A Fifth of Beethoven

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"A Fifth of Beethoven" is an instrumental written by Walter Murphy. It is essentially a disco verson of the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. It was one of the most popular and memorable pieces of music from the disco era. The "Fifth" in the song's title is a pun, referencing a liquid measure approximately equal to one-fifth of a gallon (757 ml), a popular size for bottles containing hard liquor.

"Fifth" was released in 1976. It was featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and was a huge hit, becoming Murphy's best known work. It was sampled by Robin Thicke for his song "When I Get You Alone", which became moderately popular in 2002. It was also covered by the Chicago-based rock band Umphrey's McGee. [1]

The song was used in the roller disco scene of the Family Guy episode "Hell Comes to Quahog." In addtion to the use of "Fifth," Murphy has composed other music specifically for the show.

The song was also sampled by the rapper A+ for his 1999 hit "Enjoy Yourself." It reached #5 in the Official UK Singles Chart and #63 in the Billboard Hot 100.

This song is currently used on the Smirnoff ice advert showing in the U.K.

The song was also used in 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' (2002) during the Studio 69 Disco scene.