Bringing History To Life In Pop Music

Beautiful classical melodies have found new audiences in this new millenium, not only through people learning the originals in form through music lessons, or from orchestra and symphony performances, but by making appearances in rock, rap, and even trance hits. This is a list of our favorite genre melds, with links to the pop song as well as to the original’s sheet music, which in most cases is in the public domain and available for free download.

Classical music is undeniably awesome and relevant not only in and of itself, but also as a part of pop culture. And for those songwriters amongst you, if you're suffering from writer's block, or just looking for something to sample without fear of getting sued because someone owns the copyright, building off a classical piece puts you totally in the clear. Some of the lyrics are kind of mature, so if you are a parent you may want to listen first before sharing with a young child - we've noted them further below as well. We’ve also included the sheet music wherever possible in case you want to incorporate one of these modern classics into your lessons.
“The Second Coming” (2007) by Juelz Santana

Juelz (pronounced Joo-ellz) samples the Gregorian chant “Dies Irae” in his 2007 hit (click here for a link to the full song). Santana became a well known figure toward the end of the last decade, and it was thanks in no small part to the Nike commercial above, which was the epitome of cool to the young basketball/hip hop fan. Here’s a link to sheet music for “Dies Irae.”

“Grace Kelly” (2007) by Mika

Mika has sold millions of records worldwide and released three studio albums. The central harmony in this track “Grace Kelly” (above) comes from Gioachino Rossini, the famous Italian operatic director. The specific harmony comes from an aria called “Largo al factotum” by the well known character Figaro in The Barber of Seville. Click here for the sheet music for “Largo al factotum.”

“Road to Joy” (2005) by Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes pulled off the double-whammy with this cult hit from 2005. Not only is it based on the final movement of Beethoven’s “Symphony Number Nine,” it’s a play on words of the name of the original poem that inspired Ludwig to get to work: “Ode To Joy.” Well done, you clever Nebraskans. Parental notice - casual reference to illicit substances. Here’s a link to the sheet music for Beethoven’s “Ninth.”

“I Can” (2003) by Nas

Nas sampled a little something from two legends in this inspirational smorgasbord: James Brown and Beethoven, who makes another appearance on this list. Here are the links to the sheet music and the original version of Für Elise.

Seems like making music must make you smart or something, no?

“They” (2005) by Jem

This energetic track from 2005 by the Welsh singer Jem stems from Bach’s “Prelude in F Minor.” It’s proof that music builds upon history much in the way civilizations do. Fortunately, with sheet music and recordings, it’s easier for the non-anthropologist to study music history and learn how to write a better hook or to come up with interesting tactics to keep music practice fun.

Here’s the sheet music for “Prelude in F Minor” to get you started along incorporating the past into your musical future, whether you’re a beginner piano student looking for a teacher, an expert flute teacher hoping to aid your students, or a parent hoping to help your child develop a love of music.

Do you have any tips for bringing history to life in music lessons? Tweet us @lessonface or comment below.

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