User:Melodia/List of popular songs based on classical music

This is a list of examples of popular songs that are arrangements of, or otherwise make use of, works of classical music.

Tags used below: [I] instrumental pieces; [i] quasi-instrumental pieces including non-lyrics voice samples

The practice of adapting classical compositions is associated with various popular genres, including Tin Pan Alley, progressive rock, and heavy metal.

1890s[edit]

(1891) "O Promise Me" by Reginald DeKoven & Smith, from the musical Robin Hood -- based on Musica proibita, the name popularly given to an aria in the 1888 Italian opera Mala Pasqua by Stanislao Gastaldon.

1910s[edit]

(1913) "Hungarian Rag" by Julius Lenzberg - based on the Second Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt.
(1918) "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" by Joseph McCarthy and Harry Carroll - based on the Fantasie Impromptu in C Sharp Minor by Frédéric Chopin.^[1]
(1919) "The Marine Hymn" by L. Z. Philips - based on the Gendarmes' Duet from Jacques Offenbach's opera Genevieve de Brabant
(1919) "Peter Gink" by George L. Cobb - based on the Peer Gynt Suite by Edvard Grieg.

1920s[edit]

(1922) "Goin' Home" popularized by Paul Robeson - based on the "Largo" from Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"
(1928) "Lover, come back to me" in The New Moon by Sigmund Romberg - the middle section is based on "June: Barcarolle" from Tchaikovsky's The Seasons, opus 37b.

1930s[edit]

(1930) "In an Eighteenth-Century Drawing Room" by Raymond Scott - based on Mozart's Piano Sonata, K. 545
(1937) "Song of India", arr. Tommy Dorsey - based on "The Song of the Indian Guest" from Rimsky-Korsakov's Sadko.
(1938) "My Reverie" by Larry Clinton - based on Debussy's Rêverie
(1939) "The Lamp is Low" - Peter DeRose and Bert Shefter - based on Maurice Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte
(1939) "Our Love" - (lyrics by Buddy Bernier and Bob Emmerich) was adapted by bandleader Larry Clinton from the main theme of the overture to "Romeo and Juliet" by Tchaikovsky, and recorded by Clinton and by Jimmy Dorsey.
(1939) "Moon Love" by Mack David, Mack Davis and Andre Kostelanetz based on the theme for French horn in the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, recorded by Sinatra in 1939 with Harry James Orchestra and again in 1966 on the album Moonlight Sinatra

1940s[edit]

(1941) "Tonight We Love", by Caterina Valente- based on Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op.23
(1941) "The Things I Love" by Harold Barlow and Lewis Harris based on Tchaikovsky's Melody, Opus 42, No. 3 (from Souvenir d'un lieu cher for Violin & Piano)
(1942) "If You Are But a Dream", by Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton, and Nat Bonx - based on Anton Rubinstein's "Romance in E flat, Op. 44,No. 1"
(1943) "None But The Lonely Heart", by Tchaikovsky from six romances for voice and piano, Op. 6, sung by Sinatra in The Columbia Years 1943–1952: The Complete Recordings
(1945) "Full Moon and Empty Arms", by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman - based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2.
(1945) "Till the End of Time," words by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman, popularized by, among others, Perry Como - based on Frédéric Chopin's "Polonaise In A Flat"
(1946) "Summer Moon" by Klenner, sung by Lauritz Melchior - based on Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird (Ronde des princesses)
(1949) "There's No Tomorrow," lyrics by Al Hoffman, Leo Corday and Leon Carr, popularized by Tony Martin, based on O Sole Mio by Eduardo di Capua.

1950s[edit]

(1950) "No Other Love" by Jo Stafford. The music credited to Paul Weston but is actually derived from Frédéric Chopin's Étude No. 3 in E, Op. 10.
(1952) "The Bigger The Figure", by Louis Prima - based on Rossini's Largo al factotum from The Barber of Seville.
(1953) "Stranger in Paradise" by George Forrest and Robert Wright, in the Broadway musical Kismet - based on a theme from Alexander Borodin's Polovetsian Dances. Also in Kismet, the second movement of Borodin's String Quartet No. 2 which became "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads".
(1956) "Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)" by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning - based on a theme from Chabrier España, Rhapsody for Orchestra
(1958) "Catch a Falling Star" by Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance - based on a theme from Brahms' Academic Festival Overture^[2]
(1959) "Once Upon a Dream" in the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty - based upon a waltz in Tchaikovsky's ballet Sleeping Beauty.
(1959) "Don't You Know" by Della Reese - based on "Musetta's Waltz" from Puccini's La Boheme

1960s[edit]

(1960) "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley - also based on 'O Sole Mio.
(1960) "Tonight's All Right For Love" by Elvis Presley, based on Tales From The Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss II.
(1960) "Tonight Is So Right For Love" by Elvis Presley, based on a Barcarolle by Jacques Offenbach
(1961) "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley, based "Plaisir d'amour" (1784) by J.P.E. Martini^[2]
(1961) "Surrender" by Elvis Presley, based on "Torna a Surriento", a 1902 Neapolitan ballad.
(1962) "Like I Do" by Nancy Sinatra and later covered by Maureen Evans. Based on Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" from La Gioconda.
(1962) "Nut Rocker" by B. Bumble and the Stingers, based on Tchaikovsky's "March of the Toy Soldiers" from his ballet The Nutcracker.
(1963) "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever" by Elvis Presley, based on Liebesträume by Franz Liszt.
(1963) "Just Let Me Cry" By Lesley Gore based on (Nikolaj Rimski-Korsakov) Sadko (opera)
(1963) "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter From Camp)" by Allan Sherman - based on Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" from La Gioconda.
(1965) "A Lover's Concerto" by The Toys - based on J.S. Bach's Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach".^[1]
(1965) Diane and Annita's "A Groovy Kind of Love" is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi.
(1966) The Shangri-Las " ((Past, Present and Future)) based on (Ludwig Van Beethoven) moonlight sonata.
(1966) The Move "Night of Fear" based on Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
(1966) Fabrizio De André "Canzone dell'amore perduto" is heavily based on "Trumpet Concert in D " by George Philip Telemann
(1967) "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum - (loosely) based on J.S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3, Air (commonly known as Air on a G String) and Cantata 140 "Sleepers Awake".^[1]
(1967) "Schroeder" in the stage musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - based on Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata".
(1967) "Invocation & Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin" by Frank Zappa on Side 1 of his album Absolutely Free quotes from "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" by Gustav Holst from his suite "The Planets".
(1968) "Rain and Tears" by Aphrodite's Child based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major. Featured in the 2005 movie Three Times.
(1968) "Please Don't Go" by Donald Peers based on the Barcarolle from "The Tales of Hoffman" by Offenbach.
(1969) "Jane B." by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg based on Chopin's Prelude Op. 28, No. 4 in E minor.
(1969) "Mars: The Bringer of War" by King Crimson on Epitaph - a progressive rock arrangement of Mars, from the The Planets suite by Gustav Holst
(1969) "Bourée" by Jethro Tull (band), a progressive rock arrangement of Bourrée in E minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
(1969) "Day Dream" by The Wallace Collection (band), chorus based on Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

1970s[edit]

(1972) "Also Sprach Zarathustra" [I] by Deodato - a funk arrangement of Richard Strauss' composition of the same name
(1972) "Joy" by Apollo 100 - based on J.S. Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
(1972) Pictures at an Exhibition by Emerson, Lake and Palmer - entire album based on the work by Modest Mussorgsky, with two original pieces ("The Sage" and "The Curse of Baba Yaga"), and a live cover of "Nut Rocker" featuring Clavinet
(1973) Joybringer by Manfred Mann's Earth Band - based on Gustav Holst's Jupiter
(1973) "American Tune" by Paul Simon -- based on Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
(1974) "I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake and Peter Sinfield -- The instrumental riff between verses comes from the "Troika" portion of Sergei Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite written for a 1934 Soviet film, Poruchik Kizhe.
(1975) "Take my heart" by Jacky James -- romantic pop, huge success in Brazil, based on "In a Persian Market" by Albert Ketelbey.
(1975) "All by Myself" by Eric Carmen - borrows heavily from Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. Same year, Carmen's "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" borrows from the Adagio of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2^[1]^[2]
(1975) "Could It Be Magic" by Barry Manilow - inspired by Chopin's Prelude In C Minor (Prelude #20: Largo)
(1976) "Great Expectations" by Kiss - uses Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata
(1976) "A Fifth of Beethoven" [I] by Walter Murphy - disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, featured in Saturday Night Fever
(1976) "Night on Disco Mountain" by David Shire - disco version of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain, featured in Saturday Night Fever
(1977) "The Enemy God Dances with the Black Spirits" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer an excerpt of the 2nd movement of "The Scythian Suite" by Sergei Prokofiev
(1977) If I Had Words by Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley - based on Saint-Saens Symphony No.3 in C minor (Organ Symphony)
(1979) Lady Lynda by Alan Jardine and Ron Altbach for The Beach Boys - based on Johann Sebastian Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

1980s[edit]

(1981) "Difficult to Cure" by Rainbow - uses Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
(1981) "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg - uses Peter Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
(1982) "Midnight Blue (Louise Tucker song)" by Louise Tucker and Charlie Skarbek - uses Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata
(1982) "Sing Your Praise To The Lord," Amy Grant and also Rich Mullins, uses the prelude and fugue of J.S. Bach's "Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1" in its intro
(1982) "The Mystery of Love", Donna Summer, uses BWV 847 – J.S. Bach Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C minor. The introduction and verse of the Donna Summer song is based on the Prelude.
(1983) "This Night" by Billy Joel - uses Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata as the basis for the chorus
1983 "Baby Alone in Babylone" sung by Jane Birkin (written by Serge Gainsbourg) based on the 3rd movement from the 3rd Symphony (Poco Allegretto) in F of Johannes Brahms.
(1984) "Forever Young" by Alphaville - uses Pachelbel's Canon in D Major
(1984) "Étude" by Mike Oldfield - "Étude" is taken from the Francisco Tárrega piece "Recuerdos de la Alhambra".
(1985) "Lemon Incest" by Serge Gainsbourg - based on Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 3 in E major
(1985) "Russians" by Sting - arrangement of the Romance in Lieutenant Kijé from Sergei Prokofiev
(1986) "Mars" by Emerson, Lake & Powell - arrangement of Mars: Bringer of War from Holst's The Planets
(1986) "Crimes of Passion" by Rick Wakeman (film soundtrack) - utilizes multiple themes from Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (For the New World)
(1986) "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd-Webber based on Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West"
(1988) "The Fallen Priest" from Barcelona by Freddie Mercury based on Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2

1990s[edit]

(1990) "All Together Now" by The Farm uses the chord progression from Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major
(1991) "Decomposing Composers" by Monty Python from Monty Python Sings based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D; the end of the song is a mashup of most of the composers mentioned in the lyrics of the song.
(1991) "Mea Culpa (Part II)" by Enigma samples the Kyrie eleison from Mass XI (Orbis Factor) in the Liber usualis.
(1991) "World in Union", the official theme song of the Rugby (Union) World Cup, based on a segment of "Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity" from Holst's The Planets
(1993) "Go West" by the Pet Shop Boys, emphasised the original 1979 Village People version's chord progression from Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major
(1994) Hook (song) by Blues Traveler. The choddrd progression is loosely based on Pachelbel's Canon in D.
(1994) "Basket Case" by Green Day^[3]
(1995) "Memory" by Savatage - uses Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
(1996) "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis - chorus chord progression borrows from Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
(1997) "C U When U Get There" by Coolio - based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
(1997) "Exit Music (For a Film) " by Radiohead - though claimed, is not based on Fryderyk Chopin 's 'Prelude no. 4 in E minor.
(1997) The start of "Insane in the membrane" by Cypress Hill starts with a looped theme of the prelude in c minor for Lute by Johann Sebastian Bach.
(1998) "Prince Igor" by Warren G feat. Sissel - based on Alexander Borodin's 'Polovtsian dances' from the opera 'Prince Igor' (1890).
(1998) "Christmas Canon" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra - based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
(1998) "Ocean of Light" by In-mood feat. Juliette - based on 'Morning' from the Peer Gynt suite by Grieg.
(1998) "The elephant never forgets" by Jean-Jacques Perrey - based on Beethoven's Die Ruinen von Athen.
(1998) "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Sweetbox - based on Bach's Air on the G string.
(1998) "Dear Mother" by South Korean band G.O.D uses chord progression based on Pachelbel's Canon in D.
(1999) "Barber's Adagio for Strings" by William Orbit - a techno/electronic version of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings"
(1999) "Love of My Life" by Dave Matthews and Carlos Santana on the Supernatural album. Main theme is a nearly literal quotation of a theme in the 3rd symphony of Johannes Brahms, with some rhythmic changes.

2000s[edit]

(2000) "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C - based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.^[2]
(2000) Beethoven's Last Night by Trans-Siberian Orchestra - based on classical music, in particular, Beethoven.
(2001) "Yatta" by Happa-tai - based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
(2001) "Piano & I" by Alicia Keys - samples Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata".
(2001) "Loving You Girl" by Norwegian band Opus X - based on Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
(2001) "Crack City Rockers" by Leftöver Crack - features a keyboard intro/interlude from previous track (Stop the Insanity) of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" and it's chord structure is loosely based on the melody.
(2001) "Forever" by American power metal band Kamelot -the chorus is based on Solveig's Lied from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg
(2002) "Remember" by S.H.E - based on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
(2003) "I Can" by Nas - samples the theme from Ludwig van Beethoven's Für Elise.^[1]^[2]
(2003) "Jupiter" by Ayaka Hirahara - based on Holst's The Planets.
(2005) "They" by Jem is based on Bach's Prelude in F minor (BWV 881).^[2]
(2005) "Adagio for Strings" by Tiësto is a trance arrangement of "Adagio for Strings".^[4]
(2005) "Road to Joy" by Bright Eyes is based on the melody of Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
(2005) "Sweet Dream" by South Korean girl group RedSox is based on Pachelbel's Canon
(2006) "Lacrymosa" by Evanescence is based on the Lacrimosa movement from Mozart's Requiem.
(2006) "Amies-ennemies" by Nâdiya is based on Frédéric Chopin's Waltz Op. 64, No. 2
(2007) "Grace Kelly" by Mika - Mika has admitted that he borrowed the main harmony from Figaro's famous aria Largo al factotum in the opera The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini.^[5]^[2]
(2007) "The Second Coming" by Juelz Santana - samples the Gregorian chant Dies Irae.
(2007) "Alles Neu" by Peter Fox - uses Cello line from 4th Movement of Shostakovich Symphony No 7
(2008) "River of Dreams" by Hayley Westenra is based on the second movement (Largo) of Vivaldi's "Concerto No. 4 in F minor - Winter".
(2008) "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" by Weezer is a variation on "Simple Gifts" (one of the most famous arrangements is Appalachian Springs by Copland)

2010s[edit]

(2012) "Ti penso e cambia il mondo" by Adriano Celentano, based on Chopin's Prelude Op. 28 No. 20
(2012) "Ill Manors" by Plan B samples "Alles Neu" by Peter Fox (2007) including the motif from Shostakovich Symphony No. 7

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Engisch, Mary; Anderson, Kari (1 February 2016). "Classical Music In Popular Songs: You Know More Classical Music Than You Think". Vermont Public Radio.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g O'Keefe, Meghan. "Bach & Roll: 10 Modern Songs Written By Classical Composers". VH1 News. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
^ http://www.helander.se/stefan/pachelbel/
^ Tiësto
^ Mika in "Taratata" TV Show (part 2)

External links[edit]

[vpr-1] Engisch, Mary; Anderson, Kari (1 February 2016). "Classical Music In Popular Songs: You Know More Classical Music Than You Think". Vermont Public Radio.

[vh1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g O'Keefe, Meghan. "Bach & Roll: 10 Modern Songs Written By Classical Composers". VH1 News. Retrieved 31 July 2013.

[3] ttp://www.helander.se/stefan/pachelbel/

[4] Tiësto

[Taratata-5] Mika in "Taratata" TV Show (part 2)

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