Country Singer, Actor, TV host, Sausage man
JIMMY DEAN, 1928-2010
Click here for his complete list of popular songs


Oct 1966 to Jun 1973

Instrumental Top 20 Songs and Samples
EVERY Instrumental Top 20 Song since 1960 with music samples

Every instrumental hit with samples, instrumental song links, brief information, instrumental artist song discographies, etc., here, at the online music encyclopedia. Choose an instrumental hits date range above. Find instrumental songs!
Oct 1966
26
20
85
Summer Samba (So Nice)
Walter Wanderley
 
 
 
Feb 1967
15
15
86
Music To Watch Girls By
The Bob Crewe Generation
 
 
 
Sidney Ramin wrote Music To Watch Girls By.
Feb 1967
5
87
Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You
Jimmy Castor
 
 
 
The writers of Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You were Jimmy Castor and John Pruitt.
Feb 1967
11
9
88
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Cannonball Adderley
 
 
 
The writers of Mercy, Mercy, Mercy were: Johnny Watson, Larry Williams, Josef Zawinul.
Jun 1967
20
10
89
I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman
Whistling Jack Smith
 
 
The near instrumental song I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman was the only top 20 hit and the only song to receive measurable radio airplay by Whistling Jack Smith. The writers of this song were Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway.
Aug 1967
17
5
90
Soul Finger
Bar-Kays
 
 
 
Feb 1968
1
1
91
Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)
Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra
 
 
 
Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu) was from the album Blooming Hits.
Mar 1968
11
92
Mission--Impossible
Lalo Schifrin
 
 
Lalo Schifrin wrote Mission--Impossible. The song was from the TV show Mission: Impossible.
May 1968
23
19
93
Soul Serenade
Willie Mitchell
 
 
 
The writers of Soul Serenade were Luther Dixon and Curtis Ousley.
Jun 1968
2
1
94
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Hugo Montenegro
 
 
 
Ennio Morricone wrote The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
Jun 1968
2
4
95
The Horse
Cliff Nobles & Co.
 
 
 
Originally, Cliff Nobles sang on The Horse, but his singing was removed. Though the song was released bearing his name, he had nothing to do with the final version. Jesse James wrote the song.
Jul 1968
2
8
96
Classical Gas
Mason Williams
 
 
 
Mason Williams wrote Classical Gas.
Aug 1968
1
2
97
Grazing In The Grass
Hugh Masekela
 
 
 
A few months after Hugh Masekela reached number 2 with his instrumental song Grazing In The Grass, The Friends Of Distinction reached number 3 with a vocal version.
Aug 1968
17
13
98
 
 
 
The writers of Soul-Limbo were: Steve Cropper, Donald V. Dunn, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones.
Sep 1968
18
99
Listen Here
Eddie Harris
 
 
 
 
Jan 1969
3
4
100
Soulful Strut
Young-Holt Unlimited
 
 
 
Even while instrumental number 4 hit Soulful Strut was popular, Barbara Acklin received airplay with a vocal version called Am I The Same Girl. The writers of this song were Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders.
Feb 1969
9
16
101
Hang 'Em High
Booker T. & The MG's
 
 
 
Dominic Frontiere wrote Hang 'Em High.
May 1969
6
3
102
Time Is Tight
Booker T. & The MG's
 
 
 
 
The writers of Time Is Tight were: Steve Cropper, Donald V. Dunn, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones.
May 1969
4
13
103
Hawaii Five-O
The Ventures
 
 
Mort Stevens wrote Hawaii Five-O. The song was from the TV show Hawaii Five-O.
Jun 1969
1
2
104
Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet
Henry Mancini And His Orchestra
 
 
 
Nino Rota wrote Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet.
Aug 1969
13
5
105
Quentin's Theme
Charles Randolph Grean Sounde
 
 
 
Robert Cobert wrote Quentin's Theme. The song was from the movie Dark Shadows.
Sep 1969
16
106
Keem-O-Sabe
The Electric Indian
 
 
 
The Electric Indian included keyboard player Daryl Hall, and others who later became part of group MFSB. The instrumental song Keem-O-Sabe was a near top 20 song and the most popular song by The Electric Indian. The group received some airplay with other songs too, including the B-side, Broad Street. Keem-O-Sabe was written by Bernice Borisoff and Bernard Binnick.
Nov 1969
17
107
Kool And The Gang
Kool And The Gang
 
 
 
 
The namesake song by Kool And The Gang was an instrumental.
Dec 1969
10
108
Midnight Cowboy
Ferrante & Teicher
 
 
 
John Barry wrote Midnight Cowboy. The song was from the movie Midnight Cowboy.
Aug 1970
16
109
Overture From Tommy (A Rock Opera)
The Assembled Multitude
 
 
 
 
Overture From Tommy (A Rock Opera) was a near top 20 miss for The Assembled Multitude. The group also received some radio airplay with Woodstock. The original movie Tommy was a rock opera performed by The Who. Pete Townshend wrote the song.
Mar 1971
13
110
Theme From Love Story
Henry Mancini And His Orchestra
 
 
 
The writers of Theme From Love Story were Francis Lai and Carl Sigman.
Apr 1971
111
 
 
 
For the instrumental song Booty Butt, Ray Charles went by The Ray Charles Orchestra. Ray Charles wrote the song.
Aug 1971
112
K-Jee
The Nite-Liters
 
 
 
Dec 1971
6
113
Scorpio
Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band
 
 
 
Dennis Coffey wrote Scorpio.
Dec 1971
114
Jingle Bells
Don Charles Presents The Singing Dogs
 
 
 
Jingle Bells came out in 1955, and made the top 20 in 1971. The novelty of dogs barking to the music produced some airplay for the other side of the single too, Oh Suzanna.
Feb 1972
6
115
Joy
Apollo 100
 
 
 
Joy was built from Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring by classical era composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Joy was the only top 20 hit for Apollo 100. The group, with keyboardist and arranger Tom Parker, received minor airplay with some other instrumentals including a remake of Telstar, the 1962 number 3 song by The Tornadoes. Joy was from the album Master Pieces.
Mar 1972
8
116
Jungle Fever
Chakachas
 
 
 
Jungle Fever was the only top 20 hit for Chakachas. The group received no mentionable airplay with any other song. Bill Ador wrote the song.
Apr 1972
18
117
Taurus
Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band
 
 
 
Dennis Coffey wrote Taurus.
May 1972
2
118
Outa Space
Billy Preston
 
 
Billy Preston wrote Outa Space.
Jun 1972
11
119
Amazing Grace
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
 
 
 
This instrumental version of Amazing Grace was the only top 20 hit for Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The group described itself as 'Scotland's senior regiment and her only regular cavalry.' Reverend John Newton wrote the song.
Sep 1972
7
8
120
Rock And Roll Part 2
Gary Glitter
 
 
The writers of Rock And Roll Part 2 were Gary Glitter and Mike Leander.
Oct 1972
9
15
121
Popcorn
Hot Butter
 
 
 
Although Popcorn was the a top 20 one hit wonder hit for Hot Butter, the group received minor radio airplay with other instrumental songs including a remake of the 1962 number 11 hit Percolator by Billy Joe & The Checkmates. Gershan Kingsley wrote the song.
Feb 1973
2
2
122
Dueling Banjos
Eric Weissberg
 
 
 
Dueling Banjos was the only top 20 hit for Eric Weissberg. In 1975, Eric Weissberg & Deliverance received minor radio airplay a remake of the 1958 number one song Yakety Yak by The Coasters. Comedian Martin Mull also received some radio airplay with a spoof of Dueling Banjos entitled Dueling Tubas. Dueling Banjos was from the movie Deliverance.
Mar 1973
2
4
123
Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)
Deodato
 
 
 
Richard Strauss wrote Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001). The song was from the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey.
May 1973
1
1
124
Frankenstein
Edgar Winter Group
 
 
 
Edgar Winter wrote Frankenstein.
Jun 1973
9
9
125
Hocus Pocus
Focus
 
 
 
Although Hocus Pocus was the only top 20 hit for mostly instrumental group Focus, the group received minor airplay for other songs like Sylvia and Harem Scarem. Hocus Pocus was from the album Moving Waves.
Jun 1973
7
126
Soul Makossa
Manu Dibango
 
 
 
Soul Makossa was the only top 20 hit for Manu Dibango. He followed-up with Dangwa, which received slight radio airplay. Manu Dibango wrote the song.







Full Artist Song Discography Pages:

Kelly Rowland
Cage The Elephant
Avenged Sevenfold
The Chemical Brothers
Faithless
Yes
The Allman Brothers Band
David Bowie
We combed through thousands of instrumental compilations and found a few that have authentic instrumental top 20 hits.

Click on the pictures for more details.
15 big instrumentals of the 1950s and 1960s. 12 of these were top 20 hits. The other three were US top 40 hits.

18 big instrumentals of the 1960s. 12 of these are original top 20 hits listed here. The other 7 were all US top 30 hits.


18 pop-soul instrumental songs of the 1960s. 15 of these are original top 20 hits listed here. The other three were US top 40 hits.

18 big instrumentals of the 1970s. 14 of these are original top 20 hits listed here.