These three 1980s rock songs have guitar moments worth skipping a chorus over. While a song’s refrain usually hooks us, these guitar solos are arguably better than any vocal moment. Many of us have been guilty of pressing fast forward through these tracks to get to the powerhouse instrumental sections.
“Beat It” — Michael Jackson
Starting with an obvious choice, we have Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. This song appeals to listeners for many reasons, including Jackson’s impeccable vocals. But the guitar work, courtesy of Eddie Van Halen, is just as impressive.
The iconic guitarist lent his talents to this song, despite being outside his genre. This is one of the most equal collaborations in music history. It takes quite a player to measure up to Jackson’s appeal, but Van Halen did it superbly. Many of us come to this song for the lyrics and to sing along word for word. But many tune out the vocals for the stellar guitar work. No matter how you listen to this song, you’ll be left in awe.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” — Guns N’ Roses
The guitar work at the beginning of this song (and throughout) is a stunning testament to Slash’s impeccable playing. The chorus is infectious. We can all easily sing along to this track. But it’s the guitar line that’s truly mystifying.
From the opening riff (which came together by accident when Slash was messing around) to the iconic guitar solo he delivers later in the track, the guitar work is what we’re all here for in “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” if we’re honest. It’s air-guitar fodder, energizing whoever listens to it, propping us all up as rock stars for just a moment.
“Crazy Train” — Ozzy Osbourne
It’s hard to pull focus when next to Ozzy Osbourne. His larger-than-life character left little room for any other musician to take the spotlight. Nevertheless, guitarist Randy Rhoads managed to do so on “Crazy Train.”
The precision, speed, and freedom of the guitar work on this song are in perfect tune with the lyrics. “Crazy, but that’s how it goes / Millions of people living as foes / Maybe it’s not too late / To learn how to love / And forget how to hate,” the lyrics read. With lines like these, you need instrumentation that delivers the right energy. Rhoads hit the nail on the head.
(Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
The post 3 Guitar Moments From the 1980s That Listeners Skip Over the Chorus For appeared first on American Songwriter.
Author: Alex Hopper
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