Hooked on Classics 3: Journey Through the Classics

Hooked on Classics 3 (Journey Through the Classics)
Compilation album by
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Released1983
GenreClassical crossover
LabelRCA Records
ProducersJeff Jarratt, Don Reedman
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra chronology
Hooked on Classics 2: Can't Stop the Classics
(1982)		 Hooked on Classics 3 (Journey Through the Classics)
(1983)		 Hooked on Classics 4: Baroque
(1984)

Hooked on Classics 3 (Journey Through the Classics) is the third album in the Hooked on Classics series, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Louis Clark. Released in 1983 by RCA Records, the album continues the series’ distinctive blend of classical repertoire with contemporary rhythmic backing, designed to make orchestral music accessible to a wider audience.[1]

Background

In the early 1980s, Hooked on Classics became an unexpected musical phenomenon. Conceived by producers Don Reedman and Jeff Jarratt and arranged by Louis Clark of the Electric Light Orchestra, the project combined excerpts of well-known classical works with a steady disco beat.[2] Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the album was released in 1981 and its opening track reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Inspired in part by the success of the Dutch production team that produced Stars on 45, which popularized disco medleys of familiar pop hooks, Reedman and Jarratt applied the same formula to classical repertoire, creating a new crossover project.[1]

Reception

The Hooked on Classics series was commercially successful in the early 1980s, appealing to audiences unfamiliar with classical music. While some classical purists criticized the disco-style drum machine backing, the albums were praised for their creativity and for introducing orchestral repertoire to new generations.[1]

Album details

AttributeInformation
ArtistRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Louis Clark (arranger)
SeriesHooked on Classics (3 of 4)
Release year1983
LabelRCA Records
Producer(s)Jeff Jarratt, Don Reedman
GenreClassical crossover, classical disco
ChronologyPreceded by Hooked on Classics 2: Can't Stop the Classics (1982); followed by Hooked on Classics 4: Baroque (1984)

Track listing

  1. Also Sprach Zarathustra - 1:11
  2. Journey Through The Classics - 3:50
  3. Hooked On Haydn - 2:52
  4. Hooked On Romance (Opus 3) - 4:17
  5. Viva Vivaldi - 3:59
    • Concerto In C Major for Many Instruments, RV 558 (F. XII, No. 37), I: Allegro molto
    • Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 7 No. 11 RV 208a (F. XII, No. 14) I: Allegro
    • Concerto In G Major for Two Mandolins, RV 532 ( F. V, No. 2), I: Allegro
    • Concerto In C Major for Many Instruments, RV 558 (F. XII, No. 37), I: Allegro molto
    • Concerto In C Major for Many Instruments, RV 558 (F. XII, No. 37), III: Allegro
    • Concerto In C Major for Many Instruments, RV 558 (F. XII, No. 37), I: Allegro molto
    • Concerto In A Minor for Two Oboes and Strings, RV 536 (F. VII, No. 8), I: Allegro
    • Concerto In C Major for Many Instruments, RV 558 (F. XII, No. 37), I: Allegro molto
  6. Dance Of The Furies - 3:28
  7. Scotland The Brave (Hookery Jiggery Jock) - 3:50
  8. Journey Through The Classics (Part 2) - 3:55
  9. Journey Through America - 3:22
  10. Hooked On Marching - 3:10
  11. Symphony Of The Seas - 2:47
  12. Hooked On Rodgers & Hammerstein - 3:37

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hooked On Classics: the 1980s crossover phenomenon". Classical Music. 2025-08-27. Retrieved 2026-01-04.
  2. ↑ Forde, Eamonn (April 29, 2016). "Philip Kives of K-Tel – the man who invented the compilation album". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
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