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This is a list of examples of popular songs that are arrangements of, or otherwise make use of, works of classical music. Instrumental pieces are tagged with an uppercase "I", or a lowercase "i" for quasi-instrumental including non-lyrics voice samples.
The practice of adapting classical compositions is associated with various popular genres, including Tin Pan Alley, progressive rock, and heavy metal.
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1890s
(1891) "O Promise Me" by Reginald DeKoven & Smith, from the musical Robin Hood -- based on Musica proibita, the name popularly given to an aria in the 1888 Italian opera Mala Pasqua by Stanislao Gastaldon.
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1910s
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1920s
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1930s
(1938) "My Reverie" by Larry Clinton - based on Debussy's Rêverie
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1940s
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1950s
(1959) "Don't You Know" by Della Reese - based on "Musetta's Waltz" from Puccini's "La Boheme"
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1960s
(1969) "Bourree" by Jethro Tull, arrangement of bourree from J.S. Bach's suite in E minor for lute/guitar.
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1970s
(1970) "Knife Edge" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer - based on Sinfonietta, first movement by Leoš Janáček. 2nd part of lead break is lifted from the Allemande from French Suite No. 1 in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. (Said piano piece is quoted note for note up to the repeat sign in the middle.)
(1972) "Song Sung Blue" by Neil Diamond - based on Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 21", second movement
(1974) "Voices of Syn" by Klaus Schulze on Timewind - incorporates a collage of Verdi songs sung by an operatic singer.
(1975) "Could It Be Magic" by Barry Manilow - quotes extensively from Chopin's Prelude in C minor
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1980s
(1987) "Love in the First Degree" by Bananarama - backing based on Pachelbel's Canon in D Major
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1990s
(1996) "I Got To Tell You" by Dr. Octagon - Kool Keith delivering a fake radio advertisement over Pachelbel's Canon.
(1999) "Beethoven's fifth" - Steve Vai
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2000s
(2000) "Love U Crazay" by En Vogue from Masterpiece Theatre - set to Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from Nutcracker
(2000) "Those Dogs" by En Vogue from Masterpiece Theatre - set to Bizet's "La Habanera" from Carmen.
(2000) "Sad But True" by En Vogue from Masterpiece Theatre - set to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" or Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2
(2001) "Rock Your Socks" by Tenacious D - Quotes Johann Sebastian Bach's Bouree from Suite in E Minor BWV 996. ("This is Bach and it rocks...")
(2001) "Space Dementia" by Muse - the chorus vocal line and chords are an exact reduction of part of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto 1st Movement.
(2004) "Forever Today" and "Adagio for Strings" by DJ Tiësto, the first and last track, respectively, of Just Be - both based on "Adagio for Strings"
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See also
Sweetbox - a band performing mostly classical-based covers
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