# Best Rock Instrumentals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956 "2009-12-12T03:38:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/21 "2009-12-12T07:27:31Z")
Albatross, Fleetwood Mac ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/22 "2009-12-12T07:53:53Z")
“Lucky Trumble,” Nancy Wilson, _Almost Famous_ soundtrack “Tubular Bells,” Mike Oldfield, _The Exorcist_ soundtrack ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/23 "2009-12-12T10:46:55Z")
If you want post '82, you could try [Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2xqBP3LSa8) by M83 from Before The Dawn Heals Us. It is mind bogglingly wonderful. I’ve got this theory that you’ll know if you’ll like it or not from the title. Pre '82, Floating by Klaus Schulze from Moondawn is another wonderful piece of music - all 27 minutes worth. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/24 "2009-12-12T11:28:44Z")
To the OP: I’d second your choices, except for choosing the live version from the Fillmore album of ‘Elizabeth Reed’. I’d also choose the originals of the Ventures tracks: Pipeline by the Chantays and Wipeout by the Surfaris. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/25 "2009-12-12T12:16:43Z")
Anything by Booker T. & The MG’s, especially “Green Onions” and “Melting Pot”. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_X2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90db22/32.png) [@Karen\_X2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_X2)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/26 "2009-12-12T12:35:56Z")
_Peaches en Regalia_ - Frank Zappa _Cry for a Shadow_ - Beatles ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/27 "2009-12-12T14:21:01Z")
_[Breathless – Todd Rundgren](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLxafSa6N-U)_ [_Brr_ – Pete Townshend](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlcL_wRBlik) re: post-1982 instrumentals…in 1988, IRS Records’ spin-off label, **[No Speak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I.R.S._No_Speak)** released some tasty instrumental albums. The advertising tag line was, _“No Speak eats New Age for breakfast.”_ My favorites are the first two; Pete Haycock’s _Guitar and Son_ and Wishbone Ash’s\* Nouveau Calls\*. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/28 "2009-12-12T15:12:43Z")
ELP: “Toccata” King Crimson: “A Sailor’s Tale”, “Red,” “Discipline” Led Zeppelin: “Bron-y-aur” Pink Floyd: “One of these Days” Joe Satriani: “Summer Song” Yes: “The Fish”, “Mood For a Day” ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/29 "2009-12-12T15:22:05Z")
‘Toussaint L’Overture’ from 3, and ‘Every Step Of The Way’ from Caravanserai by Santana. ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/30 "2009-12-12T15:34:28Z")
[Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGho1QZO4Us) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/31 "2009-12-12T15:46:22Z")
The Toadies - “Mexican Hairless” Booker T. & the MG’s - “Green Onions” The Clash - (cover of) “Time is Tight” Jethro Tull - “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Bouree” ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/32 "2009-12-12T16:08:39Z")
“Hand Picked” by Dickie Betts “Trademark” by Eric Johnson ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/33 "2009-12-12T16:09:23Z")
Many of mine have already been mentioned–love Maggot Brain. I’ll add: **Dynamize** by VHS or Beta **Poison Pushy** by Stanton Moore **Guerlo Canelo** by Calexio **Emperor of Wyoming** by Neil Young **Soul Sacrifice** by Santana You know, other than Soul Sacrifice, I’m not sure any of these are _really_ the rock genre. But they all seem to fall under the general umbrella. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/34 "2009-12-12T17:24:47Z")
> [@5\_time\_champ](#): > > “Hand Picked” by Dickie Betts > “Trademark” by Eric Johnson I hope I’m not being too “picky”, but I think he spells it _Dickey._ Thanks so much for the suggestion; I just bought the album on itunes. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/35 "2009-12-12T17:31:03Z")
[Tiger Tiger](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZYLmSzqKUA&feature=related) by Duran Duran [Tel Aviv](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSsRGtj-SmY&feature=related) by Duran Duran ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/36 "2009-12-12T18:24:04Z")
Genesis has several good ones - “After The Ordeal”, “Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…In That Quiet Earth”, and “Duke’s Travels/Duke’s End” come to mind. The last one has one verse sung near the end, but I don’t really count that as “vocals” since the verse is just a repeat of a track earlier on the album. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/37 "2009-12-12T18:24:44Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > There’s a whole genre of modern instrumental music, known as post-rock, except by the bands themselves, who all hate the name. > > [Post-rock - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-rock) I’m a fan of Sigur Ros, who don’t really apply to this thread, but Last.fm recommends a lot of instrumental post-rock to me. This is one of my favorites: God Is An Astronaut - Fragile: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2lA7Oyv864](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2lA7Oyv864) The video (not sure if this is “official” or not) is a big reason why this song sticks with me. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/38 "2009-12-12T18:39:01Z")
_Cat’s Squirrel_ by Jethro Tull. Cream also does a good job with it, but they credit Mick Abrahams with the arrangement. _No Matter What Shape’s (Your Stomach’s In)_ by the T-Bones Second _Albatross_ by Fleetwood Mac ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/39 "2009-12-12T18:50:51Z")
I third Tull’s “Bouree” and second ELO’s “Fire on High”, the Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius”, and Dick Dale’s “Miserlou”. I submit for consideration: Joe Satriani’s “Summer Song” and “Surfing with the Alien” The Alan Parsons Project’s “I Robot” and “Lucifer” Transiberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” and “Carol of the Bells” ELP’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956/40 "2009-12-12T18:55:33Z")
“Green Onions”, Booker T. & the MGs “Reoccurring Dreams”, Husker Du Lots of Tortoise & Mogwai [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-instrumentals/520956.md?page=3)