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Instrumental Rock

 
 

Description of Instrumental Rock

 
Instrumental Rock refers to any rock without vocals. This style encompasses everything from the southern soul of Booker T. & the MG's to the surf rock of the Ventures to the retro irony of Trans Am. Instrumental Rock is sometimes considered background music, although other instruments are almost invariably brought to the foreground of the mix in the place of vocals. In the case of artists like virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani, the music exists as a showcase for a prodigious musician, and vocals would merely distract from the amazing technical noodling.
 

Instrumental Rock Key Tracks

 
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1. Walk-Don't Run The Ventures
2. Dance With The Guitar Man Duane Eddy
3. Send Me An Angel Neal Schon
4. Peter Gunn Suite Ray Anthony
5. A Place In The Sun Friends of Dean Martinez
6. Misirlou Dick Dale
7. Tequila The Champs
 

Filed Under

 
Rock/Pop  >  Instrumental Rock
 

Instrumental Rock Key Artists

 
Booker T. & The MGs

House band for Memphis'
Stax label scored several
instrumental hits of their
own when not backing Otis
Redding and others. Drum...

Duane Eddy

Known as the "King of
Twang," Eddy's unique
instrumentals helped
popularize the electric
guitar in the late 1950s.

Link Wray

Rockabilly, rock, guitar and
feedback fans have revered
Wray's instrumentals since
the 1950s. Wray wrote his
menacing signature tune "...

Los Straitjackets

Los Straitjackets dress like
Mexican wrestlers and play
perfectly retro-fitted surf
rock.

Paul Johnson

One of the rocking pioneers
of Surf guitar, Johnson was
a charter member of the
Surfaris and the Belairs.

Sandy Nelson

A big influence on 1960s
surf rock, drummer Sandy
Nelson hit with "Let There
Be Drums" and "Teen Beat."

Santo and Johnny

Made immortal by their
incredible 1959 instrumental
"Sleepwalk," Santo and
Johnny were a guitar and
pedal steel duo. Johnny F...

The Meters

A phenomenally tight,
rhythmically complex
studio band, the Meters'
music was a key
component in the develo...

The Rockin' Rebels

Responsible for the '60s
instrumental hit "Wild
Weekend," the Rockin'
Rebels were actually a
number of different band...

The Shadows

An all-instrumental band of
the 1960s, the Shadows had
their biggest hit with
"Apache."

The Ventures

One of the most prolific
instrumental bands of the
'60s, the Ventures are best
known for the theme to
"Hawaii 5-0". The Venture...

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