Talk:Instrumental

Instrumental music VS music without lyrics
The article says: "An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing," If a instrumental cant have lyrics, this means that if I dont use vocals on my song but put lyrics there using morse code, my song will not be instrumental???? I think we need to fix that on the article.201.78.130.34 (talk) 16:45, 28 August 2011 (UTC)

There are also cases of songs that are "mostly" instrumental, such as Layla by Eric Clapton, which has vocals only in the first one-third of the song.

How about the 12-minute "hybrid" instrumental "The Fool" by Quicksilver Messenger Service on their 1968 album? It's an instrumental for 7 minutes, then there is a lyric section for 3 minutes, followed by a two minute instrumental ending. What do you call it, a song or an instrumental. The reviewers typically call it an instrumental but it's also a song, at least in part. 2600:8801:BE24:1A00:350B:FC57:5D61:625E (talk) 15:34, 23 October 2022 (UTC) Jack James

Instrumentals vs songs
Please see Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Music, where I have raised some concerns about discrepancies in the way we deal with articles about instrumental recordings. Andy Mabbett (User:Pigsonthewing); Andy's talk; Andy's edits 10:30, 19 October 2008 (UTC)


 * "without lyrics, singing, or any other sort of vocal input" ... I think the main thing is that there are no lyrics. There can be voices, but they are treated as just another instrument and are not dominant. Richard K. Carson (talk) 06:36, 3 February 2011 (UTC)

instance of opinion
the best instrumental ever written is "The Call Of Ktulu" by Metallica 4.71.21.138 (talk) 15:19, 26 October 2009 (UTC) pmeusel

No. GtRyz (talk) 09:20, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

What's the proper terminology?
I was wondering if anyone knows what's the proper term for - when an artist performs/sings a song LIVE, but the instrumental is recorded, not played live ( by band or group of musicians). Some musicians call it - "Phonogram", some "Instrumental" - which one is correct? Or maybe there's another term for it that I have no idea. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.43.131.243 (talk) 10:12, 15 January 2010 (UTC)

Why are Winchester Cathedral & Sugar Shack listed?
The recordings of Winchester Cathedral by The New Vaudeville Band and Sugar shack by Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs cannot be considered instrumental hits. The first one consists of 73 words (not counting the do-wop-styled words), and Jimmy Gilmer sings at least 119 words on his recording. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.25.0.196 (talk) 10:20, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Additional citations
Why, what, where, and how does this article need additional citations for verification? Hyacinth (talk) 16:54, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Original research
Why, what, where, and how does this article contain original research? How should it be cleaned up? Hyacinth (talk) 08:19, 10 March 2012 (UTC)
 * The whole thing, really. "Instrumental" is a adjective, describing a property of the work, not the name of the type of work that is distinct from a song.  There isn't a single citation supporting anything in the entire article aside from the entries on the list, and some of those are absurd. "Contains vocals, which total thirty words and thus contains the most amount of lyrics of any instrumental song to hit #1."  Really? It has singing, and lyrics, yet you're still claiming it's an instrumental?  Based on what?  &mdash;Torc.  ( Talk.  )

so much missing... what about Peter Gun Theme (Blues Brothers)
What about Peter Gun Theme (Bluesbrothers) ain't that an instrumental? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.67.117.110 (talk) 22:24, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

Chatanooga Choo Choo
I am removing Chatanooga Choo Choo, as it is not an instrumental, but follows the big-band standard or alternating instrumental-vocal-instrumental choruses. 78.26  (I'm no IP, talk to me!) 17:50, 16 April 2013 (UTC)

Bayou Maharajah by Harry Connick Jr.
Is the instrumental musicBayou Maharajah by Harry connick Jr. have an Indian twist to the song. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.34.54.108 (talk) 03:35, 9 November 2013 (UTC)

Axel F
The instrumental Axel F was Number-One in Ireland, partly also in Canada and the Netherlands. --93.196.203.38 (talk) 20:43, 15 January 2015 (UTC)

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
In Billboard magazine, Hugo Montenegro's version did not top the Hot 100, turned one notch away from the summit by Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" on 1 June 1968, though it topped the Adult Contemporary (then called Easy Listening) chart on 18 May - 1 June 1968 and the UK chart on 13 November 1968. All of the other instrumentals listed as topping in the US referred to a pop chart, not some other chart. So Montenegro's version, supposedly topping in the US on 8 June 1968, which never occurred on any Billboard chart on that date, should be stricken from the list. Who cares about Tunecaster? 107.185.145.26 (talk) 22:55, 15 January 2016 (UTC)

Instrumental music
This article is predominantly about instrumental compositions in pop music, with are relatively rare. Other Wikipedias have articles (linked with this article) about instrumental music in general (from the Middle Ages until now). Bever (talk) 05:17, 1 March 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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there ARE no borderlines
The Borderline cases section is a hatrack: a pile of original research with questionable relevance to the supposed topic & without a single supporting reference. Like a perennial plant in autumn, it ought to be cut down to the ground so that it can start again properly. Weeb Dingle (talk) 19:08, 31 January 2019 (UTC)

"Instrumental version" listed at Redirects for discussion
The redirect [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Instrumental_version&redirect=no Instrumental version] has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at  until a consensus is reached. Jay 💬 06:03, 29 July 2023 (UTC)