Just about everybody’s familiar with the synthpop classic, Popcorn, above.

Composer Gershon Kingsley first recorded the track Popcorn for his 1969 album Music to Moog By. In 1971 the song was re-recorded by Kingsley’s band First Moog Quartet. Stan Free, member of the First Moog Quartet, rerecorded the instrumental with his band Hot Butter in 1972, and it was a huge hit – probably the most recognizable track from the Moog explosion of the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Popcorn has since been covered by an insane variety of artists, ranging from DJ Voyager to a pre-fame Jean Michel Jarre to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops to Richard D. James, AKA Aphex Twin to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. There are more than 500 cover versions Popcorn!

Here are nine flavors of Popcorn from over years, including a vocal version, a trance version and a set of piano variations that may surprise you.

Which one do you think is the most interesting cover?

Popcorn, by Hot Butter (1972)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4ckFN96-k

Anarchic System – Pop corn (1972) – With vocals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErLCwMvh8GM

Pop Corn (1972) : Pop Corn (2:32) – Jean Michel Jarre (1972)

Jean Michel Jarre as Pop Corn Orchestra

Marsheaux – Popcorn (2003)

Crazy Frog Popcorn, (2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXrnKGSShMk

GermanNintendoGamer’s 8-Bit Popcorn (undated)

Medieval Popcorn (Renaissance Faire era)

Gershon Kingsley plays Popcorn (2007)

The Composer himself at the August Foerster Grand, playing variations on the Popcorn theme.

Resources:

• Popcorn at Wikipedia
• Popcorn Song fan site
• Bob Moog interviews Gershon Kingsley