Why are there no more hit instrumentals?

[swelle]

"Green Onions" Booker T. & The MG's
"Wipeout" The Surfaris
"A Walk in the Black Forest" Horst Jankowski
"Classical Gas" Mason Williams (Best selling instrumental of all?)
"Rockit" Herbie Hancock
"Walk Don't Run" The Ventures
"Pipeline" The Chantays
"Rumble" Duane Eddy
"Love is Blue" Paul Mauriat
"Tequila" The Champs
"Nadia's Theme" by ???

HITS! All hits.... and I'm sure you could add more to this list. So why has popular culture turned our back on the instrumental? You can say so much without words. Any theories?

[;ivlunsdystf]

There was a friggin' huge hit 'bluegrass' instrumental a few years ago. Nickel Creek. I don't know the name of it, but ask anybody who listens to your local "adult contemporary" radio station and they will tell.

Your point is noted, though.

[swelle]

"Dueling Banjos!" "Chariots of Fire!"

A lot of the big instrumentals came from Film and Television (Peter Gunn, the Pink Panther, etc. )... A point was made during the Oscars after the third "Enchanted" crap number - not many "songs" are written for film anymore. It's either big orchestral soundscapes, or just a raided record collection (blame Tarantino + the Big Chill).

[RodC]

lol

better to ask, why dont any of the big hits have instruments in them?

I get tired of hearing autotuned vox on top of some loop in the background, from some cheezy sample.

yep thats a hit.

[jv]

lol

better to ask, why dont any of the big hits have instruments in them?

I get tired of hearing autotuned vox on top of some loop in the background, from some cheezy sample.

yep thats a hit.

So true. Also, it seems pop music these days is mostly about marketing a face and/or image. And it's hard to do that with an instrumental.
Let us not forget this monster instrumental:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1mV_5-bRPo

[swelle]

OR THIS MONSTER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAxb72cssGE

(Which, for some reason, NFL no longer plays at half-time!!?)

[Cellotron]

lol

better to ask, why dont any of the big hits have instruments in them?

I get tired of hearing autotuned vox on top of some loop in the background, from some cheezy sample.

yep thats a hit.

So true. Also, it seems pop music these days is mostly about marketing a face and/or image. And it's hard to do that with an instrumental.
Let us not forget this monster instrumental:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1mV_5-bRPo

Awesome! Excellent performance of this. Had no idea that Edgar was such a good timbale player either. I was surprised how much fun this one still is.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[AstroDan]

Was that 'Frankenstein'? I'm on dial up...

Jan Hammer's 'Miami Vice Theme' was only 23 sweet years ago.

Looking into it a little, it appeared that a lot of instrumentals coincided with technology and genres; guitar amplification, synthesizers, disco, techno, etc...

[AstroDan]

...I just saw the 'Frankenstein' clip. No wonder 2600's go for four grand.

[swelle]

What about "Axel F.'s Theme"?

One of the last big ones from my school days was that "N-n-n-n-Nineteen! Nineteen!" song. "In WWII, the average age of a soldier was 25; in Vietnam, it was... N-n-n-nineteen!" Who was that?

[JGriffin]

What about "Axel F.'s Theme"?

One of the last big ones from my school days was that "N-n-n-n-Nineteen! Nineteen!" song. "In WWII, the average age of a soldier was 25; in Vietnam, it was... N-n-n-nineteen!" Who was that?

Paul Hardcastle.

[tubetapexfmr]

That Kernraft 400 Zombie Nation song is mostly instrumental. At least they always play just the instrumental hook at every sporting event since it came out. That shit is only a few years old. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5LW07FTJbI

[tubetapexfmr]

While on the subject let's not forget my favorite instrumental: Sleepwalk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_fdnTR8zbI

[Rolsen]

Dude! What about Yngwie's latest!

Oh, you said 'hit' not '*hit'

sorry

[swelle]

While that 'zombie' might be an instrumental, I don't think it qualifies as a song.