3 Rock Songs From the 1980s Where the Lead Singer Is Not the Main Character

It’s hard to beat out the lead singer for attention in a band. They are the frontwomen and men for a reason. But if they create an instrumental moment that is good enough, they can take over the spotlight for a little while. That’s what happened with the three rock songs from the 1980s below. The instrumentation in this song is so stellar that no vocalist can distract from it. These musical moments are the first thing that comes to mind in these songs.

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“Jump” — Van Halen

Van Halen’s “Jump” is all about the synth line. While the verses and choruses are definitely singable, they are nothing when compared to the opening instrumentation. The success of this song was almost squandered by the fact that the band almost didn’t use the synth.

Eddie Van Halen was on board with the 1980s rock trend of using synthesizers, while David Lee Roth had reservations. Roth thought the band was selling out to radio play. In the end, Van Halen got his way, and this iconic synth moment was born. The synths are so powerful that they almost usurp any other aspect of this song.

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” — Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is all about the guitar riff. The chorus is big and arena-filling, but it’s the guitar work from Slash that most people think of when this song comes up.

Like the synths in “Jump,” the guitar riff in “Sweet Child O’ Mine” almost didn’t happen. Slash was playing around on the guitar when he came up with this finger exercise-esque riff. The guitarist thought it was nothing, but Axl Rose thought it needed a permanent home on a Guns N’ Roses hit. Rose won out, and this iconic 1980s rock song was born.

“Billie Jean” — Michael Jackson

It’s hard to compete with Michael Jackson’s presence in a song, and yet bassist Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson did just that on “Billie Jean.” This 80s pop song has a distinctive rock influence. The instrumentation lends itself well to crossover appeal. Notably, the bass riff in this song makes it a hit amongst listeners of any genre.

This is one of the most memorable bass riffs of all time. Without this riff, this song wouldn’t have been half as successful as it has become.

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