Top Instrumentals Hits 1940-1987

Welcome to the top 100 instrumental songs 1940-1987

Welcome to the top 100 instrumentals songs page. This page contains the ranking of the top 100 instrumental songs of all-time from 1940-1987. Some of these songs will surprise you as it did me. It will bring back lots of memories of when you were growing up. A song title to make this chart had to peak at the #4 position or higher.

You will notice that the first 45 positions of this chart are songs that reached the #1 position as ranked by Billboard Magazine. The artist with the most hits on this chart is Glenn Miller with 5 and they all peaked at the #1 position.

The decade of the 1960’s, had the most instrumentals with 32 hit songs on the chart. The 1940’s have 19 hits on the chart. The 1950’s have 27 hits. The 1970’s have 18 hits. The 1980’s have 4 hits.

The reason why you do not see any hits after 1987, is most songs released today are vocal. Instrumentals started dying out after the late 80’s.

Check out other charts by clicking on the following link: music charts.

The site map below the chart will take you to the other top hit charts pages by just selecting the page of your choice. You can also have the option in purchasing any of these wonderful songs.

The Top 100 Instrumentals Hits of All-Time 1940-1987

This list will consist of the title/artist/year/ peak position # weeks at peak position ()

Rank    Title/Artist

  1. Frenesi / Artie Shaw 1940 #1 (13)
  2. In The Mood / Glenn Miller 1940 #1 (12)
  3. The Third Man Theme / Anton Karas 1950 #1 (11)
  4. The Third Man Theme / Guy Lambardo 1950 #1 (11)
  5. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White / Perez Prado 1955 #1 (10)
  6. Moonlight Cocktail / Glenn Miller 1942 #1 (10)
  7. The Theme From A Summer Place / Percy Faith 1960 #1 (9)
  8. Tuxedo Junction / Glenn Miller 1940 #1 (9)
  9. Peg O’ My Heart / Harmonicats 1947 #1 (8)
  10. Piano Concerto In B Flat / Freddy Martin 1941 #1 (8)
  11. The Poor People Of Paris / Les Baxter 1956 #1 (6)
  12. Blue Tango / Leroy Anderson 1951 #1 (5)
  13. Tequila / The Champs 1960 #1 (5)
  14. Love Is Blue / Paul Mauriat 1968 #1 (5)
  15. Autumn Leaves / Roger Williams 1955 #1 (4)
  16. Lisbon Antigua / Nelson Riddle 1956 #1 (4)
  17. Jersey Bounce / Benny Goodman 1942 #1 (4)
  18. Sleepy Lagoon / Harry James 1942 #1 (4)
  19. Moonglow and Theme From “Picnic” / Morris Stoloff 1956 #1 (3)
  20. Wonderland By Night / Bert Kaempfert 1961 #1 (3)
  21. Telstar / The Tornadoes 1962 #1 (3)
  22. Rise / Herb Alpert 1979 #1 (2)
  23. A String Of Pearls / Glenn Miller 1942 #1 (2)
  24. Sleep Walk / Santo & Johnny 1959 #1 (2)
  25. Calcutta / Lawrence Welk 1961 #1 (2)
  26. Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet / Henry Mancini 1969 #1 (2)
  27. Grazing In The Grass / Hugh Masekela 1968 #1 (2)
  28. TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) / MFSB 1974 #1 (2)
  29. Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band / Meco 1977 #1 (2)
  30. Delicado / Percy Faith 1952 #1 (1)
  31. Patricia / Perez Prado / 1958 #1 (1)
  32. Stranger On The Shore / Acker Bilk 1962 #1 (1)
  33. A Fifth Of Beethoven / Walter Murphy/Big Apple Band 1978 #1 (1)
  34. Chariots Of Fire / Vangelis 1982 #1 (1)
  35. The Stripper / David Rose 1962 #1 (1)
  36. Gonna Fly Now / Bill Conti 1977 #1 (1)
  37. Love’s Theme / Love Unlimited Orchestra 1974 #1 (1)
  38. Frankenstein / The Edger Winter Group 1973 #1 (1)
  39. The Happy Organ / Dave “Baby” Cortez 1959 #1 (1)
  40. Miami Vice Theme / Jan Hammer 1985 #1 (1)
  41. Pick Up The Pieces / AWB Average White Band 1975 #1 (1)
  42. The Hustle / Van McCoy 1975 #1 (1)
  43. Theme From S.W.A.T. / Rhythm Heritage 1976 #1 (1)
  44. Intermezzo / Guy Lambardo 1941 #1 (1)
  45. Song Of The Volga Boatmen / Glenn Miller 1941 #1 (1)
  46. The Crazy Otto / Johnny Maddox 1955 #2 (7)
  47. I Hear A Rhapsody / Charlie Barnet 1941 #2 (5)
  48. The Last Date / Floyd Cramer 1960 #2 (4)
  49. Dueling Banjos / Eric Weissberg/Steve Mandell 1973 #2 (4)
  50. Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2) / Bill Doggett 1956 #2 (3)
  51. April In Portugal / Les Baxter 1953 #2 (3)
  52. The Horse / Cliff Nobles & Co. 1968 #2 (3)
  53. Canadian Sunset / Hugo Winterhalter 1956 #2 (2)
  54. Velvet Moon / Harry James 1943 #2 (2)
  55. Classical Gas / Mason Williams 1968 #2 (2)
  56. Apache / Jorgen Ingmann 1961 #2 (2)
  57. Melody Of Love / Billy Vaughn 1955 #2 (1)
  58. Exodus / Ferrante & Teicher 1961 #2 (1)
  59. Raunchy / Bill Justis 1957 #2 (1)
  60. Walk-Don’t Run / The Ventures 1960 #2 (1)
  61. Wipe Out / The Surfaris 1963 #2 (1)
  62. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly / Hugo Montenegro 1968 #2 (1)
  63. Midnight In Moscow / Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen 1962 #2 (1)
  64. Washington Square / The Village Stompers 1963 #2 (1)
  65. Outa-Space / Billy Preston 1972 #2 (1)
  66. Dragnet / Ray Anthony 1953 #2 (1)
  67. Also Sprach Zarathustra / Deodato 1973 #2 (1)
  68. Star Dust / Artie Shaw 1941 (#2 (1)
  69. Topsy II / Cozy Cole 1958 #3 (3)
  70. Axel F / Harold Faltermeyer 1985 #3 (3)
  71. The Entertainer / Marvin Hamlisch 1974 #3 (2)
  72. Wheels / The String-A-Longs 1961 #3 (2)
  73. Last Night / Mar-Keys 1961 #3 (2)
  74. Out Of Limits / The Marketts 1964 #3 (2)
  75. Green Onions / Booker T. & The MG’s 1962 #3 (1)
  76. No Matter What Shape / The T-Bones 1966 #3 (1)
  77. Music Box Dancer / Frank Mills 1979 #3 (1)
  78. Chopin’s Polonaise / Carmen Cavallaro 1945 #3 (1)
  79. Ruby / Richard Hayman 1953 #3 (1)
  80. Anvil Chorus / Glenn Miller 1941 #3 (1)
  81. Perfidia (Tonight) / Xavier Cugat 1941 #3 (1)
  82. Soulful Strut / Young-Holt Unlimited 1969 #3 (1)
  83. Pomption Turnpike / Charlie Barnet 1940 #3 (1)
  84. I Dream I Dwelt In Harlem / Glenn Miller #3 (1)
  85. Down Yonder / Del Wood 1951 #4 (4)
  86. Express / B.T. Express 1975 #4 (3)
  87. Teen Beat / Sandy Nelson 1959 #4 (2)
  88. Quiet Village / Martin Denny 1959 #4 (2)
  89. Space Race / Billy Preston / 1973 #4 (2)
  90. Pipeline / Chantay’s 1963 #4 (2)
  91. Because They’re Young / Duane Eddy & The Rebels 1960 #4 (2)
  92. Moonglow And Theme From “Picnic” / George Cates 1956 #4 (1)
  93. Raunchy / Ernie Freeman 1957 #4 (1)
  94. Java / Al Hurt 1964 #4 (1)
  95. On The Rebound / Floyd Cramer 1961 #4 (1)
  96. Feels So Good / Chuck Manglone 1978 #4 (1)
  97. Yellow Bird / The Arthur Lyman Group 1961 #4 (1)
  98. In The Mood / Ernie Field’s Orch. 1959 #4 (1)
  99. Songbird / Kenny G 1987 #4 (1)
  100. Hawaii Five-O / The Ventures 1969 #4 (1)

Instrumentals Site Map

1. Top 100 1970s
2. Top 100 1940-1954
3. Top 100 1955-1970
4. Top 100 Country Hits
5. Purchase Links
6. TEAC GF-350 Recorder

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