Instrumentals are a much-maligned form of music these days, thanks to the vocal-oriented pop music that has been dominating the airwaves for the past fifty years. When an instrumental is a hit, it’s usually viewed as a novelty, like “Classical Gas” or “Sandstorm”. But crucial instrumentals are being written every day, both by normally vocal pop artists as well as instrumental-only ones. Here is a brief list of reasons you should be listening to instrumentals now.

Case study 1. Neutral Milk Hotel - The Fool. An instantly memorable, mournful trumpet line drives the waltzing oom-pah-pah drums, soon accompanied by a veritable cornucopia of ancient and lost instruments. This easily could be the soundtrack to an 1850s New Orleans funeral procession, and live versions sometimes include lead singer Jeff Mangum wailing along with the melody.

Case study 2. Sufjan Stevens - The Black Hawk War. “Illinois” has been widely acclaimed ever since it was leaked earlier this year. But even those who praise the album have tended to judge the many instrumental breaks as filler tainting an otherwise classic album, comparing them to rap album skits. This, however, is a highly mistaken view. Like the “The Fool”, Sufjan Stevens’ instrumentals both provide an evocative mental image and serve as perfect transitions between songs. “The Black Hawk War” opens with a choir of oboes, and develops into a huge, orchestral piece featuring thunderous timpanis and wavering flutes (all played by Stevens), evoking a giant battle in an uncivilized, bygone Illinois.

Case Study 3. DJ Shadow - Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt The track begins with a final vocal sample from the first track on the album. Someone says “producing…” and suddenly a hypnotic piano loop sets in. An anonymous voice appears, speaking vaguely and yet powerfully about music. The song slowly builds, with more samples smoothly working their way into the texture. A heavily struck piano chord is built into the loop. A grooving drum line paired with some funky bass turns it danceable. A chorus starts ahh-ing in the background. Finally, everything cuts out for a guitar line. Repeat and you have a classic - a seemingly simple collection of samples turned into a song that you can sleep to and dance to, that makes you think as well as bob your head.