brown #
= weekly rock chart peak
blue #
= pop chart peak
| 1 | Space Race | 8 | Nov 1973 |  |
| Billy Preston |
| 2 | Love's Theme | 1 | Jan 1974 | |
| Love Unlimited Orchestra |
| 3 | TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) | 2 | Apr 1974 | |
| MFSB Featuring The Three Degrees |
| 4 | Tubular Bells | 11 | Apr 1974 | |
| Mike Oldfield |
| 5 | The Entertainer | 2 | May 1974 | |
| Marvin Hamlisch |
| 6 | Machine Gun | 20 | Jul 1974 | |
| Commodores |
| 7 | Pick Up The Pieces | 1 | Feb 1975 | |
| Average White Band |
| 8 | Satin Soul | 18 | Apr 1975 | |
| Love Unlimited Orchestra |
| 9 | Express | 4 | Apr 1975 | |
| B.T. Express |
| 10 | Hijack | 12 | May 1975 | |
| Herbie Mann |
| 11 | The Hustle | 1 | Jul 1975 | |
| Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony |
| 12 | Dynomite-Part 1 | 10 | Jul 1975 | |
| Tony Camillo's Bazuka |
| 13 | The Rockford Files | 9 | Aug 1975 | |
| Mike Post |
| 14 | Brazil | 16 | Oct 1975 | |
| The Ritchie Family |
| 15 | The Homecoming | 16 | Feb 1976 | |
| Hagood Hardy |
| 16 | Theme From S.W.A.T. | 1 | Feb 1976 | |
| Rhythm Heritage |
| 17 | Movin' | 12 | Jun 1976 | |
| Brass Construction |
| 18 | A Fifth Of Beethoven | 1 | Sep 1976 | |
| Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band |
| 19 | Nadia's Theme (The Young And The Restless) | 8 | Nov 1976 | |
| Barry De Vorzon And Perry Botkin, Jr. |
| 20 | Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) | 20 | May 1977 | |
| Maynard Ferguson |
| 21 | Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) | 2 | Jun 1977 | |
| Bill Conti |
| 22 | Star Wars Main Title | 16 | Aug 1977 | |
| The London Symphony Orchestra with John Williams conductor |
| 23 | Star Wars Theme Cantina Band | 4 | Oct 1977 | |
| Meco |
| 24 | Theme From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind | Feb 1978 | |
| John Williams |
| 25 | Feels So Good | 3 | May 1978 | |
| Chuck Mangione |
| 26 | Music Box Dancer | 3 | Apr 1979 | |
| Frank Mills |
| 27 | Rise | 1 | Sep 1979 | |
| Herb Alpert |
| 28 | Give It All You Got | 15 | Mar 1980 | |
| Chuck Mangione |
| 29 | Empire Strikes Back (Medley) Darth Vader/Yoda's Theme | 19 | Aug 1980 | |
| Meco |
| 30 | The Theme From Hill Street Blues | 7 | Nov 1981 | |
| Mike Post Featuring Larry Carlton |
| 31 | Hooked On Classics | 7 | Jan 1982 | |
| The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra |
| 32 | Chariots Of Fire - Titles | 1 | Apr 1982 | |
| Vangelis |
| 33 | Sleepwalk | 11 | Apr 1982 | |
| Larry Carlton |
| 34 | Axel F | 2 | Jun 1985 | |
| Harold Faltermeyer |
| 35 | Miami Vice Theme | 1 | Oct 1985 | |
| Jan Hammer |
| 36 | Love Theme From St. Elmo's Fire | 12 | Nov 1985 | |
| David Foster |
| 37 | Songbird | 3 | Jul 1987 | |
| Kenny G |
| 38 | Silhouette | 10 | Dec 1988 | |
| Kenny G |
| 39 | Lily Was Here | 11 | Jul 1991 | |
| David A. Stewart Introducing Candy Dulfer |
| 40 | Forever In Love | 14 | Mar 1993 | |
| Kenny G |
| 41 | Theme From Mission: Impossible | 7 | 5 | Jun 1996 | |
| Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen |
| 42 | Southampton | 11 | Mar 1998 | |
| James Horner |
| 43 | Auld Lang Syne (The Millennium Mix) | 10 | Dec 1999 | |
| Kenny G |
| There were no pop top 20 instrumentals after 1999 -- not one. Here are the only three top 30 instrumentals from 2000 on: |
| 44 | Sandstorm | 28 | Aug 2001 | |
| Darude |
| 45 | E | 25 | Apr 2003 | |
| Drunkenmunky |
| 46 | Axel F (The Frog Song) | 21 | Aug 2005 | |
| Crazy Frog |