Rock music elicits different things in different people. All rock bands were not created equal and all rock bands are not the same. And even if they may appear similar in some ways, when you dive into the songs, you realize just how unique rockers can be.
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That’s just what we wanted to highlight here below. We wanted to showcase three rock songs from three rock bands from several decades ago that stand on their own two feet. Indeed, these are three one-word classic rock songs from 1983 that just feel so different.
“Jump” by Van Halen from ‘1984’ (1983)
Eddie Van Halen is remembered for being one of the greatest guitar players ever. He could do things in a single take that the rest of us can’t do in a lifetime. But in 1983, his band released a synth-inspired song that got people out of their chairs and moving around. It didn’t have a lot to do with guitar, it had more to do with you and your ability to leap through the air. But, hey, when you find success, hold onto it! And that’s just what the excited rockers did here.
“Relax” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood from ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’ (1983)
We go from jumping to relaxing. But despite the language of the chorus, this song isn’t about relaxing at all! Indeed, Frankie Goes To Hollywood doesn’t want down time. He wants to get physical. And not in the physical education school calisthenics kind of way. No, he wants something much more adult. And even though “Relax” and “Jump” came out in the same year, they remain markedly different. That’s the power of rock!
“Legs” by ZZ Top from ‘Eliminator’ (1983)
Speaking of powerful rock songs, ZZ Top and their Texas-born blues-rock are impossible to resist. One of the reasons for that is the group does not shy away from subjects that are themselves alluring. Take for example the 1983 track, “Legs”. In it, ZZ Top is banking on the idea that no one can turn away from a nice pair of stems. And in the MTV era, they were certainly correct!
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