click to expand...
The River Kwai song brought back memories when my sister would sign to that same beat.

Comet..will make your mouth turn green,

Comet..it tastes like gasoline,

Comet will make vomit..so buy some comet and vomit today.

 
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