#13

 

Thanks! Should have gone top ten. I love it mashed up with "Antidote", was that a release? I guess it doesn't count since it has a single verse, eh?

Rank 1 - Airwave (2000)

Armin van Buuren - Communication (2000)

Gouryella - Gouryella (1999)

Dutch Force - Deadline (2000)

 

'Communication' charted in a vocal mix in the UK, the others just had one line (or in Gouryella's case one word) added to the song so people knew what it was.

A couple of relatively recent ones that haven't been mentioned yet:

 

Ludovico Einaudi - I Giorni (2011)

Madeon - Icarus (2012)

 

I *think* those two and 'Greyhound' may be the last 3 instrumentals to make the top 40 (prior to 'Walking With Elephants')? Quite surprising how rare instrumental top 40 hits are, I suppose it's quite hard for them to get radio airplay which is probably why but even so only 4 of them in 4 years (one of which was a non-standard chart entry), unless I'm forgetting any...

Thanks! Should have gone top ten. I love it mashed up with "Antidote", was that a release? I guess it doesn't count since it has a single verse, eh?

 

Despite its peak, it spent loads of weeks in the top 40 and sold a pretty hefty amount.

 

Adore that track so much. :wub:

tweets - the birdie song (#2 1981)

sweet people - and the birds were singing (#4 1980)

 

 

Many many dance/trance hits from the 90s.

Also,

 

Vanessa Mae - Tocatta and Fugue (1995)

 

I'm guessing Riverdance doesn't count because of the start having vocals.

Mostly all Duane eddy hits

I've thought of quite a few that I need to listen back to so I can check they really were instrumental, but I'm slightly surprised nobody's mentioned Booker T & The MGs yet.

 

Also, 'The Crunch' by the RAH band was in the chart this week in 1977, at the same time as 'Magic Fly' and 'Equinoxe' - and also Bruce Johnston's version of 'Pipeline', which has vocals but no lyrics. Not sure what people had a against words that autun.

 

Another massive but sadly forgotten hit was 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' by Propellerheads and David Arnold.

I've thought of quite a few that I need to listen back to so I can check they really were instrumental, but I'm slightly surprised nobody's mentioned Booker T & The MGs yet.

 

Also, 'The Crunch' by the RAH band was in the chart this week in 1977, at the same time as 'Magic Fly' and 'Equinoxe' - and also Bruce Johnston's version of 'Pipeline', which has vocals but no lyrics. Not sure what people had a against words that autumn.

 

Another massive but sadly forgotten hit was 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' by Propellerheads and David Arnold.

It was a mass protest against the censorship of God Save The Queen earlier that year :P

Another couple of minor Euro-dance hits

 

"Chief Inspector" by Wally Badarou

"Underwater" by Harry Thumann

Mogwai - Friend Of The Night reached #38 in 2006.

This is the time to mention

 

Popcorn by Hot Butter

Mogwai - Friend Of The Night reached #38 in 2006.

Yeah, I was trying to remember whether there were any vocals on that one.

I'm pretty sure their Top 75 EP 'No Education = No Future (F**k The Curfew)' was all-instrumental too, but I'm not sure about all their other charting hits.

 

On a different musical style, there's the theme tune from 'Reilly Ace Of Spies' (actually an excerpt from The Gadfly Suite by Shostakovich).

 

Turns out both the 187 Lockdown songs I was going to mention do have some vocal samples.

 

 

Lily Was Here - David A Stewart Featuring Candy Dulfer

Rise - Herb Alpert

Spanish Flea - Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass

Falcon - RAH Band

Morning Dance - Spyro Gyra

Rain Forest - Paul Hardcastle

Edited September 14, 201410 yr by Robbie

Well we can now officially add Ten Walls to this :magic:

This 1994 classic should also be mentioned:

 

Who remembers

 

Rotterdam Termination Source - Poing

 

Probably the most pointless record ever made

It probably doesn't count because of that very small vocal sample but: “Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!” by Bentley Rhythm Ace.

 

#17 in 1997 but never played on the chart show as it charted the week Diana copped it in August 1997.

Edited December 8, 20159 yr by Doctor Blind

What about Atlantic Ocean - Waterfall?

 

I can't recall any vocals (and at work so can't check)

Bumping this thread. Have there been any instrumental top 40 hits since Ten Walls 'Walking with Elephants' back in Sept 2014 apart from Mark Knopfler likely to get one this Friday?

 

Before I even bumped this thread the last one I could definitely remember was Ten Walls. They really seemed to have died a death in streaming era. But maybe I've missed some.

Edited March 17, 20241 yr by Smint