# Your favourite instrumental rock/jazz/pop/hiphop tune **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 6, 2022, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031 "2022-09-06T02:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/41 "2022-09-06T20:52:43Z")
This one’s it for me. Gumbo Variations. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z7R6C04XD7k/hqdefault.jpg "FRANK ZAPPA The Gumbo Variations.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7R6C04XD7k) ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/42 "2022-09-06T21:21:58Z")
I prefer instrumentals that feature keyboards (though a good guitar shred, groovin’ bass walk or Buddy Rich style drum solo is nothing to sniff about either). But, there’s nothing quite like the big fat sound of a Hammond B-3 with Leslie speaker: https://www.youtube.com/embed/uuXgnn8TZ14?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDuuXgnn8TZ14 I listen mostly to classical music these days, but I’ve always been a sucker for the progressive rock bands of the 70’s with talented keyboardists, especially **ELP** and **Yes**. Most of my favorite songs of theirs, though mainly instrumental, do include lyrics, so they’re disqualified as per the OP. I will, however, submit another **ELP** cover—Prokofiev’s _Dance of the Knights_: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Xw30lMhpStw/maxresdefault.jpg "ELP "THE DANCE OF KNIGHTS".") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw30lMhpStw) But, for sheer virtuosity, nothing beats Horowitz’s 1953 performance of Liszt’s _Hungarian Rhapsody #2_ (hey, technically it’s an instrumental and it rocks!). His cadenza is superhuman: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v95I6kGghmk/hqdefault.jpg "Liszt-Horowitz Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 Horowitz Rec 1953") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v95I6kGghmk) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/43 "2022-09-06T22:09:25Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > > [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > > > The Peter Gunn Theme. > > By Mancini > > I have SIXTEEN different versions of that piece and they all rock The Sixties were wonderful like that. The 60 versions of _Batman_ listed on this page doesn’t come close to the actual number of versions out there. > **[Song: Batman Theme written by Neal Hefti | ...](https://secondhandsongs.com/work/23851/versions)** > > The song Batman Theme was written by Neal Hefti and was first released by Neal Hefti in 1966. It was covered by The Pedestrians, Sheena & the Rokkets, Sandy Nelson, Sam Chalpin and other artists. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/44 "2022-09-07T13:14:17Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I’ll pick Sorceress from Return to Forever’s album Romantic Warrior. Love this band. RTF is (was) awesome! I recently rediscovered a bunch of cassettes that I had made probably late 70’s. I dug my cassette deck out of the closet. Had to replace belts — one of them had melted into oblivion. Got it running and have been going through these old cassettes. Most sound awful. Tape stretched etc and the deck may no longer be running at an accurate speed but it was a nostalgia thing and when I’m done the tapes will be tossed. Anyway, I came across a tape simply labelled Return To Forever. No recollection of making the tape and I know I never owned the record. There was horns & woodwinds. Not your typical RTF. I located the recording online. Live, The Entire Concert, from 1977. Lenny White & Al DiMeola are nowhere to be found. Gerry Brown on drums. He’s awesome! Some of those cuts are my favourite instrumentals of the moment. Not keen on the cuts with vocals though. Never been keen on jazz vocals. Also been listening to Art Pepper. Next week my favourites could be something else. I’d still like to know how I got that RTF onto tape. Forever a mystery I guess. But I now own the CD 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/45 "2022-09-07T13:17:07Z")
Soulful Strut, which is kind of rock/pop I guess, but kind of not. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XKYgtwsqnxs/maxresdefault.jpg "Young-Holt Unlimited "Soulful Strut" 1968 HQ") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKYgtwsqnxs) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/46 "2022-09-07T15:42:40Z")
I listen to a lot of jazz, which is mostly intrumental. There’s no way I can narrow it down to one favorite, but here’s one I’ve listened to and enjoyed many times: Well, You Needn’t by Thelonious Monk: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/euft-JZ6qy4/maxresdefault.jpg "Well You Needn't") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euft-JZ6qy4) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/47 "2022-09-07T15:51:19Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UNilsLf6eW4/maxresdefault.jpg "La Villa Strangiato - Rush") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNilsLf6eW4) And also anything by the Dixie Dregs. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/48 "2022-09-07T16:09:12Z")
You said we could have classical, so here’s the theme tune to ‘The Lone Ranger’ (with apologies to Rossini!) [Rossini William Tell Overture Final - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3T8-aeOrbg) ---
**Author:** ![maxlakonsky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maxlakonsky/32/11904_2.png) [@maxlakonsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maxlakonsky)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/49 "2022-09-07T16:30:08Z")
Mine is Thunderstruck by AC/DC https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/50 "2022-09-07T16:32:37Z")
> [@maxlakonsky](#): > > Mine is Thunderstruck by AC/DC A great song, but I’m not sure how it qualifies as an instrumental? ---
**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:** [September 7, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/51 "2022-09-07T17:06:26Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I love Brian Eno’s work as well. His “Apollo” album is excellent and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu3mNKpJLgc) always manages to calm the storm inside. Brian Eno reminded me of Neu! (he was a frequent collaborator) and their Motorik sound. It’s unbelievable that their signature song “Hallogallo” is from 1972. Nobody else did anything like that in 1972. It’s hypnotic. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EAXYMOgHQI4/hqdefault.jpg "Neu! ''Hallogallo''") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAXYMOgHQI4) ---
**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:** [September 7, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/52 "2022-09-07T17:27:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Whammer Jammer. The song that launched a thousand blues harp players. Just like this: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soXfp6Xx2VE) ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/53 "2022-09-07T17:39:13Z")
I like some good guitar work. Eric Johnson, Cliff of Dover. [Eric Johnson - Cliffs Of Dover [HQ Studio Version] - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiRn3Zlw3Rw) Two guitar gods, Glen Campbell and Roy Clark, Ghost Riders in the Sky. [Glen Campbell & Roy Clark Play “Ghost Riders in the Sky” - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_kbgjsuCec) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/54 "2022-09-07T18:08:19Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > I like some good guitar work So do I… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tEFlhh67zmY/hqdefault.jpg "Gary Hoey 'Linus and Lucy'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEFlhh67zmY) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/55 "2022-09-07T18:29:53Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Brian Eno reminded me of Neu! (he was a frequent collaborator) and their Motorik sound. It’s unbelievable that their signature song “Hallogallo” is from 1972. Nobody else did anything like that in 1972. It’s hypnotic. absolutely, great choice, one of my favourites. I love [Seeland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfLsCvLfFiI) as well, Less driving, not so _urgent_, but with more than a hint of Eno about it. We often drive in Germany on our way to Austria and I have a playlist for the autobahn with lots of Neu! on it (and Tangerine Dream) When we get to the mountains I switch to something more fitting which brings me to another great quasi-instrumental band, Mogwai. Here are a couple of crackers. [How to be a werewolf](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKZX7CZwgeM) - great for sweeping mountain roads [The sun smells too loud](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSZ--zPKN2U) - ditto ---
**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:** [September 7, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/56 "2022-09-07T18:43:42Z")
Yeah, Mogwai is a great instrumental band. The whole Post Rock genre owes a lot to Neu! (and other Kraut Rock bands). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/57 "2022-09-07T18:51:00Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > I like some good guitar work. My favorite part? The grin at the end. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Zzf9-ruSl2s/hqdefault.jpg "Jason Becker - Paganini's 5th caprice Electric guitar ( Private @ Jason's Studio )") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzf9-ruSl2s) ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/58 "2022-09-07T19:21:35Z")
This reminded me of the few instrumental bands in my dad’s collection of singles and LPs from the sixties. Like Swedish guitar band The Spotnics: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aKC5P17rjtg/maxresdefault.jpg "High Flying Scotsman (Remastered)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKC5P17rjtg) ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/59 "2022-09-07T19:48:58Z")
Gouryella by Gouryella [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mAdRa47d1fc/maxresdefault.jpg "Gouryella - Gouryella (Matt Fax Remix)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAdRa47d1fc) ---
**Author:** ![maxlakonsky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maxlakonsky/32/11904_2.png) [@maxlakonsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maxlakonsky)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031/60 "2022-09-08T17:19:06Z")
> [@maxlakonsky](#): > > [https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM](https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM) there is an instrumental version [https://youtu.be/zAGCDvesHJU](https://youtu.be/zAGCDvesHJU) Sorry if it’s a bit off topic, just wanted to share… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-instrumental-rock-jazz-pop-hiphop-tune/971031.md?page=4)