List of rock instrumentals explained

The following is a list of rock instrumentals. Only instrumentals that are notable are included.

Instrumentals which have charted

Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes musical instruments and features very little or no singing. An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics, or singing, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting.^{[1] [2] [3]}

1950s and 1960s chartings

Artist	Song title	Date	Highest position on US charts	Highest position on UK charts	Highest position on R&B charts	Miscellaneous
Bill Justis	"Raunchy"	1957	3	24	1
Ernie Freeman	"Raunchy"	1957	4^[4]	1 ^[5]
The Champs	"Tequila"	1958	1	5	1
Duane Eddy	"Moovin' N' Groovin'"	1958	72
The Champs	"El Rancho Rock"	1958	30
Link Wray & His Ray Men	"Rumble"	1958	16		11
Duane Eddy	"Rebel Rouser"	1958	6	8	19
Duane Eddy	"Ramrod"	1958	28
The Champs	"Chariot Rock"	1958	59
Duane Eddy	"Cannonball"	1958	15	2	22
Link Wray & His Ray Men	"Raw-Hide"	1959	23
The Rockin' R's	"The Beat"	1959	57
Duane Eddy	"Yep!"	1959	30	17
The Virtues	"Guitar Boogie Shuffle"	1959	5		27
Dave "Baby" Cortez	"The Happy Organ"	1959	1		5
Johnny and the Hurricanes	"Crossfire"	1959	23
The Wailers	"Tall Cool One"	1959	36		24
Preston Epps	"Bongo Rock"	1959	14
Duane Eddy	"Forty Miles of Bad Road"	1959	9		17
Johnny and the Hurricanes	"Red River Rock"	1959	5	3	5
The Wailers	"Mau-Mau"	1959	68
Sandy Nelson	"Teen Beat"	1959	4	9	17	The piano on the recording is by Bruce Johnston.
Santo & Johnny	"Sleep Walk"	1959	1	22	4
Santo & Johnny	"Tear Drop"	1959	23	50	17
Duane Eddy	"Some Kind-A Earthquake"	1959	37	12
Johnny And The Hurricanes	"Reveille Rock"	1959	25		17
The Fireballs	"Bulldog"	1960	24
The Champs	"Too Much Tequila"	1960	30
Johnny and the Hurricanes	"Beatnik Fly"	1960	15	8
Bill Black's Combo	"White Silver Sands"	1960	9	33	1
Bill Black's Combo	"Don't Be Cruel"	1960	11	32	1
Duane Eddy	"Shazam"	1960	45	4
Duane Eddy	"Because They're Young"	1960	4	2	17
Johnny and the Hurricanes	"Rocking Goose"	1960	60	3
Duane Eddy	"Peter Gunn"	1960	8	6		This was the second charting of the song in 1959.
Floyd Cramer	"Last Date"	1960	2	32
The Shadows	"Apache"	1960		1
The Shadows	"Man of Mystery"	1960		5
The Ventures	"Walk, Don't Run"	1960	1	8	13
Duane Eddy	"Pepe"	1961	18	2
B. Bumble and the Stingers	"Bumble Boogie"	1961	21
The Fireballs	"Quite a Party"	1961	27	29
Kokomo	"Asia Minor"	1961	8		35	Adopted from the Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in A minor and subsequently banned by the BBC.^[6]
The Mar-Keys	"Last Night"	1961	3	2
Sandy Nelson	"Let There Be Drums"	1961	7	3
The Shadows	"F.B.I."	1961		6
The Shadows	"The Frightened City"	1961		3
The Shadows	"Kon-Tiki"	1961		1
The Shadows	"The Savage"	1961		10
The String-A-Longs	"Wheels"	1961	3	8	19
Billy Joe and the Checkmates	"Percolator (Twist)"	1962	10
The Champs	"Limbo Rock"	1962	40
Jet Harris	"Besame Mucho"	1962		22
King Curtis	"Soul Twist"	1962	17		1
Sandy Nelson	"Drums Are My Beat"	1962	29	30
The Shadows	"Wonderful Land"	1962		1
The Shadows	"Guitar Tango"	1962		4
The Shadows	"Dance On!"	1962		1
The Tornados	"Telstar"	1962	1	1	5
Booker T. & the M.G.'s	"Green Onions"	1962	3		1
The Busters	"Bust Out"	1963	25
The Dakotas	"The Cruel Sea"	1963		18
Jet Harris and Tony Meehan	"Scarlett O'Hara"	1963		2
Lonnie Mack	"Memphis"	1963	5		4
Lonnie Mack	Wham!	1963	24			From the album The Wham of that Memphis Man
The Marketts	"Out of Limits"	1963	3
Link Wray & His Ray Men	"Jack The Ripper"	1963	64			Released in 1961, but didn't chart until 1963.
Jack Nitzsche	"The Lonely Surfer"	1963	39
The Rockin’ Rebels aka The Rebels	"Wild Weekend"	1963	8	3	28
The Shadows	"Foot Tapper"	1963		1
The Surfaris	"Wipe Out"	1963	2	5	10
The Pyramids	"Penetration"	1964	18			Adapted from Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor.
The T-Bones	"No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)"	1965	3
The Viscounts	"Harlem Nocturne"	1966	39		17	Originally released in 1960, peaking at #52 on Billboard and #28 on CashBox. A 1965 re-release resulted in the record topping its previous peak, reaching #39.
The Bar-Kays	"Soul Finger"	1967	17	33	3
Cliff Nobles & Co.	"The Horse"	1968	2	2
Fleetwood Mac	"Albatross"	1968		1		Charted again (#2) in Britain in 1972.
Hugh Masekela	"Grazing in the Grass"	1968	1		1
Mason Williams	"Classical Gas"	1968	2		9	"orchestrated rock and roll" backed by the Wrecking Crew^[7]
Booker T. & the M.G.'s	"Time Is Tight"	1969	6		7	from the film Uptight
The Ventures	"Hawaii Five-O"	1969	4^[8]

1970s and 1980s chartings

Artist	Song title	Date	Highest position on US charts	Highest position on UK charts	Highest position on R&B charts	Miscellaneous
Dennis Coffey	‘'Scorpio’’	1971	6	7	9
Hot Butter	‘'Popcorn’’	1972	9	5
Billy Preston	Outa-Space	1972	2	44	1
Deodato	‘'Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)’’	1973	2	7		based on Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra
Edgar Winter Group	‘'Frankenstein’’	1973	1	18
The Love Unlimited Orchestra	Love's Theme	1973	1	10	10	orchestra formed and song written by Barry White
Billy Preston	Space Race	1973	4		1
Average White Band	Pick Up the Pieces	1974	1	6	5
B. T. Express	Express	1974	2	34	1
The Commodores	Machine Gun	1974	22	20	7
Focus	Hocus Pocus	1974	9	20
MFSB	‘'TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)’’	1974	1	22	1
Silver Convention	Fly, Robin, Fly	1975	1	28	1
Van McCoy	The Hustle	1975	1	3	1
Mike Post	The Rockford Files (Theme)	1975	10
Walter Murphy	A Fifth Of Beethoven	1976	1	28	10	based on the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
Rhythm Heritage	Theme from S.W.A.T.	1976	1		11
Chuck Mangione		1977	4
Herb Alpert	‘'Rise’’	1979	1	13	4

0-9

10cc

• "How Dare You" (How Dare You! (album), 1976)

A

ABBA

• "Intermezzo No. 1" (ABBA, 1975)
• "Arrival" (Arrival, 1976)

AC/DC

• "Fling Thing" (B-side of "Jailbreak", 1976)
• "D.T." ("From album: Who Made Who", 1985)
• "Chase the Ace" ("From album: Who Made Who", 1985)

Aerosmith

• "The Movie" ("From album: Permanent Vacation", 1987)
• "Krawhitham" (Pandora's Box, 1991)
• "Circle Jerk" (Pandora's Box, 1991)
• "Boogie Man" ("From album: Get A Grip", 1993)

The Allman Brothers Band

• "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (Idlewild South, 1970)
• "Hot 'Lanta" (At Fillmore East, 1971)
• "Mountain Jam" (Eat a Peach, 1972)
• "Little Martha" (Eat a Peach, 1972)
• "Jessica" (Brothers and Sisters, 1973)
• "Pegasus" (Enlightened Rogues, 1979)

Herb Alpert

• "Rise", (1979), No. 1 US, No. 13 UK, No. 4 R&B

And So I Watch You from Afar

• And So I Watch You from Afar (2009)

Animals as Leaders

• "Animals as Leaders" (2009)
• "Wave of Babies" (Single) (2010)
• "Weightless" (2011)
• "The Joy of Motion" (2014)
• "The Madness of Many" (2016)

Ray Anthony

• Peter Gunn (1959), No. 8 US,^[9] No. 22 UK,^[10] No. 4 R&B<ref>Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book of TOP 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits . Billboard Books . New York . 2006 . 508. song's composer Henry Mancini wrote that it, "actually derives more from rock and roll than from jazz."^[11]

Anthrax

• "Pipeline" (Attack of the Killer B's, 1991)

Apocalyptica

• Plays Metallica by Four Cellos (1996)
• Inquisition Symphony (1998)
• Cult (2000) The Standard Version it's all instrumental and the Special Edition Disk 2 include: "Path Vol. 2" feat. Sandra Nasić and "Hope Vol. 2" feat. Matthias Sayer on vocals.
• Reflections (2003) On The Revised, Russian Edition & 2005 US Reissue it's include: "Seemann (Rammstein Cover)" feat. Nina Hagen on vocals.
• Apocalyptica (2005) Vocals: "Life Burns!" & "Bittersweet" feat. Lauri Ylönen; "En Vie" feat. Manu; On Special Edition Bonus Tracks: "How Far" & "Wie Weit" Marta Jandová.
• Amplified // A Decade of Reinventing the Cello It consists the band's most notable covers and original songs on 2 CDs, one for the instrumentals tunes and the other for the tunes with vocals.
• Worlds Collide (2003) Vocals: "I Don't Care" Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace; "I'm Not Jesus" Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Stone Sour; "S.O.S (Anything but Love)" Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, additionals backing vocals: Mats Levén of Therion, Krux; "Helden" Till Lindemann of Rammstein.
• 7th Symphony (2003) Vocals: "End of Me" Gavin Rossdale of Bush; "Not Strong Enough (Album Version)" Brent Smith of Shinedown; "Not Strong Enough (US Single Version)" Doug Robb of Hoobastank; "Broken Pieces" Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf; "Bring Them to Light" Joe Duplantier of Gojira.
• Wagner Reloaded-Live in Leipzig (2013)

Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and various artists

• "A Song for Chi" (2009)

Asia

• Rare (2000)

August Burns Red

• "Carol of the Bells" (online single, 2007)
• "O Come O Come, Emmanuel" (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 7", 2009)
• "The Little Drummer Boy" (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 7", 2011)

Avenged Sevenfold

• "Jade Helm" (Black Reign EP, 2018)

Average White Band

• "Pick Up the Pieces", (1974), No. 1 US, No. 6 UK

B

The Bar-Kays

• "Soul Finger", (1967), No. 17 US, No. 33 UK, No. 3 R&B

Michael Angelo Batio

• No Boundaries (1995)
• Planet Gemini (1997)
• Tradition (1999)
• Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity (2000)

The Beach Boys

• "Misirlou" (Surfin' U.S.A., 1963)
• "Let's Go Trippin'" (Surfin' U.S.A.)
• "Summer Means New Love" (Summer Days, 1965)
• "Let's Go Away for Awhile" (Pet Sounds, 1966)
• "Pet Sounds" (Pet Sounds)
• "Look" (recorded at sessions for Smile, later released with vocals)
• "I Wanna Be Around" / "Workshop" (The Smile Sessions, 2011)
• "" (The Smile Sessions)

Beastie Boys

• Sabrosa (1994)
• The in Sound from Way Out! (1996)
• The Mix-Up (2007)
• Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament (2011)

The Beatles

• "Cry for a Shadow" (1964)
• "Flying" (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)
• "Cayenne" (Anthology 1, 1995)
• "12-Bar Original" (Anthology 2, 1996)

Jeff Beck

Most of Beck's recordings following the dissolution of The Jeff Beck Group are instrumentals.

• "Beck's Bolero" (B-side of "Hi Ho Silver Lining", 1967), featuring Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and Nicky Hopkins
• Blow by Blow (1975)
• Wired (1976)
• There & Back (1980)
• Escape Flash, (1985)
• Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop (1989)
• Frankie's House (1992)
• Who Else! (1999)
• You Had It Coming (2001)
• Jeff (2003)
• Emotion & Commotion (2010)
• Loud Hailer (2016)

Jason Becker

• Perpetual Burn (1988)
• Perspective (1995)
• The Raspberry Jams (1999)
• The Blackberry Jams (2003)

Bee Gees

• "Seven Seas Symphony" (Odessa, 1969)

Bill Black's Combo

Most, if not all, of the Bill Black Combo's recordings are instrumentals.

• "White Silver Sands", (1960), No. 9 US, No. 33 UK, No. 1 R&B
• "Don't Be Cruel", (1960), No. 11 US, No. 32 UK, No. 1 R&B

Black Flag

• The Process of Weeding Out EP (1985)

Black Sabbath

• "Rat Salad" (Paranoid, 1971)
• "Embryo" (Master of Reality, 1971)
• "Orchid" (Master of Reality, 1971)
• "FX" (Vol. 4, 1972)
• "Laguna Sunrise" (Vol. 4, 1972)
• "Fluff" (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, 1973)
• "Don't Start (Too Late)" (Sabotage, 1975)
• "Supertzar" (Sabotage, 1975)
• "Breakout" (Never Say Die!, 1978)
• "E5150" (Mob Rules, 1981)
• "Stonehenge" (Born Again, 1983)
• "The Dark" (Born Again, 1983)
• "Sphinx (The Guardian)" (Seventh Star, 1986)
• "Scarlet Pimpernel" (The Eternal Idol, 1987)
• "The Gates Of Hell" (Headless Cross, 1989)
• "The Battle Of Tyr" (Tyr, 1990)

Blaqk Audio

• "Stiff Kittens" (CexCells, 2007)

Booker T. and the M.G.'s

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Boston

• "Foreplay" (Boston, 1976)
• "A New World" (Third Stage, 1986)
• "Walkin' at Night" (Walk On, 1994)
• "Get Organ-ized"/"Get Reorgan-ized" (Walk On, 1994)
• "The Star-Spangled Banner/4th of July Reprise" (Greatest Hits", 1997)
• "Last Day of School" (Life, Love & Hope, 2013)

David Bowie

• "Speed of Life" (Low, 1977)
• "A New Career in a New Town" (Low)
• "Warszawa" (Low)
• "Art Decade" (Low)
• "Weeping Wall" (Low)
• "V-2 Schneider" ("Heroes", 1977)
• "Sense of Doubt" ("Heroes")
• "Moss Garden" ("Heroes")
• "Neuköln" ("Heroes")
• "Crystal Japan" (Japanese single, 1980)
• "The Wedding" (Black Tie White Noise, 1993

Bring Me the Horizon

• "Slow Dance" (Count Your Blessings, 2006)
• "Fifteen Fathoms, Counting" (Count Your Blessings)
• "Moon Over the Castle" (Find Your Line: Official Music from GRAN TURISMO 7, 2022)

B. T. Express

• "Express", (1974), No. 2 US,#34 UK, No. 1 R&B,

Roy Buchanan

• "Sweet Dreams" (Roy Buchanan, 1972)

Buckethead

Most, if not all, of Buckethead's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Sketches of Spain (For Miles)" (Electric Tears, 2002)
• "Spokes for the Wheel of Torment" (The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell, 2004)
• "Jordan" (Guitar Hero II, 2006)

B. Bumble and the Stingers

Most, if not all, of B. Bumble and the Stingers' recordings are instrumentals.

• "Bumble Boogie", (1961), No. 21 US, based on Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee"
• "Nut Rocker" (1962), The recording is a version of the march from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker.^[12]

The Byrds

• "John Riley" & "Captain Soul", (Fifth Dimension,^[13] 1966)

C

Café Tacuba

• "Perfidia" (Avalancha de Éxitos, 1996)
• Revés (1999)

Cake

• "Arco Arena" (Comfort Eagle, 2001)

Calexico

• Tool Box (2007)

Camel

• Supertwister (Mirage, 1974)
• Earthrise (Mirage)
• The Snow Goose (1975)
• Aristillus (Moonmadness, 1976)
• Chord Change (Moonmadness)
• Lunar Sea (Moonmadness)
• First Light (Rain Dances, 1977)
• One of These Days I'll Get an Early Night (Rain Dances)
• Elke (Rain Dances)
• Skylines (Rain Dances)
• Rain Dances (Rain Dances)
• The Sleeper (Breathless, 1978)
• Eye of the Storm (I Can See Your House from Here, 1979)
• Survival (I Can See Your House from Here)
• Ice (I Can See Your House from Here)
• Pressure Points (Stationary Traveller, 1984)
• Missing(Stationary Traveller)
• After Words(Stationary Traveller)
• Dust Bowl (Dust and Dreams, 1991)
• Dusted Out (Dust and Dreams)
• Needles (Dust and Dreams)
• Milk and Honey (Dust and Dreams)
• Storm Clouds (Dust and Dreams)
• Cotton Camp (Dust and Dreams)
• Broken Banks (Dust and Dreams)
• Sheet Rain (Dust and Dreams)
• Whispers (Dust and Dreams)
• Little Rivers and Little Rose (Dust and Dreams)
• Hopeless Anger (Dust and Dreams)
• Whispers in the Rain (Dust and Dreams)
• Irish Air (Instrumental Reprise) (Harbour of Tears, 1996)
• Cóbh (Harbour of Tears)
• Under the Moon (Harbour of Tears)
• Generations (Harbour of Tears)
• Running from Paradise (Harbour of Tears)
• Coming of Age (Harbour of Tears)
• The Hour Candle (A Song for my Father) (Harbour of Tears)
• Three Wishes (Rajaz, 1999)
• Sahara (Rajaz)

Camper Van Beethoven

• "Interstellar Overdrive" (Camper Van Beethoven, 1986)

Gustavo Cerati

• +Bien (2001)

The Champs

Most, if not all, of the Champs recordings are instrumentals.

• "Tequila" (1959), No. 1 US, No. 5 UK, No. 1 R&B
• "Limbo Rock" (1962), No. 40 US featured Earl Palmer on drums, Tommy Tedesco on guitar, and Plas Johnson on sax^[14]

The Chantays

• "Pipeline" (Pipeline, 1963)

The Chemical Brothers

• "Song to the Siren" (Exit Planet Dust, 1992)

Chicago

• "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon: Anxiety's Moment" (Chicago, 1970)
• "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon: West Virginia Fantasies" (Chicago)
• "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon: To Be Free" (Chicago)

Eric Clapton

• "Edge of Darkness" (24 Nights, 1991)

Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse

• Steppin' Out, ("What's Shakin'", 1966), Eric Clapton guitar, Paul Jones harmonica, Jack Bruce bass, Steve Winwood vocals and Pete York drums.

The Dave Clark Five

• Instrumental Album (1966)

Bruce Cockburn

• "Nude Descending a Staircase" (Life Short Call Now)

Dennis Coffey

• "Scorpio", (1971), No. 6 US, No. 7 UK, No. 9 R&B

The Commodores

• "Machine Gun", (1974), No. 22 US, No. 20 UK, No. 7 R&B

Dave "Baby" Cortez

• "The Happy Organ" (1959), No. 1 US, No. 5 R&B

Floyd Cramer

Most, if not all, of the Floyd Cramer's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Last Date", (1960), No. 2 US, No. 32 UK

Cream

• "Toad" (Fresh Cream, 1966)
• "Steppin' Out" (Live Cream Volume II, 1972)

Creedence Clearwater Revival

• "Susie Q. (Part 2)" (B-side of single, 1968, excerpted from longer album track which contained vocals)
• Poorboy Shuffle" (Willie and the Poor Boys 1969)
• Side o' the Road" (Willie and the Poor Boys, 1969)

King Curtis

• "Soul Twist", (1962), No. 17 US, No. 1 R&B

D

The Dakotas

• "The Cruel Sea", (1963), No. 18 UK

Dick Dale

Most of Dale's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Let's Go Trippin'" (1961)
• "Misirlou" (1962)

Deep Purple

• "And The Address" (Shades Of Deep Purple, 1968)
• "Wring That Neck" (Book Of Taliesyn, 1968)
• "Fault Line" (Deep Purple, 1969)
• "'A' 200" (Burn, 1974)
• "Coronarias Redig" ("Might Just Take Your Life" single B-side, 1974)
• "Owed To 'G'" (Come Taste The Band, 1975)
• "Son Of Alerik" ("Perfect Strangers" single B-side, 1985)

Deodato

• "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)", (1973), No. 2 US, No. 7 UK, based on Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra

Derek and the Dominos

• "Tell the Truth (Jam No. 1)" (The Layla Sessions)

Destroyalldreamers

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Dixie Dregs

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Bill Doggett

• "Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)" (1956) No. 2 US No. 1 R&B
• "Slow Walk" (1956) No. 26 US No. 4 R&B
• "Soft" (1957) No. 35 US

Down

• "Pray for the Locust" (NOLA, 1995)
• "Doobinterlude" (, 2002)
• "Flambeaux's Jamming with St. Aug" (, 2002)

Dream Theater

• "Another Hand" (Live at the Marquee, 1993)
• "Bombay Vindaloo" (Live at the Marquee, 1993)
• "A Mind Beside Itself I: Erotomania" (Awake, 1994)
• "Eve" (The Silent Man single, 1994)
• "A Change of Seasons I: The Crimson Sunrise" (A Change of Seasons, 1995)
• "A Change of Seasons IV: The Darkest of Winters" (A Change of Seasons, 1995)
• "A Change of Seasons VI: The Inevitable Summer" (A Change of Seasons, 1995)
• "Cruise Control" (A Change of Seasons, 1995)
• "Funeral For a Friend" (A Change of Seasons, 1995)
• "The Rover" (A Change of Seasons, 1995)
• "Hell's Kitchen" (Falling Into Infinity, 1997)
• "Trial of Tears II: Deep In Heaven" (Falling Into Infinity, 1997)
• "Puppies on Acid" (Once in a LIVEtime, 1998)
• "Scene Two: Overture 1928" (, 1999)
• "Scene Seven: The Dance Of Eternity" (, 1999)
• "Acid Rain" (Live Scenes From New York, 2001)
• "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: I. Overture" (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 2002)
• "Stream of Consciousness" (Train of Thought, 2003)
• "Instrumedley" (Live at Budokan, 2004)
• "In the Presence of Enemies I: Prelude" (Systematic Chaos, 2007)
• "In the Presence of Enemies V: The Reckoning" (Systematic Chaos, 2007)
• "Larks' Tongues in Aspic - Part II" (Special Edition of Black Clouds & Silver Linings, 2009)
• "Odyssey" (Special Edition of Black Clouds & Silver Linings, 2009)
• "Raw Dog" (God of War III Soundtrack, 2010)
• "False Awakening Suite" (Dream Theater, 2013)
• "Enigma Machine" (Dream Theater, 2013)
• "Illumination Theory I: Paradoxe de la Lumière Noire" (Dream Theater, 2013)
• "Illumination Theory III: The Embracing Circle" (Dream Theater, 2013)
• "Dystopian Overture" (The Astonishing, 2016)
• "2285 Entr'acte" (The Astonishing, 2016)
• "Distance over Time Instrumental Mixes" (2019)
• "A View from the Top of the World Instrumental Mixes" (2021)

The Durutti Column

Most of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Bob Dylan

• “Woogie Boogie", (Self Portrait, 1970)
• “Wigwam”, (Self Portrait, 1970)

E

Earthless

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Duane Eddy

Most, if not all, of the Duane Eddy's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Rebel Rouser" (1958), No. 6 US, No. 8 UK, No. 19 R&B, saxophone by session musician Gil Bernal, yells and handclaps by doo-wop group the Rivingtons.^{[15] [16]}
• "Peter Gunn" (1959), No. 8 US, No. 6 UK, this was the second charting of the song in 1959

Electric Light Orchestra

• "Daybreaker" (On the Third Day, 1973)
• "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (On the Third Day)
• "Fire on High" (Face the Music, 1975)
• "The Whale" (Out of the Blue, 1977)

Emerson, Lake and Palmer

• "The Barbarian" (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, 1970)
• "Tank" (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
• "Nut Rocker" (Pictures at an Exhibition)
• "Hoedown" (Trilogy, 1972)
• "Karn Evil 9: Second Impression" (Brain Salad Surgery, 1973)
• "Fanfare for the Common Man" (Works Volume 1, 1977)
• "Canario" (Love Beach, 1978)

An Endless Sporadic

• "Ameliorate" (EP, 2008)
• "An Endless Sporadic" (Album, 2009)
• "Spaceship Factory" (Single, 2014)
• "Derpulous" (Single, 2014)
• "The Adventures of Jabubu II" (Single, 2015)
• "Magic Machine" (Album, 2016)

Preston Epps

• "Bongo Rock" (1959), No. 14 US

Explosions in the Sky

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

F

The Fabulous Thunderbirds

• "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" (Butt Rockin', 1981)

Family

• "Variation on a Theme of 'Hey Mr. Policeman'" (Music in a Doll's House, 1968)
• "Variation on a Theme of 'The Breeze'" (Music in a Doll's House, 1968)
• "Variation on a Theme of 'Me My Friend'" (Music in a Doll's House, 1968)
• "Summer '67" (Family Entertainment, 1969)
• "93's OK J" (A Song for Me, 1970)
• "Normans" (Anyway,1970)
• "Crinkly Grin" (Fearless, 1971)
• "Banger" (It's Only a Movie, 1973)

(Note: Bandstand, from 1972, is the only Family album that does not feature an instrumental track.)

Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens

• "Top Gun Anthem" (soundtrack to Top Gun, 1986)

Fleetwood Mac

• "Albatross"/"Jigsaw Puzzle Blues" (1969, included on UK release The Pious Bird of Good Omen/US release English Rose)
• "Oh Well Part 2" (B-side of single, 1969, included on US reissue of Then Play On)
• "Sunny Side of Heaven" (Bare Trees, 1972)

A Flock of Seagulls

• "DNA" (A Flock of Seagulls, 1982)

Focus

Most, if not all, of Focus' recordings are instrumentals.

• "Hocus Pocus" (Focus II, 1971)

Marty Friedman

• Dragon's Kiss (1988)
• Scenes (1992)
• Introduction (1994)
• True Obsessions (1996)
• Music For Speeding (2002)
• Loudspeaker (2006)

The Bobby Fuller Four

• "Misirlou", 1964^[17]

Peter Frampton

• Fingerprints (2006)
• Frampton Forgets the Words (2021)

FromUz

• "13th August" (Overlook, 2008)

Funkadelic

• "Maggot Brain" (Maggot Brain, 1971)

G

Peter Gabriel

• Birdy (1985) (portions of the album are instrumental reworkings of previously recorded vocal tracks)
• (1989)
• (2002) (also contains elements from previously recorded vocal tracks)
• The first twelve tracks on Disc 2 of the deluxe edition of New Blood (2011) are instrumental versions of the first twelve tracks on the main album

Paul Gilbert

• "Gilberto Concerto" (Flying Dog, 1998)
• "Whole Lotta Sonata" (Alligator Farm)
• "G.V.R.O." (Burning Organ, 2002)
• Get Out of My Yard (2006)
• Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar (2008)
• Fuzz Universe (2010)

• "Mihails" (David Gilmour, 1978)
• "Raise My Rent" (David Gilmour, 1978)
• "Let's Get Metaphysical" (About Face, 1984)
• "Castellorizon" (On an Island, 2006)
• "Red Sky at Night" (On an Island, 2006)
• "Then I Close My Eyes" (On an Island, 2006)
• "5 A.M." (Rattle That Lock, 2015)
• "Beauty" (Rattle That Lock, 2015)
• "And Then..." (Rattle That Lock, 2015)

Gary Glitter

• "Rock and Roll Part 2" (Glitter, 1972)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

God Is an Astronaut

• The End of the Beginning (2002)
• All Is Violent, All Is Bright (2005)
• Far from Refuge (2007)
• God Is an Astronaut (2008)
• Age of the Fifth Sun (2010)

Godsmack

• "Vampires" (Awake, 2000)
• "The Oracle" (The Oracle, 2010)

Gorillaz

• "Lake Zurich" ("From album: The Now Now", 2018)

Gov't Mule

• Sco-Mule (2015)

Grails

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

H

Jan Hammer

• "Miami Vice Theme" (soundtrack to Miami Vice, 1985)
• "Crockett's Theme" (Miami Vice: The Complete Collection, 2002)

Hammock

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Jet Harris

• "Besame Mucho", (1962), No. 22 UK

Jet Harris and Tony Meehan

• "Diamonds" (1963)
• "Scarlett O'Hara" (1963)

George Harrison

• Wonderwall Music (1968)
• Electronic Sound (1969)
• "Thanks for the Pepperoni" (All Things Must Pass, 1970)
• "I Remember Jeep" (All Things Must Pass, 1970)
• "Out of the Blue" (All Things Must Pass, 1970)
• "Plug Me In" (All Things Must Pass, 1970)
• "Hari's on Tour (Express)" (Dark Horse, 1974)
• "A Bit More of You" (Extra Texture, 1975)

The Jeff Healey Band

• "Hide Away" (See the Light, 1988)
• "Shapes of Things" (Cover to Cover, 1995)

Hellecasters

• "Sweet Dreams" (The Return of the Hellecasters, 1993)

Jimi Hendrix

• "Third Stone from the Sun" (Are You Experienced, 1967)
• "Star Spangled Banner" (, 1970)
• "Pali Gap" (Rainbow Bridge, 1971)
• "Born Under a Bad Sign" (Blues, 1994)
• "Sunshine of Your Love" (Valleys of Neptune)

Gary Hoey

Most of Hoey's recordings are instrumentals.

Hot Butter

• "Popcorn", (1972), No. 9 US, No. 5 UK

I

If These Trees Could Talk

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Iron Maiden

• "Transylvania"
• "The Ides of March"
• "Genghis Khan"
• "Losfer Words"

J

Jade Warrior

• Floating World (1974) (except "Monkey Chant", track 8)
• Waves (1975)
• Kites (1976)

Jazz Is Dead

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Jefferson Airplane

• "Embryonic Journey" (Surrealistic Pillow, 1967)

Jethro Tull

• "Dharma for One" (This Was, 1968)
• "Bouree" (Stand Up, 1969)
• "Warm Sporran" (Stormwatch, 1979)
• "Elegy" (Stormwatch)
• "The Pine Marten's Jig" (A, 1980)

Johnny and the Hurricanes

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Red River Rock" (1959), No. 5 US, No. 3 UK, No. 5 R&B

Elton John

• "Funeral for a Friend" (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973)

Eric Johnson

• "Tones" (1986)
• "Ah Via Musicom" (1990)
• "Venus Isle" (1996)
• "Seven Worlds" (1998)
• "Souvenir" (2002)
• "Bloom" (2005)
• "Up Close" (2010)
• "Mrs. Robinson" (EJ, 2016)
• "Once Upon A Time In Texas" (EJ, 2016)
• "Serinidad" (EJ, 2016)
• "Fatherly Downs" (EJ, 2016)
• "The World is Waiting For The Sunrise" (EJ, 2016)
• "Song For Irene" (EJ, 2016)
• "Collage", 2017)
• "Charldron's Boat" (EJ Vol II, 2020)
• "Lake Travis" (EJ Vol II, 2020)
• "Black Waterside" (EJ Vol II, 2020)
• "For The Stars" (EJ Vol II, 2020)

Billy Joel

• "Nocturne" (Cold Spring Harbor, 1971)
• "Root Beer Rag" (Streetlife Serenade, 1974)
• "The Mexican Connection" (Streetlife Serenade, 1974)
• "Prelude" (Turnstiles, 1976)

Bradley Joseph

• Hear the Masses (1994)

Journey

• Kohoutek (Journey, 1975)
• Topaz (Journey, 1975)
• Nickel and Dime (Next, 1977)
• Majestic (Evolution, 1979)
• The Journey (Revelation) (Revelation, 2008)
• Venus (Eclipse, 2011)

Bill Justis

• "Raunchy" (1957), No. 2 US, No. 24 UK, No. 1 R&B

K

Kinks

• "Revenge", from the (Kinks album, 1964)

King Crimson

• "Larks' Tongues in Aspic":
  • Part I (Larks' Tongues in Aspic, 1973)
  • Part II (Larks' Tongues in Aspic)
  • Part III (Three of a Perfect Pair, 1984)
  • Part IV (the construKction of light, 2000)
• "Providence" (Red)
• "Asbury Park" (USA, 1975)
• "The Sheltering Sky" (Discipline, 1981)
• "Discipline" (Discipline)

Kiss

• "Love Theme from Kiss" (Kiss, 1974)

Mark Knopfler

• Local Hero (1983) except "The Way It Always Starts"
• Cal (1984)
• Comfort and Joy (1984)
• The Princess Bride (1987) except "Storybook Love"
• Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) except "Tralala"
• Wag the Dog (1998) except "Wag the Dog"
• Altamira (2016)

Kokomo

• "Asia Minor", (1961), No. 8 US, No. 35 UKAdopted from the Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in A minorand sub sequentially banned by the BBC.^[18]

L

Laika and the Cosmonauts

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Led Zeppelin

• "Black Mountain Side" (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
• "Moby Dick" (Led Zeppelin II, 1969)
• "Bron-Yr-Aur" (Physical Graffiti, 1975)
• "Bonzo's Montreux" (Coda, 1982)
• "White Summer" (Led Zeppelin Boxed Set, 1990)
• "LA Drone" (How the West Was Won, 2003)
• "La La" (Deluxe Edition reissue of Led Zeppelin II, 2014)
• "10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod" (Deluxe Edition reissue of Presence, 2015)
• "St. Tristan's Sword" (Deluxe Edition reissue of Coda, 2015)

Tony Levin

Most of Levin's solo recordings are instrumentals. Notable exceptions are "L'Abito della Sposa" from Double Espresso (2002), most of Resonator (2006) and some of its follow-up, Stick Man (2007).

Linkin Park

• "Session" (Meteora, 2003)
• "Wake" (Minutes to Midnight, 2007)
• "Tinfoil" (Living Things, 2010)
• "Drawbar" (The Hunting Party, 2014)

Liquid Tension Experiment

• Liquid Tension Experiment (1998)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (1999)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (2021)

Liquid Trio Experiment

• Spontaneous Combustion (2007)
• (2009)

The Lively Ones

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals in the surf music genre.

Kiko Loureiro

• "No Gravity" (2005)
• "Universo Inverso" (2006)
• "Fullblast" (2009)
• "Sounds of Innocence" (2012)
• "Open Source" (2020)

The Love Unlimited Orchestra

• "Love's Theme", (1973), No. 1 US, No. 10 UK, No. 10 R&B orchestra formed and song written by Barry White

M

Lonnie Mack

• "Memphis", (1963), No. 5 US, No. 4 R&B

Madness

• "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" (Absolutely, 1980)

Taj Mahal

• "Ain't Gwine to Whistle Dixie (Any Mo’)", (The Real Thing, 1971)

Tak Matsumoto

• "Little Wing" (live-only)

Yngwie Malmsteen

• Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E-flat minor, Op. 1 (1998)
• Angels of Love (2009)
• Spellbound (2012) except for "Repent", "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie", "Poisoned Minds"

Manfred Mann

• "Sack O' Woe" and "Mr. Anello" (‘’The Five Faces of Manfred Mann’’ 1964)
• Instrumental Asylum, EP, (1966)
• Instrumental Assassination, EP, (1966)

Manfred Mann's Earth Band

• "Pluto, the Dog" (Solar Fire, 1973)
• "Countdown" (Nightingales and Bombers, 1975)
• "Crossfade" (Nightingales and Bombers)
• "As Above, So Below" (Nightingales and Bombers)
• "Waiter, There's a Yawn in My Ear" (The Roaring Silence, 1976)
• "Platform End" (Angel Station, 1979)
• "Fritz the Blank" (Chance, 1980)

The Mar-Keys

• "Last Night", (1961), No. 3 US, No. 2 R&B

The Marketts

• "Out of Limits", (1963), No. 3 US

Hank Marvin

• Guitar Man (2007)

Hugh Masekela

• "Grazing in the Grass", (1968), No. 1 US, No. 1 R&B

Dave Matthews Band

• "
  1. 34
  " (Under the Table and Dreaming, 1994)
• "Anyone Seen the Bridge?" (live-only)

Mastodon

• "Elephant Man" (Remission, 2002)
• "Joseph Merrick" (Leviathan, 2004)
• "Bladecatcher" (Blood Mountain, 2006)
• , 2010

Brian May

• Furia (2000) except "Dream of Thee"

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

• "Hideaway" (Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, 1966)
• "Steppin' Out" (Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton)
• “The Stumble”, (A Hard Road, 1967)
• ”The Supernatural”, (A Hard Road)

Paul McCartney (and Wings)

• The Family Way (1967)
• "Singalong Junk" (McCartney, 1970)
• "Valentine Day" (McCartney, 1970)
• "Hot As Sun / Glasses" (McCartney, 1970)
• "Momma Miss America" (McCartney, 1970)
• "Kreen-Akrore" (McCartney, 1970)
• "Bip Bop Link" (Wild Life, 1971)
• "Mumbo Link" (Wild Life, 1971)
• "Sunshine Sometime" (Bonus track on "Ram", 1971)
• "Great Cock and Seagull Race" (Bonus track on "Ram", 1971)
• "Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)" (Red Rose Speedway, 1973)
• "Jazz Street" (Bonus track on Red Rose Speedway, 1973)
• "Night Out" (Bonus track on Red Rose Speedway, 1973)
• "Zoo Gang" (UK B-side of "Band on the Run", 1974)
• "Lunch Box / Odd Sox" (Bonus track on Venus And Mars, 1975)
• Thrillington (1977)
• "Cuff Link" (London Town, 1978)
• "Rockestra Theme" (Back to the Egg, 1979)
• "Front Parlour" (McCartney II, 1980)
• "Frozen Jap" (McCartney II, 1980)
• "Bogey Wobble" (Bonus track on McCartney II, 1980)
• "Hey Hey" (Pipes of Peace, 1983)
• "Robbie's Bit (Thanks Chet)" (Paul Is Live, 1993)
• Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest (As "The Fireman", 1993)
• Standing Stone (1997)
• Rushes (As [The Fireman (band)|The Fireman], 1998)
• Working Classical (1999)
• Ecce Cor Meum (2006)
• Ocean's Kingdom (2011)

Van McCoy

• "The Hustle", (1975), No. 1 US, No. 3 UK, No. 1 R&B

Meshuggah

• "Acrid Placidity" (Destroy Erase Improve, 1995)

Metallica

• "(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth" (Kill 'Em All, 1983)
• "The Call of Ktulu" (Ride the Lightning, 1984)
• "Orion" (Master of Puppets, 1986)
• "To Live Is to Die" (...And Justice for All, 1988)
• "The Ecstasy of Gold" (S&M, 1999); (We All Love Ennio Morricone, 2007)
• "Suicide & Redemption" (Death Magnetic, 2008)

The Meters

• Most of the material released under their name is instrumental.
• The Meters (1969)
• Look-Ka Py Py (1969)
• Struttin' (1970)
• Cabbage Alley (1972)
• Rejuvenation (1974)
• Fire on the Bayou (1975)
• Trick Bag (1976)
• New Directions (1977)

MFSB

• "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", (1974), No. 1 US, No. 22 UK, No. 1 R&B

Midnight Oil

• "Wedding Cake Island" (Bird Noises, 1980)
• "Bakerman" (Red Sails in the Sunset, 1984)

Moby Grape

• The "Grape Jam" album of the Wow/Grape Jam two-album set is largely instrumental, featuring guest artists Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper

Mogwai

Most, if not all, of Mogwai's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Summer"/"Ithica 27 ϕ 9" (1996)
• "New Paths to Helicon, Parts 1 and 2" (1997)
• "Superheroes of BMX" (4 Satin EP, 1997)
• "Like Herod" (Mogwai Young Team, 1997)
• "Mogwai Fear Satan" (Mogwai Young Team)
• "Christmas Steps" (Come on Die Young)

Mono

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Vinnie Moore

Most, if not all, of Moore's recordings are instrumentals.

Van Morrison

• "Scandinavia" (Beautiful Vision, 1982)

Steve Morse Band

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Walter Murphy

• "A Fifth of Beethoven", (1976), No. 1 US, No. 28 UK, No. 10 R&B, based on the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

Muse

• "Popcorn" (B-side to "Resistance", 2009)

N

Sandy Nelson

• Most, if not all, of Sandy Nelson's recordings are instrumentals.
• "Teen Beat" (1959), No. 4 US, No. 9 UK, No. 17 R&B, The piano on the recording is by Bruce Johnston.
• "Drums Are My Beat" (1962), No. 29 US, No. 30 UK

New Order

• "Elegia" (Low-Life, 1985)

Jack Nietzsche

• "The Lonely Surfer", (1963), No. 39 US

Nine Inch Nails

• "Just Like You Imagined" (The Fragile)
• Ghosts I–IV (2008)

Cliff Nobles and Co.

• "The Horse", (1968), No. 2 US, No. 2 UK, No. 2 R&B

Ted Nugent

• "Home Bound" (Cat Scratch Fever, 1977)

O

The Offspring

• "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (Let the Bad Times Roll, 2021)

Ozzy Osbourne

• "Dee" (Blizzard of Ozz, 1980)

Ozric Tentacles

Most of if not all of their albums consist of instrumentals.

P

Jimmy Page

• "Outrider" (1988)

The Alan Parsons Project

• "Dream Within a Dream" (Tales of Mystery and Imagination, 1976)
• "The Fall of the Usher House" (Tales of Mystery and Imagination, 1976)
• "I Robot" (I Robot, 1977)
• "Nucleus" (I Robot, 1977)
• "Total Eclipse" (I Robot, 1977)
• "Genesis Ch.1 V32" (I Robot, 1977)
• "Voyager" (Pyramid, 1978)
• "In the Lap of the Gods" (Pyramid, 1978)
• "Hyper Gamma Spaces" (Pyramid, 1978)
• "Lucifer" (Eve, 1979)
• "Secret Garden" (Eve, 1979)
• "The Gold Bug" (The Turn of a Friendly Card, 1980)
• "The Ace of Swords" (The Turn of a Friendly Card, 1980)
• "Sirius" (Eye in the Sky, 1982)
• "Mammagamma" (Eye in the Sky, 1982)
• "Pipeline" (Ammonia Avenue, 1984)
• "Hawkeye" (Vulture Culture, 1985)
• "Beaujolais" (Stereotomy, 1986)
• "Where's the Walrus?" (Stereotomy, 1986)
• "Chinese Whispers" (Stereotomy, 1986)
• "Paseo De Gracia" (Gaudi, 1987)

Particle

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Pell Mell

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Joe Perry

• "Mercy" (Joe Perry, 2005)
• "Twilight" (Joe Perry, 2005)
• "Wooden Ships" (Have Guitar, Will Travel, 2009)
• "Rumble in the Jungle" (Sweetzerland Manifesto, 2018)
• "Spanish Sushi" (Sweetzerland Manifesto, 2018)

The Joe Perry Project

• "Break Song" (Let the Music Do the Talking, 1980)

John Petrucci

• An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess (2004)
• Suspended Animation (2005)
• Terminal Velocity (2020)

Pink Floyd

• "Pow R. Toc H." (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 1967)
• "Interstellar Overdrive" (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn)
• "A Saucerful of Secrets" (A Saucerful of Secrets, 1968)
• "Up the Khyber" (Soundtrack from the Film More, 1969)
• "Party Sequence" (Soundtrack from the Film More)
• "Main Theme" (Soundtrack from the Film More)
• "More Blues" (Soundtrack from the Film More)
• "Quicksilver" (Soundtrack from the Film More)
• "A Spanish Piece" (Soundtrack from the Film More)
• "Dramatic Theme" (Soundtrack from the Film More)
• "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" (Ummagumma)
• "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party (Parts I-III)" (Ummagumma)
• "Heart Beat, Pig Meat" (Zabriskie Point, 1970)
• "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" (Zabriskie Point)
• "Atom Heart Mother" (Atom Heart Mother, 1970)
• "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" (Atom Heart Mother)
• "One of These Days" (Meddle, 1971)
• "Obscured by Clouds" (Obscured by Clouds, 1972)
• "When You're In" (Obscured by Clouds)
• "Mudmen" (Obscured by Clouds)
• "Absolutely Curtains" (Obscured by Clouds)
• "Speak to Me" (The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973)
• "On the Run" (The Dark Side of the Moon)
• "Any Colour You Like" (The Dark Side of the Moon)
• "Shine on You Crazy Diamond pts. I, II, III, V, VI, VIII, IX" (Wish You Were Here, 1975)
• "Signs of Life" (A Momentary Lapse of Reason, 1987)
• "Round and Around" (A Momentary Lapse of Reason)
• "Terminal Frost" (A Momentary Lapse of Reason)
• "Cluster One" (The Division Bell, 1994)
• "Marooned" (The Division Bell)
• "Unknown Song" (bonus track on Zabriskie Point reissue, 1997)
• "The Last Few Bricks" (Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81, 2000)
• The Endless River (2014) except "Louder than Words"
• The Endless River (2014) (bonus tracks on Deluxe edition DVD/Blu-ray)

Pivot

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Chris Poland

• Return to Metalopolis (1990)

The Police

• "Reggatta de Blanc" (Reggatta de Blanc, 1979)
• "Behind My Camel" (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
• "The Other Way of Stopping" (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
• "Chambelle" (B-side, 1981)

Porcupine Tree

• "Wedding Nails" (In Absentia, 2002)

Billy Preston

• "Outa-Space", (1971), No. 2 US, No. 1 UK, No. 44 R&B
• "Space Race", (1973), No. 4 US, No. 1 R&B

The Pyramids

• "Penetration", (1964), No. 18 US, adopted from Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor

Q

Queen

• "Seven Seas of Rhye" (Queen, 1973)
• "Procession" (Queen II, 1974)
• "God Save The Queen" (A Night At The Opera, 1975)
• A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling ("A Kind Of Magic" single B-side, 1986)
• "Forever" (A Kind Of Magic, 1986)
• "Chinese Torture" (The Miracle, 1989)
• "Track 13" (Made In Heaven, 1995)

Quiet Sun

• Mainstream, (1975)

R

Rainbow

• "Still I'm Sad" (Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, 1975)
• "Weiss Heim" ("All Night Long" single B-side, 1980)
• "Vielleicht Das Nächste Mal" (Difficult to Cure, 1981)
  • "Difficult to Cure" (Difficult to Cure, 1981)
• "Anybody There" (Bent Out of Shape, 1983)
• "Snowman" (Bent Out of Shape, 1983)

Ramones

• "Durango 95" (Too Tough to Die, 1984)

Red Hot Chili Peppers

• "Behind the Sun (Instrumental Demo)" (bonus track on The Uplift Mofo Party Plan reissue, 2003)
• "Me & My Friends (Instrumental Demo)" (bonus track on The Uplift Mofo Party Plan reissue)

Red Sparowes

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

Rhythm Heritage

• "Theme from S.W.A.T.", (1976), No. 1 US, No. 11 R&B

Rockin' Rebels, aka The Rebels

• "Wild Weekend", (1963), No. 8 US, No. 3 UK, No. 28 R&B

Rodrigo y Gabriela

• Re-Foc (2002)
• Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006)
• 11:11 (2009)
• Area 52 (2012)
• 9 Dead Alive (2014)

The Rolling Stones

• “Now I’ve Got a Witness” (The Rolling Stones (album), 1964)
• "2120 South Michigan Avenue" (UK release Five by Five EP/US release 12 X 5, 1964)
• "Potted Shrimp" (studio outtake recorded in 1970)

Jordan Rudess

• Arrival (1988)
• Listen (1993)
• Secrets of the Muse (1997)
• Resonance (1999)
• An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess (2004)
• Feeding the Wheel (2001)
• 4NYC (2002)
• Christmas Sky (2002)
• Rhythm of Time (2004)
• The Road Home (2007)
• Notes on a Dream (2009)
• All That Is Now (2013)
• Explorations (2014)
• The Unforgotten Path (2015)
• Wired for Madness (2019)
• Heartfelt (2019)
• A Chapter In Time (2021)
• Rockestra (2021)

Rush

See main article: List of Rush instrumentals.

• "2112 - I: Overture" (2112, 1976)
• "Cygnus X-1, Book I: Prologue" (A Farewell To Kings, 1977)
• "La Villa Strangiato" (Hemispheres, 1978)
• "YYZ" (Moving Pictures, 1981)
• "Broon's Bane" (Exit...Stage Left, 1981)
• "Leave That Thing Alone" (Counterparts, 1993)
• "Limbo" (Test for Echo, 1996)
• "Cygnus X-1" (Rush in Rio, 2003)
• "The Main Monkey Business" (Snakes & Arrows, 2007)
• "Hope" (Snakes & Arrows)
• "Malignant Narcissism" (Snakes & Arrows)

S

Santana

• "Soul Sacrifice" (Santana)
• "Samba Pa Ti" (Santana)
• "Incident at Neshabur" (Abraxas)
• "In a Silent Way" (Fillmore: The Last Days, 1972)
• "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)" (Amigos, 1976)
• "Jugando" (Festival, 1977)
• "Verão Vermelho" (Festival)
• "Revelations" (Festival)

Carlos Santana

• Blues for Salvador (1987)

Santo and Johnny

Most, if not all, of Santo & Johnny's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Sleep Walk" (Santo & Johnny, 1959), No. 1 US, No. 22 UK, No. 4 R&B
• "Tear Drop", (1959), No. 23 US, No. 50 UK, No. 17 R&B

Joe Satriani

Albums:

• Not of This Earth (1986)
• Surfing with the Alien (1987)
• Dreaming No. 11 (1988)
• Flying in a Blue Dream (1989)
• The Extremist (1992)
• Time Machine (1993)
• Joe Satriani (1995)
• Crystal Planet (1998)
• Engines of Creation (2000)
• Strange Beautiful Music (2002)
• Is There Love in Space? (2004)
• Super Colossal (2006)
• Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock (2008)
• Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards (2010)
• Unstoppable Momentum (2013)
• Shockwave Supernova (2015)
• What Happens Next (2018)
• Shapeshifting (2020)
• When Trees Walked The Earth (Song) (2020)
• The Elephants of Mars (2022)

Savatage

• "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" (Dead Winter Dead)

Scorpions

• "Night Lights" (In Trance, 1975)
• "Coast To Coast" (Lovedrive, 1979)

Sepultura

• "Inquisition Symphony" (Schizophrenia, 1987)
• "The Abyss" (Schizophrenia, 1987)
• "Kaiowas" (Chaos A.D., 1993)
• "Jasco" (Roots, 1996)
• "Itsári" (Roots, 1996)
• "Canyon Jam" (Roots, 1996)
• "Tribus" (Against, 1998)
• "F.O.E." (Against, 1998)
• "T3rcermillenium" (Against, 1998)
• "Valtio" (Nation, 2001)
• "Enter Sandman/Fight Fire with Fire Medley" (Revolusongs, 2002)
• "Lost" (Dante XXI, 2006)
• "Limbo" (Dante XXI, 2006)
• "Eunoé" (Dante XXI, 2006)
• "Primium Mobile" (Dante XXI, 2006)
• "A-Lex I" (A-Lex, 2009)
• "A-Lex II" (A-Lex, 2009)
• "A-Lex III" (A-Lex, (2009)
• "Ludwig Van" (A-Lex, 2009)
• "A-Lex IV" (A-Lex, 2009)
• "Iceberg Dances" (Machine Messiah, 2017)
• "The Pentagram" (Quadra, 2020)
• "Quadra" (Quadra, 2020)

The Shadows

A significant number of the band's recordings are instrumentals. See The Shadows discography for more details.

• "Apache" (1960)
• The Shadows EP (1961)
• "FBI"/"Midnight" (1961)
• "The Frightened City" (1961)
• "Kon-Tiki" (1961)
• "Wonderful Land" (1962)
• The Boys EP (1962)
• "Dance On!" (1962)
• "Foot Tapper" (1963)
• "Atlantis" (1963)
• "The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt" (1964)
• "The Warlord" (1965)
• "Maroc 7" (1967)

Derek Sherinian

• Planet X (1999)
• Inertia (2001)
• Black Utopia (2003)
• Mythology (2004)
• Blood of the Snake (2006)
• Molecular Heinosity (2009)
• The Phoenix (2020)

Silver Convention

• "Fly, Robin, Fly", (1975), No. 1 US, No. 28 UK, No. 1 R&B

Slade

• "M'Hat M'Coat" (Till Deaf Do Us Part, 1981)

Slayer

• "Delusions of Savior" (Repentless, 2015)

Slint

• Their untitled 1994 EP is composed entirely of instrumentals.

Sonic Youth

• EP (1997)
• EP (1997)

Soulfly

• "Four Sticks" (bonus track on deluxe edition of Omen)

Steely Dan

• "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo", (Pretzel Logic, 1974), written by Duke Ellington^[19]

Steve Stevens

• Atomic Playboys (1989)
• Flamenco a Go-Go (2000)
• Memory Crash (2008)

Rod Stewart

• "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" (Smiler, 1974)

The String-A-Longs

• "Wheels", (1961), No. 3 US, No. 8 UK, No. 19 R&B

Styx

• "Little Fugue in G" (Styx II, 1973)

The Surfaris

• "Wipe Out" b/w Surfer Joe No. 2 US

Symphony X

• "The Odyssey: Odysseus' Theme/Overture" (The Odyssey, 2002)

T

Tangerine Dream

Only three albums in this band's extensive discography contain any vocal tracks: Cyclone (1978), Tyger (1987) and Inferno (2002). Also, while the band's music does contain rock elements, it is often categorized within new-age, electronic and other genres instead.

Tarentel

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

The T-Bones

• "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)", (1965), No. 3 US

Therapy?

• "Sky High McKay(e)" (Teethgrinder single, 1992)
• "Big Cave In" (Suicide Pact - You First, 1999)
• "Magic Mountain" (Crooked Timber, 2009)
• "Marlow" (A Brief Crack of Light, 2012)

Timo Tolkki

• Classical Variations and Themes (1994)

The Tornados

Most of the band's recordings are instrumentals.

• "Telstar" (1962) No. 1 US, No. 1 UK, No. 5 R&B

Tortoise

Most, if not all, Tortoise recordings are instrumentals.

• Tortoise (1994)
• Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)
• TNT (1998)
• Standards (2001)
• It's All Around You (2004)
• Beacons of Ancestorship (2009)

Traffic

• "Glad" (John Barleycorn Must Die, 1970)

Trans Am

• Trans Am, 1996
• Surrender to the Night, 1997
• Futureworld, 1999

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

• "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" (Christmas Eve and Other Stories)
• "Wizards in Winter" (The Lost Christmas Eve)

The Derek Trucks Band

Most of the band's early recordings, prior to their introduction of vocalist Mike Mattison, are instrumentals. Many of these recordings also veer strongly towards jazz fusion with rock elements.

U

• "4th Of July" (The Unforgettable Fire, 1984)
• "Boomerang 1" (The Unforgettable Fire, 1984)

V

Steve Vai

• "The Attitude Song" (Flex-Able)
• Passion and Warfare (1990)
• "Sofa" (Zappa's Universe, 1993)
• Alien Love Secrets EP (1995)
• "Fire Garden" (1996)
• The Ultra Zone (1999)
• Alive In An Ultra World (2001)
• (2005)
• The Story of Light (2012)
• Modern Primitive (2016)

Van Halen

• "Eruption" (Van Halen, 1978)
• "Spanish Fly" (Van Halen II, 1979)
• "Sunday Afternoon in the Park" (Fair Warning, 1981)
• "Cathedral" (Diver Down, 1982)
• "Little Guitars" (Diver Down, 1982)
• "1984" (1984, 1984)
• "316" (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, 1991)
• "Strung Out" (Balance, 1995)
• "Doin' Time" (Balance, 1995)
• "Baluchitherium" (Balance, 1995)
• "New World" (Van Halen III, 1998)
• "Primary" (Fair Warning, 1998)

Eddie and Alex Van Halen

• "Respect the Wind" (soundtrack to Twister, 1996)

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

• "Rude Mood" (Texas Flood, 1983)
• "Testify" (Texas Flood)
• "Scuttle Buttin'" (Texas Flood)
• "Lenny" (Texas Flood)
• "Hide Away" (Couldn't Stand the Weather, 1984)
• "Say What!" (Soul to Soul, 1985)
• "Riviera Paradise (In Step, 1989)
• "Little Wing" (The Sky Is Crying, 1991)
• "Chitlins con Carne" (The Sky Is Crying)

The Ventures

Most, if not all, of the band's recordings are instrumentals. See The Ventures discography for more details.

The Virtues

• "Guitar Boogie Shuffle", (1963), No. 5 US, No. 27 R&B

W

The Wailers aka The Fabulous Wailers

• "Tall Cool One", (1959), No. 36 US, No. 24 R&B

Rick Wakeman

• The Red Planet (2020)
• The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973)

Mike Watt

• "Maggot Brain" (Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, 1995)

The Who

• "The Ox" (My Generation, 1965)
• "Cobwebs and Strange" (A Quick One, 1966)
• "Overture" (Tommy, 1969)
• "Sparks" (Tommy, 1969)
• "Underture" (Tommy, 1969)
• "Quadrophenia" (Quadrophenia, 1973)
• "The Rock" (Quadrophenia, 1973)
• "Hall of the Mountain King" (bonus track on The Who Sell Out reissue, 1995)
• "My Generation (Instrumental)" (bonus track on deluxe edition reissue of My Generation, 2002)

Mason Williams

• "Classical Gas" (The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, 1968), No. 2 US, No. 9 UK "orchestrated rock and roll" backed by the Wrecking Crew

Brian Wilson

• "" (SMiLE, 2004)

The Edgar Winter Group

• "Frankenstein" (They Only Come Out at Night, 1972)

Link Wray

• "Rumble" (1958), No. 16 US, No. 11 R&B

Y

The Yardbirds

• "Steeled Blues", (B-side of Heart Full of Soul, 1965)
• "Jeff's Boogie" (B-side of "Over Under Sideways Down" 1966)
• "White Summer" (Little Games, 1967)

Yes

• "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" (Fragile)
• "Five Per Cent For Nothing" (Fragile)
• "Cinema" (90125, 1983)
• "Amazing Grace" (9012Live: The Solos)

Neil Young

• Soundtrack to Dead Man, 1996)

Yowie

• Cryptooology (2004)

Z

Frank Zappa

A significant portion of Zappa's discography consists of instrumental works, but many of these could be classified as modern classical or avant-garde music rather than rock.

• "Peaches en Regalia" (Hot Rats, 1969)
• "Eat That Question" (The Grand Wazoo)
• Sleep Dirt (1979 - reissues of this album featured overdubbed vocals on several tracks)
• "Rat Tomago" (Sheik Yerbouti, 1979)
• Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar/Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More/Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (1981)
• Jazz from Hell (1986)
• The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa (1987)
• Guitar (1988)
• (1996)
• Trance-Fusion (2006)

See also

• Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
• Heavy metal music
• Instrumental rock
• List of instrumental bands
• Rock and roll
• Surf music

External links

• Every instrumental top 20 hit song from 1960 to the present from Tunecaster.com with a sample of each

Notes and References

1. Whitburn, Joel, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Books, New York, 1992
2. Whitburn, Joel, The Billboard Book of TOP 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits, Billboard Books, New York 2006
3. Book: . Brown, Tony . Jon Kutner . Neil Warwick . The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums . Omnibus Press . London . 2002.
4. Joel Whitburns Top Pop 1955 - 1982
5. R&B charts Joel Whitburn Top R&B Singles 1942-1999
6. Web site: Records Banned By The BBC - 45cat. www.45cat.com.
7. Hartman, Kent, The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2012 p.191-195
8. Web site: Hawaii Five-O Chart History . Billboard magazine.
9. Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits . Billboard Books . New York . 1992 . 156.
10. Book: Brown . Tony . Jon . Kutner . Neil . Warwick . The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums . Omnibus Press . London . 2002 . 201.
11. Book: Did They Mention the Music? . Henry Mancini with Gene Lees . Contemporary Books . 1989 . 87.
12. Book: Rice, Jo . 1982 . The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits . 1st . Guinness Superlatives Ltd . Enfield, Middlesex . 141 . 978-0-85112-250-2.
13. The Byrds, The Byrds: Fifth Dimension, Columbia/Legacy CK 64847, © 1996
14. Hartman, Kent, The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2012 p. 30
15. Web site: Tony . Hoffman . Duane Eddy: The Undisputed King of Twang at Instrumental Review . Instrumentalreview.com . 26 April 1938 . 2012-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120314203526/http://www.instrumentalreview.com/instreviewduaneeddy.html . 14 March 2012 . dead .
16. Web site: Review of Califia: The Songs of Lee Hazlewood at . Soundblab.com . 3 September 2010. 2012-03-07.
17. Pulp Surfin': From the Vaults of Del-Fi Records, Del-Fi Records Inc., 1995. Notes
18. Web site: Records Banned by the BBC - 45cat. www.45cat.com.
19. Steely Dan, A Decade of Steely Dan, MCA 11553 1985