Popcorn (instrumental)
"Popcorn" (first version "Pop Corn") is an instrumental composed by Gershon Kingsley in 1969 for the album Music to Moog By on the Audio Fidelity label. The name is a combination of pop for pop music and corn for kitsch.[3] The Moog synthesizer instrumental became a worldwide hit in 1972, when a version by Hot Butter was released.[4] Since then, multiple versions of the piece have been produced and released, including those by Vyacheslav Mescherin,[5] Anarchic System, Popcorn Makers, the Boomtang Boys, M & H Band, Crazy Frog, and the Muppets.
For other topics, see Popcorn (disambiguation). For the James Brown instrumental, see The Popcorn.Legacy and influence[edit]
French electronic composer and musician Jean-Michel Jarre recorded a 1972 version under the pseudonyms Pop Corn Orchestra and Jammie Jefferson. Later he was inspired by this song to compose his 1976 biggest hit Oxygène (Part IV).[79][80] In early 2019, when Kingsley died, the experimental composer Blanck Mass chose "Popcorn" as one of the 10 most influential compositions of his career.[81]
Other versions[edit]
The 1972 cover by the Popcorn Makers reached No. 7 on the German charts and No. 1 on the Dutch Charts.[82][83] The version with vocals by French band Anarchic System was released in 1972 and reached at No. 13 on the German charts, No. 10 on the Dutch charts and No. 1 on the Ultratop 50.[84][85][86]
In 1987, the French M & H Band (sole member Mark Haliday), released a version of "Popcorn" which peaked at No. 8 on the Norwegian charts and at No. 20 on the Swedish charts.[87][88] This single's release was accompanied by the first purpose-produced music video.[89] Canadian group the Boomtang Boys covered "Popcorn" in 1999, their version peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, where it stayed for 9 weeks.[90][91] It also reached No. 10 on RPM's Canadian dance chart.[92] Richárd Moldován known as Richi M released in the 2000 year a cover version which reached at No. 9 on the Swedish charts.[93]
In popular culture[edit]
In a comical reference, a version of the song was included in the 2010 skit by The Muppets called "Pöpcørn: Recipes with The Swedish Chef."[94] In 2022, Swedish singer Tove Lo sampled the Hot Butter version in her single "2 Die 4".[95]