Mandolin Rain - Mandolin Songs in Rock & Pop
Continuing with my series of playlists of rock and pop songs featuring particular instruments, with past blogs highlighting the piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, accordion, and flute, today’s blog salutes the mandolin. While most common in classical, bluegrass, and folk music, the mandolin has found a place in some great rock and pop songs. A few bands with regular inclusion of mandolin in their music included Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, REM, and the Hooters. Some mandolin song greats included Zep’s Battle of Evermore and Going to California, Grateful Dead’s Friend of the Devil and Ripple, REM’s Losing My Religion, Hooters And We Danced, Steve Winwood’s Back In The High Life, Goo Goo Dolls Iris, Billy Joel’s Piano Man, Bruce Hornsby’s Mandolin Rain, the playlist title song, and Elton John’s Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters, perhaps my favorite song on the list.
So give it a listen, and give attention to the mandolin, sometimes in the background, sometimes as a little solo or flourish. You might be surprised at some of the songs you’ve listened to many times without acknowledging its presence and its important contribution to the song.
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life. Live in the moment. Enjoy the moment. Love the moment. Listen to the MUSIC!
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