Bizarre instruments and sounds in famous songs

Flatulence can be heard in 'The Call.' AJ McLean recalls: “I think he (Howie Dorough) was just putting so much air into the vocal that as he was singing, he went 'dun, dun' and he farted–but he farted not only on the beat, but in key, so [the producer] tweaked it and made it sound like one of his patented bass sounds and it stayed on the record."

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Nirvana - 'Drain You' -

If you listen carefully, you might notice a peculiar sound in this Nirvana song. It's a rubber duck squeaking!

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Soundgarden - 'Spoonman' -

If you're thinking spoons, you guessed it right! The song features a Seattle street performer called Artis the Spoonman, who happens to make music using spoons, obviously.

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Radiohead - 'No Surprises' -

The British band used a glockenspiel in their song 'No Surprises.' The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument similar to a xylophone, but made of metal.

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Missy Elliott - 'Work It' -

The rapper uses a sample of an elephant trumpet to bleep a word in the song.

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Pixies - 'Velouria' -

The band used a theremin, which makes cool sci-fi sounds. It's operated by controlling the distance between the hands and two antennae.

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The Beach Boys - 'Good Vibrations' -

The Beach Boys also used the theremin in their 1966 hit.

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The Troggs - 'Wild Thing' -

This classic garage rock song features a solo recorded using an ocarina!

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Nicki Minaj - 'Anaconda' -

In case you haven't noticed, you can hear a loon bird call in this song. A similar sample was used in 'Prayers Up' by Calvin Harris ft. Travis Scott and A-Trak.

12 / 31 Fotos

Neil Young - 'Harvest Moon' -

The singer-songwriter used the sound of a broom sweeping across sandpaper in this song.

13 / 31 Fotos

Dido - 'If I Rise' -

You play it like a piano and it sounds like a guitar. Meet the harpejji. Dido likes it, apparently.

14 / 31 Fotos

Boney M - 'Rasputin' -

The balalaika is a folk instrument from Russia. Still, it has a place in disco!

15 / 31 Fotos

Bauuer - 'Harlem Shake' -

The viral internet meme video features a peculiar sound sample: a lion's roar.

16 / 31 Fotos

Kate Bush - 'The Dreaming' -

Kate Bush liked the sound of this wind instrument, the didgeridoo.

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M.I.A. - 'Paper Planes' -

The singer's 2007 single features a sample of a cash register, and so did Pink Floyd 34 years before, in their famous song 'Money.'

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Keith Urban - 'Put You in a Song' -

Are you familiar with the bouzouki? Listen to this song and you'll find out what this Greek instrument sounds like.

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Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini - 'Game Time' -

A sneaker squeak? Yes, indeed. It kind of makes sense in a basketball-themed song, right?

20 / 31 Fotos

The White Stripes - 'The Nurse' -

This percussion instrument is a marimba, and Jack White's band used it in this song.

21 / 31 Fotos

Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Behind the Sun' -

The Indian instrument known as the sitar has been used in Western music for a long time, including by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beatles.

22 / 31 Fotos

The Black Keys - 'Too Afraid to Love You' -

No, this is not a piano–this is a harpsichord! It differs from the piano because the strings are plucked, instead of being hit with a hammer to create a sound.

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Led Zeppelin - 'Gallows Pole' -

This medieval stringed instrument is known as the hurdy-gurdy. Sounds and looks made up, but nope!

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Muse - 'Muscle Museum' -

The British rockers like to experiment, so they included an electro-mechanical instrument called the mellotron in one of their songs.

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Paul Simon - 'You Can Call Me Al' -

The humble penny whistle makes an appearance in this Paul Simon song.

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The Beatles - 'Baby You’re a Rich Man' -

The Beatles experimented a lot with different sounds and instruments. This proto-synthesizer called the clavioline was one of them.

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Radiohead - 'Idioteque' -

It might sound like the name of a seaside hotel, but the ondes Martenot is actually a French instrument.

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Simon & Garfunkel - 'Cecilia' -

Okay, a xylophone might not be as exotic as other instruments on this list, but it's still an unusual one in mainstream music.

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Mike Oldfield - 'Tubular Bells' -

This might sound a bit obvious, but Mike Oldfield actually used tubular bells in Part One.

Sources: (Billboard) (Ultimate Guitar) (The Cavan Project)

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Shutterstock/Getty Images

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Aerosmith - 'Sweet Emotion' -

It might sound like maracas, but the shaker sound you hear in this Aerosmith song was recorded by Steven Tyler using a sugar packet!

Shutterstock

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Jimi Hendrix - 'Crosstown Traffic' -

Hendrix reportedly used a kazoo built by himself using a comb!

Shutterstock

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Gorillaz - 'Clint Eastwood' -

The melodica, also known as blow organ/key flute, is very present in the band's 2001 single.

Shutterstock

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Backstreet Boys - 'The Call' -

Shutterstock

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Nirvana - 'Drain You' -

If you listen carefully, you might notice a peculiar sound in this Nirvana song. It's a rubber duck squeaking!

Shutterstock

5 / 31 Fotos

Soundgarden - 'Spoonman' -

If you're thinking spoons, you guessed it right! The song features a Seattle street performer called Artis the Spoonman, who happens to make music using spoons, obviously.

Shutterstock

6 / 31 Fotos

Radiohead - 'No Surprises' -

The British band used a glockenspiel in their song 'No Surprises.' The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument similar to a xylophone, but made of metal.

Shutterstock

7 / 31 Fotos

Missy Elliott - 'Work It' -

The rapper uses a sample of an elephant trumpet to bleep a word in the song.

Shutterstock

8 / 31 Fotos

Pixies - 'Velouria' -

The band used a theremin, which makes cool sci-fi sounds. It's operated by controlling the distance between the hands and two antennae.

Shutterstock

9 / 31 Fotos

The Beach Boys - 'Good Vibrations' -

The Beach Boys also used the theremin in their 1966 hit.

Shutterstock

10 / 31 Fotos

The Troggs - 'Wild Thing' -

This classic garage rock song features a solo recorded using an ocarina!

Shutterstock

11 / 31 Fotos

Nicki Minaj - 'Anaconda' -

In case you haven't noticed, you can hear a loon bird call in this song. A similar sample was used in 'Prayers Up' by Calvin Harris ft. Travis Scott and A-Trak.

Shutterstock

12 / 31 Fotos

Neil Young - 'Harvest Moon' -

The singer-songwriter used the sound of a broom sweeping across sandpaper in this song.

Shutterstock

13 / 31 Fotos

Dido - 'If I Rise' -

You play it like a piano and it sounds like a guitar. Meet the harpejji. Dido likes it, apparently.

Getty Images

14 / 31 Fotos

Boney M - 'Rasputin' -

The balalaika is a folk instrument from Russia. Still, it has a place in disco!

Shutterstock

15 / 31 Fotos

Bauuer - 'Harlem Shake' -

The viral internet meme video features a peculiar sound sample: a lion's roar.

Shutterstock

16 / 31 Fotos

Kate Bush - 'The Dreaming' -

Kate Bush liked the sound of this wind instrument, the didgeridoo.

Shutterstock

17 / 31 Fotos

M.I.A. - 'Paper Planes' -

The singer's 2007 single features a sample of a cash register, and so did Pink Floyd 34 years before, in their famous song 'Money.'

Shutterstock

18 / 31 Fotos

Keith Urban - 'Put You in a Song' -

Are you familiar with the bouzouki? Listen to this song and you'll find out what this Greek instrument sounds like.

Shutterstock

19 / 31 Fotos

Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini - 'Game Time' -

A sneaker squeak? Yes, indeed. It kind of makes sense in a basketball-themed song, right?

Shutterstock

20 / 31 Fotos

The White Stripes - 'The Nurse' -

This percussion instrument is a marimba, and Jack White's band used it in this song.

Shutterstock

21 / 31 Fotos

Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Behind the Sun' -

The Indian instrument known as the sitar has been used in Western music for a long time, including by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beatles.

Shutterstock

22 / 31 Fotos

The Black Keys - 'Too Afraid to Love You' -

No, this is not a piano–this is a harpsichord! It differs from the piano because the strings are plucked, instead of being hit with a hammer to create a sound.

Shutterstock

23 / 31 Fotos

Led Zeppelin - 'Gallows Pole' -

This medieval stringed instrument is known as the hurdy-gurdy. Sounds and looks made up, but nope!

Shutterstock

24 / 31 Fotos

Muse - 'Muscle Museum' -

The British rockers like to experiment, so they included an electro-mechanical instrument called the mellotron in one of their songs.

Getty Images

25 / 31 Fotos

Paul Simon - 'You Can Call Me Al' -

The humble penny whistle makes an appearance in this Paul Simon song.

Shutterstock

26 / 31 Fotos

The Beatles - 'Baby You’re a Rich Man' -

The Beatles experimented a lot with different sounds and instruments. This proto-synthesizer called the clavioline was one of them.

Getty Images

27 / 31 Fotos

Radiohead - 'Idioteque' -

It might sound like the name of a seaside hotel, but the ondes Martenot is actually a French instrument.

Getty Images

28 / 31 Fotos

Simon & Garfunkel - 'Cecilia' -

Okay, a xylophone might not be as exotic as other instruments on this list, but it's still an unusual one in mainstream music.

Shutterstock

29 / 31 Fotos

Mike Oldfield - 'Tubular Bells' -

This might sound a bit obvious, but Mike Oldfield actually used tubular bells in Part One.

Sources: (Billboard) (Ultimate Guitar) (The Cavan Project)

Shutterstock

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Bizarre instruments and sounds in famous songs

Today is Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day

30/07/24 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Weird

There are particular sounds that make songs unique, and these sounds are sometimes achieved by using odd instruments and samples. Some music artists did include quite bizarre instruments in their recordings, while others have used common objects as instruments. And then there are also those who sampled the most unique sounds out there and included them in their songs.

In this gallery, you'll discover all the weird and wonderful instruments and sound samples used in famous songs. Click on!