3 Eternal Classic Rock Songs with Blissful Vocal Harmonies

When we think of the genre of classic rock, the front person stands out. Whether it’s Robert Plant, Ann Wilson or Jimi Hendrix, we think of the lead singer in front of a microphone belting out iconic lyrics to beloved songs we’ve heard over and over.

But sometimes the vocal performance that matters most is comprised of many voices blended together to create harmonies that seem more divine than earthly. Here below, we wanted to explore three such tracks. A trio of tunes that show that harmony can be just as effective (or more so) than a single blasting voice. Indeed, these are three eternal classic rock songs with blissful vocal harmonies.

[RELATED: No Skips: 4 Classic Rock Albums You’ll Never Have to Fast-Forward]

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen from A Night at the Opera (1975)

When it comes to vocal harmonies, they are often done with several people at a time and sometimes they are achieved by a real genius singer like Freddie Mercury, who on “Bohemian Rhapsody” achieved a five-part vocal harmony all on his own. While the music video for the song shows the band members lip-syncing the opening line, in the studio it was Mercury putting his voice to a handful of tracks and perfecting the blend. The result is iconic, in that after just a few notes you know what song is about to wash over you and nearly drown you in lushness musing about the nature of reality.

“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys (Single, 1966)

This standalone single by the surfing, singing musicians from Southern California is both beautiful and eerie. It’s often used ironically in films for a moment gone wrong—as if those good vibrations are really spoken of sarcastically (for evidence, see: Vanilla Sky). But no matter when or how it’s played, the song, like so many great ones from The Beach Boys, features exquisite vocal harmonies—voices from Mike Love to Brian Wilson blending like warm breezes in the golden sunlight.

“California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & The Papas from If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966)

Speaking of California, this song is a wistful track about feeling homesick for the Golden State. Sung by the Los Angeles-born group The Mamas & the Papas, the track is about being away from their most beloved residence, seeing grey winters set in after the leaves go brown. But if only they were in L.A. or some other SoCal region, things would be better. Blissful. So, to get there, the band whisks away on their blissful harmonies, traveling through space and time to get home to where they truly belong. That’s the power of vocal talent.

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Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns