Classical Music Forum banner

Pop Songs Based On Classical Works

17K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  amcarlson 
#1 ·
I made a playlist here:

http://www.spotifyclassical.com/2010/02/pop-songs-based-on-classical-works-open.html

Paul Simon - American Tune
Bach, JS : St Matthew Passion BWV244 : "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden"
The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
Ensemble Modern - Electric Counterpoint - Fast
Tony Bennett - Stranger In Paradise
Paavo Jarvi - Prince Igor, Polovtsian Dances: Dance II
Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love
London Symphony Orchestra - Martini: Plaisir d'amour
Kelis - Like You
Mozart : Die Zauberflöte : Act 2 "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen"
Barry Manilow - Could It Be Magic
Evgeny Kissin - Prelude No. 20 in C Minora
Mario Lanza - And This Is My Beloved - From Kismet
Borodin Quartet - String Quartet No.2 In D Major: Notturno: Andante
Tony Martin - Here
Kurt Eichhorn & Lucia Popp - Rigoletto: "Caro Nome" (Verdi)
Della Reese - Don't You Know?
Rolando Panerai - La Bohème: Quando me'n vo soletta
The Toys - A Lover's Concerto
Gustav Leonhardt - Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 116
Van Cliburn - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: Adagio sostenuto
Jem - They
Glenn Gould - Prelude & Fugue No. 12 in F minor, BWV 881: Praeludium
Eric Carmen - All By Myself - Digitally Remastered 1997
Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
BWV 140 - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme: Choral: Zion Hört Die Wächter Singen
Frank Sinatra - I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
Yundi Li - Chopin: Impromptu No.4 in C sharp minor, Op.66 "Fantaisie-Impromptu"
Eric Carmen - Never Gonna Fall In Love Again
St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Symphony No. 2 in E minor Op. 27: III. Adagio
Monty Python - Oliver Cromwell (Monty Python Sings)
Martha Argerich - Polonaise No. 6 in A flat 'Heroic' Op. 53
Ella Fitzgerald - My Reverie
Zoltán Kocsis - Debussy: Rêverie
The Crew Nuts - Mostly Martha
Orchestra - Martha (1997 Digital Remaster): M'appari tutt'amor
Perry Como - Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)
The Philadelphia Orchestra - España
Jo Stafford - No Other Love
Murray Perahia - 12 Études, Op. 10: Étude No. 3 in E Major
Patti Page - All My Love
Daniel Barenboim & Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Ravel : Bolero
Xzibit featuring Dr. Dre - Symphony In X Major - Explicit Version
Ton Koopman - Bach, JS : Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major BWV1048 : I Allegro
Janet Jackson - Someone To Call My Lover (Single Edit)
Francine Kay - Gymnopedie No 1 (Satie)

Any more suggestions?:)
 
See less See more
#5 ·
Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
BWV 140 - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme: Choral: Zion Hört Die Wächter Singen
I doubt this. First off, there is no reason to list the cover rather than the famous original by Procol Harum, but more importantly, although the song has a very strong Bach influence, there is as far as i know not one single Bach composition that you can point too as the original (certainly not Air, which is often quoted for this song).
 
#16 ·
Jazz singer Della Reese, who's actually on the original list, did a whole album of pop songs based on classical tunes called "The classic Della" in the 1960's. I have it on cd, it's a bit schmaltzy, but apart from that quite good. "Don't You Know," based on a Puccini tune, reached up pretty high in the charts back then (maybe No. 1, I'm not sure?)...
 
#18 ·
Don't forget the pop singer Eric Carmen who made a full career out of ripping off Sergei Rachmaninov.

In fact, if Rachmaninov had lived another twenty or thirty years, he could have made a fortune off of all the times his themes were adapted into popular songs.

Full Moon and Empty Arms: Second Piano Concerto, Third Movement, Second Theme
Never Gonna Fall In Love Again: Second Symphony, main theme Third Movement
All By Myself: Second Piano Concerto, Second Movement, main theme

And the justly forgotten Broadway Musical "Anya", based on "Anastasia", ripped off of poor Sergi in the same manner as "Kismet" was with Borodin, with the 'unforgettable' "All Hail The Empress Now" based on the first theme of the last movement of the First Symphony.
EH??
Whew!
Tom
 
#20 ·
The Run Lola Run (Lola rennt) contains many quotations of the string part from Charles Ives Unanswered Question. This is just an example:

 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top