When one thinks of the instrumentation of the typical rock band, the same old suspects come to thoughts: guitar, bass, drums, vocals, maybe a keyboardist or a number of horns thrown in.

How about some violin? Sure, it is most frequently thought-about an orchestral instrument, and would not precisely emit the gritty, horny kind of sound rock bands are sometimes searching for. But the violin is able to becoming in with extra genres than you would possibly assume, together with rock ‘n’ roll.

Below, we have compiled 40 of the very best cases of violins being utilized in rock songs. Readers will discover that tracks that includes extra concerned string sections will not be included right here — this record is for numbers wherein the fiddle alone is a standout and important half.

1. “Acadian Driftwood,” The Band
From: Northern Lights — Southern Cross (1975)

Kansas-born Byron Berline began taking part in the violin at 5 years previous and primarily by no means stopped. His resume of rock ‘n’ roll collaborations ranges from Bob Dylan to Elton John, Rod Stewart to Eagles and plenty of others. More on that later, however to start with, right here he’s on the Band’s “Acadian Driftwood.”

2. “Amy,” Elton John
From: Honky Chateau (1972)

“Amy” is definitely one in all two songs on Elton John’s Honky Chateau to characteristic fiddle. The different is “Mellow,” and each of them are because of the work of Jean-Luc Ponty, a French musician who attended the Paris Conservatory when he was simply 16 years previous. In the years that adopted, he grew to become one of many world’s most renown jazz violinists.

3. “Baba O’Reily,” The Who
From: Who’s Next (1971)

Violinist Dave Arbus is a founding member of the British prog rock band East of Eden, who had a Top 10 hit in 1970 with a track known as “Jig-a-Jig.” The 12 months after that, Arbus was a visitor musician on the Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” taking part in a now-iconic violin half that brings the track to a dramatic end. (Arbus additionally performed fiddle on Roger Daltrey’s 1973 debut solo album, Daltrey.)

4. “Black Water,” The Doobie Brothers
From: What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974)

Technically talking, “Black Water” by the Doobie Brothers options not a violin however a viola, a barely bigger and lower-sounding instrument. But we’re counting it for this record because it actually would not be the identical track with out it. In this case, the viola is performed by Novi Novog, who performed on a number of Doobie Brothers albums, in addition to releases by Carly Simon, Montrose, Prince and extra.

5. “Come On Eileen,” Dexys Midnight Runners
From: Too-Rye-Ay (1982)

What would “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners be with out that driving violin melody? There’s really two folks behind that half, each taking part in the violin: Helen O’Hara and Steve Brennan, often known as the Emerald Express.

6. “Country Honk,” The Rolling Stones
From: Let It Bleed (1969)

Byron Berline was launched to the Rolling Stones through Gram Parsons. The band personally flew Berline out to Los Angeles, the place they convened within the studio to report “Country Honk.” “I was in the studio for a couple of passes through, and they said, ‘Hey, we want you to come in, we want to talk to you,’ and I thought, oh, they don’t like it, they’re going to dump it,” Berline recalled in an interview with BlueGrass West! “But I went in and they said, ‘We want you to stand outside in the street on the sidewalk and record it…we’ll get a nice ambiance, we think,’ and I kind of giggled and said, ‘Well, whatever you want to do.’ So that’s what we did. That’s where they got the car horn.”

7. “Cut Across Shorty,” Rod Stewart
From: Gasoline Alley (1970)

There are two folks credited because the violinists on Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley album: Dennis O’Flynn and Dick Powell. The latter of these two performed on a number of of Stewart’s albums. It’s not clear which of the 2 performs on “Cut Across Shorty,” however both method, it is an amazing instrumental break.

8. “Directly From My Heart to You,” Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
From: Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)

There may be very a lot such a factor as rock ‘n’ roll violin, and Don “Sugarcane” Harris was one of many pioneers of plugging the instrument in. Though he studied classical violin as a baby, he finally moved over to the electrical violin. Here he’s on Frank Zappa’s cowl of “Directly from My Heart to You” by Little Richard.

9. “Don’t Pass Me By,” The Beatles
From: The White Album (1968)

Violinist Jack Fallon performed and studied with the London Symphony Orchestra as a younger man, however finally expanded his repertoire to jazz and early rock ‘n’ roll music. He additionally labored as a booker and promoter within the ’60s, which led him to connecting with the Beatles, who requested him to play fiddle on 1968’s “Don’t Pass Me By.”

10. “Dust in the Wind,” Kansas
From: Point of Know Return (1977)

Not many rock bands have a full time violin participant, however Kansas was one in all them. Robby Steinhardt’s violin and viola work undoubtedly helped outline the band’s sound — simply take a take heed to their greatest hit, “Dust in the Wind,” for proof.

11. “Flight of the Phoenix,” Grand Funk Railroad
From: Phoenix (1972)

By the time fiddle participant Doug Kershaw, heard right here on Grand Funk Railroad’s “Flight of the Phoenix,” had began to turn into identified within the folks and rock music world, he’d already loved a profitable profession as a duo together with his brother Rusty. In 1969 he appeared on The Johnny Cash Show, adopted by a run of performances because the opening act for Derek and the Dominos in New York City. after which he appeared on the Newport Folk Festival. In 1970, he contributed fiddle to Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant.”

12. “Guilty,” Bonham
From: The Disregard of Timekeeping (1989)

Here’s one thing from the spawn of a rock ‘n’ roll legend. Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, shaped the Jason Bonham Band in 1988. A 12 months later they launched their debut album The Disregard of Timekeeping. The fiddle right here on “Guilty” is by John Smithson, who additionally labored with the likes of Paul Rodgers, Rod Stewart and Steve Lukather.

13. “Hurricane,” Bob Dylan
From: Desire (1976)

There’s plenty of nice fiddle work throughout the whole thing of Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire, however arguably the piece de resistance is “Hurricane.” That’s Scarlet Rivera on violin, who had additionally been part of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour. “I did replace Eric Clapton on Desire,” Rivera stated in a 2020 interview. (Clapton did play guitar on one Desire track, “Romance in Durango.”) “The reason that I flew to New York to break into music was not to be the string-section sweet sound that violins have been known for. This was the way I heard violin: I could replace a lead guitar. My lines were like lead guitar because I made them that way. I heard them that way.”

14. “Image of Me,” The Flying Burrito Brothers
From: Burrito Deluxe (1970)

Here’s one other Byron Berline monitor, this time with the Flying Burrito Brothers. For Berline, transitioning from taking part in extra conventional bluegrass to working with rock ‘n’ rollers was a problem, however a worthy one. “The music is closely related, but you had to really study it in a way,” he stated within the aforementioned interview. “Be able to improvise enough to get by with it.”

15. “Jungleland,” Bruce Springsteen
From: Born to Run (1975)

Sure, there’s an extremely soulful saxophone solo by Clarence Clemons in Bruce Springsteen’s “Jungleland,” however do not dismiss the beguiling violin intro by Suki Lahav. An Israeli native, Lahav moved to the U.S. in 1971 along with her husband, a recording engineer. Within only a couple years the couple was working with the Boss on his music.

16. “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning,” Hot Tuna
From: First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (1971)

“Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” is a standard gospel blues track, which Hot Tuna usually performed dwell at their live shows. They additionally dedicated it to report on their 1971 album First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, that includes Papa John Creach on violin. Creach additionally labored with Louis Armstrong, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and extra.

17. “Livin’ Thing,” Electric Light Orchestra
From: A New World Record (1976)

As their title suggests, Electric Light Orchestra was well-versed in string sections, which does not rely for this record. However, a slight modification ought to be made for “Livin’ Thing,” which options each a lush string part and a hypnotic violin solo, performed by Mik Kaminski.

18. “Lose This Skin,” The Clash
From: Sandinista! (1980)

When you consider the Clash, you in all probability do not consider violins or of another person singing the lead vocal other than Joe Strummer. But “Lose This Skin” has each these issues. It appeared on 1980’s Sandinista! and featured Tymon Dogg on lead vocals and violin. In reality, Dogg contributed violin to a complete of six tracks on the album.

19. “Losing It,” Rush
From: Signals (1982)

Ben Mink is finest identified for being a longtime collaborator of the Canadian singer ok.d. lang. So it is sensible then that he’d workforce up with one other well-known Canadian act: Rush. Mink performed electrical violin on “Losing It,” from 1982’s Signals. Years later, Mink contributed to a different Rush track, “Faithless” from 2007’s Snakes & Arrows.

20. “Milk Train,” Jefferson Airplane
From: Long John Silver (1972)

Here’s some extra electrical violin motion from Papa John Creach, who first grew to become a member of the band in 1970, staying till 1972. “When I joined, the volume level was a big switch,” Creach advised the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “I wasn’t used to it. So the first thing I did was get earplugs.”

21. “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo,” The Grateful Dead
From: Wake of the Flood (1973)

Fiddler Vassar Clements’ first foray into the rock ‘n’ roll aspect of the music trade was with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on their 1972 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Following that, he contributed to the Grateful Dead’s Wake of the Flood (1973) and Jimmy Buffett’s A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean (1973).

22. “Once Upon a Long Ago,” Paul McCartney
From: 1987 Single

Violinist Nigel Kennedy’s background is in classical music, however he often has dabbled in rock. For instance, he contributed to Paul McCartney’s fortieth single, “Once Upon a Long Ago.” He additionally appeared on a Robert Plant solo track known as “Calling to You,” and performed the “Baba O’Riley” violin solo heard on the Who’s 2003 launch Live on the Royal Albert Hall, to call only a few initiatives.

23. “Out of the Blue,” Roxy Music
From: Country Life (1974)

Roxy Music was only one band that Eddie Jobson, whose violin taking part in is featured on the 1974 track “Out of the Blue,” was a part of. At varied different factors in his profession he was a member of Frank Zappa’s band and Jethro Tull. And it wasn’t even his first instrument — that title belonged to the piano. “I never enjoyed learning violin very much, to tell you the truth,” Jobson admitted in a 1995 interview. “But I was very good at it. So it didn’t make any sense to quit because I was naturally good at it. I was lucky that way.”

24. “Paper in Fire,” John Mellencamp
From: The Lonesome Jubilee (1987)

Like Dylan’s Desire, John Mellencamp’s The Lonesome Jubilee is filled with nice violin work. That’s the doing of Lisa Germano, who appeared on a number of Mellencamp albums. For this album, we propose the massive hits: “Paper in Fire,” “Check It Out” and “Cherry Bomb.” Germano has additionally contributed to albums by David Bowie, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop and extra.

25. “Rag Mama Rag,” The Band
From: The Band (1969)

When you consider Rick Danko, you in all probability image him together with his bass strapped on, however he was additionally fairly a proficient fiddle participant, as evidenced by songs like “Rag Mama Rag.” (An honorable point out have to be given to John Simon, who contributed the tuba elements to this track.)

26. “Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets),” Neil Young
From: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)

Neil Young’s “Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets)” options Bobby Notkoff on violin. Notkoff additionally performed on albums by Electric Flag (1968’s Long Time Comin’), Karen Dalton (1971’s In My Own Time), Joni Mitchell (1972’s For the Roses) and extra.

27. “Sea of Joy,” Blind Faith
From: Blind Faith (1969)

Blind Faith launched precisely one album of their transient time collectively, nevertheless it actually did properly on the charts, grabbing the No. 1 spot in each the U.S. and U.Okay. On that self-titled 1969 LP was the track “Sea of Joy,” a Steve Winwood contribution, with violin offered by Ric Grech.

28. “Stop Right There,” The Hollies
From: Evolution (1967)

Well, we tried to seek out out who performs the violin solo on the Hollies’ “Stop Right There” and got here up empty-handed. Nevertheless, it is an attractive center part of the track.

29. “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” U2
From: War (1983)

Violinist Steve Wickham was a longtime member of the Waterboys, a band we’ll get to shortly, however he additionally performed on songs by the likes of Elvis Costello, Sinead O’ Connor and U2. That’s him on “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” a gig he bought after working into the Edge at a bus cease in the future. “[I] said, ‘Hey, if you need a fiddle on your next record, I’m your man,’” Wickham advised Hot Press in 2017. “He said ‘sure’ and took my number, and then he got on the bus to Malahide while I went home to Bayside.” Not lengthy after that he joined U2 within the studio.

30. “This Ol’ Cowboy,” Marshall Tucker Band
From: Where We All Belong (1974)

It would not be proper to have an inventory like this one that does not embrace Charlie Daniels someplace. Daniels performed fiddle on two songs from the Marshall Tucker Band’s 1974 album Where We All Belong: “This Ol’ Cowboy” and “24 Hours at a Time.”

31. “Travelin’ Prayer,” Billy Joel
From: Piano Man (1973)

There is a motive Billy Armstrong was as soon as voted “Fiddle Player of the Year” 13 years in a row by the Academy of Country Music. He lent that expertise to “Travelin’ Prayer,” a track from Billy Joel’s Piano Man album. (Dolly Parton would report her personal model of the track in 1999.)

32. “Venus in Furs,” The Velvet Underground
From: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

John Cale of the Velvet Underground was a gifted string participant from just about the very starting —  he joined the National Youth Orchestra of Wales at age 13 and later acquired a scholarship to review music on the University of London. He introduced this expertise to the desk when he began working with Lou Reed in late 1964, including electrical viola to songs like “Venus in Furs.”

33. “Violence,” Mott the Hoople
From: Mott (1973)

Violinist Graham Preskett performed on not one however two Mott the Hoople albums, Mott in 1973 and The Hoople in 1974. He then went on to play on albums by Edwin Starr, Gerry Rafferty, Whitesnake, Yes and extra, in addition to compose movie scores.

34. “Violin,” Kate Bush
From: Never for Ever (1980)

It form of would not get extra self-explanatory than “Violin” by Kate Bush — “four strings has across the bridge,” she sings. The violin on this 1980 track was performed by the Irish musician Kevin Burke.

35. “We Will Not Be Lovers,” The Waterboys
From: Fisherman’s Blues (1988)

We’re again to the Waterboys. Steve Wickham’s violin taking part in propels “We Will Not Be Lovers” from 1988’s Fisherman Blues. “I’ve always seen myself as a violinist, not a songwriter,” Wickham defined to the Irish Daily Mirror in 2021. “My role in the Waterboys has been to serve that song – and to try and inhabit the feeling or the thought in the lyric or the song.”

36. “And the Healing Has Begun,” Van Morrison
From: Into the Mystic (1979)

Violinist Toni Marcus was one thing of a kid prodigy, exhibiting nice ability on the instrument from an early age. In the ’70s, she crossed paths with Van Morrison. “I don’t know how he met her – it was like a leaflet on a telephone pole or something,” bassist David Hayes recalled to Uncut in 2015, talking to Marcus’ position on Morrison’s 1979 album Into the Mystic, “and Van just kind of turned her loose! She was a real character.”

37. “Wild Turkey,” Jefferson Airplane
From: Bark (1971)

Here’s yet another Papa John Creach track for you, who one way or the other is able to making his violin sound extra like a rock guitar than a classical instrument.

38. “Wish You Were Here,” Pink Floyd
From: Wish You Were Here (1975)

You could be pondering to your self: There’s no violin in Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” That’s true, however there’s a “lost” model of the track. At one level, jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli was introduced into the studio to contribute a component, however in the long run, this was eliminated. “You can just hear him if you listen very, very, very hard right at the end of ‘Wish You Were Here,’ you can just hear a violin come in after all the wind stuff starts—just!” Roger Waters recalled in a 1993 interview. “We decided not to give him credit, because we thought it might be a bit of an insult. He got his £300, though.”

39. “You Wear It Well,” Rod Stewart
From: Never a Dull Moment (1972)

Once once more, Dick Powell is current on a Rod Stewart track. He even joined Stewart and the Faces once they carried out the track on BBC’s Top of the Pops, as seen beneath.

40. “99 Year Blues,” Hot Tuna
From: Burgers (1972)

Just kidding, here is yet another Papa John Creach track to shut out this record. “I’ve always been listening to more than one thing,” he advised the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “And I’ve bought nice huge ears. So any path you need to go in, simply give me the beat and I’ll go along with you.”