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Instrumental Top 20 Songs and Samples
EVERY
Instrumental Top 20 Song since 1960 with music samples
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| 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! |
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Billy Preston
wrote Space Race. |
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Jan
1974
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1
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1
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128
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Love's Theme
Love Unlimited Orchestra
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Barry White
wrote Love's Theme. |
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Apr
1974
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1
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2
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129
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TSOP (The Sound
Of Philadelphia)
MFSB
Featuring The Three Degrees
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TSOP became
the theme for TV show Soul Train. MFSB
stood for Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers. MFSB had a string
of soul and instrumental
songs that received radio airplay. The Three Degrees also had
a string of hits including the 1974 number 2 song When Will
I See You Again. The writers of this song were Kenny Gamble
and Leon Huff. |
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May
1974
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7
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11
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130
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Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
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While Tubular
Bells was a top 20 one
hit wonder for Mike Oldfield, he had a string of
instrumental
songs that received pop and rock radio airplay, including the
1988 number 8 rock
top 20 song Magic Touch. Tubular Bells was written
by Mike Oldfield. The song was from the production The Exorcist.
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May
1974
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3
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2
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131
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The Entertainer
Marvin Hamlisch
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Marvin Hamlisch
was a well-known arranger and producer. The instrumental
one
hit wonder The Entertainer was a 1902 popular ragtime
song by Scott Joplin. Marvin Hamlisch never had another solo
song that received any significant radio airplay. Scott Joplin
wrote the song. The song was from the movie The Sting.
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AWB stood for
Average White Band. The group went by either name. |
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Apr
1975
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22
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133
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Satin Soul
Love Unlimited Orchestra
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Barry White
wrote Satin Soul. |
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The writers
of Express were: Barbara Lomas, Ennis Rowe, Carlos Ward, Orland
Woods, Richard Thompson, Louis Risbrook, William Risbrook.
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Less than a
year before Herbie Mann brought this more instrumental
version of Hijack into the top 20, Barrabas had a popular dance
version
of the song. |
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The mostly instrumental
one
hit wonder song The Hustle was a number
one song and the only top 20 hit for Van McCoy. He
followed up with a string of fairly popular dance and soul songs
like Change With The Times. This song was from the album Disco
Baby. The Hustle was written by Van McCoy. |
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Jul
1975
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10
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137
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Dynomite
Tony Camillo's Bazuka
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Dynomite was
a popular saying by J.J. Walker on the comedy TV show Good
Times, and a top 20 one
hit wonder hit. This group, sometimes called Tony
Camillo's Bazuka, Bazuka Featuring Tony Camillo, or simply Bazuka,
had a few other songs that received slight radio airplay like
Love Explosion. Dynomite was written by Tony Camillo.
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Aug
1975
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10
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138
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The Rockford
Files
Mike Post
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The writers
of The Rockford Files were Pete Carpenter and Mike Post. The
song was from the TV show The Rockford Files.
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Oct
1975
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11
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139
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Brazil
The Ritchie Family
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Ary Barroso
wrote Brazil. |
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Feb
1976
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140
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The Homecoming
Hagood Hardy
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The Homecoming
was a top 20 one
hit wonder for its writer, Hagood Hardy. He received
minor radio airplay for other songs too, like Love Theme From
Missouri Breaks. Hagood Hardy also wrote commercial jingles
and movie music.
The extra here is an alternate version of the song, The Homecoming
(2). The Homecoming was from the movie The Waltons.
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Barry DeVorzan
wrote Theme From S.W.A.T.. The song was from the TV show S.W.A.T..
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Jun
1976
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14
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142
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Movin'
Brass Construction
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Although Movin'
was the a top 20 one
hit wonder for Brass Construction, the group had
a few other songs that received radio airplay, like Changin'
and Ha Cha Cha (Funktion). |
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Sep
1976
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1
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143
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A Fifth Of
Beethoven
Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band
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The instrumental
song A Fifth Of Beethoven was a top 20 one
hit wonder for Walter Murphy. He had other songs
that received minor radio airplay like Themes From E.T. (The
Extra-Terrestrial). Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote the song.
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Nov
1976
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8
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144
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Nadia's Theme
(The Young And The Restless)
Perry Botkin, Jr.
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Nadia's Theme
was supposed to be by its writers Barry DeVorzon And Perry Botkin,
Jr., but Barry was left off the pressings. Nadia was Nadia Comaneci,
a 14 year old Olympic gymnast who received a perfect score.
This song was borrowed by Mary
J. Blige in her 2002
number
4 hit No More Drama. Nadia's Theme (The Young And
The Restless) was written by: Barry DeVorzon, Perry Botkin,
Jr.. The song was from the TV show The Young And The Restless.
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May
1977
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28
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145
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Gonna Fly Now
(Theme From Rocky)
Maynard Ferguson
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The Maynard
Ferguson version of Gonna Fly Now was a popular disco song.
The song was from the movie Rocky. |
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Jun
1977
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1
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146
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Gonna Fly Now
(Theme From Rocky)
Bill Conti
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The writers
of Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) were: Carol Connors, Bill
Conti, Ayn Robbins. The song was from the movie Rocky.
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Aug
1977
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10
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147
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Star Wars (Main
Title)
John Williams
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Star Wars featured
The London Symphony Orchestra. John Williams wrote the song.
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Oct
1977
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1
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148
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Star Wars Theme
Cantina Band
Meco
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Meco was known
for making disco versions of movie themes. Star Wars Theme Cantina
Band was written by John Williams. |
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Feb
1978
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13
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149
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Theme From
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
John Williams
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John Williams
wrote Theme From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. The song
was from the movie Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
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Chuck Mangione
wrote Feels So Good. |
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Apr
1979
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3
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151
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Music Box Dancer
Frank Mills
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Frank Mills
wrote Music Box Dancer. |
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As of Rise,
Herb Alpert started regularly crossing over to soul stations.
The writers of this song were Andy Armer and Randy Bandazz.
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Give It All
You Got was the theme song of the 1980
Olympics in Moscow, USSR. |
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Aug
1980
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18
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154
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Empire Strikes
Back (Medley)
Meco
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Empire Strikes
Back (Medley) was from the movie The Empire Strikes Back.
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Nov
1981
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10
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155
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The Theme From
Hill Street Blues
Mike Post Featuring Larry
Carlton
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The Theme From
Hill Street Blues was from the TV show Hill Street Blues.
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Jan
1982
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10
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156
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Hooked On Classics
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
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The Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra was formed in 1946 and finally had a hit in 1982.
Hooked On Classics was a dance medley of classical songs.
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Chariots Of
Fire, the theme of the movie, was the only top 20 song for Vangelis.
Vangelis went on to join Jon Anderson of Yes as Jon And Vangelis.
The duo hit the rock top 20 three times. |
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In 1959, Sleepwalk
was a number one hit for Santo & Johnny, as Sleep Walk.
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Axel F was a
top 20 one
hit wonder for Harold Faltermeyer who was known mainly
as a movie score writer, but also wrote hit songs for other
artists, especially Donna
Summer. Axel F was written by Harold Faltermeyer.
The song was from the movie Beverly Hills Cop.
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Although Miami
Vice Theme was the only top 20 hit by Jan Hammer, his later
song, Crockett's Theme also received some radio play. Miami
Vice Theme was an instrumental.
Jan Hammer wrote the song. The song was from the TV show Miami
Vice. |
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This was the
only top 20 hit for David Foster, who wrote and produced many
famous songs for others. David Foster wrote the song. The song
was from the movie St. Elmo's Fire. |
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Kenny G wrote
Silhouette. |
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Jul
1991
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11
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164
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Lily Was Here
David A. Stewart Introducing Candy Dulfer
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David A. Stewart,
writer of Lily Was Here, was in group Eurythmics.
Saxophonist Candy Dulfer was famous with jazz audiences.
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Forever In Love
was from the album Breathless. Kenny G wrote the song.
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Adam Clayton
& Larry Mullen were members of U2.
As a side-project, this instrumental
was the duo's only top 20 song. Lalo Schifrin wrote the song.
The song was from the movie Mission: Impossible.
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The instrumental
song Southampton was the only top
20 song by James Horner. He had no other songs that
received mentionable airplay. The song was from the movie The
Titanic. |
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Dec
1999
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7
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168
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Auld Lang Syne
(The Millennium Mix)
Kenny
G
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There have been no pop top 20 instrumentals
since 1999 -- not a single one. Axel
F (The Frog Song) by Crazy Frog reached number 21. Here
are the three most popular instrumentals of the 2000s:
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