Nobody’s mentioned:

Weather Report

Neu!

Harmonia

Ray Lynch

Metallicas best song, the instrumental track Orion

lots and lots of critically acclaimed EDM like Universal Nation’s track Push or Darude - Sandstorm is instrumental or nearly so.

What sort of instrumental music are you looking for the most, there are so many genres it could be

Mainly prog or math rock themed but I highly recommend the following:

• Covet
• Chon
• Polyphia
• Snarky Puppy
• Khruangbin (very little vocals)
• Domi & JD Beck
• And So I Watch You From Afar
• Animals as Leaders
• BADBADNOTGOOD
• Delicate Steve
• Rooftops
• Intervals

I’m really surprised Russian Circles hasn’t been mentioned yet. They’re a “post-metal” band according to Wikipedia, whatever the fuck that is, but their first album 'Enter is amazing.

Back in 07’, I went to a record shop in town every few weeks and would pick up 2-3 CDs. In an attempt to find new shit nobody had heard of, before buying anything, I would check with the clerk to see if they had heard of the band. If they had, I went and put the CD back, if not, I’d take it home with me. ‘Enter’ came out just a few months before, and I was lucky enough to grab a copy. I wore that CD out before some assholes stole my CD wallet from my truck.

If you’re out there, CD wallet thief, I’ve never forgiven you, and wish you many pains.

Take Five by Dave Brubeck. You can’t improve on a classic.

Boards of Canada for some lofi nostalgia

Streets of Rage soundtrack, Sonic 1-3, donkey Kong country aquatic something is a killer

Commix - call to mind is some classic dnb, some lyrics but often looped and mixed to be more of just another instrument

Sasha - airdrawndagger, more ambient slower melodies

Tycho - dive

Anything by Philip Glass or John Williams

Cloudkicker - Beacons, progressive metal band instrumentation kinda like animals as leaders

2010 Toyota Corolla - 2003 Toyota Corolla is the new national anthem

Bohren & der club of gore for some slow noir jazz

Spiritual State by Nujabes

Nujabes was a Japanese producer that met a very unfortunate and far too early death in a car accident. His friends finished this, his final album, and released it nearly two years later. It’s both soothing and inspirational to me, and one of my favorites to unwind and escape to.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_State

Passacaglia by Bear McCreary from Battlestar Galactica is the first thing that pops to my head.
https://youtu.be/Y9CqU1aMqyg

The rest of the BSG soundtrack is incredible in this regard as well.

World of Warcraft has some of the best instrumental music out there in general though im not sure if it counts as instrumental as choir is often used. This recent orchestra rendition of Wrath of the Litch King expansion is incredible: https://youtu.be/DoRkjNKOe20

I don’t know how it’ll strike your mood, but the Beastie Boys did an instrumental album, called The Mix-up, and it’s very good.

I really like The Budos Band and Ratatat

Tool - Triad
Faith No More - Woodpecker From Mars
Star Trek II soundtrack
Batman (1989) soundtrack

Stick Figure (reggae) has some of his albums as instrumentals only on youtube. I can also say you might try listening to his regular albums. It certainly helped me get through a rough patch recently. I find his music and lyrics to be very uplifting.

https://youtu.be/3xQmJ_vxHB4

I’m not sure if these will help, when I listen to instrumental stuff it’s usually just a (personal) productivity thing.

David Bergeaud (Ratchet and Clank (1) OST) (some of the other games too, but for me less so the newer stuff games that have more action-movie orchestral music) (listen also: Spyro OST, different type of groove)

On the other hand, Journey for Tuba - II. Ballad has that mystery/free-roaming sound at the start (listen also: Bully OST)

I also like radio.garden with my local NPR stations (2 channels, often classical and jazz, so if you want to skip news… not always instrumental though) also ouch. There once was Radio Riel (in Detroit, MI), but it doesn’t currently work on garden, they seem to have changed names. You might want folk or reverie, depending on what’s playing. (though is non-english voice an instrument?)

The Over The Garden Wall OST is good, but not all instrumental. I did find an instrumental version, so maybe? Also, this is an autumn vibe.

For more game OST stuff, maybe something from Oddworld (if you can appreciate the atmospheric without it seeming too dreary), or Tomba is more cheery. Maybe even the Sims (Sims 2 is cheery and complex, Sims 1 is simpler, also there seems to be diff music for PC and consoles).

You probably could also go even simpler than instrumental, for instance searching ‘piano solo music’.

Snarky Puppy - Lingus

Big fan of We Lost the Sea, especially the album Departure Songs.

Not knowing anything about your musical taste I’m just going to throw a handful of things out there:

Bill Evans Trio - Portrait in Jazz

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 / Suite No. 2

Philip Glass - Philip Glass Solo

Alice Sara Ott - John Field: Complete Nocturnes

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV

Beethoven’s 5th, 7th, and 9th Symphonies. Really all 9 of them are great.

Debussy’s Suite bergamasque (third movement is Clair de lune which you’ve probably heard before).

I hope you feel better soon.