How many instumental Oldies can you name?

In My Humble Opinion
41

I think the Theme from “The Rockford Files” also made the charts.

Also the Allman Brothers Band had an instrumental hit with “Jessica”.

42

Dueling Banjos

43

One of his that I love is Casino Royale.
It was in the opening credits, and that scene where David Niven (and Woody Allen?) are dressed in kilts and dueling with bowling balls. Absurdism at its best.

44

How can I forget “Love Story” and “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet” (with and without lyrics)?

Robin

45

De nada,screech-owl. Happy to put my fading memory and my small but significant collection of reference books at your service.

Speaking of memory, how could I forget those last gasps of the big band era on the pop charts,

Jimmy Dorsey’s So Rare a #2 song in 1957, whose only lyrics are those of the title.

AND Tommy Dorsey’s #7 hit from 1958 Tea for Two Cha-Cha

Neither of them show up very often on oldies collections, though I have seen the occasional So Rare. For some reason, the words “cha-cha” and “collection of hits” just seem to fight in people’s minds.

46

Well, I guess it’s time to repsond to the tremendous outpouring of interest my little trivia question has generated. (Ahem!)

For the record, the TWO things the songs “Grazing in the Grass” and “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” have in common are:

  1. As mentioned, both were first Top 40 hits as instrumentals, then later became hits again in vocal versions.

  2. The lyrics of both songs contain the phrase “Sure is mellow.”

a) “Sure is mellow grazin’ in the grass”

b) “Sure is mellow, glad that I’m her fellow”

47

Washington Square by the Village Stompers was one I would play by the hour, putting the 45 record player in repeat mode.

48

Here’s a couple:
Red River Rock
and
Teen Beat

49

Man, you could assemble a couple of great CDs with the songs mentioned here.
How about “Glad” by Traffic, off John bArleycorn Must Die? DJs loved using that a background while making announcements and going to the next show.

50

You said rag, so I thought of “Tiger Rag”, “The Maple Leaf Rag”, and “12th Street Rag”.

51

I can’t believe no-one has mentioned Samba pa ti by Santana. By far the most beautiful instrumental of all time, imho. Second place for me would go to the dreamy Albatross by Fleetwood Mac. And probably third place to Theme from the Deerhunter (cavatina) by the Shadows.

52

One that played on TV a lot in the 60’s but didn’t reach my collection until the 90’s is the “Mission Impossible Theme”.