Pure Imagination

Covers

• Michael Feinstein recorded a version of "Pure Imagination" for his 1992 children's album of the same title.
• Lou Rawls recorded a version of "Pure Imagination" for his 1976 album All Things in Time.
• Avant-garde guitarist Buckethead has covered the song several times, including versions on his debut album Bucketheadland, his second album Giant Robot, as well as performing it live.
• Soft rock singer Kenny Loggins covered the song in part of his song "Neverland Melody" from his 1994 album Return to Pooh Corner.
• A cover by the punk band Smoking Popes appeared on their 1997 album Destination Failure.
• In the first season of The Muppet Show, Ben Vereen sings the song to a depressed Muppet named Droop on a rooftop, accompanied by flying creatures. This rendition starts off similarly to the version from the source film, but segues into a bossa nova variation on the second verse.
• Craig Kilborn parodied the song during a promo for the premiere of his version of The Late Late Show in 1999.
• Dublin-based rock band The Frames incorporated part of the first verse of the song into live performances of their song 'Star Star **', as featured on the live album Set List.
• Maroon 5 covered "Pure Imagination" in the 2004 children's album Mary Had a Little Amp and again in 2009's '.
• In 2005, MasterCard commissioned an upbeat, alternative-style version of the song for its television commercial "Candy Store."
• American pianist Emile Pandolfi recorded a version of "Pure Imagination" for his 2005 album Believe.
• The tune served as the basis for Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps 2005 program "Distorted Imagination".
• Pianist/keyboardist Bradley Joseph arranged a cover version of "Pure Imagination" on his 2005 album, For the Love of It.
• In 2007, Ferraby Lionheart recorded a cover version of the song that was included on his debut album, Catch the Brass Ring.
• The song was parodied in the Family Guy episode "Wasted Talent".
• In September 2013, the song was featured in a Chipotle short film, sung by Fiona Apple.
• Jamie Cullum recorded a cover version for his 2013 album Momentum.
• Bob James covered this song on his 1977 album BJ4.
• The Blenders recorded a version in their signature vocal harmony style, mashed up with "White Christmas".
• Jackie Evancho covered this song for her song compilation called Songs from the Silver Screen.
• Mariah Carey covered "Pure Imagination" as an urban/R&B remix with the remake of "I Still Believe." There is an additional separate version of this song by Krayzie Bone on his album Thug Mentality 1999.
• Comedian Russell Brand performed the song at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical covers "Pure Imagination" with Charlie singing with Wonka.
• The Glee Cast covered the song in the episode, "Funeral".
• An orchestral version of the song was played at the 86th Academy Awards in 2014 after Lupita Nyong'o won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
• RedLetterMedia uses the song during their Plinkett Reviews. The character of Harry Plinkett regularly sings the song in a slow, disturbing manner, typically while dragging kidnapped women through his house or putting his cat in the microwave.
• Hat Films parodied the song in their video "Filfy Mods – More Explosives " and titled the parody "Pure Incineration".
• Monty Alexander did a jazz cover in his album Pure Imagination.
• Philadelphia jazz trumpeter John Swana did a jazz cover of the tune on his quintet album Tug of War, released on the Criss Cross label.
• Steve Lehman covered the song in a trio setting with Damion Reed and Matt Brewer on the album Dialect Fluorescent.
• Primus covered "Pure Imagination" into their own psychedelic interpretation for their 2014 album, Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble.
• Karmin recorded a cover version of the song titled "Come With Me " for their second studio album Leo Rising.
• The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps featured the song in their 2015 production "The Spark of Invention."
• Josh Groban performed this at the Royal Variety Show, 2015 and covered the song for his 2015 album, Stages. He also performed the song in a YouTube video with violinist Lindsey Stirling and The Muppets.
• EDM producer Fox Stevenson played a cover of this song at the Laundry Day Music Festival in 2016 as a tribute to Wilder, who had died four days earlier.
• In October 2016, Microsoft used an adapted version of the music, performed by Stephanie Tarling, to announce the Surface Studio.
• In April 2010, AT&T used the song with the flying UFO paper animation throughout the city with the original song for their Rethink Possible Commercial.
• 2016: Barbra Streisand recorded the song as a duet with Seth MacFarlane for her 2016 album '.
• In 2017, it was used in the Audi A5 Sportback commercial.
• An orchestral version of the song, titled Imagine This World by Pitch Hammer Music, is used in the first half of the initial teaser trailer for Steven Spielberg's 2018 film, Ready Player One. It was later covered in an extended version by Ghostwriter Music for the entire length of the final trailer, and added to Ready Player One .
• J. P. Karliak as Willy Wonka sang Pure Imagination in the 2017 direct-to-DVD film '.
• Ruby Arias sang the song for a school concert in the Supergirl episode, "The Faithful".
• An instrumental version of the song is featured in the 2017 Marvel Studios film '.
• The song is covered by Dorothy Spinner in the episode "Sex Patrol" of the DC Universe/HBO Max series ''Doom Patrol.