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Huey Lewis and The News

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Band Overview

Huey Lewis and the News emerged from the Bay Area in the late 1970s and became a defining force in 1980s pop-rock, selling millions of albums and dominating MTV with their energetic, funk-influenced sound. The band's secret weapon was guitarist Johnny Colla, whose rhythmic precision and tasteful soloing drove their biggest hits, proving that pop-rock didn't mean dumbing down your playing. What makes them essential for guitarists is their masterclass in groove-oriented playing: clean, punchy tone, locked-in rhythm work that serves the song, and an ability to make simple ideas stick in your head for days. Unlike the shred guitarists dominating rock radio in the 1980s, Colla and the band prioritized pocket playing, syncopated rhythms, and a soulful approach that borrowed heavily from funk and R&B. The difficulty level varies wildly across their catalog, from straightforward open-position strumming on power ballads to intricate, syncopated rhythm parts on funk-influenced cuts like 'Heart of Rock and Roll.' For guitarists, Huey Lewis and the News represent a valuable lesson in restraint and serving the song rather than showcasing technique for its own sake. Learning their material teaches you how to lock into a groove, how to complement a horn section, and how to write memorable, singable guitar parts that stick with listeners long after the song ends.

What Makes Huey Lewis and The News Essential for Guitar Players

  • Johnny Colla's rhythm work is syncopated and funky, built on quick, percussive strokes that sit high in the mix; learning his parts teaches you how to play with a horn section and how to use muted strings and selective muting to add movement without overwhelming the vocals.
  • The band favors bright, clean tones with punch, achieved through solid-body electrics and amp settings that preserve attack; this is the opposite of sustain-heavy 80s rock and forces you to rely on accurate picking and timing rather than feedback or distortion.
  • Power-pop influenced songwriting means lots of barre chords and sus chords used rhythmically; songs like 'The Power of Love' use these shapes to create movement and sophistication without resorting to drop-D tuning or extended voicings.
  • Colla employs a locked, efficient picking style that emphasizes downstrokes on strong beats and quick alternate picking on hi-hat-like muted sections; this teaches you economy of motion and how to make minimal picking work maximally in a band context.
  • The use of dynamics within a single song is key to their appeal; guitars sit way back on verses to let vocals breathe, then punch forward on choruses with doubled rhythm parts or subtle octave jumps that catch the ear without stepping on the lead vocal.

Did You Know?

Johnny Colla is equally proficient on saxophone, which heavily influenced his approach to guitar phrasing and tone; he thinks like a horn player and uses rhythmic punctuation rather than long, sustained notes, which is why his solos feel conversational and soulful.

The band's 1983 album Sports was recorded with an almost live-band mindset, meaning guitars were often captured in one or two takes; this enforces accuracy and groove-locked playing, with no time for layering effects or processing tone in the studio.

Huey Lewis favored vintage Fender Telecasters and semi-hollow body guitars for their tonal clarity and reduced feedback issues; the Tele's bright, cutting tone became a secret weapon for cutting through horn arrangements without boosting treble on the amp.

The band's horn section (saxophones and trumpets) required the guitars to stay rhythmically locked in and to avoid stepping on the same frequency range; this forced Colla to EQ his tone bright and focused, teaching the valuable lesson of arrangement awareness.

Despite the massive radio success, Huey Lewis and the News rarely used heavy compression or effects in the studio; their punch came from good amp tone and tight playing, proving that 1980s production doesn't require digital processing to sound great.

Johnny Colla's live performances reveal how much of their studio sound came from playing in the pocket with the drummer rather than relying on production tricks; watching his finger positioning and pick attack explains why their records still sound fresh and human.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Sports album cover
Sports 1983

This is the essential Huey Lewis album for learning groove-oriented playing and rhythm arrangement. 'The Power of Love,' 'Heart of Rock and Roll,' and 'I Want a New Drug' showcase Johnny Colla's syncopated, synth-like rhythm work and his ability to make simple chord shapes swing hard. The record teaches you how to comp over a tight rhythm section and how to add movement through muting and dynamic picking rather than fancy voicings.

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Picture This album cover
Picture This 1982

The band's breakthrough album demonstrates the development of their signature sound before stadium-sized production took over. Guitar tone is cleaner and more intimate, making it easier to hear Colla's picking technique and how he builds grooves from basic power chords. Tracks like 'Workin' It Back to You' highlight the interplay between guitar and horn sections, essential for any musician learning to arrange in a band context.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Johnny Colla used vintage Fender Telecasters and semi-hollow body Fenders throughout the band's classic period; these guitars emphasize bright attack and clarity over sustain, which is crucial for sitting well with horn arrangements. The Tele's single-coil pickups cut through dense mixes without sounding thin, and the semi-hollow bodies add warmth and a slight natural compression that helps lock into grooves.

Amp

Colla favored vintage Fender amplifiers, likely in the 40-80 watt range, pushed hard enough to achieve natural breakup without heavy distortion; Fender amps are known for their headroom and clean headroom-to-breakup transition, meaning they stay musical even when driven. The mid-forward character of Fender circuits complemented the band's bright guitar tone and made rhythm parts sit perfectly above the horn section without scooped lows.

Pickups

Fender single-coil pickups, bright and punchy with fast transient response; these pickups are ideal for rhythm playing because they capture every nuance of your picking attack and muting technique. The inherent hum was managed through amp settings and arrangement awareness rather than shielding or noise gates, keeping the tone raw and responsive.

Effects & Chain

Minimal effects used in the studio or live; the band relied on amp tone and playing technique rather than pedals or signal processing. This approach emphasizes the importance of getting your fingers right and your amp dialed in before reaching for a chorus or reverb pedal. The occasional use of light reverb and plate delay for spatial dimension, but nothing that masks the core guitar tone or clouds the groove.

Recommended Gear

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Johnny Colla's Telecaster delivers the bright, cutting attack essential for Huey Lewis And The News' horn-driven arrangements. Single-coil pickups capture precise picking dynamics while the solid body cuts through dense mixes without sustain clouding the groove.

ISP Decimator Noise Gate
Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

While Colla preferred raw, responsive tones without heavy processing, a noise gate like the Decimator could manage the inherent hum of single-coil pickups during live performances without sacrificing the punchy transient response crucial to his rhythm style.

How to Practice Huey Lewis and The News on GuitarZone

Every Huey Lewis and The News song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice The Power of Love - Guitar Lesson