Pop songs with melodies from classical music

Asia Minor by Kokomo (Jimmy Wisner), from Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor (hence, Asia Minor), made it to #8 in 1961.

 

Don't You Know/ Della Reese -- from Musetta's Waltz, Puccini's La Boheme

 

The Toys -- A Lover's Concerto (a minuet long attributed to Bach but now believed to be by Petzold)

 

the Toys, A Lovers Concerto, aka Bach's Minuet in G only in C and just the first half and in 4/4 not 3/4, I see great minds truly do think alike

 

Stranger in Paradise by Tony B. from Borodin Prince Igor

 

Since we're mentioning The Toys, I really liked the followup to "A Lover's Concerto" called "Attack" although I don't know what tune it's based on. (if any)

 

Barry Manilow Could this Be the Magic from Chopin Prelude something or another.

 

‪Apollo 100 - Joy (HQ)

 

Serge Gainsbourg did this a lot.

Ten Serge Gainsbourg Pieces Inspired by Classical Music

 

Eric Carmen - "All By Myself" Based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, Opus 18

 

A Fifth Of Beethoven -- Walter Murphy

 

And This Is My Beloved, from Kismet, from Borodin's String 4tet #2

 

Intro and outro from J.S. Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”

 

"O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" - J.S.Bach -> "American Tune" - Paul Simon

"Kanon" - Pachelbel -> "Rain and Tears - Aphrodite's Child, "Go West" - Village People / Pet Shop Boys,
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space"- Spiritualized , "Don't look back in anger" - Oasis

"Cellosuite" - Bach -> "Horizons" - Genesis

 

Supposedly, The Beatles’ “Because" was inspired by John Lennon listening to Yoko Ono playing Ludwig Van Beethoven’s "Moonlight Sonata" on the piano.

He recalled he was "lying on the sofa in our house, listening to Yoko play ... Suddenly, I said, 'Can you play those chords backward?' She did, and I wrote 'Because' around them."

The track features three-part harmonies by Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, which were then triple-tracked to give nine voices in the final mix.
The group considered the vocals to be some of the hardest and most complex they attempted. Harrison played the Moog synthesizer, and Martin played the harpsichord that opens the track.

 

I am far too sleep deprived to remember the actual name of piece they ganked for this, but it's not exactly hard to miss.



EDIT: Pachelbel's Canon

 

My guess is the Zombies probably have a ton.

 

Cool story!

Which reminded me of this one, based on the Moonlight Sonata, by The Shangri-Las

 

ELO using the beginning of Beethoven's 5th symphony for their cover of Chuck Berry's Roll Over Beethoven.

 

Queen's (written by Freddie Mercury) It's a Hard Life based on part of an aria from Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci. I presume the video is inspired by the same opera.

 

“Soul Concerto” - The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band



Evgeny Kissin - Rachmaninoff Prelude Op 3 No 2 in C Sharp minor

 

Love Sculpture (Dave Edmunds) did a straight rock cover of the Sabre Dance

 

Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keeley - If I Had Words, based on the Finale of Saint-Saens' "Organ" Symphony (No. 3)...



SAINT-SAENS "ORGAN" SYMPHONY - FINALE (ARR. JONATHAN SCOTT)

 

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 Mov. 2


Celine Dion "all by myself" is based on Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto (2nd movement)

 

Hello Muddah Hello Fadduh - based on a theme from an Opera composer




Amilcare Ponchielli was an Italian opera composer,