Purcell is among the Baroque composers who has had a direct influence on modern rock and roll; according to Pete Townsend of The Who, Purcell was among his influences, particularly evident in the opening bars of The Who's "Pinball Wizard." The title song from the sound track of the film "A Clockwork Orange" is from Purcell's "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary."
Purcell also had a strong influence on the composers of the English musical renaissance of the early twentieth century, most notably Benjamin Britten, who created and performed a realisation of Dido and Aeneas and whose Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is based on a theme from Purcell's Abdelazar. Stylistically, the aria I Know a Bank (where wild thyme grows) from Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream is clearly inspired by Purcell's aria Sweeter than Roses, which he wrote as part of incidental music to Dryden's Pausanias.

Purcell's most famous work is 'Dido & Aeneas' based on the Epic poem by 'Virgil' The lament 'When I am Laid in Earth' is probably the best known piece from the opera.

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Henry Purcell:-  Life in Brief and Major Works

Purcell's most famous work is 'Dido Aeneas'  based on the Epic poem by 'Virgil' The lament 'When I am Laid in Earth' is probably the best known piece from the opera.