What is the only instrumental song to top the charts in the 21st century?
Instrumental music used to have a much more prominent place in the world. When you look at genres such as noise, jazz and classical music, each of which dominated specific scenes for a period, there wasn’t a word in sight. This was during a period when people didn’t rely on words to connect with the music they listened to, either because the words weren’t important or because they were somewhat taboo.
When you take genres such as noise music and free jazz, for instance, there are rarely any words in the songs that make up this style, but that’s because the music was put together to be a form of protest. They were prominent during periods when it was difficult to voice an opinion against official authorities; therefore, it made sense to convey those opinions through sound alone.
People often complain that these genres are inaccessible and sound like nonsense, but that was the whole point. By disassembling fundamental parts of music like rhythm and melody, composers were essentially trying to convey how they felt toward the society they lived in. The chaos was a mirror image of how they perceived the world around them.
Then, with other genres of music, such as classical, a lot of composers removed lyrics from their songs because they felt as though words detracted from the overriding melody and orchestration of their songs. The words to a song can often steal the show, as people focus on them a lot more than they focus on the music that provides a backdrop for them, so it is understandable why some composers chose to leave them out.
In the modern age, however, there aren’t many songs that chart that don’t have lyrics. Granted, you have the occasional instrumental song that does well, plus you also have genres like shoegaze that use vocals as another layer of instrumentation as opposed to a focal point of the track, but for the most part, the songs that flood the charts and that people predominantly listen to have words in them.
There are a lot of instrumental songs that people still listen to, specifically in the electronic genre. These tracks rely a lot more on a beat and a drop than they do on lyrics, so many artists leave said lyrics out. Consider some of the work from artists such as Brian Eno and Aphex Twin, who have become incredibly popular artists and don’t rely on lyrics much.
However, while there may be a few different instrumental songs that have done well in the 21st Century, only one of those songs has managed to climb to the very top of the charts. It was released in 2013… Can you guess what it is? Here’s a hint: you probably danced to it (but not very well).
So, what is the only instrumental song to top the charts in the 21st Century?
Well, I won’t leave you in suspense any longer, the only instrumental song that has topped the charts in the 21st Century was the ‘Harlem Shake’ by Baauer. The reason is simple: it’s not because the song was good, but because it spearheaded a viral trend that saw people act normally throughout the track, until it dropped, and the scene erupted into utter chaos.
In many ways, this trend was a glimpse into what was to come. Now, with social media, a number of dance trends circulate, and songs climb the charts as a result. Very few of these songs don’t have lyrics, though, because the majority of the time, the dance moves made up for a song reflect what is being said in the song. It remains that the only instrumental song to have a successful trend follow it around and reach number one in the charts as a result is the ‘Harlem Shake’.
