28 Songs That Are Based On Classical Music

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Inerestingly, Billy Joel actually credits Beethoven on the original album notes. Great show of respect.

That's why The Beatles wrote Get Bach.

Also the song "All by myself" by Eric Carmen is based on Rachmaninoff's Piano concerto no. 2 in C minor, opus 18

It's hard to believe that this set doesn't include probably the bigest copy of classical music I know: "All by myself" - this whole song (whole!) is based on the leitmotif from the 2nd part of the 2nd piano concerto by Rachmaninov.

Bach, the real rock star

As a Disney historian, I was reminded of the quote by a Disney composer from the 1950s: "We've been stealing from Tchaikovsky for years."

I really like it when modern songwriters / composers borrow form classical pieces . In many case people become curious about the source and start to appreciate classical music more

5:45 "consciously or not, he might've been inspired by Bach" I think that's really important to remember, that people get subconsciously inspiration too. I feel like many people that often say "oh they just completely stole it from this and that," especially when 'stealing' from classical music but also in pop songs, don't realize this. It's so easy to get a tune or melody stuck in your head, and to write a song with it. It's very easy to pick this up from anywhere really, even subconsciously.

"These songs aren't protected from copyright" Youtube: I'll fix it don't worry

What I've learnt from this is that Gustav Holst is directly responsible for the invention of heavy metal...

Amazing that you did not mention Emerson, Lake and Palmer who based so many of their songs on Classics, Sometimes note-for-note, "Barbarian' (Bartok's "Allegro Barbarro"), "Knife-Edge" (Janáček's "Sinfonietta" and Bach), "The Only Way" (Bach), "Pictures at an Exhibition" (Mussorgsky), "Nut-rocker" (Tchaikovsky), "Hoedown" (Copland), "Toccata" (Ginastera's 1st piano concerto), "Fanfare for the Common Man" (Copland),...

As for Procol Harum the Hammond organ line of “A Whiter Shade of Pale (1967)” was inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach's “Sleepers, Wake!” and “Air on the G String” 🙂

I love it when people say they don't like classical music. I tell them you do, you just don't know it.

These are all the songs he mentions in this video: This Night - Billy Joel (2nd Movement Sonata Pathetique - Ludwig van Beethoven) Blackbird - The Beatles (Bourrée in e minor - JS Bach) Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin (Bourrée in e minor - JSNBach) Bourrée - Jethro Toll (Bourrée in e minor - JSNBach) Friends - Led Zeppelin (Mars - Gustav Holst) Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Mars - Gustav Holst) The Last Battle - John Williams (Mars - Gustav Holst) Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes (Symphony No.5 in Bflat major - Anton Bruckner) Light My Fire - The Doors (Invention no. 8 - JS Bach) Penny Lane - The Beatles (Brandenburg Concerto No.2 - JS Bach) Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield (Toccata and Fugue in D minor - JS Bach) Plug in Baby - Muse (Toccata and Fugue in D minor - JS Bach) Jane Seymour - Rick Wakeman (Toccata and Fugue in D minor - JS Bach) Brainless - Eminem (Toccata and Fugue in D minor - JS Bach) The Real Thing - 2 Unlimited (Toccata and Fugue in D minor - JS Bach) Russians - Sting (Romance Theme - Sergei Prokofiev) Party Like a Russian - Robbie Williams (Dance of the Knights - Sergei Prokofiev) Somewhere - Leonard Bernstein (Piano Concerto No. 5 mvmt. 2 - Beethoven & Swan Theme - Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky) Annie's Song - John Denver (5th Symphony in E minor, 2nd mvmt - Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky) Because - The Beatles (Moonlight Sonata mvmt. 2 - Ludwig van Beethoven) Better Than Yourself - Lukas Graham (Moonlight Sonata mvmt. 2 - Ludwig van Beethoven) Neon Gravestones - 21 Pilots (Moonlight Sonata mvmt. 2 - Ludwig van Beethoven) Could it be Magic - Barry Manilow (Prelude in C minor - Frederic Chopin) The Globalist - Muse (Nimrod Theme - Edward Elgar) Tous Les Maux D'Amour - Norma Ray (Pavane in Fsharp minor - Gabriel Fauré) Natural - S Club 7 (Pavane in Fsharp minor - Gabriel Fauré) Little Me - Little Mix (Pavane in Fsharp minor - Gabriel Fauré) A Groovy Kind of Love - Phil Collins (Sonatina No.5 - Musio Clementi) I Need You to Turn to - Elton John ( The Greatest Discovery - Elton John ( Breathe Me - Cia (Metamorphosis no.1 - Philip Glass)

One composer/artist you neglected to mention led me years ago into a much greater understanding of both classical and jazz and that is Frank Zappa who used short clips of excerpts of Holst's "The Planets" woven directly into his compositions. That is only one example among many. He also on the Mothers of Invention's first album listed names of the people who had influenced him, stating "Please don't hold it against them". As I was a fan of his, I followed his advice, and looked them up. I've been grateful to him ever since.

Makes sense now why a lot of rock music fans like listening to classical music. A lot of it is influenced from it. I really appreciate such great musicianship. Its really a testament to their craft.

When I was in college, a friend borrowed my STYX music book cz she was a music major and said that she was sick of playing Bach. She gave me the book back and annoyingly said ‘It’s Bach’

George Martin was truly the fifth Beatle. Not only did he translate classical music into Rock music for them. He also played different instruments on some tracts.

I'm sorry, but listening to Tubular Bells, now 50 years after I first heard it, STILL gives me the chills. Same chills I had as a teenager.