Saxophone was an essential part of the early Waterboys sound (otherwise known as “The Big Music” after that song) - sax provided by Anthony Thistlethwaite. Everyone know Whole of the Moon, but particular favourite of mine is early single A Girl Called Johnny, with a really boppy sax and piano bit carrying the whole song, with a soulful repeating sax bit (would this be a hook?).
Aw, poor Kirk Pengilly of INXS.
I’ll suggest the notable sax solos of “Mediate,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” and “What You Need.” Especially in keeping with the OP’s 80’s inspiration.
“If You Leave” by OMD and “A Night Like This” by the Cure both have saxophone solos.
Your Latest Trick by Dire Straits (Sax by Michael Brecker; bonus trumpet intro by David Brecker)
Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon (Sax by Jim Horn)
Young Americans by David Bowie (Sax by David Sanborn)
Us and Them by Pink Floyd (Sax by Dick Parry)
Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard and Still Crazy After All These Years by Simon and Garfunkel from “The Concert in Central Park” (Sax by Gerry Niewood and Dave Tofani, respectively)
“She’s Gone” by Hall & Oates
King Crimson had two great saxophonists, Ian McDonald & Mel Collins.
From the McDonald era, I’d pick “21st Century Schizoid Man,” and from the Collins era, I’d go with “Ladies of the Road.”
“Avalon” by Roxy Music has some lush, gorgeous, sexy sax work. That song and that entire album are sexy as hell.
“Harden My Heart” - Quarterflash
“Only the Lonely” - The Motels
Stay Now - Hazel O’Connor
The saxaphone song - Kate Bush
Does anyone know of a good source to get written-out transcriptions of sax solos?
Two from musical theatre:
I’ll be Surprisingly Good for You"–from Evita
and the absolute bestest–The Last Night of the World from Miss Saigon:
A song
played on a solo saxophone
A crazy sound, a lonely sound
A cry that tells us love goes on and on
played on a solo saxophone
It’s telling me
to hold you tight
and dance like it’s the last night of the world
If you can stand another Huey Lewis tune, Hip To Be Square is another one with a good Johnny Colla solo.
The quintessential sax track has to be the Benny Hill theme, “Yakety Sax”.
The all-time worst alto sax solo is Andy Partridge’s on “Leisure,” in which it becomes painfully apparent that A.P. simply didn’t know how to play a saxophone (but that works with the spirit and theme of the song).
My favorite sax-featuring “rock” song: “The Working Hour” by Tears for Fears.
You people are good. I can’t think of a single one.
“I Missed Again” - Phil Collins
“Stiletto” by Billy Joel has a saxophone bit that I really like.