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0 / 31 Fotos
Phil Collins: 'A Groovy Kind of Love' (1988)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
Robbie Williams: 'Party like a Russian' (2016)
- 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.
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
Zayn Malik: 'Blue' (2016)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
Maroon 5: 'Memories' (2019)
- German composer Johann Pachelbel and his 'Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo' is the inspiration behind Marron 5's 'Memories.'
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Elvis Presley: 'It’s Now or Never' (1960)
- 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.
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
Sting: 'Russians' (1985)
- 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.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
Billy Joel: 'This Night' (1984)
- Billy Joel's 'This Night' from the album 'An Innocent Man' was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Pathétique Sonata.'
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
William Orbit: 'Adagio for Strings' (2000)
- 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.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
Janelle Monáe: 'Say You’ll Go' (2010)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
The Beatles: 'Because' (1969)
- 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.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Muse: 'Plug in Baby' (2001)
- Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor' provided the musical inspiration behind 'Plug in Baby' by Muse.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
The Beach Boys: 'Lady Lynda' (1979)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
UB40: 'Can't Help Falling in Love' (1993)
- 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.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Take That: 'Never Forget' (1995)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
The White Stripes: 'Seven Nation Army' (2003)
- Inspired by Austrian composer Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No. 5,' the White Stripes went on to create 'Seven Nation Army.'
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Eric Carmen: 'All by Myself' (1975)
- 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.
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
John Denver: 'Annie's Song' (1974)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Lady Gaga: 'Alejandro' (2010)
- The violin of Italian composer Vittorio Monti and his 'Csárdás' musical piece is the melodic inspiration behind Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro.'
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Clean Bandit: 'Mozart’s House' (2013)
- Clean Bandit came up with 'Mozart's House' after listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 'String Quartet No. 21.'
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Electric Light Orchestra: 'Roll Over Beethoven' (1973)
- '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.'
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
Bright Eyes: 'Road To Joy' (2005)
- Elements of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' can be heard in Bright Eyes' 'Road to Joy.'
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
Barry Manilow: 'Could It Be Magic' (1975)
- Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and his 'Prelude in C Minor No. 20' inspired the music to Barry Manilow's 'Could It Be Magic.'
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Little Mix: 'Little Me' (2013)
- British girl group Little Mix released 'Little Me' in 2013, which is inspired by French composer Gabriel Fauré's 'Pavane.'
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: 'Pictures at an Exhibition' (1971)
- 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.
© Getty Images
24 / 31 Fotos
Mika: 'Grace Kelly' (2007)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
Procol Harum: 'Whiter Shade of Pale' (1967)
- Bach's 'Air on a G String' inspired the evergreen 'Whiter Shade of Pale' by '60s band Procol Harum.
© Getty Images
26 / 31 Fotos
Nas: 'I Can' (2003)
- 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.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
The Korgis: 'If I Had You' (1979)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
Strawberry Switchblade: 'Since Yesterday' (1984)
- Scottish '80s new wave duo Strawberry Switchblade turned to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and his 'Symphony No 5' for inspiration while writing 'Since Yesterday.'
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
The Farm: 'Altogether Now' (1990)
- 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
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 31 Fotos
Phil Collins: 'A Groovy Kind of Love' (1988)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
Robbie Williams: 'Party like a Russian' (2016)
- 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.
© Getty Images
2 / 31 Fotos
Zayn Malik: 'Blue' (2016)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
3 / 31 Fotos
Maroon 5: 'Memories' (2019)
- German composer Johann Pachelbel and his 'Canon and Gigue for 3 violins and basso continuo' is the inspiration behind Marron 5's 'Memories.'
© Getty Images
4 / 31 Fotos
Elvis Presley: 'It’s Now or Never' (1960)
- 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.
© Getty Images
5 / 31 Fotos
Sting: 'Russians' (1985)
- 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.
© Getty Images
6 / 31 Fotos
Billy Joel: 'This Night' (1984)
- Billy Joel's 'This Night' from the album 'An Innocent Man' was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Pathétique Sonata.'
© Getty Images
7 / 31 Fotos
William Orbit: 'Adagio for Strings' (2000)
- 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.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
Janelle Monáe: 'Say You’ll Go' (2010)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
9 / 31 Fotos
The Beatles: 'Because' (1969)
- 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.
© Getty Images
10 / 31 Fotos
Muse: 'Plug in Baby' (2001)
- Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor' provided the musical inspiration behind 'Plug in Baby' by Muse.
© Getty Images
11 / 31 Fotos
The Beach Boys: 'Lady Lynda' (1979)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
12 / 31 Fotos
UB40: 'Can't Help Falling in Love' (1993)
- 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.
© Getty Images
13 / 31 Fotos
Take That: 'Never Forget' (1995)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
14 / 31 Fotos
The White Stripes: 'Seven Nation Army' (2003)
- Inspired by Austrian composer Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No. 5,' the White Stripes went on to create 'Seven Nation Army.'
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Eric Carmen: 'All by Myself' (1975)
- 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.
© Getty Images
16 / 31 Fotos
John Denver: 'Annie's Song' (1974)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Lady Gaga: 'Alejandro' (2010)
- The violin of Italian composer Vittorio Monti and his 'Csárdás' musical piece is the melodic inspiration behind Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro.'
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Clean Bandit: 'Mozart’s House' (2013)
- Clean Bandit came up with 'Mozart's House' after listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 'String Quartet No. 21.'
© Getty Images
19 / 31 Fotos
Electric Light Orchestra: 'Roll Over Beethoven' (1973)
- '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.'
© Getty Images
20 / 31 Fotos
Bright Eyes: 'Road To Joy' (2005)
- Elements of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' can be heard in Bright Eyes' 'Road to Joy.'
© Getty Images
21 / 31 Fotos
Barry Manilow: 'Could It Be Magic' (1975)
- Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and his 'Prelude in C Minor No. 20' inspired the music to Barry Manilow's 'Could It Be Magic.'
© Getty Images
22 / 31 Fotos
Little Mix: 'Little Me' (2013)
- British girl group Little Mix released 'Little Me' in 2013, which is inspired by French composer Gabriel Fauré's 'Pavane.'
© Getty Images
23 / 31 Fotos
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: 'Pictures at an Exhibition' (1971)
- 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.
© Getty Images
24 / 31 Fotos
Mika: 'Grace Kelly' (2007)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
25 / 31 Fotos
Procol Harum: 'Whiter Shade of Pale' (1967)
- Bach's 'Air on a G String' inspired the evergreen 'Whiter Shade of Pale' by '60s band Procol Harum.
© Getty Images
26 / 31 Fotos
Nas: 'I Can' (2003)
- 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.
© Getty Images
27 / 31 Fotos
The Korgis: 'If I Had You' (1979)
- 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.'
© Getty Images
28 / 31 Fotos
Strawberry Switchblade: 'Since Yesterday' (1984)
- Scottish '80s new wave duo Strawberry Switchblade turned to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and his 'Symphony No 5' for inspiration while writing 'Since Yesterday.'
© Getty Images
29 / 31 Fotos
The Farm: 'Altogether Now' (1990)
- 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
© Getty Images
30 / 31 Fotos
Pop songs inspired by classical music
The legendary composers responsible for famous hits
© Getty Images
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 have 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.
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