3 Southern Rock Songs From the 1980s That Prove Three Guitars Are Better Than One

Southern rock songs know the power of great guitar work. Bands in this sub-genre often don’t settle for one guitar; they utilize many. The three songs below feature multiple guitars in the mix. Revisit these massive songs with powerhouse instrumentation.

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“Hold On Loosely” — .38 Special

.38 Special famously used a three-guitar lineup, often featuring Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, and Jim Peterik. That kind of multi-guitar sound can be heard in their name-making track, “Hold On Loosely”. From power chords to intricate riffs, the guitar work in this song ushered in a new era for rock music.

Still holding some 1970s sensibilities, this song was the perfect way to keep the previous decade in mind while pushing southern rock further. “Just hold on loosely / But don’t let go / If you cling too tightly / You’re gonna lose control,” the lyrics read, perfectly matching the carefree energy of the instrumental.

“Flirtin’ With Disaster” — Molly Hatchet

“I’m traveling down the road, and I’m flirting with disaster / I got the pedal to the floor, my life is running faster,” the lyrics to this Molly Hatchet song, which made waves on the charts in 1980, read. While the lyrics are very singable and keep listeners coming back to this song, the guitar work is arguably the most masterful part.

The band utilized three guitars to shred their way around this song. It gives that titular southern rock energy that only this sub-genre can muster. When you’re singing a song with this subject matter, just one measly guitar won’t do. You need to blow the listener out of the water with the onslaught of sound.

“Rough Housin’” – .38 Special

Circling back to .38 Special, we have one of their best guitar efforts, “Rough Housin’.” Right from the opening riffs of this track, listeners are keyed into the fact that this will be a heavy guitar song. Interwoven instrumental lines give this song a powerhouse feel that one guitar could not produce.

“Gettin’ loose at the corner joint / That’s all we had to do / I said, baby, when you cross that floor / I sense trouble in the room,” the lyrics read. You can’t sing a song as sexually charged as this one and not turn up the volume. The band certainly delivered that in-your-face musicality here.

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