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Best Rock Harmonies

Best Rock Harmonies

  • CSN

    Votes: 15 19.2%

  • The Eagles

    Votes: 18 23.1%

  • The Doobie Brothers

    Votes: 2 2.6%

  • Spock's Beard

    Votes: 2 2.6%

  • other

    Votes: 41 52.6%
  • Total voters
    78
#65
+1 Hollies
+1 Jellyfish
+1 Queen

Electric Light Orchestra, anyone?

Yes, there's a Beatles influence in every band above.

Elton John Band (especially the Murray/Olsen era)?

I watched last night a live video of CSN doing 'Southern Cross.' Absolutely stunning.
 
#67
jmattbassplaya said:
Just curious, but how are vocal harmonies usually stacked? Obviously they're not always the same, but what's the general way of doing it? Root, 3rds, ??? ?
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It really depends on what you are going for. Country is always the fifth but rock is usually the 3rd or the 5th below, there is no set rules though. You have to look at the chords and see how you want accentuate. Transcribe the vocal line and chart your harmonies off that.

I find myself doing every interval outside of the second and the fourth. The sixth I only do in one song I can think of. Third and fifth are the most common, with a seventh in there as well.
 
#75
monkeybass68 said:
Best hard rock harmonies of the late 80's, early 90's:
EXTREME
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+1 and then some. FWIW, their Queen Medley set at the Concert For Life is a must-see. No tricks, no overdubs, no ****!

Honorable mention for a former cover band from Springfield, IL called Secret Society. They would go from Eric Johnson to Janes Addiction to Eagles to Queen literally back to back. Bohemian Rhapsody? No problem-even did the full operetta section in 5-part harmony. I'm not sure whatever happened to 'em, but I saw them multiple times 20+ years back and they killed it every time-not just a lucky "one shot."
 
#76
CSNY and by extension The Hollies, The Byrd's, Buffalo Springfield, and Manassas. I saw Manassas and the last time I saw CSNY (in 2000) Crosby and Nash still were nailing it every time, Stills was sober and on tune.

Poco

The Beatles

Queen

Yes, at least in the studio, but I saw them live twice (Patrick Moraz days) and Anderson was the only one who sang in tune.

John
 
#77
dalkowski said:
A lot of great groups mentioned here, but no Everly Brothers (unless I missed em)? They're kinda the alpha & omega IMHO—so many great harmonizers cite them as influences. Maybe not the greatest ever 50 years on, but they still rank high.
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This is a good observation, especially in the two-part harmony catagory. The brothers were genetically engineered with similar voices, phrasing, and perfect pitch, extremely tight harmonies, very influencial on just about everyone who came out in the 60's. Try to find a pair that can do it like that, they are few and far between. Even Lennon and McCartney are close but no cigar.
 

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