It is known that the mandolin is the youngest “cousin” of the guitar and is often used to add a sweeter and perhaps a mysterious melody.
The cheerful, mandolin sound is found in many traditions of folk music around the world (mainly in Italy, Ireland, and the bluegrass of the USA).
In fact, there are many Rock / Metal bands that use it in their melodies and some even wrote history with their songs with the mandolin.
Let’s see some of them…
- Rolling Stones – Love in Vain (Let It Bleed – 1969)
- Grateful Dead – Friend of the Devil (American Beauty – 1970)
- Led Zeppelin – The Battle of Evermore (Led Zeppelin IV – 1971)
- Rod Stewart – Maggie May (Every Picture Tells a Story – 1971)
- Rory Gallagher – Going to My Hometown (Live in Europe – 1972)
- Jethro Tull – Weather cock (Heavy Horses – 1978)
- Styx – Boat on the River (Cornerstone – 1979)
- Spinal Tap – Stonehenge (This Is Spinal Tap – 1984)
- Steve Earle – Copperhead Road (Copperhead Road – 1988)
- R.E.M. – Losing My Religion (Oute of Time – 1991)
- Skyclad – Thinking Allowed (Jonah’s Ark – 1993)
- Joan Osborne – St. Teresa (Relish – 1995)
- Dropkick Murphys – Rose Tattoo (Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2012)