List of musical medleys
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In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks for a single artist, or for popular songs from a given year or genre.
A medley is the most common form of overture for musical theater productions.
In Latin music, medleys are known as potpourrís or mosaicos; the latter were popularized by artists such as Roberto Faz and Billo Frómeta, and most commonly consist of boleros, guarachas, merengues or congas.[1][2]
Examples of medleys
Medleys that have reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart include:
- "Jenny Take A Ride (Jenny, Jenny/C.C. Rider)" by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. (1966) No. 10
- "Devil with a Blue Dress On"/"Good Golly Miss Molly" by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. (1966) No. 4
- "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by The Lettermen. (1968) No. 7
- "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", a medley of two songs from the musical Hair by the Fifth Dimension. (1969) No. 1
- "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney. (1971) No. 1
- "Venus And Mars/Rockshow" by Paul McCartney and Wings. (1975) No. 12
- "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco. (1977) No. 1
- "We Will Rock You" / "We Are The Champions" by Queen. (1978) No. 4
- "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl" by the Spinners. (1980) No. 2
- "Cupid/I've Loved You For a Long Time" by the Spinners. (1980) No. 4
- "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45. (Several other medleys by Stars on 45 were also released.) (1981) No. 1
- "Hooked on Classics" by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. (1981) No. 10
- "The Beach Boys Medley" by The Beach Boys. (1981) No. 12
- "The Beatles Movie Medley" by The Beatles. (1982) No. 12
- "Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" by David Lee Roth. (1985) No. 12
- "The Way You Do The Things You Do/My Girl" by Daryl Hall & John Oates. (1985) No. 20
- "Can'tcha Say (You Believe In Me)/Still In Love" by Boston. (1987) No. 20
- "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley (Free Baby)" by Will to Power. (1988) #1[3]
- "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" by Ronnie Milsap. 1985 Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single of the year
- "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)/I Want You" by Robert Palmer. (1991) No. 16
Other Medleys:
- "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) (Evening) Time To Get Away" by The Moody Blues. (1968) Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) charted No. 24 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Carry On/Questions" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. (1969)
- "Traces / Memories" by The Lettermen. (1969)
- "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" by The Beatles. (1969)
- "Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by The Beatles. (1969)
- "Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)" by Led Zeppelin. (1969) Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman) charted No. 65 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Friends / Celebration Day" by Led Zeppelin. (1970) Some radio stations only played Friends without "Celebration Day".
- "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" by Santana. (1971) Black Magic Woman charted No. 4 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Your Move / I've Seen All Good People" by Yes. (1971) No. 40
- "Nights In White Satin/Late Lament" by The Moody Blues. (1972) Nights In White Satin charted No. 2 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Runaway/Happy Together" by Tony Orlando and Dawn. (1972) No. 79
- "Breathe (In The Air)/On The Run" by Pink Floyd. (1973)
- "Falling In & Out Of Love / Amie" by Pure Prairie League. (1975) Amie charted No. 27 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Rangers At Midnight: Night Patrol/Let's Lift Our Hearts Up" by Crack The Sky. (1976)
- "Encore: Long Time/Foreplay" by Boston. (1977) Long Time charted No. 22 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Fly By Night / In The Mood" by Rush (1977) No. 88
- "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Beatles. (1978) No. 71
- "Feeling That Way (When Summer's Gone)/Anytime" by Journey. (1978) Anytime charted No. 83 *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "Empty Spaces/Young Lust" by Pink Floyd. (1979)
- "Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen. (1979) No. 24
- "Another Brick In The Wall (Part I & II)/The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" by Pink Floyd. (1979) Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) charted No. 1 (4 Weeks) *Album rock stations played the full version.
- "My Guy / My Girl" by Amii Stewart and Johnny Bristol. (1980) No. 63
- "A.D. 1928 / Rockin' The Paradise" by Styx (1981)
- "Daylight Again/Find The Cost Of Freedom" by Crosby, Stills & Nash. (1982)
- "Do It Again / Billie Jean" by Club House (1983)
- "I Would Die 4 U/Baby I'm A Star" by Prince (1985) I Would Die 4 U charted No. 8 *Some radio stations played the full version.
- "Labyrinth/Underground" by David Bowie. (1986)
- "Suffer The Little Children / Hell Is For Children" by Pat Benatar. (1988)
- "Puss N' Boots/These Boots (Are Made For Walkin')" by Kon Kan. (1989) No. 58
- "Killer/Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by George Michael. (1993) No. 69
Medleys that have reached the UK Top 40 singles chart include:
- "Beach Boys Gold" by Adrian Baker. (1981) No. 11
- "Seasons of Gold" by Gidea Park. (1981) No. 28
- "The Official BBC Children in Need Medley" by Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band. (2009) No. 1
See also
- Segue, a term for the transition between songs
- DJ mix
- Mashup (music)
- Potpourri (music)
- List of Genesis medleys
- Judson Laipply, dance medley
- Instrumentals
- Suite (music)
References
- ↑ Torres, George (2013). Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular Music. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. p. 108.
- ↑ Marcano, Ángel Vicente (1998). Billo Frómeta: biografía musical. Caracas, Venezuela: Alter Libris. p. 67.
- ↑ Bronson, Fred (1992). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits – revised & enlarged. New York: Billboard Books. p. 715. ISBN 0-8230-8298-9.