Pop songs with melodies from classical music

If I Were A Carpenter-The Four Tops.

 

And many Igor Stravinsky quotes.
Stravinsky quotes can in fact be found all other FZ's body of work.

Holts is also the inspiration behind "The devil's triangle" from King Crimson.
And King Crismon's main riff of "Larks' tongues II" is inspired by Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

 

Leonard Cohen's "Who By Fire" has a melody that sounds very close to the opening theme of the 3rd movement of Gustav Mahler's first symphony.

 

The song is quite a bit more uplifting than Sting's too!

 

Perty much any prog unit has done this. Zappa, Procol Harum,
The Moody Blues, King Crimson. Possibly the most pinched is
"Bolero" and it's fun to hear how the piece is incorporated.

 

Hey, no Elvis here? There is more, but my favourite is Today, Tomorrow and Forever lifting melody from Liszt's Liebestraum.

 

I don't know the Leonard Cohen song, but the first theme of the 3rd movement of Mahler 1 is Frere Jacques played in a minor key

 

The Doors' Hyacinth House organ solo is a deliberate lift from Chopin's polonaise in Ab, one of Ray's finest moments.

Similarly, the keyboard break in the middle of Chris Rea's Giverny (from the On The Beach album) is a lovely quote of Debussy's "Claire De Lune"

 

Edvard Grieg's "Morning Mood" from "Peer Gynt" is a recurring theme in this at 0:27, 0:39, and 1:22



Surprise Package / The Other Me

 

Jethro Tull - La Bouree

Johann Sebastian Bach - Bourree in E Minor

 

"Christmas Canon" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, from Pachelbel's Canon in D.

 

Jo Stafford´s "NO OTHER LOVE" is a Chopin piece, isn´t it?

 

Another Elvis Presley hit from classical music is "Surrender," from the Italian art song "Torno a Surriento" (Come Back to Sorrento):

 

Speaking of Elvis, isn’t “Its Now or Never” based on an opera melody?

 

Also I believe the Doors “Spanish Caravan” is based on a flamenco melody, not sure if it’s classical or not though

 

O Solo Mio

 

"Like the Sea" - Alicia Keys

Influenced by Claude Debussy's Arabesque No. 1.

 

James Gang, "The Bomber"-- Ravel's "Bolero," depending on which version you have, of course.

 

Not quite a pop song with melodies, but a differently orchestrated cover and an absolute delight.

Also applies to Mike Oldfield's In Dulci Jubilo:

 

While I'm at it, not quite in the spirit of the thread, but it's awesome:

 

Ok let's make this tougher....
Any Rap or Club/Dance tunes post-1990

 

Garth Hudson’s intro to The Band’s studio version of “Chest Fever” is based on Bach’s
Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor.

‪The Band - Chest Fever

 

It took me decades to find out, but the operatic descending laaa-la-la-la-la-la-laaaaaa line in this is from Caro Nome by Verdi.

The Peels, Juanita Banana: