# 3 Guitar Moments From the 1980s That Listeners Skip Over the Chorus For

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/3-guitar-moments-from-the-1980s-that-listeners-skip-over-the-chorus-for/
- Published: 2026-10-30T12:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T12:36:08+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/3-guitar-moments-from-the-1980s-that-listeners-skip-over-the-chorus-for/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Music, World

## Key points

- Three 1980s rock tracks are praised for their guitar parts.
- Eddie Van Halen played on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”.
- Slash and Randy Rhoads’ playing anchors two other classics.

## Summary

The article highlights three 1980s rock songs whose guitar parts can outshine their choruses: Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”. It argues that the instrumental work gives each track a lasting appeal alongside its vocals and lyrics.

Eddie Van Halen played the guitar on “Beat It”, while Slash’s opening riff and solo define “Sweet Child O’ Mine”; the article says the opening riff came together by accident. On “Crazy Train”, Randy Rhoads’ precise, fast playing is described as matching the song’s lyrics about conflict and learning to love rather than hate.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.