An instrumental is a musical composition

Musical composition

Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...

 or recording without lyrics

Lyrics

Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...

 or singing

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instrument

Musical instrument

A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...

s.

In a song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

 that is otherwise sung

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, a section not sung but played with instruments can be called an instrumental interlude. If the instruments are percussion instrument

Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...

s, the interlude can be called a percussion interlude

Percussion interlude

Percussion interlude may refer to:*Percussion interlude, a break in music, an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song*"Percussion Interlude," a song by Galactic from their 1998 album Coolin' Off...

. These interludes are a form of break

Break (music)

In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....

 in the song.

In popular music

In commercial popular music

Popular music

Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...

, instrumental tracks are sometimes renderings of a corresponding release that features vocals, but may also be compositions originally conceived without vocals. An instrumental version of a song which otherwise features vocals is also known as a -1 .

The opposite of instrumental is a cappella

A cappella

A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...

.

In genres which the non-vocal part is conceived using electronic media, the instrumental not necessarily has to be conceived by musical instruments, but is the term to refer to some composition or version that does not include vocals.

Billboard #1

Pop music instrumentals that have reached #1 on the Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

charts during the rock and roll era but before the Hot 100 include

• "Autumn Leaves
  Autumn Leaves (song)
  "Autumn Leaves" is a much-recorded popular song. Originally it was a 1945 French song "Les Feuilles mortes" with music by Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert. Yves Montand introduced "Les feuilles mortes" in 1946 in the film Les Portes de la Nuit...
  
  " – Roger Williams
  Roger Williams (pianist)
  Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
  
   (1955)
• "Lisbon Antigua
  Lisbon Antigua
  "Lisbon Antigua" is a popular song, arranged by Nelson Riddle, that was a number-one song in the United States during the year 1956. It topped the Billboard magazine chart on February 25, 1956 and remained there for four weeks...
  
  " – Nelson Riddle
  Nelson Riddle
  Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
  
   (1956)
• "The Poor People of Paris
  The Poor People of Paris
  "The Poor People of Paris" is a popular song, with "Paris" being pronounced as "pa-REE".It was adapted by Jack Lawrence in 1954 from the French language song "La goualante du pauvre Jean"...
  
  " – Les Baxter
  Les Baxter
  Les Baxter was an American musician and composer.Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer...
  
   (1956)
• "Moonglow
  Moonglow (song)
  "Moonglow", also known as "Moonglow and Love" is a 1933 popular song with music by Will Hudson and Irving Mills and words by Eddie DeLange.-Musicological Notes:...
  
  " / "Theme from Picnic
  Theme from Picnic
  "Theme from Picnic" is a popular song, originated in the 1955 movie Picnic. It is often referred to simply as "Picnic".The music was written by George Duning, and the lyrics were written by Steve Allen...
  
  " (medley) – Morris Stoloff
  Morris Stoloff
  Morris Stoloff was a musical composer.Stoloff worked as a music director at Columbia Pictures from 1936 to 1962...
  
   (1956)
• "Patricia" – Perez Prado
  Perez Prado
  Dámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader, musician , and composer. He is often referred to as the 'King of the Mambo'.His orchestra was the most popular in mambo...
  
   (1958)

Billboard Hot 100 #1

Instrumentals that have reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 include

• "The Happy Organ
  The Happy Organ
  "The Happy Organ" is the name of an instrumental composition made famous by Dave "Baby" Cortez in 1959. Cortez co-composed it with Kurt Wood; both were orphans. A significant portion of the tune bears a strong resemblance to the traditional "Shortnin' Bread" tune. The song topped the Billboard Hot...
  
  " – Dave "Baby" Cortez (1959)
• "Sleep Walk
  Sleep Walk
  "Sleep Walk" is an instrumental steel guitar-based song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny ....
  
  " – Santo & Johnny
  Santo & Johnny
  Santo & Johnny were an Italian-American rock and roll duo from Brooklyn, New York, comprising brothers Santo and Johnny Farina.They are best known for their instrumental "Sleep Walk", which became a regional hit and eventually reached the top of the Billboard pop chart when it was released...
  
   (1959)
• "Theme from A Summer Place
  Theme from A Summer Place
  The "Theme from A Summer Place" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by Max Steiner, written for the 1959 film, A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. It was recorded for the film by Hugo Winterhalter...
  
  " – Percy Faith
  Percy Faith
  Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
  
   (1960)
• "Calcutta
  Calcutta (song)
  "Calcutta" was written in 1958 by Heino Gaze and Hans Bradtke . The original title was "Tivoli Melody", but it then re-titled several times, until it became known as "Calcutta"...
  
  " – Lawrence Welk
  Lawrence Welk
  Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
  
   (1961)
• "Wonderland by Night
  Wonderland by Night
  "Wonderland by Night" is a popular song by Bert Kaempfert that was a Billboard number one hit for three weeks, starting January 9, 1961. It was Kaempfert's first hit with his orchestra. Another cover, recorded and released by Louis Prima, also charted in the same year, reaching #15 on the...
  
  " – Bert Kaempfert
  Bert Kaempfert
  Bert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
  
   (1961)
• "Stranger on the Shore
  Stranger on the Shore
  "Stranger on the Shore" is a piece for clarinet written by Acker Bilk for his young daughter and originally named Jenny after her. It was subsequently used as the theme tune of a BBC TV drama serial for young people that was also called Stranger on the Shore.The track, performed by Bilk "Stranger...
  
  " – Mr. Acker Bilk (1962)
• "The Stripper
  The Stripper
  "The Stripper" is an instrumental composed by David Rose and recorded in 1962. It evinces a jazz influence with especially prominent trombone lines, and evokes the feel of music used to accompany striptease artists....
  
   - David Rose And His Orchestra
  David Rose
  David Rose was a British-born American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist, and orchestra leader. His most famous compositions were "The Stripper", "Holiday for Strings", and "Calypso Melody"...
  
   (1962)
• "Telstar
  Telstar (song)
  "Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental record performed by The Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one hit in the UK. The record was named after the AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which went into orbit in...
  
  " – Tornados
  The Tornados
  The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
  
   (1962)
• "L'amour est bleu" ("Love Is Blue") – Paul Mauriat
  Paul Mauriat
  Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, specializing in light music. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968...
  
   (1968)
• "Grazing in the Grass
  Grazing in the Grass
  "Grazing in the Grass" is an instrumental composed by Philemon Hou and first recorded by the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela. It is recognizable by its prominent cowbell part. Released in the United States as a single in 1968, it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Recording:"Grazing in...
  
  " – Hugh Masekela
  Hugh Masekela
  Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
  
   (1968)
• "Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet
  Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
  "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet", also known as "A Time for Us", is an instrumental arranged by Henry Mancini. It was a number-one pop hit in the United States during the year 1969...
  
  " – Henry Mancini
  Henry Mancini
  Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
  
   & His Orchestra (1969)
• "Frankenstein
  Frankenstein (song)
  "Frankenstein" is a rock instrumental by The Edgar Winter Group from their album They Only Come Out at Night.In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument...
  
  " – Edgar Winter Group (1973)
• "Love's Theme
  Love's Theme
  "Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece recorded by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, in early 1974...
  
  " – Love Unlimited Orchestra (1974)
• "Theme from S.W.A.T." – Rhythm Heritage
  Rhythm Heritage
  Rhythm Heritage was a 1970s American disco-funk band, best known for their 1976 US #1 single "Theme from "S.W.A.T.". It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 1976...
  
   (1976)
• "A Fifth of Beethoven
  A Fifth of Beethoven
  "A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
  
  " – Walter Murphy
  Walter Murphy
  Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
  
  " (1976)
• "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" – Meco
  Meco
  Meco is an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of a band or production team based around him...
  
  " (1977)
• "Rise" – Herb Alpert
  Herb Alpert
  Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
  
   (1979)
• "Chariots of Fire - Titles" – Vangelis
  Vangelis
  Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
  
   (1982)
• "Miami Vice Theme
  Miami Vice Theme
  The musical piece Miami Vice Theme was created and performed by Jan Hammer as the theme to the television series Miami Vice. It was first presented as part of the television broadcast of the show in September 1984 and released as a single in 1985, peaking at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot...
  
  " – Jan Hammer
  Jan Hammer
  Jan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film scores for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s...
  
   (1985)

Billboard Top 20 Instrumentals

• "In the Mood
  In the Mood
  "In the Mood" is a big band era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. Joe Garland and Andy Razaf arranged "In the Mood" in 1937-1939 using a previously existing main theme composed by Glenn Miller before the start of the 1930s...
  
  " – Ernie Fields Orchestra (1959) #4
• "Walk, Don't Run
  Walk, Don't Run (song)
  "Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and first performed by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1955. The tune is essentially a counter-melody to the chord changes of the old standard, "Softly, As in the Morning Sunrise"....
  
  " – The Ventures
  The Ventures
  The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
  
   (1960) #2
• "Theme From The Apartment" - Ferrante & Teicher
  Ferrante & Teicher
  Ferrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes.-Career:...
  
   (1960) #10
• "Perfidia
  Perfidia
  "Perfidia" is a popular song written by Alberto Domínguez , a Mexican composer and arranger born in the state of Chiapas, about love and betrayal. Aside from the original Spanish, other renditions exist, including English and instrumental versions. The English lyrics are by Milton Leeds...
  
  " – The Ventures
  The Ventures
  The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
  
   (1960) #15
• "Exodus
  Exodus
  The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the five books of the Torah...
  
  " - Ferrante & Teicher
  Ferrante & Teicher
  Ferrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes.-Career:...
  
   (1961) #2
• "Apache
  Apache (instrumental)
  "Apache" is an instrumental written by Jerry Lordan. It has been recorded by many people, but the first released version was recorded by British group The Shadows in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart for five weeks...
  
  " - Jørgen Ingmann
  Jørgen Ingmann
  Jørgen Ingmann is a musician from Copenhagen, Denmark.He worked with Svend Asmussen, the jazz violinist, during the 1940s and part of the 1950s....
  
   (1961) #2
• "Asia Minor" - Kokomo (1961) #8
• "Green Onions
  Green Onions
  Green Onions is the debut album by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released on Stax Records in October of 1962. It reached number 33 on the Pop Albums chart in the month of its release...
  
  " – Booker T. & the MGs (1962) #3
• "The Lonely Bull
  The Lonely Bull
  The Lonely Bull, released in 1962, is the debut album from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, and was also the first album ever released by A&M Records - which was co-founded by Alpert and Jerry Moss...
  
  " - The Tijuana Brass Featuring Herb Alpert (1962) #6
• "Watermelon Man" - Mongo Santamaria
  Mongo Santamaría
  Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All...
  
   (1963) #10
• "Pipeline" - Chantay's
  The Chantays
  The Chantays are an American surf rock band from the early 1960s, known for the hit instrumental, "Pipeline" . Their music combined electronic keyboards and surf guitar, creating a unique ghostly sound.-History:...
  
   (1963) #4
• "Maria Elena
  Maria Elena
  "María Elena" is a 1932 popular song written by Lorenzo Barcelata . It was published by Peer International Corporation of Mexico...
  
  " - Los Indios Tabajaras
  Los Indios Tabajaras
  Los Indios Tabajaras was a guitar duo of two brothers from Ceará, in the Northeast of Brazil.Their beginnings are not clear, though most stories have them becoming accomplished guitar players after finding a guitar near Ceará, Brazil. Playing in Rio de Janeiro, they found success as Natalicio and...
  
   (1963) #6
• "Washington Square" - Village Stompers (1963) #2
• "Out Of Limits" – The Marketts
  The Marketts
  The Marketts were an American instrumental pop group, formed in Hollywood, California. They are best known for their 1963 million-seller, "Out of Limits".-Biography:...
  
   (1964) #3
• "Walk Don't Run '64
  Walk, Don't Run (song)
  "Walk, Don't Run" is an instrumental composition written and first performed by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1955. The tune is essentially a counter-melody to the chord changes of the old standard, "Softly, As in the Morning Sunrise"....
  
  " – The Ventures
  The Ventures
  The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
  
   (1964) #8
• "Cast Your Fate To The Wind
  Cast Your Fate to the Wind
  "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" is an American jazz piece written and originally recorded by Vince Guaraldi, with lyrics later added by Carel Werber. It won a Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition in 1963...
  
  " - Sounds Orchestral
  Sounds Orchestral
  Sounds Orchestral was a British studio-based easy listening group, assembled by John Schroeder with Johnny Pearson in 1964.-Career:John Schroeder had worked with Johnny Pearson previously over at Oriole Records, producing Johnny Pearson's first solo album. Moving to Pye, Schroeder was quick to...
  
   (1965) #10
• "The 'In' Crowd" - Ramsey Lewis
  Ramsey Lewis
  Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
  
   (1965) #5
• "A Taste of Honey
  A Taste of Honey (song)
  "A Taste of Honey" is a pop standard written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow. It was originally an instrumental track written for the 1960 Broadway version of the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey . Both the original and a cover by Herb Alpert in 1965 earned the song Grammy Awards...
  
  " – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (1965) #7
• "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
  No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
  "No Matter What Shape " is an instrumental by short-lived American pop group The T-Bones. It was released in early 1966 as a single from their album No Matter What Shape ...
  
  " - The T-Bones
  The T-Bones
  The T-Bones were an American pop group active in the mid 1960s. The group had a hit single in 1966 with their instrumental "No Matter What Shape ", whose melody was from a commercial for Alka-Seltzer...
  
   (1966) #3
• "Zorba The Greek" - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (1966) #11
• "The Work Song" - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (1966) #18
• "Mame" - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (1966) #19
• "Music To Watch Girls By
  Music to Watch Girls By
  "Music to Watch Girls By" was the first Top 40 hit by Bob Crewe using his own name, recorded by his group The Bob Crewe Generation. Crewe first heard the song performed in a "jingle demo" for a Diet Pepsi commercial. The "big-band, horn driven" recording went to #15 on the pop chart and #2 on the...
  
  " - The Bob Crewe
  Bob Crewe
  Bob Crewe is an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, record producer and fine artist. He is known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons...
  
   Generation (1967) #15
• "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
  Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
  "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a song written by Joe Zawinul in 1966 for Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and his album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club. The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard charts in Feb. 1967...
  
  " - Cannonball Adderley (1967) #11
• "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Theme
  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (theme)
  "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is the theme to the 1966 film of the same name, which was directed by Sergio Leone. Included on the film soundtrack as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ", the instrumental piece was composed by Ennio Morricone, with Bruno Nicolai conducting the orchestra. A cover...
  
  " – Hugo Montenegro
  Hugo Montenegro
  Hugo Montenegro was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best known work is derived from interpretations of the music from Spaghetti westerns, especially his cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
  
   (1968) #2
• "The Horse
  The Horse
  "The Horse" was an American instrumental song by Cliff Nobles and Company. It was released as the B-side of the single "Love is All Right," and is simply an instrumental version of that song. "The Horse" made an improbable trip up the pop music charts, peaking at #2 on the U.S...
  
  " – Cliff Nobles
  Cliff Nobles
  Cliff Nobles was an American pop singer, who is best known for his instrumental hit, "The Horse."-Biography:...
  
   (1968) #2
• "Classical Gas
  Classical Gas
  "Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by Mason Williams. Originally released in 1968 on the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, it has been re-recorded and re-released numerous times since by Williams...
  
  " – Mason Williams
  Mason Williams
  Mason Williams is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his guitar instrumental "Classical Gas". He is also a comedy writer, known for his writing on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live...
  
   (1968) #2
• "Soulful Strut
  Am I the Same Girl
  "Am I the Same Girl" is a popular soul song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister...
  
  " – Young-Holt Unlimited
  Young-Holt Unlimited
  Young-Holt Unlimited were an American soul and jazz instrumental musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois.Drummer Isaac "Red" Holt and bassist Eldee Young, formerly members of Ramsey Lewis' jazz trio, formed a new outfit called the Young-Holt Trio with pianist Don Walker in 1966...
  
   (1969) #3
• "Theme from Hang 'Em High
  Hang 'Em High
  Hang 'Em High is a 1968 American Western film directed by Ted Post and produced and co-written by Leonard Freeman. It stars Clint Eastwood as Jed Cooper, an innocent man who survives a lynching, Inger Stevens as a widow who helps him, Ed Begley as the leader of the gang that lynched him, and Pat...
  
  " – Booker T. & the MGs (1969) #9
• "Time is Tight" – Booker T. & the MGs (1969) #6
• "Theme from Hawaii Five-O
  Hawaii Five-O
  Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
  
  " – The Ventures
  The Ventures
  The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
  
   (1969) #4
• "Keem-O-Sabe" - Electric Indian (1969) #16
• "Midnight Cowboy" - Ferrante & Teicher
  Ferrante & Teicher
  Ferrante & Teicher were a duo of American piano players, known for their light arrangements of familiar classical pieces, movie soundtracks, and show tunes.-Career:...
  
   (1970) #10
• "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story
  (Where Do I Begin?) Love Story
  " Love Story" is a popular song published in 1970, with music by Francis Lai and lyrics by Carl Sigman. The song was first introduced as an instrumental theme in the 1970 film Love Story. The lyrics were added after the theme music became popular.-Covers:The song has been covered many times...
  
   (Theme from Love Story
  Love Story (1970 film)
  Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal and based on his novel Love Story. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute , and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story...
  
  )" – Henry Mancini
  Henry Mancini
  Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
  
   (1971) #13
• "Scorpio" – Dennis Coffey
  Dennis Coffey
  Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.-Biography:Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City...
  
   (1972) #6
• "Joy" – Apollo 100
  Apollo 100
  Apollo 100 was a short-lived British instrumental studio-based group that had a hit with the Johann Sebastian Bach-inspired single "Joy" in 1972....
  
   (1972) #6
• "Taurus" - Dennis Coffey
  Dennis Coffey
  Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.-Biography:Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City...
  
   (1972) #18
• "Outa-Space
  Outa-Space
  "Outa-Space" is a Funk/R&B instrumental recorded by Billy Preston that originally appeared on his 1971 A&M Records-debut album, "I Wrote a Simple Song". Preston created the sound of "Outa-Space" by running the sound from a clavinet through a wah wah pedal and then improvising a groove while calling...
  
  " – Billy Preston
  Billy Preston
  William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
  
   (1972) #2
• "Popcorn
  Popcorn (instrumental)
  "Popcorn" is an early electronic pop instrumental, originally composed by Gershon Kingsley in 1969 on his album Music to Moog By. The same year this tune was released and recorded at Audio Fidelity Records label in New York City....
  
  " – Hot Butter
  Hot Butter
  Hot Butter was an instrumental cover band fronted by the keyboard player Stan Free. The other band members were Dave Mullaney, John Abbott, Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome, and Danny Jordan. They are best known for their 1972 cover of the Moog synthpop instrumental, "Popcorn", originally recorded by its...
  
   (1972) #9
• "Dueling Banjos
  Dueling Banjos
  "Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by...
  
   (Theme from Deliverance
  Deliverance
  Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
  
  )" – Eric Weissberg
  Eric Weissberg
  Eric Weissberg is an American banjo player, best known for the theme from the movie Deliverance.-Biography:Eric Weissberg went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, then the Juilliard School of Music. He joined an early version of the Greenbriar Boys , but left before they made any recordings....
  
   & Steve Mandell (1973) #2
• "Also Sprach Zarathustra" – Deodato (1973) #2
• "Hocus Pocus" - Focus
  Focus (band)
  Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
  
   (1973) #9
• "The Entertainer
  The Entertainer (rag)
  "The Entertainer" is sub-titled "A rag time two step", which was a form of dance popular until about 1911, and a style which was common among rags written at the time.Its structure is: Intro AA BB A CC Intro2 DD....
  
  " – Marvin Hamlisch
  Marvin Hamlisch
  Marvin Frederick Hamlisch is an American composer. He is one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony . He is also one of only two people to EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize...
  
   (1974) #3
• "Tubular Bells" (Theme from The Exorcist
  The Exorcist (film)
  The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
  
  ) – Mike Oldfield
  Mike Oldfield
  Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
  
   (1974) #7
• "Theme from The Rockford Files
  The Rockford Files
  The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
  
  " – Mike Post
  Mike Post
  Mike Post is an American multi-Grammy and Emmy Award winning composer best known for scoring some of the most popular TV theme songs in the United States, for primetime series such as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Rockford Files, LA Law, Quantum Leap, Magnum, P.I., Hill Street Blues, among numerous...
  
   (1975) #10
• "Nadia's Theme
  Nadia's Theme
  "Nadia's Theme" is a piece of music composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. that serves as the theme music to the American television soap opera The Young and the Restless.-Origins:...
  
   (The Young and the Restless
  The Young and the Restless
  The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
  
  )" – Perry Botkin, Jr.
  Perry Botkin, Jr.
  Perry Botkin, Jr. is an American composer, producer, arranger, and musician. He had a successful career in music for over forty years. As an arranger, he worked with Bobby Darin, Harry Nilsson, The Lettermen, Ed Ames, and Harpers Bizarre, among others...
  
   (1976) #8
• "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
  Close Encounters of the Third Kind
  Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
  
  " – John Williams
  John Williams
  John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
  
   (1978) #13
• "Feels So Good" – Chuck Mangione
  Chuck Mangione
  Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
  
   (1978) #4
• "Music Box Dancer
  Music Box Dancer
  "Music Box Dancer" is an instrumental piece by Canadian musician Frank Mills that was an international hit in the late 1970s. It features a piano theme that is accompanied by other instrumentation, designed to resemble a music box....
  
  " – Frank Mills
  Frank Mills
  Frank Mills , is a Canadian pianist and recording artist, best known for his solo instrumental hit "Music Box Dancer"....
  
   (1979) #3
• "Theme from Hill Street Blues
  Hill Street Blues
  Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
  
  " – Mike Post
  Mike Post
  Mike Post is an American multi-Grammy and Emmy Award winning composer best known for scoring some of the most popular TV theme songs in the United States, for primetime series such as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Rockford Files, LA Law, Quantum Leap, Magnum, P.I., Hill Street Blues, among numerous...
  
   Featuring Larry Carlton
  Larry Carlton
  Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
  
   (1981) #10
• "Hooked on Classics" – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
  The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
  
   (1982) #10
• "Axel F
  Axel F
  "Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
  
  " – Harold Faltermeyer
  Harold Faltermeyer
  Harold Faltermeyer is a German musician, keyboardist, composer and record producer.He is recognized as one of the composers/producers who best captured the zeitgeist of 1980s synth-pop in film scores...
  
   (1985) #3
• "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire
  St. Elmo's Fire (film)
  St. Elmo's Fire is a 1985 American coming-of-age film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham, is a prominent movie of the Brat Pack genre, and revolves around a group of friends that have...
  
  " – David Foster
  David Foster
  David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
  
   (1985) #15
• "Songbird" – Kenny G
  Kenny G
  Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
  
   (1987) #4
• "Theme from Mission: Impossible
  Theme from Mission: Impossible
  "Theme from Mission: Impossible" was the theme tune of the TV series Mission: Impossible . The theme was written and composed by Lalo Schifrin and has since gone on to appear in several other works of the Mission: Impossible franchise, including the 1988 TV series, the film series and the video...
  
  " – Adam Clayton
  Adam Clayton
  Adam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
  
   & Larry Mullen (1996) #7

Instrumentals in advertising

Many times, instrumentals are used in advertising in place of vocalized music, because there is much more room for a product's information. Some notable cases are:

• "Moby Dick" – Led Zeppelin
  Led Zeppelin
  Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
  
   (Recycling Advert from '70s)

Borderline cases

Some recordings which include brief examples of the human voice are typically considered instrumentals. Examples include singles with the following:

• Short verbal interjections (as in "Tequila
  Tequila (song)
  "Tequila" is a 1958 Latin-flavored rock and roll song recorded by the group, the Champs. The title of the song constitutes the entirety of the lyrics, and is spoken a total of three times during the course of the song. "Tequila" became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its...
  
  " or "Topsy
  Topsy (song)
  "Topsy" was a 1938 instrumental release for bandleader Benny Goodman, which became a number fourteen pop hit. In 1958, drummer Cozy Cole recorded the song and issued it in two parts as a single; The A-side made it to #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the B-side reached #3 on the Hot 100...
  
  " or "Wipe Out" or "The Hustle")
• Repetitive nonsense
  Nonsense
  Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous...
  
   words (e.g., "la la..." (as in "Calcutta
  Calcutta (song)
  "Calcutta" was written in 1958 by Heino Gaze and Hans Bradtke . The original title was "Tivoli Melody", but it then re-titled several times, until it became known as "Calcutta"...
  
  ") or "Woo Hoo
  Woo Hoo
  "Woo Hoo" is a rockabilly song, credited to George Donald McGraw and originally released by The Rock-A-Teens in 1959.-Original version:The song is distinctive for its lack of lyrics apart from its title words, which gave it popularity around the world as it is not subject to language barriers...
  
  ");
• A short spoken passage (e.g., "To Live Is to Die" by Metallica
  Metallica
  Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
  
  );
• Wordless vocal effects, such as drones
  Drone (music)
  In music, a drone is a harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout most or all of a piece. The word drone is also used to refer to any part of a musical instrument that is just used to produce such an effect.-A musical effect:A drone...
  
   (e.g., "Rockit
  Rockit
  "Rockit" is a song recorded by Herbie Hancock. It was released as a single from his 1983 album Future Shock. The song was written by Hancock, bass guitarist Bill Laswell, and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn.-History:...
  
  " or "Flying");
• Vocal percussion
  Vocal percussion
  Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.-In Western music:...
  
  , such as beatbox B-sides
  B-Sides
  B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
  
   on rap singles;
• Yodeling
  Yodeling
  Yodeling is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal or chest register to the falsetto/head register; making a high-low-high-low sound.The English word yodel is derived from a German word jodeln meaning "to...
  
   (e.g., "Hocus Pocus
  Hocus Pocus (song)
  "Hocus Pocus" is a 1971 instrumental from Focus II , the second album by Dutch rock group Focus. It was written by guitarist Jan Akkerman and flautist/keyboardist Thijs van Leer...
  
  ");
• Whistling
  Whistling
  Human whistling is the production of sound by means of carefully controlling a stream of air flowing through a small hole. Whistling can be achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips and then blowing or sucking air through the hole...
  
   (e.g., "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman
  I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman
  "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" was a hit single in 1967 composed by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway.  It was a novelty record, being performed mostly by whistling. This was credited to Whistling Jack Smith and Billy Moeller appeared under this name, though the whistling was really performed by John...
  
  " or "Colonel Bogey March
  Colonel Bogey March
  The "Colonel Bogey March" is a popular march that was written in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts , a British army bandmaster who later became director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth...
  
  ").
• An omninous statement at the end (e.g., God Bless the Children of the Beast by Motley Crue
  Mötley Crüe
  Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
  
  , Cremation by King Diamond
  King Diamond
  Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...
  
  )

A few songs categorized as instrumentals may even include actual vocals, if they appear only as a short part of an extended piece (e.g., "Unchained Melody

Unchained Melody

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....

" (Les Baxter) or "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)

TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)

"TSOP " is a 1974 hit recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. A classic example of the Philadelphia soul genre, it was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African American musical...

" or "Pick Up the Pieces" or "The Hustle

The Hustle (song)

"The Hustle" is a famous disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It scored #1 on the "Billboard Hot 100" and the "Hot Soul Singles" charts during the summer of 1975. It also peaked at #9 on the Australian Singles Chart and #3 in the UK...

" or "Fly, Robin, Fly

Fly, Robin, Fly

"Fly, Robin, Fly" is a 1975 record by the German group Silver Convention. The song was released as a single from their 1975 album Save Me. In the United States, it rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1975, staying there for three weeks. The single also was #1 on the soul singles chart...

" or "Do It Any Way You Wanna

Do It Any Way You Wanna

Do It Any Way You Wanna is a 1975 crossover hit by the Philadelphia based R&B/dance group, People's Choice. The single made it to number one on the soul singles chart for one week and crossed over to the pop singles chart, peaking at eleven. "Do It Any Way You Wanna" was also successful on the...

" or "Gonna Fly Now

Gonna Fly Now

"Gonna Fly Now", also known as "Theme from Rocky", is the theme song from the movie Rocky, composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta Little and Nelson Pigford...

" (Bill Conti

Bill Conti

William "Bill" Conti is an American film music composer who is frequently the conductor at the Academy Awards ceremony.-Early life and career:...

)). Falling just outside that definition is "Theme From Shaft

Theme from Shaft

"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft...

" by Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...

.

See also

• Instrumental hip hop
• Instrumental rock
  Instrumental rock
  Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
  
  
• List of rock instrumentals
• Easy listening
  Easy listening
  Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
  
  
• Medley
  Medley (music)
  In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
  
  
• Post Rock
• Beautiful music
  Beautiful music
  Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
  
  
• Smooth jazz
  Smooth jazz
  Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
  
  
• A cappella
  A cappella
  A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
  
  , vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment
• Choro
  Choro
  Choro , traditionally called chorinho , is a Brazilian popular music instrumental style. Its origins are in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. In spite of the name, the style often has a fast and happy rhythm, characterized by virtuosity, improvisation, subtile modulations and full of syncopation and...
  
  , a Brazilian instrumental folk music

External links

• Every instrumental top 20 hit song from 1960 to the present from Tunecaster.com with a sample of each
• World of Instrumental Music - Instrumental Music Collection Demo