Hit Songs with No or Minimal Percussion

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"Stuck in the Middle With You" came on the radio today and it occurred to me that the song has almost no drums, save a kick and a little hi-hat, maybe a cowbell here and there.

Are there a lot of hit songs like this? (one guy/girl and a guitar or piano doesn't count for me)

Two more that occurred to me:

Extreme - Hole Hearted
John Cougar Mellencamp - Jack and Diane

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

10cc - i'm not in love. maybe. i can't really remember.

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, Weavers, Hank Williams, first four Dylan albums (sorry) to thread.

Lyle Lovett - God Will

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mad World" - Gary Jules. No percussion whatsoever.

― Wooden (Wooden), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

eleanor rigby

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

First four Dylan albums don't count -- that's all solo stuff (one man, one guitar)

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Beach Boys stuff usually doesn't have much in the way of drums, at least not rock-beat playing drum kit drums.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is probably the most famous song of this sort.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I was thinking of starting a thread about "hit songs with drums played with brushes."

xpost

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

That'd be tough -- "Blister in the Sun" comes to mind.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

"hit songs with drums played with brushes."

lovecats!

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

re: original thread idea: Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World"

-- this opens up a whole jazz vocals with strings can of worms.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Japan - "Ghosts".

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"Yesterday"

― Magic City (ano ano), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

extreme, "more than words"

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 02:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Following that line of thought, Mr. Big "Just To Be the Next To Be With You" or whatever it was called.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"Forever Young" (Alphaville?)

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Aren't most piano ballads like this? Does "Right Here Waiting" have percussion, for example? (Maybe it does. It's been a while since I heard it.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I specifically said no solos, including one voice one piano stuff. But if there are other instruments, fire away.

That reminds me, I don't think there are any drums in "Time After Time" (Lauper)

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yeah, missed that part.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:24 (twenty-one years ago)

how could you forget those severe rimshots? fantastic song, too.

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:26 (twenty-one years ago)

a couple more from the beatles:

"you've got to hide your love away" (tambourine and shaker on the choruses, brushes -- i think -- on the verses)

"norwegian wood" (just a few accents of hand percussion on the choruses)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Beach Boys stuff usually doesn't have much in the way of drums, at least not rock-beat playing drum kit drums.

"god only knows" has a couple of drum breaks, but no drums anywhere else in the song, like in the verses or choruses, if i'm not mistaken.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the breaks in that are snare and maybe tympani, not drumset, but still, I guess it's more than minimal percussion.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:46 (twenty-one years ago)

o superman

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Britney Spears - "Everytime"

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 03:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daugther

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

DUST IN THE WIND

― Roy Williams Highlight (diamond), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:06 (twenty-one years ago)

How'd I forget that one?!

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Does "Disarm" have percussion? Other than the bells?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:10 (twenty-one years ago)

yes

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren

― manuel (manuel), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 04:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Hurting, I think the brushes thing might apply to the vocal jazz/strings stuff you mentioned. I could also be really, really wrong.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"Tiptoe Through the Tulips"

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"You Don't Bring Me Flowers," Barbra Streisand/Neil Diamond
"Shaving Cream," Benny Bell

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Billy Joel - The longest time

The instrumentation is literally just bass and snapping

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 07:12 (twenty-one years ago)

"Route 66" by the Nat King Cole Trio (which didn't have a drummer)
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

more beatles : she's leaving home, within you without you, love you to, i will, mother nature's son, good night, for no one, foo l on the hill, across the universe...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:22 (twenty-one years ago)

...Yesterday...

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

hahahaha! yes! often used as proof ringo was the beatle with the best taste!

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, old joke.

― bulbs (bulbs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"Theme From Harry's Game" by Clannad, and, from the same author, "Orinoco Flow" by Enya.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:06 (twenty-one years ago)

hey, more difficult : hip hop/rnb track without percussion ! still thniking about it but haven't found one yet...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Mr. Big: "To Be With You"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Does "Don't Worry Be Happy" count? ;)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

err...does mtv base play bobby mcferrin ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Bobby McFerrin may qualify as R&B although I suppose he is more jazz.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:29 (twenty-one years ago)

well, he may but not in the sense of contemporary/urban rn'b/hip hop.
otherwise, it'd be easy to find some 60's rythm&blues without percussion on it.
think again !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, any rap track using a human beatbox to thread then.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:45 (twenty-one years ago)

hum... well, not really because that's just human voices then. in this case, any a capella track would work... i think that fits in the "no just voice and guitar/piano" category...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Forever Young" has the drums coming in halfway through the song. The same is the case with "Against All Odds", Emilia's "Big Big World" and lots of other ballads.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)

almost all the b side of heroes and low by bowie.

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

another tricky one : punk tracks without percussions.

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

please let me get what i want - smiths

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 11:04 (twenty-one years ago)

wonderful - beach boys

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Carole King, "I Feel The Earth Move"

Shai, "If I Ever Fall In Love Again"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 11:09 (twenty-one years ago)

under your thumb by godley and creme: and it took me *years* to notice that, too.

and all night party by ACR. guitars in place of drums. (because they didn't have a drummer at the time.) genius.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

the thing about "within you without you" or "wonderful" or the b-side of low -- i thought the point here was to find HITS. obv there are zillions of songs in the world without drums.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Has Dizzee's "Dream" become a hit yet? We all know it will, and there aren't any drums in that.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Beethoven's 9th was sort of a "hit" at the time, wasn't it? Same about several works by Haydn and Handel ;)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:15 (twenty-one years ago)

ok, i agree with the hits thing. au temps pour moi...
(but what is a hit, then ? does it have to have charted ? how high ?)

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

OK, I now realise that Haydn's greatest "hit" indeed does include percussion ;)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Cowboy Junkies' version of "Sweet Jane".

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

The Housemartins' Caravan of Love had no instruments at all, did it?

― scotstvo (scotstvo), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:30 (twenty-one years ago)

What is interesting about "Jack and Diane" was that it was as Kenny Aronoff's insistence that it ended up on the album and later a single. The Coug didn't think it really worked. The drum break at the end really ties the tune together.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:31 (twenty-one years ago)

sweet thing - van morrison
into my arms - nick cave

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Minnie Ripperton - Loving You

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not a song I like by a long shot, but Bush's "Glycerine".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:35 (twenty-one years ago)

lose my breath - destiny's child. ok, bad joke (as the song is just a percussion track...).
so, apparently, there are no hip hop/rnb or punk hits without percussions ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

love me tender - elvis

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"Lose My Breath" has some synthesizers and bass in there, too.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:37 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, of course. but there aren't too many arrangements.... i like it, tho'. has it been released yet ? i like the cover of wishing on a star by beyonce in that advert.

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

' Shai, "If I Ever Fall In Love Again" '

Damn, digging in the crates. I had totally forgotten about those guys, and they were from my hometown.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

on that note, Boyz II Men "End of the Road"

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

CHARIOTS OF FIRE.

― You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

(except for those feathery synth pulses that rasped steadily along to make the whole thing seem like slow motion.)

― You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)

waow that was a mighty one ! i feel like running in slow motion now... thank god for vangelis (where is he now ? dead ?)

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Replacements - "Answering Machine" was an underground hit.

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:40 (twenty-one years ago)

ok, i agree with the hits thing. au temps pour moi...
(but what is a hit, then ? does it have to have charted ? how high ?)

that's gonna have to be up to your own code of morals, ethics and aesthetics. but i'd suggest a hit is something that had some kind of major public impact, whether through radio play or video play or single sales or chart action or something. "dust in the wind" was most definitely a hit. "sweet thing" i'm not so sure about.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

The only rap *single* I can think of without any drums is "Heaven Only Knows" by K-Os. I don't know whether it was a hit though.

Also, "God's Son" by Nas has two drumless tracks: "Zonin'" and "Thug Mansion". The first one sucks and the second is great.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

David Essex, "Rock On." That strange echoey heartbeat.

― mike a, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 16:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Buddy Holly's "Everyday" has the drummer slapping his thighs, nothing else.

I'm at work and don't have any James Brown with me, but I swear one of his classics doesn't have any drums on it. Same with Elvis - he had that upright-bass slap as the percussion on a couple of early things.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Beach Boys stuff usually doesn't have much in the way of drums, at least not rock-beat playing drum kit drums.

"Usually?" I don't know about that. Certainly nearly all the earliest singles ("Surfin'," "Surfin' USA," etc.) have your traditional rock band drums-bass-guitar-sometimes-piano lineup, albeit poorly engineered. "Don't Worry Baby" carries the "Be My Baby" beat throughout, "Help Me Rhonda" and "I Get Around" are big on the drums . . .

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

another tricky one : punk tracks without percussions

* The Smashchords
* Mecca Normal
* The Replacements' "Answering Machine" - tambourine only comes in after the last chorus
* YMG

― mike a, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know if they are really consiered punk, but...

Green Day - Good Riddance

― Jeff S, Thursday, 14 October 2004 07:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Bobby Gentry - "Ode to Billie Joe"

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Regarding Beach Boys, there were several drumless songs on "Friends". However, the album flopped commercially, so I would say none of them were "hits"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:18 (twenty-one years ago)

damn, someone beat me to "Orinoco Flow" (though that featured tympani in some parts, so...)

How about another Enya hit - "Only Time"?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 14 October 2004 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, most/all of the Elvis Sun tracks don't have drums. None on "Don't Be Cruel" or "Treat Me Nice," either. The latter sounds like a similar thing to the Buddy Holly record.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 15 October 2004 00:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Can - Halleluwah

― sleep (sleep), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Were there drums on "All Shook Up"?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Bourgeois Tagg - "I Don't Mind At All"

I think there's a marching snare towards the end, but that's it.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

CHARIOTS OF FIRE.

I was thinking about that one when I saw the thread title last night. In retrospect the bizarre as hell combination of 1920s setting with 1980s music was inspired.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 15 October 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

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