Hooked on Classics

Hooked on Classics is a classical crossover album recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Louis Clark, released in 1981 by K-tel and distributed by RCA Records, part of the Hooked on Classics series. It was produced by Jeff Jarratt and Don Reedman.

The opening track was called "Hooked On Classics (Parts 1 & 2)". A unique arrangement of this track, simply called "Hooked on Classics", was released as a single in July 1981, and was the version predominately played by radio. It peaked at number 2 in the UK, number 10 in the US, and number 21 in Canada.

In Germany and Austria, the album was released titled "Classic Disco" and reached number one in both countries.

The single

The opening track was called "Hooked on Classics (Parts 1 & 2)". A unique arrangement of this track, simply called "Hooked on Classics", was released as a single in July 1981, and was the version predominately played by radio. With a listed time of 3'48", it contained the first five pieces of the album cut, skipping the next five (Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5, 1st Movement" through Rossini's "William Tell Overture"), followed by the remaining pieces. Though not listed as such on the single's label or in the Performance Rights Organization's database, it is implied this portion is "Part 1". The B-side of the single, also called "Hooked on Classics" and lasting 2:13, begins with the fifth piece from "Part 1" (Sibelius' "Karelia Suite, Intermezzo"), contains the missing five pieces found on the album cut, and concludes with the remaining pieces through "March of the Toreadors" which fades out, as opposed to the album cut and "Part 1"'s cold ending of the "1812 Overture". Presumably this is "Part 2". The label of the single incorrectly omits the "1812 Overture" from the list of pieces in the "Part 1" medley.

The single peaked at number 2 in the UK and later in the US at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1982. It was the 56th biggest hit of that year. The song also reached number 10 on the Cash Box Top 100. In Canada, it peaked at number 21, and spent four weeks at that position. "Hooked on Classics" also reached number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. "Hooked on Classics (Part 1 & 2)" was used in the soundtrack of American Made

Chart performance "Hooked on Classics (Part 1)"

Grammy nominations

Track listing

Full track listing

1. Hooked on Classics (Parts 1 & 2) - 5:06 Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ Minor, Op. 23, I: Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Tale of Tsar Saltan: Flight of the Bumblebee / Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, I: Allegro molto / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Rhapsody in Blue / George Gershwin Karelia Suite, Op. 11, I: Intermezzo / Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67, I: Allegro con brio / Ludwig van Beethoven Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, Toccata / J.S. Bach Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", I: Allegro / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125, IV: Presto- Allegro assai / Ludwig van Beethoven William Tell Overture / Giacchino Rossini The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, Act 2: "Voi Che Sapete" / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Prince of Denmark's March / Jeremiah Clarke Messiah, HWV 56, Part 2, No. 44: Hallelujah Chorus / George Frederic Handel Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 I: Allegro molto moderato / Edvard Grieg Carmen Suite No. 1, V: Les Toréadors / Georges Bizet 1812 Overture, Op. 49 / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
2. Hooked on Romance - 6:42 Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068, II: Air / J.S. Bach Ave Maria, Op. 52, No. 6 / Franz Schubert Liebesträume No. 3 in A♭ Major / Franz Liszt Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125, III: Adagio molto e cantabile / Beethoven Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Variation XVIII: Andante cantabile / Sergei Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ Minor, Op 27, No. 2 "Moonlight", I: Adagio sostenuto / Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique", II: Adagio cantabile / Beethoven Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622, II: Adagio / Mozart Xerxes "Ombra mai fu" (Largo) / Handel
3. Hooked On Classics (Part 3) - 6:02 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61, IX: Wedding March / Felix Mendelssohn Radetzky March, Op. 228 / Johann Strauss I Symphony for Organ No. 5, V: Toccata / Charles Marie Widor Water Music Suite No. 2 in D Major, Alla Hornpipe / Handel Humoresque No. 7 in G♭ Major, Op. 101 / Antonin Dvořák Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4 (Lullaby) / Johannes Brahms Solomon, HWV 67, Act 3: The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba / Handel Pictures at an Exhibition, I: Promenade / Modest Mussorgsky Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 23a, IV: In the Hall of the Mountain King / Grieg Caprice No. 24 in A Minor / Niccolo Paganini Die Walküre, Act 3, No. 1: Ride of the Valkyries / Richard Wagner The Hebrides / Mendelssohn Military March No. 1 in D Major, Op. 51 / Schubert Polonaise in A Major, Op. 40, No. 1 / Frederic Chopin Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90, "Italian" I: Allegro vivace / Mendelssohn Light Cavalry Overture / Franz von Suppé L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2, IV: Farandole / Bizet Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, "From the New World", II: Largo / Dvořák Lohengrin, Prelude to Act 3 / Wagner
4. Hooked On Bach - 5:59 (All music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach) Ave Maria, "Méditation sur le Premier Prélude de Piano de J. S. Bach" / Charles Gounod Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114 Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067, VII: Badinerie Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048, I Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047, I St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Stanza 5, No. 15: Erkenne mich, mein Hüter Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067, IV: Bourrée (No. 2) Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067, IV: Bourrée (No. 1) Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068, III: Gavotte Musette in D Major, BWV Anh. 126 March in D Major, BWV Anh. 122 French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816, IV: Gavotte Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 Ave Maria
5. Hooked on Tchaikovsky - 5:29 (All music composed by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky) Capriccio Italien, Op. 45 Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a, I: Scene The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, VII: Dance of the Reed Flutes Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 "Pathetique", I: Adagio The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, IV: Trepak (Russian Dance) The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, III: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, II: March The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, VI: Chinese Dance The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, I: Miniature Overture Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ Minor, Op. 23, I: Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso Capriccio Italien
6. Hooked on a Song - 5:11 Carmen, Act 2, "Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre" (Toreador Song) / Bizet Funiculì, Funiculà / Luigi Denza Tarantella Napoletana / Rossini Prince Igor, Act 2, Polovtsian Dances / Alexander Borodin La Gioconda, Act 3, Dance of the Hours / Amilcare Ponchielli Carmen, Act 1, No. 5, "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Habanera) / Bizet Neapolitan Serenade (O sole mio) / Eduardo di Capua Madama Butterfly, Act 2, No. 2, "Un bel dì vedremo" / Giacomo Puccini Il Trovatore, Act 2, No. 1, "Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spogli" (Anvil Chorus) / Giuseppe Verdi Votre Toast (Reprise) / Bizet
7. Hooked On Mozart - 4:09 (All music composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K.331, III: Rondo (Alla Turca) Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545, I: Allegro Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", II: Andante (Romanza) Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467, II: Andante Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545, I: Allegro Divertimento in F Major, "Ein musikalischer Spaß" A Musical Joke K. 522, IV: Presto The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, Act 1, No. 20, "Non più andrai" The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, Overture Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", IV: Allegro The Magic Flute, K. 620, Overture Horn Concerto No. 4 in E♭ Major, K. 495, III: Rondo: Allegro Vivace Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K.331, III: Rondo (Alla Turca) (briefly) Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 "Jupiter", I: Allegro vivace (briefly)
8. Hooked on Mendelssohn 4:25 Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, III: Allegro molto vivace Octet in E♭ Major, Op. 20, III: Scherzo Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, III: Allegro molto vivace
9. Hooked on a Can-Can - 4:56 Orpheus in the Underworld, Infernal Galop (Can-Can) / Jacques Offenbach Unter Donner und Blitz (Thunder and Lightning) Polka, Op. 324 / Johann Strauss II Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor / Brahms Tritsch Tratsch Polka, Op. 214 / Johann Strauss II La Vie Parisienne Overture / Offenbach La Gioconda, Act 3, Dance of the Hours / Ponchielli Csárdás / Vittorio Monti La Vie Parisienne Overture / Offenbach Poet and Peasant Overture / Suppé Can-Can (Reprise) / Offenbach 10 Hooked on a String Quartet No.53 4th String Quartet No 53 4th Haydn Divertimento 136 3rd Mozart Hungarian Dance No.8 In A Major / Brahms Piano Sonata No. 7 K309 3rd Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 2nd Mozart String Quartet No. 53 4th Reprise Haydn

External links

• at Discogs (list of releases)
• on YouTube