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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.

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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.'

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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.

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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.

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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.'

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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.

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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.'

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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.

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.

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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.

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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.'

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Bright Eyes: 'Road To Joy' (2005) -

Elements of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' can be heard in Bright Eyes' 'Road to Joy.'

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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.'

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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. 

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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.'

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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.

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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.

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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.'

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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

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