10 Greatest Guitar Duos In Hard Rock

At the start of the '70s, there was a clear divide between what was the rhythm and lead guitar parts. Even if there were two guitar players in the group, there was always one who pounded out the chords and another who focused on the wailing lead parts. That is, until Thin Lizzy came out and rewrote the entire guitarist dynamic.

Inspired by acts like Wishbone Ash, Lizzy's guitar sound with Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson was the first case of actual harmonies at work. While you would see bands like KISS incorporating harmonies in their guitar parts at times, Lizzy's way with dual leads made for some virtual rock symphonies on cuts like the Boys are Back in Town. Even when Brian Robertson ended up leaving the fold, the way that guitarists like John Sykes and Gary Moore picked up the slack was still transcendent, with just the right bluesy edge to go along with the sophisticated bits.

In fact, the harmony work may have been what allowed Lizzy to try out some new material, like on the loftier sides of their conceptual work like on Black Rose or Emerald. While the rock world had gotten used to the traditional guitar roles, Thin Lizzy made two lead guitarists for the price of one.