Good Pop + Rock songs drawing inspiration (or reworking) from Classical Music.

Anyway

33. Barry Manilow, "Could It Be Magic" (Chopin's Prelude in C Minor)
34. Eric Carmen, "All By Myself" 9Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor)

― butvi wouls (Phil D.), Friday, 16 March 2012 12:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

That Pachelbel rant is actually really funny. This is a good version, though, by Jun Togawa (song is 'Mushi No Onna'):

Though even better is her punk version of the same song:

― emil.y, Friday, 16 March 2012 13:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

35. Paul Simon - American Tune (bits from J.S. Bach's St. Matthew's Passion)

― softspool, Friday, 16 March 2012 15:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

36. Bright Eyes - Road to Joy (Beethoven)

― I Fucked Up (jer.fairall), Friday, 16 March 2012 15:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

People are being awfully nice in not suggesting Sting here.

― Feebs K-Tel (NickB), Friday, 16 March 2012 15:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

37. Van Dyke Parks - Number Nine

― Trip Maker, Friday, 16 March 2012 15:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

I mean, I guess you could include Song Cycle, too.

― Trip Maker, Friday, 16 March 2012 15:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

18. Blood, Sweat & Tears, "Variations on a Theme By Erik Satie" (Gymnopédies No.1 & 2)

looks like Satie's Gymnopédies is the go-to classical piece

― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram)

Was gonna say that not Gymnopedies but Pachelbel's Canon has got to have one of the most popular chord progression in rock/pop music (I - V - VI - IV). Phil D's video sort of ponders on it in a comical way. Here's another one and a list of song with the same chord progression - it's a 4 chord thing so it's practically impossible not to use it eventually but still a lot of hits with that one.

Glyrcerine - Bush
Superman - Five For Fighting
Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
Push - Matchbox 20
With or Without You - U2
So Far Away - Staind
S.O.S. - Jonas Brothers

What's My Age Again - Blink 182
Lucky Love - Ace of Base
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
Passenger - Iggy and the Stooges
Tonight and the Rest of My Life - Nina Gordon

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
No One - Alicia Keys
Until I Fall Away - Gin Blossoms
1, 2, 3, 4 - Feist
Feels Like Tonight - Daughtry
Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick
Beautiful - James Blunt
Apologize - One Republic (/Timbaland)
Spiderweb - No Doubt
Chariot - Gavin Degraw

When I Come Around - Green Day
Holiday - Green Day
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tattoo - Jordin Sparks
Let it Be - the Beatles
It's My Life - Bon Jovi

Building a Mystery - Sarah McLachlan
Great Escape - Boys Like Girls
Don't Matter - Akon
Teardrops on My Guitar - Taylor Swift

Go Wherever You Will Go - the Calling
The Power of Goodbye - Madonna
Welcome to My Life - a Simple Plan
Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park
Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry
Impress Me Much - Shania Twain

Everywhere - MIchelle Branch
Self-Esteem - Offspring
Big Scary Animal - Belinda Carlisle
Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne
Behind These Hazel Eyes - Kelly Clarkson

She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
I Hope You Dance - LeeAnn Womack
I Remember You - Skid Row
My Sacrifice - Creed
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
One Word - Eliot Yamin

Also this one:

But it takes songs that are I think are originally in a different scale to fit in.

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 18:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

My favorite is the instrumental break in 'The Great Valerio' where Richard Thompson aptly incorporates 'La Balancoir' from Satie's 'Sports et Divertissements'.

The viking metal band Tyr has a track on the Land album which is based off one of Grieg's lyric pieces; works incredibly well.

Most intriguing one posted above has to be Strawberry Switchblade/Sibelius' 5th (!)

― Axolotl with an Atlatl (Jon Lewis), Friday, 16 March 2012 18:37 (1 year ago) Permalink

one of my favorite Satie-sampling songs:

― thuggish ruggish Brahms (DJP), Friday, 16 March 2012 19:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

Another Satie favorite:

― thuggish ruggish Brahms (DJP), Friday, 16 March 2012 19:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

anyone mind that I am using this thread to populate this Spotify playlist:

http://open.spotify.com/user/djperry1973/playlist/02nrseuh69fDvSoyluR0Lq

― thuggish ruggish Brahms (DJP), Friday, 16 March 2012 19:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

^^ could also add Family Fodder - Big Dig to that list

― zappi, Friday, 16 March 2012 19:21 (1 year ago) Permalink

41. Silver Apples - Program (Vivaldi - Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 8, RV 293, "L'autunno")
42. The Orb - Little fluffy Clouds (Steve Reich - Electric Counterpoint Fast (Movement 3))

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 19:29 (1 year ago) Permalink

43. Nancy Sinatra - In My Room (Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor)

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 19:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

And well I don't think its particulary good but the source composition is great and she has some supporters in ILM.

44. Lady Gaga - Alejandro (Vittorio Monti - Czardas)

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 19:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

Ah yes this one is pretty clever:

45. Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley - If I Had Words (Saint-Saëns - Maestoso From Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78)

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 19:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

46. Diane & Annita - A Groovy Kind of Love (Muzio Clementi - Sonatina Op. 36 N. 5 in Sol Maggiore (Parte 2) - 3. Rondò)
47. The Doors - Spanish Caravan (Isaac Albéniz - Asturias)
48. Gwen Stefani - Don't Get It Twisted (Julius Fučík - Entrance of the Gladiators) Also 'sampled' in Yakety Yak.

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 20:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

Ok last ones I promise. These two use a sample as the main melody:

49. Sia - Taken for Granted (Prokofiev - Montagues and Capulets (Dance of the Knights)
50. Jem - They (Bach - Prelude No 12 in F Minor)(Sample lifted from the Swingle Sisters adaptation)

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 20:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

Bjork's Hidden Place has a Schoenberg sample but I don't know if they count as they simply add to the song but it doesn't seem like it's constructed from it.

― Moka, Friday, 16 March 2012 20:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

stretching the definition of pop/rock, but:

51. Venetian Snares - Szamar Madar (Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85)

― skip, Friday, 16 March 2012 21:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

is the harpsichord? break in "in my life" from anything, or did mccartney just make it up ex nihilo?

― Philip Nunez, Friday, 16 March 2012 21:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

George Martin mostly improvised it, I don't think it's anything in particular although it's "Bach-influenced." it's also double speed on the recording.

― butvi wouls (Phil D.), Friday, 16 March 2012 22:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

Jun Togawa - Punk Mushi No Onna

― Milton Parker, Saturday, 17 March 2012 01:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

Khia - My Neck, My Back (Mozart "Lacrimosa" from Requiem mass)

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Saturday, 17 March 2012 01:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

Am I invisible? ;_;

― emil.y, Saturday, 17 March 2012 01:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

FYI Pachelbel's Canon is a little bit more extensive than just a I-V-vi-IV progression - it's I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V

― Sexess - Sexual Success Or; Successful Sex (crüt), Saturday, 17 March 2012 03:57 (1 year ago) Permalink