Top Thirty 12-String Guitar Songs of All Time

[paologregorio]

I'm surprised there wasn't something from The Smiths though.

These people probably don't even know who the Smiths are, unfortunately.

The Searchers When You Walk In The Room would be high up on my list.

Yep, that's a very distinct, hooky riff!

[Ivan3000]

Only Two Beatles songs!!??! What about "I call your Name"

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

I'm surprised there wasn't something from The Smiths though.

These people probably don't even know who the Smiths are, unfortunately.

Wrong, sir. The recent issue with Kirk Hammett and Adam Jones featured a small article on Johnny Marr. Of course, the list they featured him in was terribly flawed, like this one.

[wj350]

Well, any list is bound to generate emotions, LOL...I like Eagles and Hotel California, so I'm not too worked up.

Kinda surprising no Shawn Phillips tracks are on the list, but I'm probably dating myself.

[david/wales/u.k]

I love Johnny Marr and The Smiths but I'm not sure how many songs featured the 12 string as the main instrument....His main Ric was the 330/6 although he used a lot of other guitars and studio effects on their tracks

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

I love Johnny Marr and The Smiths but I'm not sure how many songs featured the 12 string as the main instrument....His main Ric was the 330/6 although he used a lot of other guitars and studio effects on their tracks

He used that 330 for most of the first album (Tele on this Charming Man), but used a 12 String Ric for "Headmaster Ritual."

[Rickygirl]

How about:

A Hard Day's Night (Beatles)
Ticket to Ride (Beatles)
If I Needed Someone (Beatles)
Mr. Tambourine Man (Byrds)
Eight Miles High (Byrds)
Turn! Turn! Turn! (Byrds)
Chimes of Freedom (Byrds)
My Back Pages (Byrds)
Gardening at Night (R.E.M.)
7 Chinese Bros. (R.E.M.)
Pretty Persuasion (R.E.M.)
Green Grow the Rushes (R.E.M.)
Good Advices (R.E.M.)

Robert

Good choices!

+1

[david/wales/u.k]

Just about anything from The Byrds but one song I don't think anyone has mentioned is Bells Of Rhymney....That jangles and chimes from start to finish.....An underrated R.e.m song, from Document........ Welcome to the occupation...Don't know if it is a 12string but it sounds like.

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

Just about anything from The Byrds but one song I don't think anyone has mentioned is Bells Of Rhymney....That jangles and chimes from start to finish.....An underrated R.e.m song, from Document........ Welcome to the occupation...Don't know if it is a 12string but it sounds like.

No, Welcome to the Occupation is 360 - No 12 String. I once theorized it was actually Peter's Les Paul, because the sound is pretty thick.

But, the Byrds became less oriented on 12 String guitar with their latter albums; I wouldn't say "any" Byrds sound should be on the list. If anything, they should have recognized Roger was one of the few people who played lead on the 12 string, but also made his own sound.

[david/wales/u.k]

Yea, ...Never been too sure about how many Rem songs are 12 string....What about the list above with pretty persuasion, Green grow the rushes e.t.c...Are they 12 string?.......I'm pretty sure Gardening at night isn't a 12 string though ( could be wrong )........I also think that up until the album Reckoning, Peter Buck didn't own a 12 string...( although he did borrow Mitch Easters Fender 12 )

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

Yea, ...Never been too sure about how many Rem songs are 12 string....What about the list above with pretty persuasion, Green grow the rushes e.t.c...Are they 12 string?.......I'm pretty sure Gardening at night isn't a 12 string though ( could be wrong )........I also think that up until the album Reckoning, Peter Buck didn't own a 12 string...( although he did borrow Mitch Easters Fender 12 )

Yes, Peter was in love with the 12 String for the first three albums. Gardening at Night, depending on what version, does have 12 string during the verses. There's even some 12 String on the chorus for Fall on Me. Of course, he used it on Out of Time a little.

Peter's an underrated player for both Rickenbacker and Gibson. He's only been in a Guitar World once, and most people think he just jangles.

[Folkie]

Yea, ...Never been too sure about how many Rem songs are 12 string....What about the list above with pretty persuasion, Green grow the rushes e.t.c...Are they 12 string?.......I'm pretty sure Gardening at night isn't a 12 string though ( could be wrong )........I also think that up until the album Reckoning, Peter Buck didn't own a 12 string...( although he did borrow Mitch Easters Fender 12 )

Listen closely to the studio version of "Gardening at Night": You can't get that kind of jangle and shimmer without those octave and unison strings chiming out. "Pretty Persuasion" was recorded with Mitch Easter's Fender XII double-tracked, although some of the guitar parts are Peter's 360/6. "Green Grow the Rushes" is the quintessential 12-string song in the R.E.M. catalog (see my previous threads); not only does Peter's 12-string chime and shimmer, but, if you listen carefully, you can hear that the low course comes before the high octave--clearly a Rick 12. There are so many other choices I could have made (particularly from their early catalog). Someone on this forum has corroborated that Peter Buck owned his jetglo 360/12 as early as 1984 and possibly earlier. He himself has said that he "got a great 12-string sound from my Rickenbacker on the chorus to '7 Chinese Bros.'" Check out those previous threads on Peter Buck under Rickenbacker Artists.

Robert

[manta]

Here's another vote for "Bells of Ryhmney" to be tossed into the best mix. It is a beautifully executed of folk and electronica just when Folk Rock was being pioneered. Some of that early Byrds harmony highlighted by some great 12-string playing makes it a classic. The song's subject, a Welsh mining disaster, may make it a bit too sad to be wildly popular. But back when this came out, this was a special arrangement and it stands the test of time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGFb_xZR3K0

I've also liked the Byrd's version of Jackie DeShannon's "It's No Use" on that album.

[larsongs]

Who the F@#k made that list? Hard Days Night #16???? WTF?

Should be more like this. First on the list, the most iconic 12 String song in History, Hard Days Night #1 Followed by Ticket To Ride #2, Nowhere Man #3, Feel A Whole Lot Better #4, Tambourine Man #5, Turn, Turn, Turn #6, Needles & Pins #7, Last Train To Clarksville #8 would seem lore like it to me. Half the Songs on that list shouldn't even be on it.

Almost every single Song that may actually deserve to be on that list wouldn't exist without the inspiration from The Beatles! Particulalry George Harrison & a Rickenbacker 12 String.

That list is a JOKE!

Glenn

[Folkie]

Tim,

"The Bells of Rhymney" should have been on my list. Not only is it a folk-rock classic, but, as you probably know, it served as a template for George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone."

I agree with Glenn that the Beatles and the Byrds are radically underrepresented on the "Guitar World" list. It's almost as if the editors who put the list together listened exclusively to contemporary FM radio and not at all to the music that defined the electric 12-string sound in the 60's.

Robert