When I think about core instruments in pop rock music, there is one that doesn’t fit into that category: a flute. While this woodwind may be more at home with orchestras, the breezy sound of flutes was an integral part on many top 40 hits during the 20th century.
With this music blog message, I will be counting down what I consider to be my favorite songs featuring a flute. My selections are mostly tunes that I treasured when I was a teenager or as a young adult and I still love these songs in 2024.
My listing of fantastic flute songs all became hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the golden age of top 40 radio. Obviously, that means that outstanding ensembles, classical masterworks, and any other genre of music outside of pop, rock and soul, are excluded from this article.
To avoid any confusion, here are the criteria that I used to narrow down my listing of outstanding flute songs:
- My selections were aired on Top 40 radio between the years 1966 and 1976.
- Only songs released as 45-rpm singles are listed.
- No album tracks used on countdown.
- Flute needs to be prominently heard in a song.
- Lead flute solos on instrumental breaks on songs with lyrical singing.
- Countdown songs peaked at #40 or higher on the Billboard Hot 100.
There are many top 40 songs that employ flutes as part of their musical mix but the instrument doesn’t standout. A good example of this is the Beatles’ song “Penny Lane.”
This tune features oboes, piccolos, trumpets and a flugelhorn, as well as traditional pop instruments of piano, guitar, bass and drums. Thus, the flute sound is not distinguishable on this masterpiece song by the Beatles.
And since my countdown only spans from 1966 through 1976, excellent 80s flute singles won’t be listed on this message. If I had chosen music from the totally tubular decade of the 80s, I surely would have included the 1982 Men at Work song “Down Under” as a superb flute single.
As I surveyed the prominent flute hits, the countdown is entirely based on my opinions. My selections are songs that I deem to be culturally, historically, aesthetically significant, meaningful or relevant.
Before I start the countdown, I am sharing some other first-class flute singles in a couple of different categories. I am a fan of all of the extra songs that didn’t make my favorite flute songs all-time listing.
Songs played on Top 40 and AOR (album-oriented-radio) stations but not released as 45-rpm singles:
- Moondance—Van Morrison
- Aqualung—Jethro Tull
- So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright—Simon & Garfunkel
45-rpm singles that charted number 41 or lower on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
- Locomotive Breath—Jethro Tull
- White Bird—It’s a Beautiful Day
- Can’t You See—The Marshal Tucker Band
This next group are songs that I considered for the flute countdown but fell outside of my top 20 selections. Singles are not ranked and are placed in a random order:
- Fire on the Mountain—The Marshal Tucker Band
- Ruby Tuesday—The Rolling Stones
- Tubular Bells—Mike Oldfield
- The Good, The Bad and the Ugly—Hugo Montenegro
- Sing—The Carpenters
- Bungle in the Jungle—Jethro Tull
- Kung Fu Fighting—Carl Douglas
- There is a Mountain—Donovan
- The Hustle—Van McCoy
- The Power of Gold—Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg
- The Pied Piper—Crispian St Peters
- Paloma Blanca—George Baker Selection
- Born to Wander—Rare Earth
- Dark Horse—George Harrison
- Rockin’ Robin—Michael Jackson
- Walk Away Renée—The Left Banke
Without further ado, here is my top flute songs countdown:
Top 20 Countdown
20. You Are the Woman—Firefall (1976)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: Adult Contemporary #6, Hot 100 #9
Written by Rick Roberts. Flute artist David Muse. Biggest hit for Firefall. Band had two other major hits: “Just Remember I Love You” and “Strange Way” both peaked at #11.
19. I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)—Grand Funk Railroad (1970)
Peak Positions on Billboard Chart: #22 Hot 100
Written by Mark Farner. Flute artist: member of the Cleveland Orchestra. First top 40 hit and best-known songs from Grand Funk Railroad.
18. Hocus Pocus—Focus (1973)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #9 Hot 100, 69th Biggest Song of 1973
Co-written by Thijs van Leer and Jan Akkerman. Flute artist Thijs van Leer. Dutch progressive rock band. A one hit wonder in the U.S.
17. Spill the Wine—Eric Burdon & War (1970)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #3 Hot 100, 20th Biggest Song of 1970
Songwriters: Eric Burdon and 7 members of the band War. Flute artist Charles Miller. Tune is a combination of progressive soul, funk and psychedelic rock.
16. Hitchin’ a Ride—Vanity Fare (1970)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #5 Hot 100, 14th Biggest Single of 1970
Co-written by Mitch Murray & Peter Callander. Flute artist: Bernie Hagley. English sunshine pop rock band had two hits in the U.S. “Early in the Morning” peaked at #12 in early 1970.
15. The Tears of a Clown—Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1970)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, #1 Hot Soul
Co-written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder. Flute artist Jim Horn. Song is a 2002 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee. First #1 hit for Robinson and his Miracles group.
14. Windy—The Association (1967)
Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 4th Biggest Song of 1967
Written by Ruthann Friedman. Flute artist Gene Cipriano of the Wrecking Crew. Song spent four weeks at #1 during the summer of love 1967. Quintessential sunshine pop single.
13. It Never Rains in Southern California—Albert Hammond (1972-1973)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #5 Hot 100, 98th Biggest Song of 1973
Co-written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. Flute artists Alan Beutler, Jacky Kelso and Tommy Scott from the Wrecking Crew. Hammond’s biggest top 40 hit.
12. Undun—The Guess Who (1969)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: 15 Adult Contemporary #22 Hot 100
Written by Randy Bachman. Flute artist Burton Cummings. Originally the B-side of the Guess Who’s hit song “Laughing.” Numerous jazz musicians have recorded covers of “Undun.”
11. Creeque Alley—The Mamas & the Papas (1967)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #5 Hot 100, 60th Biggest Song of 1967
Co-written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips. Flute artist Jim Horn of the Wrecking Crew. Autobiographical account on how the Mamas and the Papas were formed and chronicles early years of the folk-pop group.
10. Heard It in a Love Song—The Marshal Tucker Band (1977)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #14 Hot 100, 57th Biggest Song of 1977
Written by Troy Caldwell. Flute artist Jerry Eubanks. Song became a country crossover hit. Was the biggest charting single for the Southern Rock band.
9. Spinning Wheel—Blood Sweat & Tears (1969)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Hot 100, 27th Biggest Song of 1969
Written by David Clayton-Thomas. Flute artist Ken Gioffre. “Spinning Wheel” was the second consecutive single to peak at #2, after “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” did so in April 1969.
8. El Condor Pasa (If I Could)—Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #6 Easy Listening, #18 Hot 100
Songwriters: Daniel Alomía Robles (music), Paul Simon (English lyrics), Jorge Milchberg (Arrangement). Flute artists: Los Incas, an Andean folk music group. This became the last top 40 hit for Simon & Garfunkel before the duo broke up and pursued solo careers.
7. So Far Away—Carole King (1971)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #3 Adult Contemporary, #14 Hot 100
Written by Carole King. Flute artist Curtis Amy. From the legendary 1971 “Tapestry” album. James Taylor plays acoustic guitar on song.
6. Living in the Past—Jethro Tull (1969 & 1972)
Peak Positions on Billboard Chart: #11 Hot 100
Written by and flute artist: Ian Anderson. Originally released as a single in Europe during 1969. In 1972, Jethro Tull’s, “Living in the Past” album dropped and the title track was re-released as a 45-single in the U.S.
5. Lowdown—Boz Scaggs (1976)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #3 Hot 100, #5 Hot Soul Singles, 49th Biggest Song of 1976
Co-written by Boz Scaggs and David Paich. Song is categorized in multiple musical genres. R&B, Disco, Jazz, Pop and Yacht Rock. Won a Grammy Award for best R&B song.
4. California Dreamin’—The Mamas & the Papas (1966)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #4 Hot 100, #1 Biggest Song of 1966
Written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips. Flute artist Bud Shank of the Wrecking Crew. Classic “Sunshine Pop” with outstanding vocal harmonies. Signature song for the folk-rock group was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
3. Going Up the Country—Canned Heat (1968-1969)
Peak Position on Billboard Chart: #11 Hot 100
Written by Alan Wilson. Flute artist Jim Horn of the Wrecking Crew. Tune was adapted from an old 1920 blues song. Canned Heat’s biggest hit single was performed in August 1969 at Woodstock and is considered a “hippie anthem.”
2. Colour My World—Chicago: (1971)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #7 Hot 100, 56th Biggest Song of 1971
Written by James Pankow. Flute artist Walter Parazaider. “Colour My World” is a short ode from Pankow’s, “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” song cycle/suite, on the legendary 1970 “Chicago” (Chicago II) album. Terry Kath sings lead vocals.
- Nights in White Satin—The Moody Blues (1967 & 1972)
Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Hot 100, 32nd Biggest Song of 1972
Written by Justin Hayward. Flute artist Raymond Thomas. From the 1967 “Days of Future Passed” album and originally released as a single in 1967 and reached #19 in the U.K. It was re-released in the U.S. in 1972 and became a huge hit for the British band.
Musical backup on the track was provided by the London Festival Orchestra and the song is considered a progressive rock masterpiece. The 1972 single was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
I proclaim “Nights in White Satin” as my third favorite song of all-time and the Moody Blues hit is number 1 on my countdown of fantastic flute singles from the Top 40 golden age.
That wraps up what I consider to be my favorite and best flute hits. I completely understand that my listing of songs in this category was written from my point of view and is subjective.
If you were creating a similar register of excellent flute hits, your tabulation may be totally different. What do you consider to be the best preeminent flute singles? I hope you will comment below.
Listening to music from the golden age of Top 40 radio will always have a special place in my heart. I still cherish and fondly remember my favorite flute singles of all-time.
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