4 of the Weirdest Instruments Used in Classic Rock Songs

Classic rock usually has a simple formula: Transcendent vocals, electric guitar riffs, and classic drum beats. However, a few classic rock songs from back in the day featured some of the weirdest instruments you could imagine; one of which wasn’t even an instrument at all. Let’s look at four examples of some of the weirdest instruments ever used in classic rock songs!

1. The Theremin in “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

If you’ve never heard of this otherworldly instrument, the theremin is an electronic instrument that can be controlled without even touching the actual device. It allows the user to play around with audio signals generated by the instrument, and it produces sci-fi-esque sounds that can be surprisingly easy to integrate into various genres of music. The Beach Boys decided to experiment a bit and added a theremin to the 1967 song “Good Vibrations”.

2. The Melodica in “And We Danced” by The Hooters

Ah, the melodica. It was a shoo-in instrument in the 1980s, and we’re sad it has since fallen out of favor. The melodica is an instrument that features a keyboard but functions by being blown into like a reed instrument. Despite being considered a “toy”, the melodica creates quite a cool sound. And it made the 1985 hit “And We Danced” by The Hooters sound even cooler.

3. The Oboe in “Out Of The Blue” by Roxy Music

Classic rock is pretty far removed from orchestra music, but that didn’t stop Roxy Music from using the unique woodwind instrument in their 1974 song “Out Of The Blue”. In a way, the oboe adds an almost bluesy vibe to this song. When accompanied by soaring guitar riffs and psychedelic backing tracks, the oboe actually stands out on “Out Of The Blue” instead of fading into the background. An excellent creative choice, in our opinion.

4. The Chainsaw in “The Lumberjack” by Jackyl 

Technically, this isn’t an instrument. But it does make a sound, and it was waved around by Jackyl’s frontman Jesse James Dupree in the song “The Lumberjack” from 1992. If that doesn’t make it an instrument, what does? This is by far one of the weirdest instruments used in classic rock, and we’re not mad about it. In an odd way, it fits quite well.

Photo by Brian Cooke / High Rise PR

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