Hooked on Classics

This article is about the 1981 album and single. For the album series, see Hooked on Classics series.

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)" is usually played at Lambeau Field after every Green Bay Packers home victory.

Chart performance "Hooked on Classics (Part 1)"

Grammy nominations

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Hooked on Classics (Parts 1 & 2)"5:06
2."Hooked on Romance"6:42
3."Hooked on Classics (Part 3)"6:02
4."Hooked on Bach"5:59
5."Hooked on Tchaikovsky"5:29
6."Hooked on a Song"5:11
7."Hooked on Mozart"4:09
8."Hooked on Mendelssohn"4:25
9."Hooked on a Can-Can"4:56

Full track listing

  1. Hooked on Classics (Parts 1 & 2) - 5:06
  2. Hooked on Romance - 6:42
  3. Hooked On Classics (Part 3) - 6:02
  4. Hooked On Bach - 5:59 (All music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach)
  5. Hooked on Tchaikovsky - 5:29 (All music composed by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky)
  6. Hooked on a Song - 5:11
  7. Hooked On Mozart - 4:09 (All music composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
  8. Hooked on Mendelssohn 4:25
  9. Hooked on a Can-Can - 4:56

References

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Uses material from the Wikipedia article Hooked on Classics, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.