The density or sum of states for a collection of independent oscillators, free rotors, and one-dimensional hindered rotors is obtained with good accuracy by numerical inversion of the corresponding total partition function by the method of steepest descents. The hindered-rotor partition functions are used in both classical and quantum forms, the latter in the approximation proposed by Truhlar [J. Comput. Chem., 12, 266 (1991)]. The numerical inversion compares well with analytical results obtained in a simple artificial case and also with an exact count of states in a large ethane-like system. Inversion of the hindered-rotor classical partition function is shown to lead to a somewhat different energy dependence of the sum or density of states, relative to the quantum counterpart, which is considered to be a more realistic representation. The routines presented are simple and fast enough to be of use in microcanonical rate calculations. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.