There are many popular songs that include steelpan in the history of music, but few deserve their own list. To qualify, those songs need to fulfill certain requirements. First, they need to be performed by groups widely known as champions of their genre. Second, they should be featured prominently in the song, either to represent a theme or a strong solo element to help elevate it. And, of course, they cannot be synthesized; real pans must be used. Excitingly enough, some of the greatest artists in history made the list. Below are the ones that we chose.
1. “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett
This is a no-brainer. By including Robert Greenidge as a regular in his band, The Coral Reefers, Buffet instantly elevates the music’s quality. Greenidge performs the piece well on the record and even better in concert when he is given the opportunity to solo.
2. “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys
This Beach Boys classic brings to mind visions of cool, blue, Caribbean waters, largely thanks to the backing of steelpan in the mix. While the part was doubled by a synthesizer, there is no denying the distinct sound pan brings. This song and “Margaritaville” may drive steelpan players nuts with requests at backyard parties. Nevertheless, it is a classic.
3. “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction
Thanks to a happy accident of discovering the instrument at random during his travels, Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins made use of three memorable notes on a tenor steelpan with this 90s rock classic. While there is no notable solo, the embellishments throughout the chorus are distinctive and help amplify the song to a hopeful state, matching its redemptive lyrics.
4. “Side by Side” by Earth, Wind & Fire
The masters of the grooving love song, Earth, Wind & Fire make the list thanks again to Robert Greenidge, who does not make his presence known until around the 3:30 mark of this six-minute tune. His lyrical, melodic solo style takes a good song and makes it great, largely thanks to the unexpected presence of pan.
5. “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers put this classic together at the height of pan popularity in the 80s when it was becoming popularized in jazz and R&B music. Robert Greenidge was again called upon to add some depth to the piece, which he did effortlessly in this R&B classic.
