# Rock artists who also compose classical music
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** music
**Created:** [June 16, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365 "2021-06-16T02:52:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/1 "2021-06-16T02:52:20Z")
Today I heard Billy Joel’s _Opus 2. Waltz # 1_, from _Fantasies and Delusions_. It got me thinking, what other rock artists have composed classical music?
Paul McCartney (_Liverpool Oratorio_, 1991; _Standing Stone_, 1997; _Working Classical_, 1999; _Ecce Cor Meum_, 2006; _Ocean’s Kingdom_, 2007)
Frank Zappa (_London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. I & II_, 1983 & 1987)
Roger Waters (_Ça Ira_, 2005)
Billy Joel (_Fantasies and Delusions_, 2001)
~Max
I can’t find much on the 'dope about this topic, just [a lone 20 year old post](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potential-pop-music-career-suicide/99269/4) by **Sam\_Stone** mentioning McCartney and Joel.
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### Author:  [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/2 "2021-06-16T04:47:48Z")
It may have been a one-off, but Freddie Mercury composed _Barcelona_ for the 1992 Summer Olympics, and performed it with opera star Montserrat Caballé.
More information at: [Here’s the proof that Freddie Mercury was as great at singing as any opera star](https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/barcelona-mercury-caballe/)
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/3 "2021-06-16T04:58:39Z")
While it may not technically qualify as “classical music,” several rock artists have composed movie soundtracks, which were recorded by orchestras.
[Trevor Rabin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Rabin), best known for being a guitarist with the progressive rock band Yes in the '80s and '90s, has written the soundtracks for several dozen films, including _Armageddon_, _Remember the Titans_, and _National Treasure_.
The French electronic music duo Daft Punk composed the soundtrack for _Tron: Legacy_, which used traditional orchestral instruments as well as electronic instruments.
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### Author:  [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/4 "2021-06-16T05:24:18Z")
Elvis Costello composed the orchestral score for the ballet [Il Sogno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Sogno).
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/5 "2021-06-16T06:20:15Z")
Does Danny Elfman count?
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/6 "2021-06-16T06:32:39Z")
Mike Oldfield has an album called “Music of the Spheres” which is reasonably classical, with Lang Lang on piano. And his second album, Hergest Ridge, is basically a Pastorale like Beethoven’s Sixth, complete with thunderstorm. A guitar freakout in this case, not strings.
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/7 "2021-06-16T12:01:35Z")
Joe Jackson did “Will Power”, an instrumental classical album.
> **[Joe Jackson - Will Power Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/will-power-mw0000190418)**
>
> Discover Will Power by Joe Jackson released in 1987. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/8 "2021-06-16T12:08:51Z")
Tony Banks of Genesis has done some classical composition and film scores.
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### Author:  [@thdudescar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thdudescar)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/9 "2021-06-16T13:26:16Z")
Also, Steve Hackett, formerly of Genesis has several albums that could be considered classical. Listen to this: [Steve Hackett - She Moves In Memories - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ozwYmdNEI8)
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/10 "2021-06-16T13:28:00Z")
Keith Emerson wrote a piano concerto.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IIKrbVy4w8)
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/11 "2021-06-16T14:37:48Z")
I would classify The Legends of King Arthur by Rick Wakeman as classical, although Wiki says it’s prog rock.
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### Author:  [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/12 "2021-06-16T15:06:33Z")
Paul McCartney did an album of classical music called [Standing Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_Stone_(album)) . It was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra
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### Author:  [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/13 "2021-06-16T17:57:28Z")
John Cale - he of the Velvet Underground - springs immediately to mind. [Here are some of his less avant-garde pieces](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-qNEvL27_Y). He’s done shed loads of classical pieces, but then he was classically trained.
There’s a headline on this week’s Radio Times about Paul Weller Turns Classical At 63 or somesuch. Hmmm.
j
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/14 "2021-06-16T18:05:34Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I can’t find much on the 'dope about this topic, just a lone 20 year old post by **Sam\_Stone**
Ack. Excuse me while I go get my walker. 20 years ago…
Anyway, Warren Zevon threaded classical music through much of his music, and he even got some training from Igor Stravinsky. He has supposedly written at least one symphony that was never released. You can hear some of his string compositions in this song:
Here’s one of his songs with a string arrangement:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0J3ossUzhU)
Jeff Lynne did a lot of classical arranging in ELO’s music. Eldorado is kind of a rock opera with tons of classical arrangements:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TevET3rUTRE)
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/15 "2021-06-16T18:12:38Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> Jeff Lynne did a lot of classical arranging in ELO’s music.
Speaking as an ELO nerd: Jeff Lynne could not read music at that time (and it appears that he still doesn’t read music, or at least claims that he doesn’t). Lynne worked with arranger Louis Clark to do the actual arranging of the orchestral sections, based on what Lynne wrote, on almost all of ELO’s albums from 1974-1983, and Clark conducted the orchestras for the recordings.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/16 "2021-06-16T18:21:48Z")
I had no idea. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/17 "2021-06-16T19:12:11Z")
> [@RitterSport](#):
>
> I would classify The Legends of King Arthur by Rick Wakeman as classical, although Wiki says it’s prog rock.
I think his “Journey to the Center of the Earth” qualifies even more. The much inferior sequel definitely isn’t, though.
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### Author:  [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/18 "2021-06-16T23:14:56Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> Jeff Lynne could not read music at that time (and it appears that he still doesn’t read music, or at least claims that he doesn’t)
Neither can Paul McCartney, neither did Irving Berlin, &etc.
~Max
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/19 "2021-06-16T23:44:39Z")
> [@Max\_S](#):
>
> Neither can Paul McCartney, neither did Irving Berlin, &etc.
I’ve long heard that many composers and performers of modern popular music don’t know how to read or compose in traditional musical notation; one thing that unifies people like Lynne, McCartney, and Berlin is that they were from working-class families, and had little or no formal musical education as young people. However, even though a lot of rock and popular musicians can’t read traditional notation, many of them use other notation systems (like [guitar tablature](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablature#Guitar_tablature) or the [Nashville Number System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Number_System)) to write down the music that they’re composing.
McCartney is an interesting case here, since, as you noted in your OP, he’s written several albums of classical music. It appears that, like Lynne, he collaborated with orchestrators or arrangers to translate what he was writing into notation for the musicians (and, on _Standing Stone_, he also used a computer to transcribe what he was writing).
In Berlin’s case, he, too, worked with “musical secretaries,” who would take dictation from Berlin and transcribe his melodies.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-artists-who-also-compose-classical-music/944365/20 "2021-06-17T00:04:27Z")
Ben Folds did some piano concertos with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. He followed that up with an album of some “chamber pop” songs but I don’t know what that is.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NilkgXEYq7I)
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