# Hard rock songs that also sounded good unplugged **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446 "2009-07-18T16:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/1 "2009-07-18T16:17:30Z")
The flip side (the B side?) of [Songs that should NEVER be made acoustic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=524709). Which ones made the transition well? If the electric qualities essential to a good hard rock song can’t be reproduced or replaced by acoustic guitar, then it’s better off left plugged in. If the song mainly depends on: - electronic SFx - bone-crunching heaviness then it won’t work unplugged without the banshee squeals or two-ton _tessitura_. But if the song’s essence is mainly chords, then acoustic can do it justice, in the right hands. Although even acoustic guitar power chords, if miked and pickupped and mixed just badass right, can pulverize a cranium or two. It’s capable of just as crisp an attack as an electric guitar. Patti Smith’s acoustic cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” remakes the song into a sinister slow burn. It’s like she brought out some essence that was always inherent in it behind the distortion. And speaking of Tom Petty, Melissa Etheridge’s acoustic cover of “Refugee” actually works well, it’s a note-for note tribute to Petty, who is one of her main inspirations. She drove it with the power inherent in acoustic chords, because as hard rocking as the song is, it’s built on chords and riffs that sound good on a well-miked acoustic guitar. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/2 "2009-07-18T16:31:11Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > The flip side (the B side?) of [Songs that should NEVER be made acoustic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=524709). Which ones made the transition well? > > If the electric qualities essential to a good hard rock song can’t be reproduced or replaced by acoustic guitar, then it’s better off left plugged in. If the song mainly depends on: > > - electronic SFx > - bone-crunching heaviness > then it won’t work unplugged without the banshee squeals or two-ton _tessitura_. I’m not so sure about the last statement. A band I was in quite a while ago did acoustic versions of some heavy tunes. We did Fairies Wear Boots and War Pigs by Black Sabbath and they worked quite well. FWB worked really well as the bassist used a stand up bass and the bass line for that tune is all over the place. War Pigs worked because the singer was an awesome acoustic player and she kept the tune going with some smoking rhythmic work. She totally kicked my ass on acoutsic. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/3 "2009-07-18T16:33:57Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > I’m not so sure about the last statement. A band I was in quite a while ago did acoustic versions of some heavy tunes. We did Fairies Wear Boots and War Pigs by Black Sabbath and they worked quite well. FWB worked really well as the bassist used a stand up bass and the bass line for that tune is all over the place. War Pigs worked because the singer was an awesome acoustic player and she kept the tune going with some smoking rhythmic work. She totally kicked my ass on acoutsic. OK, that would be an example of how to do it right. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/4 "2009-07-18T21:23:05Z")
“Everlong” by Foo Fighters is pretty good acoustic. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/5 "2009-07-18T21:47:29Z")
Does “Smells like Teen Spririt” count as hard rock? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/6 "2009-07-18T23:53:16Z")
I saw Ann & Nancy Wilson together (just them acoustic) and they did an amazing version of\* Barracuda\*. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/7 "2009-07-19T00:13:41Z")
Smells like teen spirit - check. Acoustic - check Very well done - check I give you the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britian [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLQ2eh5LfZY) Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/8 "2009-07-19T00:46:23Z")
Giles did a pretty good acoustic version of [Behind Blue Eyes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GbVjEApiPU). And Freebird, too… ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/9 "2009-07-19T02:28:11Z")
L.L. Cool J.'s _Mama Said Knock You Out_ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjRWcqxOO6s) ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/10 "2009-07-19T02:46:51Z")
Alice in Chains - [Would](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31a6HQUrAz0&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/11 "2009-07-19T03:46:26Z")
[Sure Know something](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j3MCO8rYCI) By KISS ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/12 "2009-07-19T04:31:15Z")
Although I am no expert on rock music, I would argue that Eric Clapton’s unplugged version of _Layla_ counters many of the OP’s claims. The original is (IMHO) a quintessential hard rock song, heavily dependent on screaming electric guitar riffs, and yet the Clapton was brilliant enough to reimagine it as a sort of shuffle blues, perfectly suited to a new acoustic arrangement. I like both versions equally well as two sides of a classic coin. ---
**Author:** ![hroark2112](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hroark2112](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hroark2112)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/13 "2009-07-19T04:37:05Z")
Rush does a great version of Resist - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIp0aRrUgYg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIp0aRrUgYg) Probably not on many of your iPods, but Five Finger Death Punch does The Bleeding acoustic - [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mGzPHsiR8g](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mGzPHsiR8g) on their tour of Best Buy stores promoting their CD. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/14 "2009-07-19T04:50:27Z")
Believe it or not, I had not noticed that there was another thread about the acoustic _Layla_ a few threads down in this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/15 "2009-07-19T04:56:22Z")
A lot of Jackson Browne’s stuff works very well on acoustic. [Running On Empty acoustic.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT41GC4IDCw) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/16 "2009-07-19T05:44:04Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Does “Smells like Teen Spririt” count as hard rock? On the chorus it sure as hell is. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/17 "2009-07-19T14:16:54Z")
Aztec Camera’s cover of Van Halen’s [Jump](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzKzbucdnE). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-rock-songs-that-also-sounded-good-unplugged/503446/18 "2009-07-19T16:16:08Z")
That’s so funny! In the other thread, David Lee Roth’s own acoustic version of “Jump” was criticized as “horrifying” and “should never have been allowed to happen.” I wonder how the Aztec Camera version compares to it. In the Baroque era, pieces of music composed with a particular instrument in mind were routinely transcribed for other instruments. It allowed the music to be heard from different points of view, as it were. In rock’s electric\>acoustic transcriptions, I hear some of the same playfulness and exploration as in Baroque tradition. Although when Bach played a cello sonata on the organ, or vice versa, they were still all acoustic instruments. To cross over the sonic gulf between electric and acoustic is a much more challenging and perilous trip.