FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 27, 2017

DEAR JERRY: All listings of the vinyl era's top singles are mostly vocals, with just a smattering of instrumentals. What are the best-selling instrumental records from this period.
—Gary Resnick, Artesia, N.M.

DEAR GARY: I understand the dilemma, when the Top 100 hits of a certain year are from 90 to 98 percent vocals -- and those numbers are for the instrumental-friendly 1960s.

For the record, instrumentals may have brief vocal bits, such as "Topsy"; "Wipe Out"; "Tequila"; "The Hustle"; and "Last Night," etc. Such tunes are clearly not vocals.

After stripping away the non-instrumentals from the highest ranking vinyl era (1949-1989) singles, here are the Top 80 instrumentals, with title, artist, label/number, and year of chart debut:

1. "'The Third Man' Theme" - Anton Karas (Zither Solo) (London 30005) 1950
2. "The 3rd Man Theme" - Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (Decca 24839) 1950
3. "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (Cerezo Rosa)" - Perez "Prez" Prado (RCA Victor 5965) 1955
4. "The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" - Percy Faith & his Orch. (Columbia 4-41490) 1960
5. "The Poor People of Paris (La Goualante du Pauvre Jean)" - Les Baxter his Chorus and Orchestra (Capitol 3336) 1956
6. "Blue Tango" - Leroy Anderson "Pops" Concert Orchestra (Decca 27875) 1951
7. "Tequila" - The Champs (Challenge 1016) 1958
8. "Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)" - Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra (Philips 40495) 1968
9. "Autumn Leaves" - Roger Williams at the Piano (Kapp K-116) 1955
10. "Lisbon Antigua" - Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra (Capitol 3287) 1956
11. "Moonglow and 'Theme From 'Picnic'" - Morris Stoloff Conducting the Columbia Pictures Orchestra (Decca 29888) 1956
12. "Wonderland By Night (Wunderland bei Nacht)" - Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra (Decca 31141) 1961
13. "Telstar" - The Tornadoes (London LON-9561) 1962
14. "Rise" - Herb Alpert (A&M 2151-S) 1979
15. "Sleep Walk" - Santo & Johnny (Canadian American 103) 1959
16. "Calcutta" - Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra (Dot 16161) 1960
17. "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" - Henry Mancini, His Orchestra and Chorus (Henry Mancini, Piano Soloist) (RCA 74-0131) 1969
18. "Grazing in the Grass" - Hugh Masekela (Uni 55066) 1968
19. "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" - MFSB featuring The Three Degrees (Philadelphia International ZS7 3540) 1974
20. "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" Meco (Millennium MN 604) 1977
21. "Delicado" - Percy Faith and his Orch. (Stan Freeman, Harpsichord) (Columbia 39708) 1952
22. "Patricia" - Perez Prado and His Orch. (RCA Victor 7245) 1958
23. "Stranger on the Shore" - Mr. Acker Bilk (Atco 45-6217) 1962
Three different 1962 U.S. pressings exist, each varying the credit for Mr. Acker Bilk's accompaniment: "And His Paramount Jazz Band"; "With the Leon Young Chorale"; and "With the Leon Young String Chorale"
24. "A Fifth of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band (Private Stock 45,073) 1978
25. "Chariots of Fire - Titles" - Vangelis (Polydor 2189) 1981
First pressings show the title only as "Titles"
26. "The Stripper" - David Rose and His Orchestra (M-G-M K13064) 1962
27. "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From 'Rocky')" - Bill Conti (United Artists XW940) 1977
28. "Love's Theme" - Love Unlimited Orchestra (20th Century TC-2069) 1973
29. "Frankenstein" - The Edger Winter Group (Epic 5-10967) 1973
30. "The Happy Organ" - Featuring at the Organ Dave 'Baby' Cortez (Clock C-1009) 1959
31. "'Miami Vice' Theme" - Jan Hammer (MCA 52666) 1985
32. "Pick Up the Pieces" - AWB (Atlantic 45-3229) 1974
33. "The Hustle" - Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony (Avco AV-4653) 1975
Some copies show Van's last name as "Mc Coy"
34. "Theme From S.W.A.T." - Rhythm Heritage (ABC 12135) 1975
35. "The Crazy Otto (Medley)" - Johnny Maddox and the Rhythmasters (Dot 15325) 1955
36. "Dueling Banjos" - Trad. Arranged by Eric Weissberg (Warner Bros. WB-7659) 1973
37. "Melody of Love" - Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra (Dot 15247) 1955
38. "Exodus" - Ferrante and Teicher (United Artists UA-274) 1960
39. "Raunchy" - Bill Justis and His Orchestra (Phillips International 3519) 1957
40. "Outa-Space" - Billy Preston (A&M 1320) 1972
41. "Topsy II" - Cozy Cole (Love 5004) 1958
42. "The Entertainer" - Music From "The Sting" Featuring Marvin Hamlisch on Piano (MCA 40174) 1974
43. "Last Date" - Floyd Cramer (RCA Victor 47-7775) 1960
44. "Honky Tonk (Part 1)"/"Honky Tonk (Part 2)" - Bill Doggett (King 4950) 1956
Only record on the list where both sides charted equally
45. "April in Portugal" - Les Baxter and His Orchestra (Capitol 2374) 1953
46. "The Horse" - Cliff Nobles & Co. (Phil-L.A. of Soul 313) 1968
47. "Canadian Sunset" - Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra (Piano Solo by Eddie Heywood) (RCA Victor 6537) 1956
48. "Classical Gas" - Mason Williams (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts 7190) 1968
49. "Apache" - Jorgen Ingmann & His Guitar (Atco 45-6184) 1961
50. "Walk--Don't Run" - The Ventures (Dolton No. 25) 1960
51. "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris (Dot 45-16479) 1963
52. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" - Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra and Chorus (RCA Victor 47-9423) 1968
53. "Midnight in Moscow" - Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen (Kapp K-442) 1962
54. "Washington Square" - The Village Stompers (Epic 5-9617) 1963
55. "Dragnet" - Ray Anthony and His Orchestra (Capitol 2562) 1953
56. "Also Sprach Zarathustra 2001" - Deodato (CTI OJ-12) 1973
57. "Axel F" - Harold Faltermeyer (MCA 52536) 1985
58. "Wheels" - The String-A-Longs (Warwick M-603) 1961
59. "Last Night" - Mar-Keys (Stax S-107) 1961
First issued as Satellite S-107
60. "Out of Limits" - The Marketts (Warner Bros. 5391) 1963
First pressings are titled "Outer Limits"
61. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & the M.G.s (Stax S-127) 1962
62. "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" - The T-Bones (Liberty 55836) 1965
Based on an Alka-Seltzer commercial. Early pressings do not have the sub-title
63. "Music Box Dancer" - Frank Mills (Polydor PD-14517) 1979
64. "Ruby" - Richard Hayman and his Orchestra (Mercury 70115) 1953
65. "Soulful Strut" - Young-Holt Unlimited (Brunswick 55391) 1968
66. "Down Yonder" - Del Wood (Tennessee 775) 1951
Also issued as Republic 775
67. "Express" - B.T. Express (Roadshow RD-7001) 1975
68. "Teen Beat" - Sandy Nelson (Original Sound OR-5) 1959
69. "Quiet Village" - The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny (Liberty F-55162) 1959
70. "Space Race" - Billy Preston (A&M 2071-S) 1978
71. "Pipeline" - The Chantay's (Dot 45-16440) 1963
First issued in 1962 on Downey D-104, credited only to "Chantay's"
72. "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy & the Rebels (Jamie 1156) 1960
73. "Moonglow - Theme From 'Picnic'" - George Cates and his Orchestra, featuring the Stan Wrightsman Quartet, Chorus and Orchestra) (Coral 61618) 1956
Some promotional pressings have only "Moonglow" as the title
74. "Raunchy" - Ernie Freeman (Imperial X-5474) 1957
75. "Java" - Al (He's the King) Hirt, Trumpet with Chorus and Orchestra (RCA Victor 47-8280) 1964
76. "On the Rebound" - Floyd Cramer (RCA Victor 47-7840) 1961
77. "Feels So Good" - Chuck Mangione (A&M 2001-S) 1978
78. "Yellow Bird" - Arthur Lyman Group (Hi-Fi H-5024) 1961
79. "In the Mood" - Ernie Field's Orch. (Rendezvous 110) 1959
80. "Songbird" - Kenny G (Arista AS1-9588) 1987

IZ ZAT SO? Instrumentals 1-42 reached No. 1 on Billboard or Cash Box, or often both. Those from 43-80 peaked at positions 2, 3, or 4.

By decade, there are: 28 in the 1950s; 30 in the 1960s; 18 in the 1970s; and four in the 1980s.