3 Hard Rock Songs From 1986 You Almost Forgot About Until Now

The line between hard rock and heavy metal is often blurry. But rock music in 1986, even the heavier iteration of it, appealed to wider audiences as artists mixed pop hooks and glossy production with powerful guitar riffs. Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet became the most obvious example of the commercial appeal of hard rock. So, beneath Bon Jovi’s big hair and even bigger hitmaking shadow, here are three hard rock songs from 1986 you almost forgot about until now.

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“Shot In The Dark” by Ozzy Osbourne

Many legendary guitarists have stood beside Ozzy Osbourne. Two of them, Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads, utterly transformed hard rock and heavy metal guitar playing (with Iommi credited for pioneering the latter genre). And Zakk Wylde reached icon status by blending the styles of Iommi and Rhoads, with a Southern rock take on doom metal and neoclassical shredding. But Jake E. Lee, often overlooked, sat between Rhoads and Wylde. His riff on “Bark At The Moon” is every bit as classic as “Crazy Train” (go listen to it before you bark at me). And Osbourne’s 1986 single “Shot In The Dark” further highlights Lee’s contributions as well as a turn toward pop for the Prince of Darkness.

“5150” by Van Halen

The title track to Van Halen’s first album with Sammy Hagar isn’t one of the better-known Van Hagar tunes. But it features Eddie Van Halen’s power pop instincts, similar to the David Lee Roth-era classic “Little Guitars”. Of course, Eddie made burning impossible solos an art form, but his rhythm playing was his not-so-secret secret weapon. It’s what separated Eddie from the rest of the shredders, many of whom forgot about the rest of the song. “5150” has many movements. It’s dark, then hopeful, with an anthemic hook from Hagar.

“Yankee Rose” by David Lee Roth

When David Lee Roth left Van Halen, he was forced to move forward without the world’s greatest rock guitarist in his band. So he recruited Frank Zappa alumnus Steve Vai to fill the giant shoes of Eddie Van Halen. In 1986, Roth had a solo hit with “Yankee Rose”, on a track where the singer has a conversation with Vai’s guitar. Vai’s playing often displays a kind of gymnastic impressiveness. You can hear Van Halen’s influence as well as Zappa’s avant-garde experiments. But Vai soon became a guitar hero and even portrayed the Devil’s guitarist in Crossroads.

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