The 80s Guitar
1980–1989
The 1980s were the era of shredding, big production and arena rock. Guitar technique reached new heights with sweep picking, tapping and legato runs. At the same time, power ballads proved that feel and melody still mattered.
Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne (with Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee) created the soundtrack for a generation of guitarists. This decade has more riffs, solos and techniques to learn than any other.
A
AC/DC 7
Bryan Adams 4
Jane's Addiction 1
Aerosmith 2
Hear 'n Aid 1
B
The J. Geils Band 1
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 2
Tokyo Blade 1
Super Mario Bros. 1
Echo & the Bunnymen 1
C
Cacophony 1
Bagdad Cafe 1
The Cars 1
Soft Cell 1
Cinderella 4
Leonard Cohen 1
Phil Collins 2
Living Colour 1
Alice Cooper 1
Cosma, Vladimir 1
Cutting Crew 1
Motley Crue 18
- 1 Dr. Feelgood TAB 1989
- 2 Dr. Feelgood Pt.1 - Intro, Main Riff & Verse LESSON 1989
- 3 Dr. Feelgood Pt.2 - Chorus & 1st Guitar Solo LESSON 1989
- 4 Dr. Feelgood Pt.3 - Main Guitar Solo LESSON 1989
- 5 Dr. Feelgood Pt.4 - Outro Section LESSON 1989
- 6 Girls, Girls, Girls LESSON 1987
- 7 Home Sweet Home - Solo LESSON 1985
- 8 Home Sweet Home Pt.2 - Solo LESSON 1989
- 9 Kickstart My Heart TAB 1989
- 10 Kickstart My Heart - Famous Riffs LESSON 1989
- 11 Live Wire LESSON 1983
- 12 Looks That Kill LESSON 1983
- 13 Same Ol' Situation " LESSON 1989
- 14 Shout At The Devil LESSON 1983
- 15 Smokin' In The Boys Room LESSON 1985
- 16 Take Me To The Top LESSON 1985
- 17 Too Young To Fall In Love LESSON 1981
- 18 Wild Side LESSON 1987
The Cult 3
Blue Oyster Cult 1
D
Delerue, Georges 1
Dio 3
Dokken 6
Duran Duran 2
E
Edelman, Randy 1
Europe 13
- 1 Aphasia TAB 1986
- 2 Bring It Home TAB 1986
- 3 Carrie TAB 1987
- 4 Coast To Coast TAB 1988
- 5 Danger On The Track TAB 1982
- 6 Heart of Stone TAB 1986
- 7 Hero TAB 1986
- 8 Hold Your Head Up TAB 1989
- 9 Look At Eden TAB 1986
- 10 Ninja TAB 1986
- 11 Open Your Heart TAB 1985
- 12 The Final Countdown TAB 1986
- 13 The Final Countdown - Chords/Rhythms LESSON 1986
Eurythmics 1
Extreme 3
F
Mercyful Fate 1
Tears for Fears 4
Violent Femmes 1
Pink Floyd 3
John Fogerty 1
Rising Force 1
Foreigner 3
Marty Friedman 1
Back to the Future 1
G
Peter Gabriel 1
Wicked Game 1
Jean-jacques Goldman 5
Spyro Gyra 1
H
Van Halen 21
- 1 316 LESSON 1986
- 2 5150 LESSON 1986
- 3 Best of Both Worlds LESSON 1986
- 4 Cathedral LESSON 1982
- 5 Dreams LESSON 1986
- 6 Drop Dead Legs LESSON 1984
- 7 Everybody Wants Some!! LESSON 1980
- 8 Girl Gone Bad LESSON 1984
- 9 Hear About It Later LESSON 1981
- 10 Hot for Teacher TAB 1984
- 11 House of Pain LESSON 1984
- 12 I'll Wait LESSON 1984
- 13 Jump TAB 1984
- 14 Little Guitars LESSON 1982
- 15 Mean Street LESSON 1981
- 16 Panama TAB 1984
- 17 Right Now - Famous Riffs LESSON 1986
- 18 Romeo Delight LESSON 1980
- 19 Take Your Whiskey Home LESSON 1980
- 20 Top Jimmy LESSON 1984
- 21 Unchained TAB 1981
Diamond Head 1
Helloween 7
The Tragically Hip 1
Crowded House 1
I
Billy Idol 5
INXS 3
Chris Isaak 1
J
Michael Jackson 9
- 1 Beat It TAB 1982
- 2 Beat It - Complete Solo LESSON 1982
- 3 Beat It - Rhythm Guitar Parts LESSON 1983
- 4 Beat It Pt.1 - Rhythm Guitar Parts LESSON 1983
- 5 Beat It Pt.2 - Complete Solo LESSON 1983
- 6 Billie Jean LESSON 1983
- 7 Dirty Diana LESSON 1987
- 8 Smooth Criminal COVER 1987
- 9 Thriller LESSON 1982
Rick James 1
Joan Jett 2
The Brothers Johnson 1
Journey 7
Bon Jovi 15
- 1 Bad Medicine LESSON 1989
- 2 Born To Be My Baby TAB 1988
- 3 I'd Die For You TAB 1984
- 4 I'll Be There For You TAB 1988
- 5 In These Arms TAB 1989
- 6 Livin' on a Prayer TAB 1986
- 7 Livin' on a Prayer Pt.1 - All Riffs LESSON 1986
- 8 Livin' on a Prayer Pt.2 - Solo LESSON 1986
- 9 Raise Your Hands LESSON 1989
- 10 Runaway TAB 1983
- 11 Wanted Dead or Alive TAB 1986
- 12 Wanted Dead Or Alive Pt.1 - Intro & All Rhythms LESSON 1986
- 13 Wanted Dead Or Alive Pt.2 - Guitar Solo LESSON 1986
- 14 Wild Is The Wind TAB 1984
- 15 You Give Love a Bad Name TAB 1986
Ray Parker Jr 2
K
Kiss 3
Kondo, Koji 1
L
John Lennon 1
Def Leppard 14
- 1 Animal LESSON 1987
- 2 Bringin' On the Heartbreak LESSON 1981
- 3 Bringin' On The Heartbreak & solos TAB 1981
- 4 Foolin' LESSON 1983
- 5 Hysteria LESSON 1987
- 6 Love Bites LESSON 1987
- 7 Photograph - Chords/Riffs LESSON 1983
- 8 Photograph - Solos LESSON 1983
- 9 Photograph Pt.1 - Chords/Riffs LESSON 1983
- 10 Photograph Pt.2 - Solos LESSON 1983
- 11 Pour Some Sugar On Me TAB 1987
- 12 Rock of Ages LESSON 1983
- 13 Take What You Want TAB 1987
- 14 Too Late For Love LESSON 1983
Kenny Loggins 1
M
Tony Macalpine 1
Iron Maiden 53
- 1 2 Minutes to Midnight TAB 1984
- 2 22 Acacia Avenue COVER 1982
- 3 Aces High COVER 1984
- 4 Alexander the Great COVER 1986
- 5 Back in the Village COVER 1984
- 6 Can I Play with Madness LESSON 1988
- 7 Caught Somewhere in Time TAB 1986
- 8 Charlotte the Harlot TAB 1980
- 9 Charlotte the Harlot '88 TAB 1988
- 10 Deja-Vu COVER 1986
- 11 Die with Your Boots On TAB 1983
- 12 Flight of Icarus COVER 1983
- 13 Genghis Khan TAB 1981
- 14 Hallowed Be Thy Name COVER 1982
- 15 Heaven Can Wait TAB 1986
- 16 Infinite Dreams TAB 1988
- 17 Innocent Exile COVER 1981
- 18 Killers COVER 1981
- 19 Moonchild COVER 1988
- 20 Mother Russia TAB 1986
- 21 Number of the Beast TAB 1982
- 22 Only the Good Die Young COVER 1988
- 23 Phantom of the Opera TAB 1980
- 24 Phantom of the Opera (2nd & 3rd Solos) TAB 1982
- 25 Powerslave TAB 1984
- 26 Prodigal Son COVER 1981
- 27 Prowler TAB 1980
- 28 Purgatory COVER 1981
- 29 Quest for Fire TAB 1983
- 30 Remember Tomorrow TAB 1980
- 31 Revelations TAB 1983
- 32 Rime of the Ancient Mariner TAB 1984
- 33 Run to the Hills TAB 1982
- 34 Sanctuary Dennis Stratton's TAB 1980
- 35 Sea of Madness COVER 1986
- 36 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son COVER 1988
- 37 Still Life COVER 1983
- 38 Strange World TAB 1980
- 39 Stranger in a Strange Land COVER 1986
- 40 The Clairvoyant TAB 1988
- 41 The Duellists COVER 1984
- 42 The Evil That Men Do TAB 1988
- 43 The Ides of March TAB 1981
- 44 The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner TAB 1986
- 45 The Number of the Beast TAB 1982
- 46 The Prisoner COVER 1982
- 47 The Prophecy TAB 1988
- 48 The Trooper TAB 1983
- 49 To Tame a Land COVER 1983
- 50 Transylvania TAB 1980
- 51 Twilight Zone COVER 1981
- 52 Wasted Years TAB 1986
- 53 Where Eagles Dare TAB 1983
Yngwie Malmsteen 2
Praying Mantis 1
Imperial March 1
Marillion 4
Bob Marley 1
Megadeth 6
John Mellencamp 2
Metallica 40
- 1 ...And Justice For TAB 1988
- 2 ...And Justice for All TAB 1988
- 3 AM I EVIL ? TAB 1983
- 4 Am I Evil? LESSON 1983
- 5 Battery LESSON 1986
- 6 Blackened TAB 1988
- 7 Breadfan TAB 1988
- 8 Creeping Death TAB 1984
- 9 Damage, Inc. LESSON 1986
- 10 Disposable Heroes LESSON 1986
- 11 Dyers Eve LESSON 1986
- 12 Escape TAB 1984
- 13 Eye Of The Beholder TAB 1988
- 14 Fade To Black TAB 1984
- 15 Fight Fire With Fire LESSON 1984
- 16 For Whom The Bell Tolls TAB 1984
- 17 Harvester Of Sorrow TAB 1988
- 18 High Plains Drifter TAB 1987
- 19 Hit The Lights LESSON 1983
- 20 Jump In The Fire TAB 1983
- 21 LAST CARESS TAB 1985
- 22 Leper Messiah LESSON 1986
- 23 Master Of Puppets TAB 1986
- 24 Metal Militia TAB 1983
- 25 Motorbreath TAB 1983
- 26 No Remorse TAB 1983
- 27 One TAB 1988
- 28 Orion TAB 1986
- 29 Phantom Lord TAB 1983
- 30 Ride The Lightning TAB 1984
- 31 Seek And Destroy TAB 1983
- 32 The Call Of Ktulu TAB 1984
- 33 The Four Horsemen TAB 1983
- 34 The Frayed Ends of Sanity TAB 1989
- 35 The Shortest Straw TAB 1988
- 36 The Thing That Should Not Be TAB 1986
- 37 TO LIVE IS TO DIE TAB 1986
- 38 Trapped Under Ice TAB 1984
- 39 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) TAB 1986
- 40 Whiplash TAB 1983
George Michael 3
Simple Minds 1
Depeche Mode 2
Faith No More 1
Morricone, Ennio 1
Roxy Music 1
N
Huey Lewis and The News 1
O
Mike Oldfield 1
Roy Orbison 1
Ozzy Osbourne 20
- 1 Bark at the Moon TAB 1983
- 2 Believer LESSON 1981
- 3 Crazy Train TAB 1980
- 4 Dee TAB 1980
- 5 Diary of a Madman LESSON 1981
- 6 Diary Of A Madman Acoustic - Famous Riffs LESSON 1983
- 7 Dreamer LESSON 1988
- 8 Flying High Again LESSON 1981
- 9 Goodbye to Romance TAB 1980
- 10 I Don't Know LESSON 1980
- 11 Killer of Giants TAB 1986
- 12 Miracle Man TAB 1988
- 13 Mr. Crowley TAB 1980
- 14 No Bone Movies LESSON 1980
- 15 Over the Mountain TAB 1981
- 16 Revelation LESSON 1982
- 17 S.A.T.O. LESSON 1981
- 18 Shot in the Dark TAB 1986
- 19 Steal Away LESSON 1980
- 20 Suicide Solution LESSON 1980
The Outfield 1
P
Tom Petty 3
Robert Plant 1
Poison 5
The Police 3
Judas Priest 4
Prince 4
Alan Parsons Project 1
Deep Purple 1
Q
Queen 12
- 1 Another One Bites the Dust LESSON 1980
- 2 Crazy Little Thing Called Love COVER 1980
- 3 Friends Will Be Friends and TAB 1986
- 4 Hammer To Fall LESSON 1984
- 5 I Want It TAB 1982
- 6 I Want It , and TAB 1989
- 7 I Want It All LESSON 1989
- 8 I Want To Break Free LESSON 1984
- 9 It's A Hard Life TAB 1984
- 10 Radio Ga Ga LESSON 1984
- 11 These Are The Days of Our Lives TAB 1989
- 12 Under Pressure LESSON 1981
Queensryche 1
R
Night Ranger 1
Ratt 5
Randy Rhoads 2
Quiet Riot 3
Fraggle Rock 1
Guns N' Roses 18
- 1 Anything Goes TAB 1987
- 2 Appetite For Destruction TAB 1987
- 3 It's So Easy TAB 1987
- 4 Locomotive 3 TAB 1988
- 5 Mr. Brownstone TAB 1987
- 6 My Michelle TAB 1987
- 7 Nightrain TAB 1987
- 8 Nightrain (Outro Solo) LESSON 1988
- 9 One in a Million TAB 1988
- 10 Out ta Get Me TAB 1987
- 11 Paradise City TAB 1987
- 12 Patience TAB 1988
- 13 Rocket Queen TAB 1987
- 14 Sweet Child o' Mine TAB 1987
- 15 Sweet Child O' Mine Instrumental LESSON 1987
- 16 Think About You TAB 1987
- 17 Welcome to the Jungle TAB 1987
- 18 You're Crazy TAB 1987
Skid Row 8
Rush 5
S
Michel Sardou 1
Joe Satriani 24
- 1 Always With Me, Always With You TAB 1987
- 2 Always With You (3rd & 4th B Major Sections) LESSON 1987
- 3 Always With You (5th & 6th B Major Sections) LESSON 1987
- 4 Always With You Pt.2 (1st & 2nd B Major Sections) LESSON 1987
- 5 Always With You Pt.4 (3rd & 4th B Major Sections) LESSON 1987
- 6 Always With You Pt.5 (5th & 6th B Major Sections) LESSON 1987
- 7 Back To Shalla Bal TAB 1988
- 8 Flying in a Blue Dream TAB 1987
- 9 Joe Satriani - 1st Solo Section LESSON 1986
- 10 Joe Satriani - 2nd Solo Section LESSON 1987
- 11 Joe Satriani - Intro LESSON 1987
- 12 Joe Satriani - Intro & Main Melody LESSON 1986
- 13 Joe Satriani - Main Solo LESSON 1987
- 14 Joe Satriani - Tapping Section & Outro LESSON 1987
- 15 Satch Boogie Pt.1 - Intro LESSON 1987
- 16 Satch Boogie Pt.2 - 1st Solo Section LESSON 1988
- 17 Satch Boogie Pt.3 - 2nd Solo Section LESSON 1988
- 18 Satch Boogie Pt.4 - Tapping Section & Outro LESSON 1987
- 19 Summer Song Pt.1 - Intro & Main Melody LESSON 1988
- 20 Summer Song Pt.3 - Main Solo LESSON 1988
- 21 Summer Song Pt.5 - Outro Solo LESSON 1988
- 22 Surfing With The Alien LESSON 1987
- 23 Tears In The Rain LESSON 1989
- 24 The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing TAB 1986
Saxon 5
Scorpions 13
- 1 Bad Boys Running Wild TAB 1988
- 2 Big City Nights TAB 1984
- 3 Blackout TAB 1982
- 4 Can't Live Without You TAB 1980
- 5 Coast To Coast TAB 1982
- 6 He`s A Woman She`s A Man TAB 1984
- 7 Lady Starlight TAB 1984
- 8 No One Like You LESSON 1982
- 9 Peacemaker TAB 1988
- 10 Rock You Like a Hurricane TAB 1984
- 11 Rock You Like a Hurricane - Chords & First Solo LESSON 1984
- 12 Rock You Like a Hurricane - Main Solo LESSON 1984
- 13 Still Loving You TAB 1984
A Flock of Seagulls 2
Saint Seiya 1
Michael Sembello 1
Twisted Sister 2
Slayer 3
Film Soundtracks 1
38 Special 1
REO Speedwagon 3
Rick Springfield 1
Bruce Springsteen 3
Billy Squier 2
The Rolling Stones 1
Dire Straits 3
Day Of Suffering 1
T
Modern Talking 1
Spinal Tap 1
Cheap Trick 1
U
U2 6
V
Stevie Ray Vaughan 25
- 1 Cold Shot LESSON 1983
- 2 Lenny TAB 1980
- 3 Lenny - Famous Riffs LESSON 1982
- 4 Mary Had a Little Lamb TAB 1983
- 5 Pride and Joy TAB 1983
- 6 Pride And Joy - 1st Two 12 Bar Progressions LESSON 1983
- 7 Pride And Joy - 3rd Twelve Bar Progression LESSON 1983
- 8 Pride And Joy - Intro LESSON 1983
- 9 Pride And Joy - Main Solo LESSON 1983
- 10 Pride And Joy - Outro Section LESSON 1983
- 11 Pride And Joy Pt.1 - Intro LESSON 1983
- 12 Pride And Joy Pt.3 - 3rd Twelve Bar Progression LESSON 1983
- 13 Pride And Joy Pt.4 - Main Solo LESSON 1983
- 14 Pride And Joy Pt.5 - Outro Section LESSON 1983
- 15 Scuttle Buttin' TAB 1984
- 16 Texas Flood COVER 1983
- 17 Texas Flood - Guitar Solo LESSON 1983
- 18 Texas Flood - Intro LESSON 1983
- 19 Texas Flood - Verse 1 & 2 LESSON 1983
- 20 Texas Flood - Verse 3 LESSON 1983
- 21 Texas Flood Pt.1 - Intro LESSON 1983
- 22 Texas Flood Pt.2 - Verse 1 & 2 LESSON 1983
- 23 Texas Flood Pt.3 - Guitar Solo LESSON 1983
- 24 Texas Flood Pt.4 - Verse 3 LESSON 1983
- 25 Voodoo Child TAB 1984
W
Great White 1
Whitesnake 11
- 1 Here I Go Again TAB 1982
- 2 Here I Go Again - Chords/Rhythms LESSON 1982
- 3 Is This Love LESSON 1987
- 4 Slow An' Easy TAB 1989
- 5 Still Of The Night - Guitar Solo Section LESSON 1987
- 6 Still Of The Night - Interlude & String Section LESSON 1987
- 7 Still Of The Night - Intro, Verse & Main Riff LESSON 1987
- 8 Still Of The Night - Octave Riff, Pre-Chorus & Chorus LESSON 1987
- 9 Still Of The Night - Outro Section LESSON 1987
- 10 Still Of The Night Pt.1 - Intro, Verse & Main Riff LESSON 1987
- 11 Still Of The Night Pt.4 - Guitar Solo Section LESSON 1987
Whittaker, David 1
Williams, John 2
Men at Work 1
Y
Yokoyama, Seiji 2
Z
Dragon Ball Z 1
#
Castlevania 2 1
Guitar in the 1980s
The 80s split guitar into two camps. On one side, thrash metal bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer pushed speed, aggression and precision to the limit. On the other, glam metal bands like Motley Crue, Poison and Def Leppard focused on hooks, image and arena-filling choruses.
Iron Maiden brought twin harmonized leads and galloping rhythms to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Guns N' Roses arrived late in the decade and blew everything away with raw, bluesy hard rock that sounded nothing like the polished production around them. And shred guitarists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai turned instrumental guitar into a legitimate genre.
Gear That Defined the Decade
The "superstrat" (humbucker in the bridge, Floyd Rose tremolo, thin neck) became the standard for metal and shred. High-gain amps from Marshall, Mesa/Boogie and Soldano defined the tone. Rack-mounted effects processors replaced pedalboards for many touring guitarists. The Boss DS-1 and Ibanez Tube Screamer became essential pedals.
Key Genres of the 80s
Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Instrumental Rock. The 80s had something for every type of guitarist.