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
A Flock of Seagulls 3
AC/DC 9
- 1 Back in Black TAB 1980
- 2 For Those About To Rock LESSON 1981
- 3 For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) TAB 1981
- 4 Hells Bells TAB 1980
- 5 Shoot to Thrill TAB 1980
- 6 Who Made Who TAB 1986
- 7 You Shook Me All Night Long TAB 1980
- 8 You Shook Me All Night Long Solo Lesson - Famous Solos LESSON 1980
- 9 You Shook Me Night Long TAB 1980
Alan Parsons Project 1
Alice Cooper 1
B
Back To The Future Theme 1
Beastie Boys 2
Billy Idol 5
Billy Joel 1
Billy Squier 2
Black Diamond 1
Black Star 1
Blue Oyster Cult 1
Blue Öyster Cult 1
Bob Marley & The Wailers 1
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band 1
Bon Jovi 12
- 1 -Living On A Prayer- TAB 1986
- 2 Bad Medicine LESSON 1988
- 3 Born To Be My Baby TAB 1988
- 4 I'd Die For You TAB 1984
- 5 I'll Be There For You TAB 1988
- 6 In These Arms TAB 1989
- 7 Livin' on a Prayer TAB 1986
- 8 Raise Your Hands LESSON 1986
- 9 Runaway TAB 1984
- 10 Wanted Dead or Alive TAB 1986
- 11 Wild Is The Wind TAB 1984
- 12 You Give Love a Bad Name TAB 1986
Boston 1
Bruce Springsteen 3
Bryan Adams 4
C
Cacophony 1
Castlevania 2 1
Cheap Trick 1
China In Your Hand 1
Chris Isaak 1
Cinderella 5
Come Together 1
Cosma, Vladimir 1
Crowded House 1
Cutting Crew 2
D
David Bowie 2
Day Of Suffering 1
Deep Purple 1
Def Leppard 12
- 1 Animal LESSON 1987
- 2 Bringin' On the Heartbreak TAB 1981
- 3 Bringin' On The Heartbreak & solos TAB 1981
- 4 Foolin' TAB 1983
- 5 Gods Of War LESSON 1987
- 6 Hysteria TAB 1987
- 7 Love Bites TAB 1987
- 8 Photograph TAB 1983
- 9 Pour Some Sugar On Me TAB 1987
- 10 Rock of Ages TAB 1983
- 11 Take What You Want TAB 1987
- 12 Too Late For Love LESSON 1983
Delerue, Georges 1
Depeche Mode 1
Diamond Head 1
Dio 3
Dire Straits 3
Dokken 6
Don't You Want Me 1
E
Echo & the Bunnymen 1
Edelman, Randy 1
Elton John 1
Europe 12
- 1 Bring It Home TAB 1986
- 2 Carrie TAB 1986
- 3 Coast To Coast TAB 1988
- 4 Danger On The Track TAB 1982
- 5 Heart of Stone TAB 1986
- 6 Hero TAB 1986
- 7 Hold Your Head Up TAB 1989
- 8 Look At Eden TAB 1986
- 9 Ninja TAB 1986
- 10 Open Your Heart TAB 1985
- 11 The Final Countdown TAB 1986
- 12 The Final Countdown Guitar Solo Lesson LESSON 1986
Eurythmics 2
Extreme 3
F
Faith No More 1
Film Soundtracks 1
Foreigner 3
G
George Michael 4
Great White 1
Guns N' Roses 17
- 1 Anything Goes TAB 1987
- 2 Appetite For Destruction TAB 1987
- 3 Appetite For Destruction (Nightrain-style medley) TAB 1987
- 4 Mr. Brownstone TAB 1987
- 5 My Michelle TAB 1987
- 6 Nightrain TAB 1987
- 7 Nightrain Guitar Solo Lesson - Outro Solo LESSON 1988
- 8 One in a Million TAB 1988
- 9 Out ta Get Me TAB 1987
- 10 Paradise City TAB 1987
- 11 Patience TAB 1988
- 12 Rocket Queen TAB 1987
- 13 Sweet Child o' Mine TAB 1987
- 14 Sweet Child O' Mine Instrumental LESSON 1987
- 15 Think About You TAB 1987
- 16 Welcome to the Jungle TAB 1987
- 17 You're Crazy TAB 1987
Guns N’ Roses 1
H
Hall and Oats 1
Helloween 7
Huey Lewis and The News 1
I
I'm Calling You 1
INXS 3
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 Powerslave TAB 1984
- 25 Prodigal Son COVER 1981
- 26 Prowler TAB 1980
- 27 Purgatory COVER 1981
- 28 Quest for Fire TAB 1983
- 29 Remember Tomorrow TAB 1980
- 30 Revelations TAB 1983
- 31 Rime of the Ancient Mariner TAB 1984
- 32 Run to the Hills TAB 1982
- 33 Sanctuary Dennis Stratton's TAB 1980
- 34 Sea of Madness COVER 1986
- 35 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son COVER 1988
- 36 Still Life COVER 1983
- 37 Strange World TAB 1980
- 38 Stranger in a Strange Land COVER 1986
- 39 The Clairvoyant TAB 1988
- 40 The Duellists COVER 1984
- 41 The Evil That Men Do TAB 1988
- 42 The Ides of March TAB 1981
- 43 The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner TAB 1986
- 44 The Number of the Beast TAB 1982
- 45 The Prisoner COVER 1982
- 46 The Prophecy TAB 1988
- 47 The Trooper TAB 1983
- 48 To Tame a Land COVER 1983
- 49 Total Eclipse COVER 1982
- 50 Transylvania COVER 1980
- 51 Twilight Zone TAB 1981
- 52 Wasted Years TAB 1986
- 53 Where Eagles Dare TAB 1983
J
Jane's Addiction 2
Jason Becker 1
Jean-jacques Goldman 5
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 1
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 1
Joe Satriani 7
John Fogerty 1
John Lennon 1
John Mellencamp 2
Journey 8
- 1 Any Way You Want It TAB 1980
- 2 Don't Stop Believin' TAB 1981
- 3 Don't Stop Believin' Guitar Solo Lesson LESSON 1981
- 4 Faithfully TAB 1985
- 5 Open Arms TAB 1981
- 6 Separate Ways TAB 1983
- 7 Who's Crying Now TAB 1981
- 8 Who's Crying Now Guitar Solo Lesson - Neal Schon LESSON 1981
Judas Priest 4
K
Kenny Loggins 1
Kondo, Koji 1
L
Last Christmas 🎄 1
Leper Messiah Riffs 1
Living Colour 1
M
Marillion 4
Marty Friedman 1
Megadeth 3
Men at Work 1
Mercyful Fate 1
Metallica 36
- 1 ...And Justice For TAB 1988
- 2 ...And Justice for All TAB 1988
- 3 Battery LESSON 1986
- 4 Blackened TAB 1988
- 5 Breadfan TAB 1988
- 6 Creeping Death TAB 1984
- 7 Damage, Inc. LESSON 1986
- 8 Disposable Heroes LESSON 1986
- 9 Dyers Eve LESSON 1988
- 10 Escape TAB 1984
- 11 Eye Of The Beholder TAB 1988
- 12 Fade To Black TAB 1984
- 13 Fight Fire With Fire LESSON 1984
- 14 For Whom The Bell Tolls TAB 1984
- 15 Harvester Of Sorrow TAB 1988
- 16 Hit The Lights LESSON 1983
- 17 Jump In The Fire TAB 1983
- 18 Leper Messiah LESSON 1986
- 19 Master of Puppets TAB 1986
- 20 Metal Militia TAB 1983
- 21 Motorbreath TAB 1983
- 22 No Remorse TAB 1983
- 23 One TAB 1988
- 24 Orion TAB 1986
- 25 Phantom Lord TAB 1983
- 26 Ride The Lightning TAB 1984
- 27 Seek And Destroy TAB 1983
- 28 The Call Of Ktulu TAB 1984
- 29 The Four Horsemen TAB 1983
- 30 The Frayed Ends of Sanity TAB 1988
- 31 The Shortest Straw TAB 1988
- 32 The Thing That Should Not Be TAB 1986
- 33 To Live Is To Die TAB 1988
- 34 Trapped Under Ice TAB 1984
- 35 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) TAB 1986
- 36 Whiplash TAB 1983
Michael Jackson 5
Michael Sembello 1
Michel Sardou 1
Mike Oldfield 1
Modern Talking 1
Morricone, Ennio 1
Motley Crue 13
- 1 Dr. Feelgood TAB 1989
- 2 Girls TAB 1987
- 3 Girls, Girls, Girls LESSON 1987
- 4 Home Sweet Home TAB 1985
- 5 Kickstart My Heart TAB 1989
- 6 Live Wire TAB 1981
- 7 Looks That Kill TAB 1983
- 8 Same Ol' Situation TAB 1989
- 9 Shout At The Devil TAB 1983
- 10 Smokin' In The Boys Room LESSON 1985
- 11 Take Me To The Top TAB 1981
- 12 Too Young To Fall In Love LESSON 1983
- 13 Wild Side LESSON 1987
Motörhead 1
N
Night Ranger 1
O
Orion’s 40th Anniversary 1
Ozzy Osbourne 23
- 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 TAB 1981
- 7 Flying High Again LESSON 1981
- 8 Goodbye to Romance TAB 1980
- 9 I Don't Know TAB 1980
- 10 I Don't Know - Randy Rhoads LESSON 1980
- 11 Killer of Giants TAB 1986
- 12 Mama TAB 1983
- 13 Miracle Man TAB 1988
- 14 Mr. Crowley TAB 1980
- 15 No Bone Movies LESSON 1980
- 16 Over the Mountain TAB 1981
- 17 Revelation - Randy Rhoads LESSON 1982
- 18 Revelation (Mother Earth) TAB 1980
- 19 S.A.T.O. LESSON 1981
- 20 Shot in the Dark TAB 1986
- 21 Steal Away - Randy Rhoads LESSON 1980
- 22 Steal Away (The Night) TAB 1980
- 23 Suicide Solution LESSON 1980
P
Peter Gabriel 1
Phantom Of The Opera 1
Phil Collins 2
Pink Floyd 3
Poison 4
Praying Mantis 1
Prince 4
Purple Rain 1
Q
Queen 11
- 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 TAB 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 TAB 1984
- 11 Under Pressure TAB 1981
Queensryche 1
Quiet Riot 3
R
Randy Rhoads 4
Ratt 4
Ray Parker Jr. 1
REO Speedwagon 3
Rick James 1
Rick Springfield 2
Rising Force 1
Robert Plant 1
Rory Gallagher 1
Roy Orbison 1
Rush 6
S
Saxon 5
Scorpions 12
- 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 TAB 1982
- 9 Peacemaker TAB 1988
- 10 Rock You Like a Hurricane TAB 1984
- 11 Still Loving You TAB 1984
- 12 Tease Me Please Me TAB 1984
Simple Minds 2
Skid Row 5
SKID ROW 1
Soft Cell 1
Spinal Tap 1
Spyro Gyra 1
Steve Miller Band 1
Stevie Ray Vaughan 6
Stray Cats 1
Super Mario Bros. Theme 1
T
Tears for Fears 2
Tears For Fears 2
The Cars 1
The Cult 3
The J. Geils Band 1
The Outfield 1
The Police 3
The Rolling Stones 1
The Tragically Hip 1
Tokyo Blade 1
Tom Petty 3
Tony Macalpine 1
Twisted Sister 2
U
U2 7
V
Van Halen 20
- 1 5150 LESSON 1986
- 2 Best of Both Worlds LESSON 1986
- 3 Cathedral LESSON 1982
- 4 Dreams LESSON 1986
- 5 Drop Dead Legs LESSON 1984
- 6 Everybody Wants Some!! LESSON 1980
- 7 Girl Gone Bad LESSON 1984
- 8 Hear About It Later LESSON 1981
- 9 Hot for Teacher TAB 1984
- 10 House of Pain LESSON 1984
- 11 I'll Wait TAB 1984
- 12 Jump TAB 1984
- 13 Little Guitars LESSON 1982
- 14 Mean Street LESSON 1981
- 15 Panama TAB 1984
- 16 Pretty Woman LESSON 1982
- 17 Romeo Delight LESSON 1980
- 18 Take Your Whiskey Home LESSON 1980
- 19 Top Jimmy LESSON 1984
- 20 Unchained TAB 1981
Violent Femmes 1
W
Whitesnake 5
Whittaker, David 1
Wicked Game 1
Williams, John 2
Y
Yngwie Malmsteen 1
Yokoyama, Seiji 2
Z
#
38 Special 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.