Later Instrumental Hits

PopArchivist wrote:
an instrumental top 10 single hasn't hit the Hot 100 since The Theme From Mission Impossible in 1996.

I was just thinking how there haven't been too many top 40 instrumental hits since "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire", #15, and "Axel F", #1 - both 1985. Maybe some Miami Vice stuff. What other top 40 instrumental hits were there in between these and 1996's "Theme from Mission Impossible"? Instrumental top 40 hits sure were dwindling, and it's kind of hard to believe there have been 0 in the last 24 years. (I'm excluding songs with some words like "Harlem Shake").

In the summer of 1996, my former top 40 station had both
“...Mission:Impossible” and “Children” (Robert Miles) in power rotation.
That’s probably the last time two instrumentals were charting on CHR
simultaneously.

This has puzzled me for years. I wondered why the
instrumental has become a lost art - at least as far
as radio and charts are concerned. Have humans just
changed so much that there's no longer any interest in
them? Have artists that play an instrument as lead in
a song just faded away?   I don't get it.

Just as I've been baffled lately at the lack of rock
music in the Hot 100 top 20. Once again I ask ... are
humans just "evolving" to the point where auto-tuned
electro-pop and rap are the only kinds of music worth
selling? Perhaps so.

I remain puzzled.
MM

MMathews wrote: This has puzzled me for years. I wondered why the instrumental has become a lost art - at least as far as radio and charts are concerned. Have humans just changed so much that there's no longer any interest in them? Have artists that play an instrument as lead in a song just faded away?   I don't get it. Just as I've been baffled lately at the lack of rock music in the Hot 100 top 20. Once again I ask ... are humans just "evolving" to the point where auto-tuned electro-pop and rap are the only kinds of music worth selling? Perhaps so. I remain puzzled. MM

My only theory is times change and tastes change.
Instrumental hits have been few and far between since the
70s. I guess people just prefer songs with lyrics.

As far as the lack of rock in the top 40...well, rock in
general seems to have gone out of style (with the
exception of classic rock). How many cities don't even
have a contemporary rock station, and those that do,
they're rarely big players in the market.
Big change from the 70s or 80s when the local AOR was
often one of the top stations in town.

Dunno if the quality of the music has declined, or if,
again tastes have changed but when was the last time you
heard a 20something guy with a mega-loud stereo system in
their car that was playing rock music?

Rap seems to be the new rock...for sure it's almost
guaranteed to annoy your parents!


Edited by Hykker

Hykker wrote: Dunno if the quality of the music has declined, or if, again tastes have changed but when was the last time you heard a 20something guy with a mega-loud stereo system in their car that was playing rock music?

That is a very astute observation!

But one thing I HAVE noticed are 20something guys with a mega-loud stereo system in their trucks blasting Eric Church, or Brantley Gilbert, or Jason Aldean, et al.

These (excellent) Country artists have Rockin' bands that oftentimes play on the records and if you analyze it, the actual sound coming from the speakers is rather similar to a 70s 80s 90s Rock sensibility.

The primary difference is Country radio plays it instead of Rock radio.

(The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

Andy

Edited by AndrewChouffi