The Best of Instrumental Music: Classic Rock
Looking for some great instrumental music to listen to? Check out our list of the best classic rock instrumental tracks!
Introduction
Instrumental music has always been an important part of rock music, serving as both foundation and accent. Classic rock is no exception, with many of the genre’s most memorable tracks being instrumental pieces. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best instrumental classic rock songs ever recorded.
What is Classic Rock?
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, classic rock developed between 1968 (when albums by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival were first released) and 1983. Broadly defined, classic rock covers a range of popular music originating from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
The genre is generally typified by a heavy use of distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, pianos, and keyboards. Classic rock frequently employs a piano or Hammond organ and is typified by having a straightforward lyric style which focuses on classic “timeless” themes often associated with relationships, rebellion against “The Man”, freedom, and the search for truth.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”; as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural revolutions.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. Their later works were marked by a freer artistic direction and more exploits with increasingly sophisticated studio production techniques.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Pink Floyd were one of the first British psychedelic groups and their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968), is seen as one of the most important works in the genre.
The Who
The Who is an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary songwriters were guitarist and singer-songwriter Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer Roger Daltrey, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances which often included destruction of their instruments.
Conclusion
There are a lot of great instrumental songs in the classic rock genre. In this article, we have compiled a list of some of the best ones. We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we did!
