Pompeii in Popular Culture - Music

Music

In 1769, the famous musical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, visited the Temple of Isis, which had been recently unearthed. His visit and the memories of the site inspired him 20 years later in his composition of The Magic Flute.

In October 1971, the band Pink Floyd performed at the vacant 2,000-year-old amphitheater in Pompeii, to an audience composed of film crew including camera operators. This performance, including some exterior shots of the ruins, was released as part of a movie entitled "Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii".

The Siouxsie and The Banshees single "Cities in Dust" (1985) was also inspired by the destruction of Pompeii.

Last Days of Pompeii is the 1991 rock opera by alternative rock band Nova Mob.

"Pompeii am Götterdämmerung" is the name of a song by the band The Flaming Lips on their album At War with the Mystics. The song narrates the tale of a couple who, in reaction to their families' rejection of their love, commit suicide together by simultaneously jumping into a volcano.

"Pompeii" is the title of a song written by Seattle-based progressive rock band Gatsbys American Dream. It is the second track of their 2005 release, "Volcano" - based loosely around the story of Pompeii.

A musical track of the same name is also produced by E.S. Posthumus and has been used in films like Planet of the Apes and many others, under the Unearthed album. This music is said to be the favorite among the listeners who have the mentioned album due to the dramatic and imposing tempo.

Canadian band The Tragically Hip's lead singer Gordon Downie refers to a dying family member as "the rock-plug of Vesuvius" in the song Toronto #4.

"Pompeii" is also the title of a song by indie-rock trio Sleater-Kinney off of their fifth album, All Hands on the Bad One.

The city of Pompeii is mentioned in the band, The Mars Volta's song, Cicatriz ESP.

Pompeii is a post-rock band from Austin, Texas USA.

"Pompeii" is the name of a song by Dar Williams about the city.

There is a popular band from Kentucky named "We Are Pompeii".

Composer Frank Ticheli wrote a song entitled "Vesuvius" which depicts the last days of Pompeii

The Decemberists from Portland, Oregon have a song entitled "Cocoon" which is about the victims of Vesuvius who were encased in volcanic ash.

Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, the seventh studio album by the Finnish rock band HIM, features a song entitled "Like St. Valentine" in which one line reads "Like the couple from Pompeii, our drama's put on display".

"American Pompeii" is the eighth track on the Anthrax album Stomp 442.

Polish singer, songwriter, poet and author, Jacek Kaczmarski wrote a two songs about Pompeii. Pompeja from 1978, depicts last moments of Pompeii and later excavations of it, but allegorically song also refers to Polish cities like Warsaw or Gdańsk, and talk about ignorance of warning signs and voices in times of crisis. Kaczmarski actually wrote this song before seeing Pompeii, which he visited just year later due winning trip to Italy in Students' Song Festival in Cracov in 1978 (or 1979?). Second one, Pompeja Lupanar (or just Pompeja II) from 1980, talks about live of various peoples in Pompeii before Vesuvius eruption.

In 2013, British band Bastille released a single named "Pompeii" with lyrics that referenced the destruction of the city. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.