10 Rock Songs With Weird Instruments

When the Beatles reached the mid 60's, the moptop looks were quickly fading along with their traditional pop rock sound. After filming their mad-capped movie Help!, the band started to experiment more once they entered the studio for their next record Rubber Soul.

Across the track listing, the band seemed to be embracing the folk rock movement being jumpstarted by bands like the Byrds and Bob Dylan, but with a much greater sonic palette. During filming, George Harrison had been listening to the Indian music being played in one of the scenes and had just recently acquired a sitar so he could learn how to play the more Eastern-inspired scales.

Once John Lennon came up with the key riff of what would become "Norwegian Wood," he didn't seem to be getting the right sound from his acoustic guitar. He approached George Harrison and asked if he would play the riff of the song on his sitar. With much reluctance, Harrison agreed and found the notes that would eventually become the song's iconic sound. Starting off as just a musical experiment, this song became the springboard for Harrison to dive further into Indian music and the first use of the sitar in a Western pop song.