Different forms of art always influence each other in some way and there's quite a special relation between music and literature. Be it by musicalizing a specific work, such as a piece of poetry, or by taking inspiration by a novel or tale.

Examples are many, both in Classical Music and in Popular Music.

 

I'll start with one of my favorite bands taking inspiration from one of my favorite literary works:

 

Led Zeppelin and J.R.R. Tolkien's works.

There's many of these - Robert Plant is quite a Tolkien fan - so I'll start with these two:

 

The Battle Of Evermore with some The Silmarillion and The Lord Of The Rings elements in it:

 

 

 

And Ramble On inspired by The Lord of The Rings mentioning the land of Mordor and Gollum in the song:

 

(And the bassline of this song is amazing  )

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -  Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

 

 

^ Awesome Didn't knew that one.

I liked how the music reflects the atmosphere Edgar Allan Poe's work.

 

To Tame A Land - Iron Maiden

Frank Herbert's Dune

 

 

 

Metallica

 

Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's book by the same name

For Whom The Bell Tolls

 

 

 

 

And a title inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's works for the instrumental The Call Of Ktulu

 

 

Iron Maiden - Brave New World

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

 

Iron Maiden - Stranger in a Strange Land

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land

 

Iron Maiden - The Longest Day

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_(book)

The Evil That Men Do by Iron Maiden

 

Quote

The title of the song is taken from Marcus Antonius's speech while addressing the crowd of Romans after Caesar's murder (Act 3, scene 2, "The Forum") in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evil_That_Men_Do_(song)

 

the name of the band Wall of Sleep refers to a short story by H. P. Lovecraft

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Wall_of_Sleep_(short_story)

Murders in the Rue Morgue by Iron Maiden

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murders_in_the_Rue_Morgue

From Mastodon's second album Leviathan, which is loosely based on Herman Melville's Moby Dick

 

Blood And Thunder

 

 

^ also, Leviathan is the (short) title of the influential book by Thomas Hobbes

Another Tolkien inspired song:

 

Rivendell - Rush