When was the last time an instrumental was in the top 100?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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In the 60s, 70s there were lots of instrumentals like," Wipe Out," "Theme From a Summer Place", "Tequilla", "Green Onions", "Grazing In the Grass" etc.
When was the last time an instrumental was in the top 100?
 

If you were to consider The Macarena an instrumental...
From Wikipedia...
"The Bayside Boys mix enjoyed a significant revival the following year when it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 for 14 weeks between August and November 1996. Its resurgence was aided by a dance craze that became a cultural phenomenon throughout the latter half of 1996 and early 1997. The song got the group ranked the "No. 1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time" by VH1 in 2002. In 2012, it was ranked No. 7 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. It also ranked at No. 7 on Billboard's All Time Latin Songs list.[3][4] In 2023, Billboard ranked "Macarena" number 500 in their list of Best Pop Songs of All Time."

 
OldFeller said:
If you were to consider The Macarena an instrumental...
From Wikipedia...
"The Bayside Boys mix enjoyed a significant revival the following year when it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 for 14 weeks between August and November 1996. Its resurgence was aided by a dance craze that became a cultural phenomenon throughout the latter half of 1996 and early 1997. The song got the group ranked the "No. 1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time" by VH1 in 2002. In 2012, it was ranked No. 7 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. It also ranked at No. 7 on Billboard's All Time Latin Songs list.[3][4] In 2023, Billboard ranked "Macarena" number 500 in their list of Best Pop Songs of All Time."

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the last time was 2013... I posted it abovve...:D
 
I think the decline in instrumentals goes hand in hand with the declining interest in dancing. When I was growing up, going to a dance was the thing to do. Not much these days.

OK, here's Top 20 instrumental hits from 1980 to the present(?), in chronological order:

5/31/1980 | #18 (2 wks.) - Meco: "The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)"
8/8/1981 | #10 (2 wks.) - Mike Post: "The Theme from 'Hill Street Blues'"
10/17/1981 | #10 (2 wks.) - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: "Hooked On Classics"
11/28/1981 | #1 (1 wk.) - Vangelis: "Chariots of Fire (Main Title)"
3/16/1985 | #3 (3 wks.) - Harold Faltermeyer: "Axel F"
8/10/1985 | #15 (1 wk.) - David Foster: "Love Theme from 'St. Elmo's Fire'"
8/24/1985 | #1 (1 wk.) - Jan Hammer: "Miami Vice Theme"
3/21/1987 | #4 (1 wk.) - Kenny G: "Songbird"
10/15/1988 | #13 (1 wk.) - Kenny G: "Silhouette"
10/14/1989 | #11 (1 wk.) - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers: "Swing the Mood"
5/4/1991 | #11 (2 wks.) - David A. Stewart & Candy Dulfer: "Lily Was Here"
12/5/1992 | #18 (2 wks.) - Kenny G: "Forever in Love"
4/27/1996 | #7 (2 wks.) - Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen: "Theme from Mission: Impossible"
12/25/1999 | #7 (1 wk.) - Kenny G: "Auld Lang Syne (The Millenium Mix)"
11/23/2002 | #2 - Kenny G: "Auld Lang Syne (Freedom Mix)"

 
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An instrumental album that came out in 2005 won a Grammy and was awarded gold certification in Europe for selling at least 100,000 copies. The music was recorded live with no rehearsals by the (then) living treasures Ali Farka Toure’ on guitar and Toumani Diabete’ on the Kora, a kind of African harp. One of my lifetime favorite albums.

 
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jujube said:
Remember "Telstar" back in the 60's, by the English group The Tornados? You absolutely could NOT dance to it.
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Telstar was a BIG deal in the 60s. On TV I watched the first Telstar transmission of sound and picture from the US to the UK. Somehow the song sounded like the idealism and guts of the early 60s. I loved it.
 
hollydolly said:
This... was top of the charts when I was born in 1955...


the original

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One of my mom’s favorite songs. I forget what dance she did to it. Yes, my dad, the big Army man and mom took dancing lessons to a lot of the different dances back in the 30’s and40’s. My dad could, but wouldn’t do the The Charleston. He would tell Mom, “Don’t even ask me to do that dance. I look like a fool.”
 
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oldman said:
One of my mom’s favorite songs. I forget what dance she did to it. Yes, my dad, the big Army man and mom took dancing lessons to a lot of the different dances back in the 30’s and40’s. My dad could, but wouldn’t do the The Charleston. He would tell Mom, “Don’t even ask me to do that dance. I look like a fool.”
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The song is basically a tango, although one could rhumba to it as well.
 
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