The Forgotten Art of the Instrumental Hit Quiz

Answer: 1973

Probably one of the best known instrumental songs of all time, "The Entertainer" is indelibly linked to the 1973 film "The Sting" where it was arranged and adapted by American composer and pianist, Marvin Hamlisch. The song was written in 1902 by Scott Joplin as a piano rag, its subtitle being "A Rag Time Two Step" referring to the dance which was popular at the time.

The song was variously used over the years, but it was Hamlisch's adaptation for "The Sting" in 1973 which catapulted it into the public eye.

Indeed even the New York Times was moved to comment that "the whole nation has begun to take notice" of the song. The Hamlisch version reached the number three spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. On April 2 1974, it garnered Hamlisch an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and Adaptation, thereby giving Scott Joplin a share of an Oscar more than fifty years after his death.

Answer: 1968

One of the most iconic scores in the history of film, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was composed by Ennio Morricone for the 1966 film of the same name. However, it was a cover version performed by the American composer and orchestra leader, Hugo Montenegro, in 1968 which turned the song into a major worldwide hit.

This popularity, apparently, came as somewhat of a surprise for Montenegro and his musical collaborators. In this version the formless grunting vocal in the background is "sung" by Montenegro and the "wah-wah-wah" sound is not vocals, but played on a harmonica.

It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, only being kept off the top spot by a song that appeared in another film, Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs Robinson" which was used in "The Graduate".

However, Montenegro's version did make it to the top of the UK Singles Chart on 16 November 1968.

Answer: 1962

"Miserlou" meaning "Egyptian" became the sound of what was to become Surf Music. The song was a traditional song ("Misirlou") from the Eastern Mediterranean region. It was a moderate hit for Jan Vincent in 1946, but in 1962, when Dick Dale was bet by a fan to play a song with only one string, Mr Dale used his Lebanese heritage to play this song though radically changed.

He increased the tempo tremendously and with his famed Stratocaster guitar, played left handed. Surf Music was born. The Surfaris, The Trashmen, The Beach Boys, The Ventures, and The Bobby Fuller Four.

The song, and surf music in general had a renaissance in the 90s after Dale's "Miserlou" was played over the opening credits of "Pulp Fiction" (1994).

Answer: 1979

Originally written as a disco track by trumpeter Herb Alpert's nephew Randy Badazz Alpert and Andy Armer, "Rise" was released by Herb Alpert in 1979 as a track on Alpert's album of the same name. In October of the same year, "Rise" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart where it stayed for two weeks.

This gave Herb Alpert the unique distinction of being the first artist to top the Billboard chart with both a vocal song and an instrumental track. He had previously topped the chart with "This Guy's in Love With You" in 1968. "Rise" received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1980.

Answer: 1960

"Theme from a Summer Place" was a six week number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for Percy Faith and his Orchestra in 1960. This piece though was not used in the actual movie "A Summer Place" (1959) but was a cover. The original "Theme from A Summer Place" is a song written by Mack Discant (lyrics) and Max Steiner (music).

Originally known as the "Molly and Johnny Theme", the song was recorded as an instrumental by Hugo Winterhalter for the film, but was not the main theme but a love theme for the main actors (Sandra Dee and Troy Donohue).

The Percy Faith version was labelled "the most successful instrumental single of the rock era" by "The Billboard Book of Number One Hits" (1988).

Answer: 1975

Recorded in 1973 and released in 1975 by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony, "The Hustle" is one of the best known songs of the disco era. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1975 and also won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 1976 awards ceremony. "The Hustle" was written after McCoy's music partner, Charles Kipp, had seen people doing a dance called "The Hustle" in a New York night club called the Adam's Apple, The song went on to sell over one million copies.

Answer: 1985

Simply known as the "Miami Vice Theme", the song was composed and performed by the Czech born American musician, Jan Hammer, for the popular TV show "Miami Vice". It first appeared in the pilot episode "Brother's Keeper" and was used as the title music in every episode thereafter.

It was released in 1985 and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It would be the last instrumental song to do so until "Harlem Shake" by Baauer reached the number one spot in 2013. The "Miami Vice Theme" garnered two Grammy Awards, one for Best Instrumental Composition and a second for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 1986 ceremony. Hammer was also responsible for another "Miami Vice" song, "Crockett's Theme" which refers to one of the main characters of the show, James "Sonny" Crockett played by Don Johnson.

Answer: 1962

"Pipeline" originally called "Liberty's Whip" is an instrumental surf rock song by the Chantays, recorded in 1962 reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It was renamed after the group saw a surfing movie showing scenes of the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. Because of the current surf music craze, the song was almost guaranteed success.

This was the Chantays' only hit but has endured not just as a surf music classic, but one of the most influential instrumental rock songs of all time, due in part to the so called "upside down" mix of the recording. Contrary to the conventional mix of then current rock music, bass guitar, keyboards and rhythm guitar were at the front of the mix, while the lead guitar and drums played a lesser role in the mix.

Answer: 1973

Forever linked with the 1972 film "Deliverance", "Duelling Banjos" was composed by the American country star Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith in 1955. The original name of the song was "Feudin' Banjos" and it became popular on the folk circuit of the 1960s. Performed by The Dillards, the song was aired on an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show".

The version used in "Deliverance" was arranged and recorded by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell, although when the single was subsequently released only Weissberg was credited. Unfortunately the use of the song in "Deliverance" caused controversy as Smith was not acknowledged as the composer and he had to sue the film makers before he was given credit and royalties. "Duelling Banjos" spent four weeks in the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Original Song.

Answer: 1981

"Chariots of Fire" is an instrumental hit that was written and recorded by the Greek composer, Vangelis, for the 1981 film of the same name. Originally called "Titles", the song underwent a number of name variations before simply "Chariots of Fire" was decided upon.

The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 21 weeks after it first entered the chart. It was the first song by a Greek artist to achieve this accolade and was the biggest selling single in 1981. Subsequently the song has been covered many times and is a popular choice for media coverage of Olympic Games being used during both Summer and Winter Games.