# Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was awarded between 1969 and 2011.
* In 1969 it was awarded as Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental
* From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance
* In 1972 it was awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance
* In 1973 it was awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance by an Instrumental Performer
* From 1974 to 1975 it was again awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance
* From 1986 to 1989 it was awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
* Since 1990 it has again been awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance
* The award was discontinued from 2011 in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. From 2012, all instrumental performances in the pop category (solo or with a duo/group) were shifted to either the newly formed Best Pop Solo Performance or Best Pop Duo/Group Performance categories.
A similar award for Best Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1965 to 1968. This was also in the pop field, but did not specify pop music.

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees |
| 1969 | Mason Williams | "Classical Gas" | Wes Montgomery — "Eleanor Rigby" Hugh Masekela — Grazing in the Grass José Feliciano — "Here, There and Everywhere" Hugo Montenegro — "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" |
| 1970 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | "Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie" | Area Code 615 — "Area Code 615" Boots Randolph — With Love Ferrante & Teicher — "Midnight Cowboy" Henry Mancini — "A Time for Us (Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet)" |
| 1971 | Henry Mancini | Theme from Z and Other Film Music | Vincent Bell — "Airport Love Theme" Assembled Multitude — Overture from Tommy Quincy Jones — "Soul Flower" Jimi Hendrix — "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
| 1972 | Quincy Jones | Smackwater Jack | Burt Bacharach — Burt Bacharach Henry Mancini — Theme from Love Story Peter Nero — "Theme from Summer of '42 (The Summer Knows)" Michel Legrand — "Theme from Summer of '42 (The Summer Knows)" |
| 1973 | Billy Preston | "Outa-Space" | Pipes & Drums & Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards — "Amazing Grace" Doc Severinsen — Doc Apollo 100 — "Joy" Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin — "The Inner Mounting Flame" |
| 1974 | Eumir Deodato | "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" | Mahavishnu Orchestra — "Birds of Fire" Edgar Winter — Frankenstein Billy Preston — "Space Race" Quincy Jones — "You've Got It Bad Girl" |
| 1975 | Marvin Hamlisch | "The Entertainer" | Quincy Jones — "Along Came Betty" Herbie Hancock — Head Hunters Rick Wakeman — "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" Love Unlimited Orchestra — "Rhapsody in White" |
| 1976 | Van McCoy | "The Hustle" | The Ritchie Family — "Brazil" Chuck Mangione — Chase the Clouds Away Mike Post — "The Rockford Files" Tom Scott & the L.A. Express — "Tom Cat" |
| 1977 | George Benson | Breezin' | Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band — "A Fifth of Beethoven" The Brecker Brothers — Back to Back Stevie Wonder — "Contusion" Jeff Beck — Wired |
| 1978 | John Williams & the London Symphony Orchestra | Star Wars | Maynard Ferguson — "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)" Bill Conti — "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)" Barry De Vorzon — "Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless)" Meco — "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" |
| 1979 | Chuck Mangione | Children of Sanchez | Chet Atkins, Les Paul — "Guitar Monsters" Zubin Mehta conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic — Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind Henry Mancini — "The Pink Panther Theme ('78)" John Williams — Close Encounters of the Third Kind |
| 1980 | Herb Alpert | "Rise" | Chuck Mangione — An Evening of Magic Zubin Mehta with the New York Philharmonic — Manhattan Frank Mills — "Music Box Dancer" John Williams — "Theme from Superman" |
| 1981 | Bob James and Earl Klugh | One on One | Herb Alpert — Beyond The Doobie Brothers — "South Bay Strut" Henry Mancini — "Ravel's Bolero" John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra —"Yoda's Theme" |
| 1982 | Larry Carlton and Mike Post | "The Theme From Hill Street Blues" | Quincy Jones — "Velas" Earl Klugh — Late Night Guitar Lee Ritenour — Rit Royal Philharmonic Orchestra — "Hooked on Classics" |
| 1983 | Ernie Watts | "Chariots of Fire Theme (Dance Version)" | Louis Clark conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra — Hooked on Classics Earl Klugh — Crazy for You David Sanborn — As We Speak John Williams — E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial |
| 1984 | George Benson | "Being with You" | Herb Alpert — "Blow Your Own Horn" Joe Jackson — "Breakdown" Larry Carlton — "Friends" Helen St. John — "Love Theme from Flashdance" |
| 1985 | Ray Parker Jr. | "Ghostbusters (Instrumental)" | Earl Klugh — Nightsongs Steve Mitchell, Richard Perry and Howard Rice — "Jump (For My Love)" Randy Newman — The Natural Stevie Wonder — "I Just Called to Say I Love You" |
| 1986 | Jan Hammer | "Miami Vice Theme" | Harold Faltermeyer — "Axel F" David Foster — "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire" Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour — Harlequin Spyro Gyra — "Shake Down" |
| 1987 | Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens | "Top Gun Anthem" | Stanley Clarke — "Overjoyed" David Foster — David Foster Genesis — "The Brazilian" The Tonight Show Band — "Johnny's Theme" |
| 1988 | Larry Carlton | "Minute by Minute" | Herb Alpert — Keep Your Eye on Me The Art of Noise — "Dragnet" Chick Corea Elektric Band — "Light Years" Dave Grusin — "It Might Be You" |
| 1989 | David Sanborn | Close-Up | Kenny G — "Silhouette" MARRS — "Pump Up the Volume" Mike Post — Music from L.A., Law & Otherwise Joe Satriani — "Always with Me, Always with You" |
| 1990 | The Neville Brothers | "Healing Chant" | Kenny G — "Breadline Blues" Earl Klugh — Whispers and Promises Paul Shaffer — "Late Night" Andreas Vollenweider — "Dancing with the Lion" |
| 1991 | Angelo Badalamenti | "Twin Peaks Theme" | Kenny G — "Going Home" Phil Collins — "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" Quincy Jones — "Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)" Stanley Jordan — "What's Goin' On" |
| 1992 | Michael Kamen | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | Candy Dulfer — Saxuality Kenny G — "Theme from Dying Young" David Grusin — Havana John Williams — The Star Wars Trilogy |
| 1993 | Richard Kaufman | "Beauty and the Beast" | The Chieftains and Chet Atkins — "Tahitian Skies" Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis — "Twenty Nine-Five" Bob James and Earl Klugh — Cool John Williams — Hook |
| 1994 | Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby | "Barcelona Mona" | George Benson — "Got to Be There" Kenny G — "Forever in Love" James Galway — "Beauty and the Beast" Anthony Inglis with the London Symphony Orchestra — "The Phantom of the Opera" |
| 1995 | Booker T. & the M.G.'s | "Cruisin'" | Kenny G — "Sentimental" Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby — "The Star-Spangled Banner" Mike Post — "Theme from NYPD Blue" Alan Silvestri — "I'm Forrest...Forrest Gump (The Feather Theme)" |
| 1996 | Los Lobos | "Mariachi Suite" | The Allman Brothers Band — "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" Bruce Hornsby — "Song B" Kenny G — "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Dave Grusin — "Yesterday" |
| 1997 | Béla Fleck and the Flecktones | "The Sinister Minister" | Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen — "Theme from Mission: Impossible" Lalo Schifrin with the London Philharmonic Orchestra — "Theme from Mission: Impossible" The Smashing Pumpkins — "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" Stevie Wonder — "Kiss Long Good Bye" |
| 1998 | Sarah McLachlan | "Last Dance" | George Benson — "Song for My Brother" The Chieftains — "An Gaoth Arenas" Kenny G — "Havana" Grover Washington, Jr. — "Soulful Strut" |
| 1999 | The Brian Setzer Orchestra | "Sleepwalk" | The Dust Brothers — "The X-Files" Béla Fleck and the Flecktones — "Big Country" Kenny G — "My Heart Will Go On" Pat Metheny Group — "Follow Me" |
| 2000 | Santana | "El Farol" | Herb Alpert — "The Look of Love Jeff Beck — "A Day in the Life" Bruce Hornsby — "Song C" Willie Nelson — "Night and Day" |
| 2001 | The Brian Setzer Orchestra | "Caravan" | Björk — "Overture (Selmasongs)" The Corrs — "Rebel Heart" Béla Fleck and the Flecktones — "Zona Mona" Grover Washington, Jr. — "Camaleao" |
| 2002 | Eric Clapton | "Reptile" | Larry Carlton and Steve Lukather — "Room 335" Daft Punk — "Short Circuit" Eric Johnson — "Rain" Kirk Whalum — "There You'll Be" |
| 2003 | B. B. King | "Auld Lang Syne" | Dave Koz and Jeff Koz — "Blackbird" Pat Metheny Group — "As It Is" Moby — "18" Kirk Whalum — "Playing with Fire" |
| 2004 | George Harrison | "Marwa Blues" | Ry Cooder and Manuel Galbán — "Patricia" Dave Koz — "Honey-Dipped" Randy Newman — "Seabiscuit" The Brian Setzer Orchestra — "The Nutcracker Suite" |
| 2005 | Ben Harper | "11th Commandment" | Herb Alpert, Russ Freeman, James Genus, Gene Lake and Jason Miles — "Chasing Shadows" George Benson — "Take You Out" Bruce Hornsby — "Song F" Brian Setzer — "Rat Pack Boogie" |
| 2006 | Les Paul | "Caravan" | Burt Bacharach and Chris Botti — "In Our Time" George Duke — "T-Jam" Herbie Hancock and Trey Anastasio — "Gelo na Montanha" Daniel Lanois — "Agave" |
| 2007 | George Benson and Al Jarreau | "Mornin'" | Enya — "Drifting" Béla Fleck and the Flecktones — "Subterfuge" Bruce Hornsby — "Song H" The Brian Setzer Orchestra — "My Favorite Things" |
| 2008 | Joni Mitchell | "One Week Last Summer" | Beastie Boys — "Off the Grid" Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals — "Paris Sunshine #7" Dave Koz — "Over the Rainbow" Spyro Gyra — "Simple Pleasures" |
| 2009 | Eagles | "I Dreamed There Was No War" | Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere — "Love Appetite" Fourplay — "Fortune Teller" Stanley Jordan — "Steppin' Out" Marcus Miller — "Blast!" |
| 2010 | Béla Fleck | "Throw Down Your Heart" | Herb Alpert — Bésame Mucho Imogen Heap — "The Fire" Maxwell — "Phoenix Rise" Marcus Miller — "Funk Joint" |
| 2011 | Jeff Beck | "Nessun Dorma" | Laurie Anderson — "Flow" Stanley Clarke — "No Mystery" Gorillaz — "Orchestral Intro" The Brian Setzer Orchestra — "Sleepwalk" |
* Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.