JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Guitars and Guitarist Forum Best guitar songs ever

No problem I know over 400 cover tunes that are 4 chords or less!

And for a slight twist, some novelty guitar-based tunes:

Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen
Uneasy Rider - The Charlie Daniel's Band
Wildwood Weed - Jim Stafford
Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie

Some good ones!

"Friday On My Mind", The Easy Beats (Killer Song too!)

"Inagodadivida", Iron Butterfly

"Turn Turn Turn", The Yardbirds The BYRDS

"I Can See For Miles", The Who

"Gloria", THEM (Van Morrison, lead singer)

"Pipeline", The Ventures The CHANTAYS

"Wipeout", The Safaries

"Miserlou", DICK DALE

Most Eric Clapton, Roy Clark, and Led Zeplin songs

"I Feel Fine". "And Your Bird Can Sing". "Girl". "Day Tripper". "Revolution". "Blackbird", (etc.) The Beatles

Bob the problem isn't how many chords its how many fingers. I have short puggy ones if I use more then 3 the chords sound ridiculous. I know practice is the answer but there is not enough time in the day to overcome this quickly...lol

Kathy, size doesn't matter {in THIS case!} Lots of guitarists have small hands or stubby fingers.

Thought of another cool one.."Baby Please Don't Go" {I prefer the THEM version, which if I'm not mistaken was played by Jimmy Page.}

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet but

How about Joni' Mitchells's Free Man in Paris. Great little guitar number there.

Well,
I have been asking my Guitar that very question. All it says is Twang. Did you get a better answer?

Just thought over another one, and in this case an example of "beautiful slop" "Like a Hurricane" Neil Young.

Fleetwood Mac - "Never Going Back Again"
Richard Thompson - "1959 Vincent Black Llightning"
Richard Thompson - "Calvary Cross'

Speaking of Fleetwood Mac, how about Black Magic Woman? The original, as well as Santana's was a great guitar tune.

I agree about Dave Davies' shredded little amp hugely influencing Page and others...eventually leading to Heavy Metal. Sabbath and Hendrix aside, there was a particular path that happened through Jeff Beck when he crafted a new stadium-oriented sound with Rod Wood, Rod Stewart and Carmen Appice in The Jeff Beck Group. When they toured the USA in '67 and '68, Jimmy Page came along to watch and learn...even co-wrote Beck's Bolero...and from this experience put together his own stadium-oriented band, eventually called Led Zeppelin.

But influences were all over the place back then. Guitarists who really influenced the sounds back then (early to mid-60's) really should include:

Hank Marvin
Dick Dale
Duane Eddy
Big Jim Sullivan
Jimmy Page
Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck
Pete Townshend
Eddie Phillips
Dave Davies
Roger McGuinn

And here's one that I'm sure you all would run from whilst covering your ears:
Pixies - "Vamos"

Still a ridiculous guitar song. Crazy good... and oddly melodic (with the emphasis on the "odd".)

for me the two guitar solo's that come to mind are neither complicated or anything like a virtuoso performance-but still represent the kind of music I aspire to write. The first is Knoflers's "Sultan of Swing" and the second is the tasty solo in the Eagle's Peaceful Easy Feeling. Those were notes that I had to say, "Man, I gotta learn to do that" I did learn the Peaceful Easy Feeling solo but I never mastered the Knolfler riff and I have never heard anyone else get it right either.

Yes, Knopfler mastered both tone and technique. I always find it interesting that "Sultans of Swing" demonstrates one of the very best "clean" solos, while "I Want My MTV" is an example of one of the best "dirty" sounds you'll ever hear also.

Now, what is the difference between this thread and the "Best Guitar Solos" thread?
I was approaching this as more about the PART within a given song, ie - how unique/prominent it is throughout. Whereas a solo, is a solo.

Yet, many of you seem to be thinking that it's all about the solo.

So... let's open the floor for debate.

I think this was the original question:

"What are they? I'm not looking so much for instrumentals or even hot solos...there are zillions of those. I'm looking more at those special instances where guitars are used in particularly resourceful and inventive ways to take a song to a higher plane."

When I read that, I instantly thought of "Sultan's of swing" because throughout the song, the guitar is what elevated the song into something unique and special.

That was how I was thinking of the topic, too. But it appears that many here have turned this into just another "best solos" thread. So, yeah, I agree with you. But do you see what I'm saying?

Hmm, based on the original question, I'll offer up Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight". The clean tone on that short, simple opening riff defines the song and makes it what it is.

PopTod, I think I understand what you are saying. I don't know if you play guitar or not but even if you don't you should check out the youtube of Brad Davis talking about how to "play the spaces". He was a guest speaker here in Fort Worth last year at a workshop for the Fort Worth chapter on the NASI. He is a session musician who lives in Texas and works in Nashville. He runs a show called the Commerce County Line. Just Utube "Brad Davis" and you can see part of his workshop. I have been playing guitar for 30 years now and this guy has something to teach.

Oh, and Lyle talking about a simple effective riff, what about Willie Nelsons riff in "Funny how time slips away". And I agree, "Wonderful tonight" is a good example of perfect marriage of a melody line and the mood of the song. I like Clapton's sound so much I bought a Eric Clapton effects box for about $150 and it didn't sound that great (or I didn't) and it ate up 9 volt batteries like a Hummer eats gasoline.

About 15 years ago I took my kids rollerskating and some kiddybopp preteen ditty came on and in the middle of it was the most amazing base riff I have ever heard! I don't know the name of the song or who did it but I would PAY if I could hear that again. It blew my socks off. Hearing the song was kind of like watching a flawed movie with pretty bad acting- and then you get to a scene where someone just aces the scene you wonder what they are doing in THIS movie. I would love to take that base run and write a song around it.

Someone brought up the original authors of "Black Magic Woman".

I was very surprised that what I thought to be a California based rock band had such a big influence.
But Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac is a different band altogether.

The first song I learned on guitar, bass, and drum was "Paranoid".
I use the bottom strings on my guitar as a bass.
But that song is great for getting into the spirit.
As well as Deep Purple and the rest I have mentioned.
I could name them all night.

I remember hearing a classic guitar song being played on the car radio. After the famous intro I was about to sing along when some crappy rapper started mouthing off and spoilt the whole piece. It is happening all the time. They take classic rock riffs and then mutilate them. If I were Sting or Led Zeppelin, Yes, ELP, Black Sabbath or any other classic band who had my music desecrated in such a way I would sue the ass off such rappers. Can they not write their own riffs.

Ah, but that's the new rebellion.

There's always something happening to unite the young and outrage the old.

Sorry, I don't see it as rebellion to steal others' works, even when paying the licensing fees and trying to add your own crap over it. This is one time I agree with Jim. I see little creativity in it, simply a lack of real imagination and thievery.

I agree. But I also think that's how they are rebelling and outraging you.

Mediocrity does not outrage me. I simply turn it off.

Thanks for the support Jack agreeing once is better than never. Mediocrity does not outrage me normally. I am only outraged when it gets totally undeserved exposure. If the powers that be could distinguish between class acts and mediocrity then the business would not be in the mess it is.

The trouble with mediocrity? It sells. Frankly my preferences are probably pretty closely aligned here. But I've been managing restaurants for years now and always see what the young ones who work for me think and do. Believe me, mediocrity is a powerful force, happily embraced by the youth culture...and the powers that be recognize that and capitalize on it. Moneymakers are not here to broaden our horizons, just their own coffers.

'Sunny Afternoon' by the Kinks.

The best guitar solo could change like the sun with me.
From Stairway To Heaven to Freebird.
I have been also getting increasingly interested in The Kinks.
One of those predominating influences on the British Invasion that got sidelined by the record industry.
But they kept pumping them out and had their very own legacy.

Those kids don't think the music they love is mediocre. They think it is great. Just as you thought YOUR mediocre stuff was great when you were their age.

There is a whole generation of 40-something year old farts who think that Styx and Journey and REO Speedwagon were great bands. God forgive 'em.

Agreed. Trumaner words were never spoken.