All Instrumental Top 20 Songs |
All the best instrumentals since 1960 including every Pop Top 20 popular instrumental song since 1960, and more, on four pages. |
| Dec 1959 through Jun 1962 | Sep 1962 through Oct 1966 | Oct 1966 through Jun 1973 | Nov 1973 through present | Hit Rock Instrumentals |
Tune Timeline of Hit Instrumentals
| blue # = pop chart |
| 1 | Summer Samba (So Nice) | 20 | Oct 1966 |
| Walter Wanderley |
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| Instrumental song Summer Samba (So Nice) peaked in at number 20 to give Latino organist and musician Walter Wanderley a one hit wonder |
| 2 | Music To Watch Girls By | 16 | Feb 1967 |
| The Bob Crewe Generation |
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| This song was written by Sidney Ramin. |
| 3 | Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You | 5 | Feb 1967 |
| Jimmy Castor |
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| This song was written by Jimmy Castor and John Pruitt. |
| 4 | Mercy, Mercy, Mercy | 9 | Feb 1967 |
| Cannonball Adderley |
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| This song was from album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!. It was written by: Johnny Watson, Larry Williams, Josef Zawinul. |
| 5 | I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman | 10 | Jun 1967 |
| Whistling Jack Smith |
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| 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. This song was written by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. |
| 6 | Soul Finger | 5 | Jul 1967 |
| The Bar-Kays |
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| This song was written by: Jimmy King, Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, Ben Cauley, Ronnie Caldwell, James Alexander. |
| 7 | Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu) | 1 | Feb 1968 |
| Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra |
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| This song was from album Blooming Hits. |
| 8 | Mission--Impossible | 11 | Mar 1968 |
| Lalo Schifrin |
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| This song was from TV show Mission: Impossible. It was written by Lalo Schifrin. |
| 9 | Soul Serenade | 19 | May 1968 |
| Willie Mitchell |
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| This song was written by Luther Dixon and Curtis Ousley. |
| 10 | The Good, The Bad And The Ugly | 1 | Jun 1968 |
| Hugo Montenegro |
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| This song was written by Ennio Morricone. |
| 11 | The Horse | 4 | Jul 1968 |
| Cliff Nobles & Co. |
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| The Horse was actually the B-side instrumental version of Love Is All Right.The vocals by soul singer Cliff Nobles were not included, leaving just backing band 'company' on the song. Some of these musicians later formed popular 1970s instrumental band MFSB. Cliff Nobles & Co. followed-up with Horse Fever which received some notice. The Horse was written by Jesse James. |
| 12 | Grazing In The Grass | 1 | Jul 1968 |
| Hugh Masekela |
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| A few months after Hugh Masekela reached number 1 with his instrumental song Grazing In The Grass, The Friends Of Distinction reached number 3 with a vocal version. |
| 13 | Classical Gas | 4 | Aug 1968 |
| Mason Williams |
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| This song was written by Mason Williams. |
| 14 | Soul-Limbo | 13 | Aug 1968 |
| Booker T. & The MG's |
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| This song was from album Soul Limbo. It was written by: Steve Cropper, Donald V. Dunn, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones. |
| 15 | Listen Here | 18 | Sep 1968 |
| Eddie Harris |
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| Eddie Harris had a top 20 one hit wonder with instrumental song Listen Here. This song was written by Eddie Harris. |
| 16 | Soulful Strut | 4 | Jan 1969 |
| Young-Holt Unlimited |
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| Even while instrumental number 4 hit Soulful Strut was popular, Barbara Acklin received airplay with a vocal version called Am I The Same Girl. This song was written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. |
| 17 | Hang 'Em High | 16 | Feb 1969 |
| Booker T. & The MG's |
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| This song was from album Soul Limbo. It was written by Dominic Frontiere. |
| 18 | Time Is Tight | 3 | May 1969 |
| Booker T. & The MG's |
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| This song was from movie and album Uptight, and it was written by: Steve Cropper, Donald V. Dunn, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones. |
| 19 | Hawaii Five-O | 13 | May 1969 |
| The Ventures |
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| This song was from TV show Hawaii Five-O. It was written by Mort Stevens. |
| 20 | Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet | 1 | Jun 1969 |
| Henry Mancini, His Orchestra And Chorus |
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| This song was written by Nino Rota. |
| 21 | Quentin's Theme | 9 | Jul 1969 |
| The Charles Randolph Grean Sounde |
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| Charles Randolph Grean was a song writer and producer. His band was most famous for Quentin's Theme. The song was from the TV show Dark Shadows. This song was written by Robert Cobert. |
| 22 | Keem-O-Sabe | 20 | Sep 1969 |
| The Electric Indian |
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| 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 number 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. |
| 23 | Kool And The Gang | 17 | Oct 1969 |
| Kool And The Gang |
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| The namesake song by Kool And The Gang was an instrumental. |
| 24 | Midnight Cowboy | 8 | Dec 1969 |
| Ferrante & Teicher |
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| This song was from movie Midnight Cowboy. It was written by John Barry. |
| 25 | Overture From Tommy (A Rock Opera) | Aug 1970 |
| The Assembled Multitude |
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| 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. The song reached #16 on both Cashbox and Billboard charts which weighed sales more. This song was written by Pete Townshend. |
| 26 | Theme From Love Story | 16 | Mar 1971 |
| Henry Mancini And His Orchestra |
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| This song was written by Francis Lai and Carl Sigman. |
| 27 | Booty Butt | 14 | Apr 1971 |
| The Ray Charles Orchestra |
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| For the instrumental song Booty Butt, Ray Charles went by The Ray Charles Orchestra. This song was written by Ray Charles. |
| 28 | K-Jee | 16 | Aug 1971 |
| The Nite-Liters |
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| 29 | Scorpio | 4 | Dec 1971 |
| Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band |
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| This song was written by Dennis Coffey. |
| 30 | Jingle Bells | 18 | Dec 1971 |
| Don Charles Presents The Singing Dogs |
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| 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. |
| 31 | Joy | 10 | Feb 1972 |
| Apollo 100 |
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| 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. The song Joy was from album Joy. |
| 32 | Jungle Fever | 11 | Mar 1972 |
| Chakachas |
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| Jungle Fever was the only top 20 hit for Chakachas. The group received no mentionable airplay with any other song. This song was written by Bill Ador. |
| 33 | Taurus | 10 | Apr 1972 |
| Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band |
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| This song was written by Dennis Coffey. |
| 34 | Outa Space | 3 | May 1972 |
| Billy Preston |
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| This song was written by Billy Preston. |
| 35 | Amazing Grace | 17 | Jun 1972 |
| The Pipes And Drums And Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards |
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| 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.' This song was written by Reverend John Newton. |
| 36 | Rock And Roll Part 2 | 8 | Sep 1972 |
| Gary Glitter |
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| This song was written by Gary Glitter and Mike Leander. |
| 37 | Popcorn | 15 | Oct 1972 |
| Hot Butter |
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| 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. This song was written by Gershan Kingsley. |
| 38 | Dueling Banjos | 2 | Mar 1973 |
| Eric Weissberg |
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| 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. |
| 39 | Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) | 4 | Mar 1973 |
| Deodato |
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| This song was from movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. It was written by Richard Strauss. |
| 40 | Frankenstein | 1 | May 1973 |
| Edgar Winter Group |
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| This song was written by Edgar Winter. |
| 41 | Hocus Pocus | 9 | Jun 1973 |
| Focus |
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| 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. The song Hocus Pocus was from album Moving Waves. |
| 42 | Soul Makossa | 7 | Jul 1973 |
| Manu Dibango |
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| Soul Makossa was the only top 20 hit for Manu Dibango. He followed-up with Dangwa, which received slight radio airplay. This song was written by Manu Dibango. |
