Im curious what you think some of the best instrumentals are (of any music style). Lets hear what they are 
I think this belongs in Cafe Society, so hopefully a mod will move it soon.
That being said, the alltime greatest ever best instrumental is Classical Gas by Mason Williams.
In the rock idiom, side 1 of ‘Ommadawn’ by Mike Oldfield gets my vote.
In jazz, it would be The Koln Concert by Keith Jarrett or Stanley Jordan’s version of Eleanor Rigby. To see Jordan play this live is to know what genius actually looks like.
There are too many to choose just one, but I’ll toss in the Allman Brothers’ In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.
I hear that Mozart weenie did some good instrumentals…
If it doesn’t have to be purely instrumental: Layla – Clapton
In the Hall of the Mountain King – Wagner and a crazed chopper pilot 
Fifth Symphony – Beethoven
Fur Elise – Mozart
Rock genre: Albatross: Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac
Jazz: A Few Of My Favorite Things: John Coltrane
Funny you’ve heard of Stanley Jordan, ianzin. When I first saw this thread he was what came to mind. For those of you who haven’t heard him, he uses a guitar technique called tapping. Brilliant guy.
Also, John Coltrane’s CD A Love Supreme probably ranks up there with my favorite jazz instrumental CDs (though there are many).
I can’t leave out Phish’s You Enjoy Myself and All Things Reconsidered, and many of Buckethead’s instrumentals, uncluding but not limited to Night of the Slunk, Nun Chaka Kata and his Colma CD.
Again,I just touched Jazz and didn’t even mention Classical.
Classical Gas (me too!)
Walk, Don’t Run
Pipeline
Apache
Hawaii Five-0
Telstar
Wipeout
(Most of these are Originals/Covers by “The Ventures”
Love Is Blue
Pink Panther Theme
Midnight In Moscow
I’ll think of more later!
There’s at least six albums worth by The Dirty Three, and here are some of my favourites:
Sue’s Last Ride
I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me
The Last Night
Deep Waters
I Really Should’ve Gone Out Last Night
Fur Elise would be Beethoven.
MaCathur Park - Stan Kenton, yup the instrumentl version!
Miserlou - Dick Dale
Take 5 - Dave Brubeck
Hocus Pocus - Focus
Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group
Equinoxe - Jean Michel Jarre
Samba pa ti - Santana
Walk don’t run - Ventures
Peaches en Regalia and Filthy Habits by Frank Zappa
Momma Miss America by Paul McCartney
Moonlight Sonata Beethoven
Thing by Jefferson Airplane
Sandalaphon by Jefferson Starship
Ameriques by Edgar Varèse
Samba Pa Ti by Santana
Agro Arena by Cake
John Coltrane is indeed wonderful but since he’s already been mentioned I shall instead plump for “Peace” by Ornette Coleman ( from the album The Shape of Jazz to Come).
In the pop line, I’ve been listening to a lot of electronic music recently and so shall suggest the album Geogaddi by The Boards of Canada.
lincoln highway dub - sublime
mr green genes - frank zappa
Pretty much anything on the Coltrane Jazz album.
Bolero - Ravel
Mars: Bringer of War - Gustav Holst
Inhumanity - Trevor Duncan
Hammer - Brian Bennets (This was the 80s theme music for the Discovery Channel’s Wings series)
Telstar
Rhapsody in Blue - George Gershwin
The Liberty Bell March - Souza’s only redeeming creation.
Yog-Sothoth Does the Ring Cycle - OK, I made this one up.
The Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution by Zappa
YYZ by Rush
Steamer Lane Breakdown by The Doobie Brothers
Hoedown By Emerson Lake and Palmer
Chris W
Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny
Stratosphere Boogie by Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant
Flying in a Blue Dream by Joe Satriani
The Mystical Potatohead Groove Thing by Joe Satriani
Though this song isn’t entirely an instrumental…the second half of Cinema Show by Genesis is absolute brilliance. Gabriel himself has said (paraphrased) that sometimes you have to shut up and let the music do the talking.
Marcus Roberts’s version of “Rhapsody in Blue”
" 'Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers" – Jeff Beck
dittos on “Take Five” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”
“Sing Sing Sing” – Benny Goodman, the Carnegie Hall version with the totally kickass drumming by Gene Krupa
“Soul Sacrifice” – Santana, Woodstock version