Usually, when we think of classic rock songs, we think of big electric guitars, thumping bass, a drum kit played by an octopus-armed wild man and enough pyrotechnics to light up the sky. But sometimes songs from the genre employ a bit more subtly and take advantage of instruments like, well, the harmonica.
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Here below, we wanted to highlight that pocket-sized sound maker that is known to shine on blues tunes or those just trying to pass the time on a moving cross-country train. Yes, these are four classic rock songs that flourish thanks to the harmonica.
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1. “When the Levee Breaks,” Led Zeppelin
This song opens with a signature drum beat from Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and continues with a blistering harmonica solo from lead singer Robert Plant. While the song is a cover, originally written by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929, Led Zeppelin updated it for their 1971 self-titled album, Led Zeppelin IV. It’s like the harmonica itself is a deluge, a flood that’s trying to break down the walls of your soul. Epic and beautiful.
2. “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” Tom Petty
This song from Tom Petty’s 1994 album, Wildflowers, opens with a charming harmonica played by Petty, himself. It also boasts something of a John Bonham drum part (not played by Bonham, of course, who passed away in 1980). Nevertheless, the harmonica blends perfectly with Petty’s American style of singing as if it’s the breeze over his wheat field lyrics. Aside from the harmonica, this song has inspired about 10 billion joints to be rolled and then smoked while listening to more classic rock!
3. “Mr. Tambourine Man,” Bob Dylan
The proto-classic rocker from the 1960s, Bob Dylan helped popularize the harmonica again in American music thanks to his early folk and protest songs. Here, Dylan plays the instrument live as her performs his well-known song, “Mr. Tambourine Man.” He’s effortless in his playing style and used the pocket-sized instrument, in some ways, to offset his, well, unique style of singing. But without Dylan, songs like Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels” may never have come to exist.
4. “Heart of Gold,” Neil Young
Like Dylan, Neil Young did a lot with an acoustic guitar, his singing voice and a harmonica. Case in point: this classic from his 1972 album, Harvest. Blending his signature falsetto, his poetic lyrics and his instrumentation, Young sings about a search for the ultimate prize: a heart of gold. The song opens with harmonica and Young uses it throughout, like a refrain.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
