The sound of the wah-wah pedal has long pumped up music fans. Rock lovers get excited when they hear the device at work. Its back-and-forth sonic shift offers a fresh feeling. It’s like a storm’s a-brewin’.
And that’s just what we wanted to dive into here below. We wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that prominently feature the wah. Indeed, these are three rock songs from the 1980s that star an epic wah-wah pedal.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Turn Up The Night” by Black Sabbath from ‘Mob Rules’ (1981)
If you ever felt like your vital organs had stopped working and you didn’t have a defibrillator handy, then just put on “Turn Up The Night” by Black Sabbath from their 1981 LP, Mob Rules. Sometimes the wah-wah pedal is used for thoughtful, even melancholy lead guitar solos. But not here. Here, the lead is as fast as can be. It’s aided by the wah, which seems to help the notes to go even faster and faster. Indeed, lead player Tony Iommi is a human race car.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses from ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1987)
Few rock bands in history can put an audience in a good mood quite like Guns N’ Roses. The Los Angeles-born group knew how to bring the energy, and they knew how to spread joy. But at the center of the band was the guitarist Slash. Behind his sunglasses and top hat, the six-string player was one of the best of his generation. And on “Sweet Child O’ Mine” from GNR’s 1987 LP, Appetite For Destruction, Slash demonstrates his talent with the wah on the main riff and lead solo. Truly, he’s a boss.
“Yankee Rose” by David Lee Roth from ‘Eat ‘Em And Smile’ (1986)
Huh? What is this? Well, whatever it is, the wah-wah is right in the middle of it all. Part-circus act, part-rock hero, David Lee Roth and his 1986 track “Yankee Rose” will get your eyelids open like a bright day after a long night’s sleep. Guitarist Steve Vai makes his electric six-string seemingly talk thanks to the wah. It’s yet another example of the pedal’s usefulness in classic rock history.
Photo by Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
More The List
-
CIRCA – 1950'S: Country and Western Singer Ferlin Husky sings in a recording studio circa 1950's. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
American musician, singer, songwriter and poet Lou Reed (1942 – 2013) performing live in 1973. (Photo by Gus Stewart/Getty Images) -
American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift performs on stage as part of her Eras Tour in Lisbon on May 24, 2024. (Photo by ANDRE DIAS NOBRE / AFP) (Photo by ANDRE DIAS NOBRE/AFP via Getty Images) -
LONDON – 1965: Keith Moon, Pete Townshend, John Entwhistle and Roger Daltrey of the rock and roll band "The Who" pose for a portrait in 1965 in London, England. (Photo by Cyrus Andrews/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns -
SACRAMENTO, CA – MAY 7: Robert Smith, lead singer, guitarist, multi instrumentalist, lyricist, principal songwriter and only consistent member of the rock band The Cure, which he co-founded in 1976 gets ready to perform May 7, 1992 at the California Expo Amphitheater, Sacramento , California (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images) -
CIRCA 1975: Pop Singer Elton John plays piano as he performs onstage in a bowler cap and a striped red and black scarf in circa 1975. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
