[2026] Masterpieces of instrumental music. Recommended instrumental tracks.

The Nutcracker, Op. 71a: No. 3, Dance of the Sugar Plum FairyPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The Nutcracker, Op. 71a: No. 3, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Speaking of Tchaikovsky, it has to be the familiar “The Nutcracker, Op.

71a: No.

3, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” It’s often performed as a ballet, too.

It’s a perfect piece for the Christmas season.

Picture the scene where the Sugar Plum Fairy awakens in the middle of the night and begins to dance.

The orchestra’s various instruments portray a mysterious nighttime world.

It’s also great for children and a fun piece to enjoy with the whole family.

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Adios NoninoAstor Piazzolla

Adios Nonino – Astor Piazzolla

Astor Piazzolla, the master of modern tango who sparked a great revolution in the genre, left behind numerous masterpieces that are still performed in the tango world today.

“Adiós Nonino” is one of them, and it is known to be a piece he dedicated to his late father.

Far Beyond The SunYngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Malmsteen – Far Beyond The Sun HD

When it comes to the pioneers of the “fast-playing” movement in the metal genre, the Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is the first name that comes to mind.

His signature track “Far Beyond The Sun,” featured on his debut album Rising Force, has remained a staple of his live performances and a longtime favorite among fans.

It’s no exaggeration to say that this song encapsulates everything about the guitar phrases characteristic of the genre known as “neoclassical metal” or “baroque-style metal.”

AnthemVangelis

Vangelis- Anthem – 2002 FIFA World Cup™ Official Anthem (Synthesizer version)

Vangelis’s “Anthem.” Listening to it puts me in a Christmas mood.

A variety of sounds and occasional vocals come together to make a wonderfully fun piece.

It fills you with excitement right from the start.

It’s cool yet soothing—a mysterious song.

Please give it a listen.

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HustleVan McCoy

VAN McCOY – the hustle (1975) (HQ)

These days he’s become best known as the composer of a high school baseball cheer song, but his achievements are truly great.

This “The Hustle” can be called one of the most emblematic tracks of the ’70s.

Naturally, it hit No.

1 in the U.S., and it’s said to have sold a total of 10 million copies—an out-and-out monster hit.

In the ’70s it was always on TV and the radio in Japan as well, so it was a song everyone knew, even if they weren’t disco freaks.

You could say it rode the disco boom, but above all, the quality of the composition itself is superb.

Starting quietly with the choral intro and then exploding with the shout of “Do the hustle!”, it drove many listeners onto the dance floor.

There was once a bit in a Paul McCartney concert where he asked the band, “What’s the next song?”, they played a few seconds of this tune, and Paul snapped “No!” and launched into rock—but even so, this was a work that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Paul’s many masterpieces.

Squib CakesTower Of Power

Tower Of Power – Squib Cakes

It’s included on their fourth album, Back to Oakland, often hailed as their masterpiece, and the more-than-nine-minute performance is absolutely overwhelming.

Chester Thompson’s organ solo, Lenny Pickett’s sax, and Bruce Conte’s guitar solo—each one is nothing short of stunning.

One of the standout tracks among TOP’s very best.

It would have been even better if David Garibaldi’s drums had been featured a bit more, but in every respect it’s a tour de force and one of TOP’s greatest masterpieces.

MisirlouDick Dale

Dick Dale & The Del Tones “Misirlou” 1963

In American music of the 1950s, there’s a style known as “surfing” or “surf music.” This number performed by Dick Dale is a classic of the genre.

It later became the theme song for the film Pulp Fiction and enjoyed a revival hit.