Some were released decades after they were first written
How often have you listened to a piece of contemporary music and recognized a classical tune? It's no coincidence that many rock and pop artists have turned to classical music for inspiration. In fact, the work of some of the great composers of the age has been cleverly used as the foundation for numerous iconic hits.
Click through and take note of these songs you probably didn't know were inspired by classical music.
In a solo effort away from fronting Genesis, Phil Collins released 'A Groovy Kind of Love,' which has musical sequences inspired by Italian-born composer Muzio Clementi's 'Sonatina in G minor.'
Robbie Williams co-wrote 'Party like a Russian,' a track inspired by Prokofiev and 'Dance of the Knights.' Williams is, of course, famously a former member of boy band Take That.
Zayn Mailk, previously of the boy band One Direction, released 'Blue' in 2016, which owes a certain amount of its musical input to Bach and the composer's 'Cello Suite in C major.'
German composer Johann Pachelbel and his 'Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo' is the inspiration behind Marron 5's 'Memories.'
Elvis Presley took 'It's Now or Never' to the top of the charts in 1960. It's based on the 1898 Neapolitan song 'O Sole Mio,' the music for which was written by Eduardo di Capua.
Sting's debut solo album after his departure from the Police, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles,' includes the single 'Russians,' which uses the 'Romance' theme from the 'Lieutenant Kijé Suite' by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.
Billy Joel's 'This Night' from the album 'An Innocent Man' was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Pathétique Sonata.'
Electronic instrumentalist William Orbit released his version of 'Adagio for Strings' in 2002. The piece is inspired by composer Samuel Barber (1910–1981), who originally created the 'Adagio for Strings' in 1936.
The last two minutes or so of Janelle Monáe's 'Say You'll Go' are based almost exclusively around Claud Debussy's 'Clair de Lune.'
John Lennon was inspired to write 'Because,' which appears on the Beatles' final album 'Abbey Road, after listening to his wife Yoko Ono play a segment of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' on the piano.
Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor' provided the musical inspiration behind 'Plug in Baby' by Muse.
Bach inspired Al Jardine of the Beach Boys to write 'Lady Lynda,' the music of which is based on the composer's 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.'
British reggae group UB40 topped the UK and US charts with their version of 'Can't Help Falling in Love,' which borrows a melody from 'Plaisir d'amour' by French composer Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. Elvis Presley also had a huge hit with the same song, in 1961.
Released just as Robbie Williams left the group, British boy band Take That sang 'Never Forget,' the introduction of which is based on Giuseppe Verdi's 'Requiem.'
Inspired by Austrian composer Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No. 5,' the White Stripes went on to create 'Seven Nation Army.'
Inspired by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and his 'Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor,' Eric Carmen wrote 'All by Myself.' The track was later covered by Celine Dion.
Written as an ode to his wife at the time, the music to John Denver's 'Annie's Song' was partly inspired by Russian composer Tchaikovsky's 'Symphony No. 5.'
The violin of Italian composer Vittorio Monti and his 'Csárdás' musical piece is the melodic inspiration behind Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro.'
Clean Bandit came up with 'Mozart's House' after listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 'String Quartet No. 21.'
'Roll Over Beethoven' was written by Chuck Berry in 1956. It's been covered by the Beatles, among other bands, but it is the Electric Light Orchestra's 1973 version that includes an opening musical quote from Beethoven's 'Fifth Symphony.'
Elements of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' can be heard in Bright Eyes' 'Road to Joy.'
Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and his 'Prelude in C Minor No. 20' inspired the music to Barry Manilow's 'Could It Be Magic.'
British girl group Little Mix released 'Little Me' in 2013, which is inspired by French composer Gabriel Fauré's 'Pavane.'
British progressive rock pioneers Emerson, Lake & Palmer famously covered Russian composer Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and presented the entire piano piece as a live album.
Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Mika called on inspiration from Rossini and 'Largo al factotum,' an aria from 'The Barber of Seville,' for his song 'Grace Kelly.'
Bach's 'Air on a G String' inspired the evergreen 'Whiter Shade of Pale' by '60s band Procol Harum.
American rapper Nas sampled Beethoven's 'Für Elise' in creating 'I Can,' a clever fusion of hip hop and classical music that surprised and delighted critics.
British pop band the Korgis, best known for their hit single 'Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime,' were inspired the previous year by Rachmaninoff's 'Variation 18 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini' to write 'If I Had You.'
Scottish '80s new wave duo Strawberry Switchblade turned to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and his 'Symphony No 5' for inspiration while writing 'Since Yesterday.'
Johann Pachelbel's 'Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo' has been the inspiration behind a number of songs by various bands, including the Farm, whose track 'Altogether Now' has a chord sequence taken directly from the piece.
See also: (Rebel Music Teacher) (Beatles Bible) (The Tempest)
See also: From Beethoven to Wagner: The best composers of all time
Pop songs inspired by classical music
The legendary composers responsible for famous hits
MUSIC Inspiration
How often have you listened to a piece of contemporary music and recognized a classical tune? It's no coincidence that many rock and pop artists have turned to classical music for inspiration. In fact, the work of some of the great composers of the age has been cleverly used as the foundation for numerous iconic hits.
Click through and take note of these songs you probably didn't know were inspired by classical music.