John Cage - 4’33"
“Green Onions” is nothing to me. And this definition of “pop” seems to mean post-1439.
But I was interested to see that Japan has a tradition of playing “closing time” instrumentals too. Two that I heard were “Londonderry Air” and Largo From the New World. Most of the tourists in Japan are Japanese, but maybe the choose closing melodies for the benefit of Americans? Who knows.
I’m a child of the 70’s. In /my/ cohort, Tubular Bells (the melody that underpinned (Virgin Atlantic) would have to be a contender
I came to say this.
What about the theme from TV’s Law & Order? Or Star Trek? Or Hogan’s Heroes?
On the popular instrumentals nobody knows the name of theme, thanks to Carl Stalling and Warner Bros. animation, Raymond Scott’s work is known probably world-wide – certainly in the US – with hardly anyone knowing their or his names.
Example: Powerhouse B (It is bookended by the almost as famous “A”)
Second example: Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals.
And finally, Ali Baba Goes to Town (if you can get past the distractions).
“Harlem Nocturne”
Theme from The Pink Panther?
What about Spring Rain by Bebu Silvetti? They played that on the radio ad nauseam in the 70’s.
As did they Breezin and the Entertainer.
And chariots in the 80’s.
If “In the Mood” is on the list, we should also include Take the A Train.
it, umm, had lyr-icks
:smack: :dubious: :rolleyes:
That’s what I thought of.
That one is actually on the list linked in the OP, at #90 – a rung above Brubeck’s Take Five.
The answer should be YYZ but it isn’t.
The first one that came to mind was Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross.
Followed by Telstar.
(Just saw this thread.)
In the OP’s link, “Yakety Sax” seems way too low at #99, as does the Pink Panther theme at #90.
Where’s Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy”?
Seems like there ought to be more TV and movie themes. I know The Simpsons, Hawaii Five-O, and Star Wars have already been mentioned in this thread. But I haven’t seen the theme songs (instrumental as played) from MAS*H, Star Trek, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson… and I’m sure I’ll think of more.
“Sabre Dance” has entered the realm of popular music as one of the 20th century’s signature pieces."[7] It was further made popular by covers by pop artists,[8] first in the US and later in other countries, such as the UK and Germany. Its use in a wide range of films and TV series over the decades have significantly contributed to its renown.[9] Sabre Dance has also been used by a number of figure skaters from at least five countries in their performances. Tom Huizenga of NPR describes it as “one of the catchiest, most familiar—perhaps most maddening—tunes to come out of the 20th century.”[10] Billboard magazine calls it “a piece that’s known to every pops orchestra in existence.”
This is a somewhat unconventional version....“Flight of the Bumblebee” is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. Its composition is intended to musically evoke the seemingly chaotic and rapidly changing flying pattern of a bumblebee. Despite the piece’s being a rather incidental part of the opera, it is today one of the more familiar classical works because of its frequent use in popular culture."
Satin Doll by…I dunno, Duke Ellington? … Harlem Nocturne, Take 5, and Take the A-Train, everyone has heard them.