Which 1976 instrumental disco hit reworked the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony?

“A Fifth of Beethoven” was the 1976 instrumental disco hit that reworked the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

The recording was created by American musician Walter Murphy, who arranged Ludwig van Beethoven’s famous four-note motif for a disco setting. The title is a pun on “a fifth of Beethoven,” combining the symphony reference with the language of a liquor measurement.

Released as a single in 1976, the track became a major commercial success. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped demonstrate how classical themes could be adapted for the dance floor without using a conventional vocal chorus.

The song’s popularity also connected disco with a broader 1970s fascination with classical-rock and classical-pop adaptations. Murphy later worked as a composer and arranger for film and television. The track is sometimes incorrectly credited to Beethoven because its most recognizable material comes from the symphony; Beethoven wrote the original theme, but Walter Murphy made the disco arrangement and recording.