10 Classic Rock Music Songs That Sounded Better Stripped Down

Perfect In Its Primal Form.

Alice In Chains unplugged
MTV

Some of the best songs in rock history almost feel more like events than actual songs. Even if the song itself might be fine on its own, adding different layers of production always makes it sound that much more epic, almost like you’re seeing the story of the track play out in real time as you hear it. Then again, if your song really is that good, it doesn’t matter what kind of production you have behind it.

Throughout rock history, some of the best artists in the world have been known to redo their songs, making them that much more impactful with a barebones arrangement. Compared to the tons of instruments you can add in after the fact, most of these songs were just laid down with a guitar, vocal, or maybe a piano if they were feeling fancy that day.

Even with all of the added bells and whistles gone though, none of these songs lost their power in the slightest, if anything actually getting better now that all of the bigger elements are gone. Because when you’re in the studio, you still have to put on a bit of a performance. When you listen to these songs, it feels more like you’re getting a look at the person behind the voice, living in the moment as they wear their emotions on their sleeve.

10. Neon - John Mayer

There aren’t that many songs by John Mayer that hardcore rock fans are going to bend over backwards to recommend. Despite his incredible guitar skills, there are a lot of fans that still see him as the dreamy guy with an acoustic guitar that girls used to fawn over back in the early ‘00s. When you strip away all of the production stuff though, John will start showing you his true colors.

During the live concerts that he was playing off of the record Continuum, Neon was one of the most electrifying performances that he has ever done, with nothing but him and an acoustic guitar for the most part. This isn’t a song where you marvel at how beautiful it is though. Most guitar players listen to this song to figure out just how the hell all of those notes are being squeezed out of just one guitar, with John doing some crazy finger acrobatics to make sure every note falls into place.

There are even some lessons that John has posted on social media about how to play the song correctly, and even then it seems impossible, with him apologizing to people with tiny hands for writing parts that involve some insane stretches to actually reach. While this might not necessarily get the same reaction as Your Body is a Wonderland if you played it at your local open mic night, you will definitely get the respect of your guitar peers if you even dare to tackle this and actually pull it off.

 
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I'm just a junkie for all things media. Whether it's music, movies, TV, or just other reviews, I absolutely adore this stuff. But music was my first love, and I love having the opportunity to share it with you good people. Follow Me On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timcoffman97