I’ll raise you: Freddie King’s “Hideaway” !
So THERE.
This thread is SO OVER :eek: 
I came back in to nominate this. I geek out about that song in this thread, post #21. What a great, great song - and amazing playing that Carlos Santana fans need to hear.
and Atomic Mama - oh yeah, love Freddie King. I love **The Stumble **and San Ho-Zay, too!!
I hope **Rumble **by Link Wray - is mentioned - gotta go back and check the thread…yep, post #32. yay.
I would have gone for this were it not for the fact that it’s not an instrumental track. There are no lyrics (unless the lyrics are “oooooohh oooohh aaaaaaahhh ooooohhh AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!..”) but it’s a vocal nonetheless. So I’ll go with your other choice instead:
I like:
How Stupid, Mr. Bates - The Police
4 - The Cruel Sea
Orion - Metallica
Oldfield probably doesn’t qualify but QE2
And if he does, **Tubular Bells **needs to be in the running.
But “Astronomy Domine” isn’t an instrumental. (I was thinking of nominating “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” although it does have that one lyric… plus of course the wordless vocal which is a major part of the song.)
Africano – Earth Wind and Fire
A Pauper in Paradise – Gino Vannelli
The Viv Stanshall vocals might disqualify this one (although they’re not integral to the piece in my opinion).
Ah right, forgot the lyrics. Good call. Seems like I need to listen to that record more.
Bloodline - The Storm Joe Bonamassa and friends
Liquid Tension Experiment - Biaxident Tony Levin, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess
Focus - Sylvia the “Hocus Pocus” band
Lots of Dregs songs including Attila The Hun, I’m Freaking Out and Take It Off The Top
Blue Oyster Cult - Buck’s Boogie, the live version from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees
Some Allman Brothers songs seemed to have been overlooked: True Gravity, Instrumental Illness, Pegasus (which doesn’t appear to be on Youtube anymore), Les Brers in A Minor, Mountain Jam, High Falls, Kind of a Bird, etc…
Santana - Every Step Of The Way and All The Love Of The Universe
Very much Jeff Beck – Freeway Jam, Blue Wind, 'Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers (with Tal, of course) and so on and so on
Which reminds me of Stanley Clarke - School Days (feel free to not think of this as rock, I suppose)
Ronnie Montrose - Town Without Pity
There’s probably more.
“Dharma for One” does have lyrics at the beginning, so unfortunately it’s out.
(Some people might quibble with “Bouree” on the basis of Ian Anderson’s vocalizations, but I consider it an instrumental.)
I don’t think that Focus counts, as they were a purely instrumental band throughout their career.
Doesn’t that knock out Booker T and the MGs, too? I can’t think of any non-instrumentals by them (though I only know a few of their songs: “Green Onions,” “Time is Tight,” “Hip Hug Her.”
My personal favourite is “Quadrophenia” rather obviously from the album of the same name, or “Hallogallo” by NEU!
But a well earned tip of the hat to many of the others mentioned here, it’s all good stuff and continues to bolster my Grooveshark playlist.
I suppose so…I’ve always thought of Underture as sort of a reprise of Sparks. When they play the “Tommy Medley” live, Sparks is one of the best parts of the whole show.
Greeny just kills on ‘The Supernatural’, of course, but I need to give some support for an under-appreciated Harvey Mandel. Check out the slow burn of ‘Wade In The Water’ or the fireworks on ‘Midnight Sun II’. As Miles would say… “Cat can play”.
’
+1
Journey of the Sorcerer - Eagles
Better known as the theme music for the radio version of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
Not really the best rock instrumental, but Captain Coconut by Jimi Hendrix needs a mention, if for no other reason, for having someone credited for playing a slinky.
I was considering the voice work there as an instrument, not as singing per se. But I’m not wedded to that, I can see both sides.
I’ll have to check this when I get home, but I thought that was only on the live version? The studio one does not?