It’s difficult for me to communicate the depth of my feelings about instrumental songs. Let’s try this: I have no words to describe how much I love songs that have no words.

Sure, lyrics are neat. But music, really by definition, is notes, chords, melodies and rhythm, arranged together in a structure that creates a “voice.” Instrumentals, amazingly, can do this without even using vocals. I’m not sure how instrumentals carry so much meaning. I guess they just speak to me.

So, what better way to celebrate the treasured (and in modern times, essentially forgotten) art of the instrumental song, than with an SMGM list. Here come The Top 40 Instrumentals Ever. Singers, avert your ears.

Somehow, even more so than the usual level of subjectivity found in the many SMGM lists to-date (The Greatest Opening Guitar Riffs, The 10 Most Perfect Albums, Top 5 All-Time Greatest Motown Groups, and too many other definitive lists to list), the idiosyncratic qualities inherent to instrumental music seem to make prioritizing a “Best Ever” list even more individualistic. With that in mind, please accept the following heavily researched and deeply scrutinized accounting to be some unquantifiable combination of “best” and, admittedly, “my favorites”.

And unlike the sometimes patience-testing preambles outlining the self-imposed stipulations determined to govern many of our other SMGM list explorations, the criteria for this one is pretty straightforward: songs without singing, music without words. What more is there not to say.

(Although, it must be added that our esteemed judging panel did see fit to allow a few very limited exceptions with a very small, and insignificant, presence of singing occurring at the very end. An example: ‘Pick Up The Pieces’ by Average White Band. Why let a few innocuous repetitions of the title in the closing seconds mar what is an otherwise sparkling 4 minutes of saxy, sexy, voiceless funk).

Lastly, this small cautionary note. Even to popular music devotees, some of these titles may seem unfamiliar. After all, the very nature of instrumental tunes eliminates the lines, verses and choruses that otherwise become easily identifiable and then forever memorable as traditional song names (in fact, it’s always been an additional fascination to me to consider how artists go about choosing a word or words as a title to represent their wordless compositions. If I had my own instrumental song I’m not sure what it would sound like, but I think I’d call it ‘Wasseegious’). Which is why I highly recommend readers/listeners to cross-reference the song listings to follow with the accompanying playlist – that’s right, a brand new SMGM Playlist, “No Words Necessary” – which will appear at the bottom. If you just say “Nah, I don’t know that one” you’re not really even trying to participate, and by the powers vested in me as an unofficial Music Aficionado you shall hereby be constricted to only hearing songs going forward that are ladened with the prosaic and humdrum inclusion of language. So there.

Alright then, let’s begin the countdown (and yeah, it’s possible we may also take a few detours along the way). Remember, only the vocals are on mute; the music is still going to communicate resoundingly. Starting particularly loudly with #40.

Best Instrumentals Ever (40-31)

40. ‘Moby Dick’ – Led Zeppelin
39. ‘T.S.O.P.’ (The Sound of Philadelphia) – MFSB
38. ‘Out of Limits’ – The Ventures
37. ‘Apache’ – Incredible Bongo Band
36. ‘Grazing in The Grass – Hugh Masekela
35. ‘Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White’ – The Fabulous Thunderbirds
34. ‘Soulful Strut’ – Young-Holt Unlimited
33. ‘Pick Up The Pieces’ – Average White Band
32. ‘Soul Sacrifice’ – Santana
31. ‘Love’s Theme’ – Love Unlimited Orchestra

I’ll give you a chance to hit the Playlist for a few of these (you know them, you just don’t know you know them). In case you’re wondering, yes, I realize that certain selections are not the first recordings. Meaning, while deference was mostly given to originals, some cover versions were chosen – intentionally – as being the preferred take on a tune, for whatever reason. ‘Apache’ (above) is one such case; I dig those bongos. And yes, one of the very limited “vocal” special cases is here as well – “Let’s get it on/It’s time to get down” in the very ending sequence of ‘T.S.O.P.’ That’s really our biggest exception, I promise.

Moving on – without explicitly saying so – let’s get to our next 10.

Best Instrumentals Ever (30-21)

30. ‘Rebel Rouser’ – Duane Eddy
29. ‘Pipeline’ – The Chantays
28. ‘Time is Tight’ – Booker T. & The M.G.’s
27. ‘Bourée’ – Jethro Tull
26. ‘Last Night’ – The Mar-Keys
25. ‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers’ – Jeff Beck
24. ‘Fire On High’ – Electric Light Orchestra
23. ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Reed’ – Allman Brothers Band
22. ‘Sleep Walk’ – Santo & Johnny
21. ‘Whammer Jammer’ – J. Geils Band

I honestly can’t believe some of these incredible songs are this far down the list. Are you kidding me? Am I kidding me?! While I’m in need of composing myself – and hopefully while you’re scrolling down to check in on the Playlist – we’ll take a quick break from the official countdown for a few, I don’t know, uncapturable categories. Like this:

Blues and Bluesy-Rock Stuff

Other Classics I Ridiculously Just Couldn’t Fit

  • ‘Tequila’ – The Champs
  • ‘Wipe Out’ – The Surfaris
  • ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll (Part 2) – Gary Glitter
  • ‘Feels So Good’ – Chuck Mangione
  • ‘Beck’s Bolero’ – Jeff Beck
  • ‘Peter Gunn’ – Duane Eddy
  • ‘Classical Gas’ – Mason Williams
  • ‘Miserlou’ – Dick Dale
  • ‘A Fifth of Beethoven’ – Walter Murphy
  • ‘Joy’ – Apollo 100
  • ‘Space Race’ – Billy Preston
  • ‘Spanish Flea’ – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Oddballs That You Really Need To Listen To

  • ‘Spy vs. Spy’ – Brian Briggs
  • ‘Nut Rocker’ – B. Bumble & The Stingers
  • ‘Lover Please’ – Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
  • ‘East St. Louis Toodle-Oo’ – Steely Dan
  • ‘The Happy Organ’ – Dave “Baby” Cortez

For the record, nobody on earth, other than my friend Chin, knows that ‘Spy vs. Spy’ song.

Okay, we’re getting back into it, and we’re already up to the Top 20. In keeping with our instrumentals-only list, if you’ve got any objections please do not speak now and forever hold your peace.

Best Instrumentals Ever (20-11)

20. ‘Cissy Strut’ – The Meters
19. ‘Walk, Don’t Run’ – The Ventures
18. ‘Wham!’ – Lonnie Mack
17. ‘Machine Gun’ – The Commodores
16. ‘Hideaway’ – Jeff Healey Band
15. ‘Rumble’ – Link Wray
14. ‘Glad’ – Traffic
13. ‘Africano’ – Earth, Wind & Fire
12. ‘Kids From Philly’ – George Thorogood & The Destroyers
11. ‘Orange Blossom Special’ – Charlie Daniels Band

What a goddamn powerful list, huh? And if you were to retain any doubts about the dramatic level of emotion a song without words can still convey, note that one of the above choices, guitarist Link Wray’s revolutionary ‘Rumble’, which introduced the power chord, was banned from the radio for fear it would inspire gang violence. Think about that.

One last divergence before we reach and reveal the Top 10 (any thoughts on the list topper?). Here’s a few last extra groupings that, well, I guess you’ll see what they are.

Acts That Are Actually Instrumental Bands Whose Repetition Here Almost Doesn’t Seem Fair

  • ‘Hang ‘Em High’ – Booker T. & The M.G.’s
  • ‘Hawaii Five-O’ – The Ventures
  • ‘Tijuana Taxi’ – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Extra Soul

  • ‘Soul Finger’ – The Bar-Kays
  • ‘Soul Limbo’ – Booker T. & The M.G.’s
  • ‘Soul Twist’ – King Curtis
  • ‘Soul Bossa Nova’ – Quincy Jones

More Great Ones That I Really Just Didn’t Know What To Do With

  • ‘Cliffs of Dover’ – Eric Johnson
  • ‘Rockestra Theme’ – Wings
  • ‘Arco Arena’ – Cake
  • ‘Hoedown’ – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  • ‘Samba Pa Ti’ – Santana
  • ‘YYZ’ – Rush
  • ‘Buck’s Hot Rod’ – Buckwheat Zydeco
  • ‘Fury’ – Los Straitjackets
  • ‘Express’ – B.T. Express
  • ‘New Country’ – Jean-Luc Ponty
  • ‘Cruise Control’ – Dixie Dregs
  • ‘Mad Cows at Ease’ – The Hellecasters
  • ‘The Claw’ – Dave Edmunds

Word up, we’ve made it, at last, all without saying a thing. Remember, no words necessary. With a small amount of additional commentary for our top group, here they are, The/My Top 10 Greatest Instrumental Songs of All-Time.

Best Instrumentals Ever (10-1)

10. ‘Frankenstein’ – Edgar Winter Group
A monster of a song, with numerous stitched-together parts. Plus, my son played it on guitar in front of 18k people at Madison Square Garden for a NY Rangers game. True story.
9. ‘A Taste of Honey’ – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
A Grammy, five weeks at #1, and one of the tastiest album covers a young boy could ever see.
8. ‘Scuttle Buttin’’ – Stevie Ray Vaughan
You’d swear it was played by two, but no that’s just one, the incomparable SRV. And only he could merit two placements in the top 10.
7. ‘Jessica’ – Allman Brothers Band
That Chuck Leavell piano solo part. Goodness.
6. ‘The Horse’ – Cliff Nobles
The best number performed at my friend Messiah’s 50th birthday party by a 20-something piece band made up of current/former Asbury Jukes.
5. ‘Waterhole’ – The Outlaws
Guitarmony at its finest. This tune has probably appeared on the majority of playlists I’ve ever made.
4. ‘Hocus Pocus’ – Focus
Dutch Prog madness. No one has ever said yodeling counts as words.
3. ‘Outa-Space’ – Billy Preston
Preston: Multiple organs and a Clavinet played through a wah-wah pedal. You: cannot possibly sit still.
2. ‘Testify’ – Stevie Ray Vaughan
As my friend G-Man once famously declared, this song is capable of inciting a riot at any moment.
1. ‘Green Onions’ – Booker T. & The M.G.’s
It’s been said that ‘Green Onions’ is like an “Original Glazed doughnut from Krispy Kreme: simple perfection.”¹ And, a documentary film clip tracking the song’s creation has also been described as “giving chills every time (I) see it.”² When I first set out to make this list I’d designed it to be broken up into categories – chiefly “Rock/Pop” and “Soul/R&B” – but I felt I had to abandon the separate distinctions because it was clear that ‘Green Onions’ would be #1 on both. A genre-spanning 3-minutes of flawless magnificence by what’s also acknowledged as popular music’s first racially integrated band, Booker T. & The M.G.’s (those initials stood for “musical geniuses” according to one observer).³ Just organ, guitar, bass and drums, and none of those pesky lyrics that are normally, um, instrumental in the formation of a song. So good it’s likely to leave you speechless.

In other words, there are no words.

¹that was actually said by me, in a prior article
²well, that was me too, in another article
³nope, that one wasn’t me, but the band’s own cocksure bassist, Donald “Duck” Dunn

“No Words Necessary” – The Best Instrumentals Ever: listed in order of The Top 40, then additional entries in the order in which they appeared in the article.