November 6 is National Saxophone Day and I think it’s time we finally show the saxophone the love it deserves. Some of us swoon over guitar players and drummers, as orchestral instruments are held to a level of prestige that often excludes the hip and nonconformist saxophone. The saxophone is an instrument seldom used in modern mainstream hits, which is why today I propose we take a second to thank music history for these top five awesome saxophone songs.

1. “Jungleland” by Bruce Springsteen (Saxophone player: Clarence Clemons)

2. “Who Can It Be Now?” By Men at Work (Saxophone player: Greg Ham)

3. “Money” by Pink Floyd (Saxophone player: Dick Parry)

4. “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty (Saxophone player: Raphael Ravenscroft)

5. “Blue Train” by John Coltrane (Saxophone player: John Coltrane)

And what would National Saxophone Day be without some fun facts?

1. Though it’s made of brass, the saxophone is a woodwind instrument because it’s played with a wooden reed.

2. The saxophone family contains the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones.

3. The saxophone-playing member of the Muppets Electric Mayhem, Zoot, was named after famous saxophonist Zoot Sims.

4. The largest member of the saxophone family is the contrabass saxophone. Though it usually stands as large as 6’4”, it only weighs about 45 pounds.

5. Though most commonly associated with jazz music, the saxophones also prevalent in a number of music genres including rock, folk, blues, reggae, ska, funk and pop.

Have a favorite song that features the saxophone? Name drop it in the comments below!