# Pop songs with kick-ass horns **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065 "2013-03-05T03:46:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/141 "2014-01-25T16:04:07Z")
In 1969, Janis Joplin was gettin’ into some Motown funky soul horn stuff: [Try (Just a Little Bit Harder),](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gsqBEPSrd0)on Dick Cavett Show [Piece of My Heart,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vThD7ot9oII&list=PLC56596650F6EA4B7) as performed at Woodstock. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Kenyon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/49beb7/32.png) [@Michael\_Kenyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Kenyon)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/142 "2014-01-26T11:54:57Z")
\*\*Come Go With Me \*_(Del-Vikings, 1957). Sax to raise the dead. **Wild Weekend** (The Iguanas_, The Offbeats, The Rockin Rebels, The Routers and The Surfaris all covered this instro in the 1960’s). Sax to daze the red. \*Yes, Iggy Pop’s first band (never banned). ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/143 "2014-01-26T12:54:24Z")
Here is a good one CCS - Brother - turn it up very loud [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nCZdjVQBEfc/hqdefault.jpg "CCS - BROTHER") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCZdjVQBEfc) ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/144 "2014-01-26T13:29:39Z")
The sax playing old lang syne at the end of Fogelberg’s song about meeting his old lover in the grocery store… ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/145 "2014-01-26T16:31:44Z")
Do bagpipes count? 😃 Not exactly pop, but [It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIXV0cir4-E) - AC/DC ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/146 "2014-01-26T17:44:08Z")
**Joe Cocker - _Leave Your Hat On_** – Delicious seductive beat with a great horn arrangement. [Official video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOotsq4soug) [Live version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDR2fXoHdQw) ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/147 "2014-01-26T18:22:51Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Although it’s short, I’ve always enjoyed the horn section in “Solitary Man” by Neil Diamond. I thought of that, too, isn’t that a french horn? Love that song. The names of these songs take me right back to the 70’s, ‘horny’ bands were very big in the 70’s. A lot of early-ish Michael Jackson songs had some great horns. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/148 "2014-01-26T18:32:50Z")
The Cure - Close To Me ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/149 "2014-01-27T03:34:43Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Absolute Beginners - The Jam WIN ---
**Author:** ![jbarro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@jbarro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbarro)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/150 "2014-01-28T03:57:40Z")
Sloan - Everything You’ve Done Wrong [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GBKq3qnnrwo/hqdefault.jpg "Sloan - Everything You've Done Wrong") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBKq3qnnrwo) ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/151 "2014-01-28T21:37:38Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > Beatle’s Penny Lane > > Several by The Who. Entwistle blew a mean horn. A few that come to mind: > 5:15 > I’m A Boy > Overture from Tommy My first thought was 5:15 by The Who. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/152 "2014-01-28T21:58:38Z")
Van Morrison’s got a more than a few, including _Wild Night_, _Jackie Wilson Said_ and (especially) _Real Real Gone_. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/153 "2014-01-28T21:58:43Z")
“When I’m Sixty-Four” by the Beatles has some horns. Also, “You Can Call Me Al,” “Late in the Evening” and I _think_ “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” all had horn parts. It depends on whether you’re looking for horns playing a major role in the song or just providing backing; if the latter, then there’s tons of songs that use horns which you wouldn’t even notice casually. (Side note: “Horns” just stopped sounding like a real word). ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/154 "2014-01-29T02:41:00Z")
A number of Midnight Oil’s songs have great horns: [Best of Both Worlds](http://youtu.be/mjtMOMUt-GU?feature=YouView) [Beds Are Burning](http://youtu.be/ejorQVy3m8E?feature=YouView) Sting’s [All Four Seasons](http://youtu.be/6JUKVnYdW-M?feature=YouView) actually features the Memphis Horns. I suspect they’re _synth_ horns, but I have a soft spot for Howard Jones’ [Pearl In The Shell](http://youtu.be/WnWKkxyx-qI?feature=YouView). ---
**Author:** ![mortified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mortified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mortified)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/155 "2014-12-09T12:27:10Z")
I wonder if anyone knows this song… It’s one of my all time favourite tunes - even though i haven’t heard it for over a decade - maybe two. I’m not sure what year, but i suspect 80s or maybe early 90s. I think it was called “faith” or “only the faithful” it was full of great big brass sounds and was all over the radio back in the day, but it seems to have passed out of all knowledge now. If i had the name of the artist I could probably find the song and finally listen to it again. some of the lyrics were: you’ve got to have faith in something we can believe what we want to believe you’ve got to give if you want to receive only the faithful gonna see the sun rise only the faithful gonna kiss the sky only the faithful gonna greet the dead ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/156 "2014-12-12T19:09:32Z")
Electric Flag (Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles, Nick Gravenites, et. al.) [“Over Loving You” - Live @ Monterey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRWgtYtrrj8) [“Wine” - same as above](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37fNUR3aWrk) [“Texas” - Studio version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bxaCkUhzUk) ---
**Author:** ![hyperspaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hyperspaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperspaz)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/157 "2014-12-13T06:02:06Z")
Tommy Dorsey’s recording of “Opus One.” IMO one of the best-arranged and performed songs of all time. I also love the sax riffs in the Sanford Townsend Band’s “Smoke from a Distant Fire.” ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/158 "2014-12-13T06:28:14Z")
> [@ghostman](#): > > Everything by Cake… specifically [War Pigs](http://bit.ly/ZjDsZ0) Pretty much this. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/159 "2014-12-13T10:14:31Z")
[How Blue Can You Get?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YYILsB2gKQ) as recorded by the Louisiana Gator Boys is pretty good. Of course, their horn section is Jon Faddis on trumpet and Clarence Clemons, Joshua Redman and Grover Washington, Jr. on saxophone. There are some other people in the band who aren’t all that bad either. ---
**Author:** ![alted315](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@alted315](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alted315)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065/160 "2014-12-13T14:15:46Z")
Us and them by Pink Floyd believe I’m the first one to say it [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-kick-ass-horns/652065.md?page=9)