Bring on the pipes and drums!

August 1, 2011 8:42 AM

Looking for songs with marching bands!

What are some pop/contemporary songs with marching bands in them? (Pop and contemporary meaning not marching band versions of songs, but songs that use marching band music, if that makes sense.) I love Outkast's Morris Brown, and Ok Go's This Too Shall Pass is also great. What else is out there?

posted by kidsleepy to Media & Arts (22 answers total)

Response by poster: Just thought of another example: Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl.
posted by kidsleepy at 8:44 AM on August 1, 2011

Fleetwood Mac, Tusk
posted by Sweetie Darling at 8:45 AM on August 1, 2011 [3 favorites]

Radiohead's performance of '15 Step' at the 2009 Grammys comes to mind. Also, Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk'. Both bands collaborated with the USC marching band, if I'm not mistaken.
posted by interrupt at 8:46 AM on August 1, 2011

Ghostland Observatory regularly performs "The Band Marches On" with the UT band.
posted by Gilbert at 9:01 AM on August 1, 2011

Not exactly perhaps what you're looking for, but there is the March Forth Marching Band.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:30 AM on August 1, 2011

JC Chasez, Blowin' Me Up With Her Love. Featured in the movie Drumline, too.

Destiny's Child, Lose My Breath.
posted by Georgina at 9:31 AM on August 1, 2011

I know Will Smith enlisted a marching band when he did "Switch" at Live 8 (or Live Earth or whichever "global charity concert" he was in); not certain whether such band was on the original recording. Perhaps worth a check?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:32 AM on August 1, 2011

ok there may be a language barrier here.. ;-) Fettes Brot: "Emanuela"
posted by ironicon at 9:40 AM on August 1, 2011

The Mercedes Jones/Kurt Hummel (Amber Riley/Chris Colfer) cover of Madonna & Justin Timberlake's "4 Minutes" (can't link to youtube from here) from Glee.
posted by jaimystery at 10:18 AM on August 1, 2011

Phosphorescent, At Death, A Proclamation
posted by otolith at 10:18 AM on August 1, 2011

Jona Lewie - Stop the Cavalry.
posted by MuffinMan at 10:35 AM on August 1, 2011

Beach Boys - Be True to your School
(rah rah rah rah sis boom bah!)
posted by ladygypsy at 10:44 AM on August 1, 2011

Also: Mull of Kintyre.

Fun fact: if you could count the number of people in Campbeltown who claim they were in that marching band, you'd have about 3 marching bands.
posted by MuffinMan at 10:46 AM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Not strictly a marching band, but "Doomsday" by Elvis Perkins in Dearland features a marching band-style bass drum, trombone and trumpet. (would link but am on phone)
posted by smirkette at 10:53 AM on August 1, 2011

Listen to the Band by the Monkees.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:13 AM on August 1, 2011

Panic! At The Disco's Nine In The Afternoon, sort of.
posted by tommasz at 11:54 AM on August 1, 2011

Prince - Purple and Gold
posted by metaman livingblog at 12:39 PM on August 1, 2011

Am I Wrong by Love Spit Love, the version from the Angus soundtrack.

Fitz and the Dizzyspells by Andrew Bird, the version recorded for this video.

Um, this scene from 10 Things I Hate About You?
posted by clavicle at 12:45 PM on August 1, 2011

Maybe not what you're looking for, but Mucca Pazza is pretty darn fun.
posted by jilliank at 3:53 PM on August 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, a little bit.
posted by sigmagalator at 10:36 PM on August 1, 2011

The Airborne Toxic Event did their own song "Does This Mean You're Moving On?" and a cover if The Ramones "Do You Remember Rock n Roll Radio" as part of their live CD "All I Ever Wanted" from the Disney Concert Hall in LA. They partnered with a local high school marching band.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 11:20 PM on August 1, 2011

Cop Shoot Cop, $10 Bill.

(I doubt that there was an actual marching band involved [and certainly not the one shown in the video], but you've got the drums and horns.)
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 5:02 PM on August 2, 2011