80's sax solos
I realized about 5 years ago that at some point in the 80s, lots of the popular music started incorporating saxophone solos into their songs. Some of them are fine, but most of them are ridiculous to have in the songs. Below, I have attempted to separate the quality and appropriateness of the solos from what I think of the song as a whole (I still really like most of these songs, even the ones with low grades). Click on the Play buttons to play the samples.This first one was the inspiration for this page. I know everyone likes this song, but seriously, listen to the sax.
The absolute worst. I really think they auditioned a bunch of people for the part, and chose the most horrible player.

Well it's no longer rock & roll to me. Now it's a sax solo.

Somehow the rest of the song was bad enough that this solo actually enhanced it. The solo's still lame, but at least it's short.

I can't really go for that sax solo. (No can do)

This is a great solo - too bad it's just an afterthought.

For being so urgent, they sure didn't hurry up the solo.

So smooth...so dull.

If I could keep myself from cringing during the solo this one could probably climb a grade.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

When I first learned to adjust the pitch of my sax by varying my jaw tightness, for awhile this pitch changing appeared in everything I played (inappropriately). This player somehow never got out of that phase.

With this sax in here, these guys probably had a lot of trouble with maneaters. This would have been an A solo if it was a bit shorter. And not so flat.


Still, much much less boring than the rest of the song.


So close to perfect - I don't think I can make an exception and not take off points for having a solo during the fade.
Wow.Wow.

This one doesn't fit into the rest of the song. I was having enough trouble understanding the meaning of this song - the solo just makes it more confusing.

This song is almost entirely made up of deranged solos. I guess there isn't much more to say about "tiny people with little guns" than just that.

Nothing expresses how hard a woman can work for her money like sax drama.

This would be fine, if the solo was cut off about halfway.

I'd never heard this song before - I was just tipped off to it. I think there's a good reason I'd never heard it though. That being said, I can't fault the solo - it's in line with the rest of the song. Kind of lame.

What can I say? He's a smooth sax operator?

I think it's really lame when solos just keep going and the song fades out. That being said, it's a catchy friggin solo that improves this mediocre song.

An overdramatic solo to match the overdramatic song. Good lead in for the next part.

Though it was really an afterthought in the song, this solo is pretty good relative to many of the others. 1984 apparently was the year of mildly pleasing sax solos.

Nothing like sax in the dark.

Appropriate: a terrible solo, from a terrible song.

Ah, 7th grade. The year I learned to add vibrato to my playing...I am impressed they used a 7th grader here though.

You can't make up for a crappy song with no lyrics by increasing the number of sax solos.

I really like INXS. Which is why it's such a shame that their sax solos are so mediocre.

If it wasn't for the fade out...

I couldn't even include all the solo parts - there were just too many. There was more sax than singing, and in case you forget how the sax solo goes there's a depressing trumpet rehash of it.

Appropriate, because living in America is all about the sax solo.


This isn't really a sax solo in a 80's song. It's more like an 80's solo in a sax song.

Simple, well played, appropriate.


I suppose if the solos were shorter we'd have to hear more of the lead singer's voice...

One of the worst. I didn't even know where to pull the solos from, they were so dense in this song. I ended up going with two: (1) the ridiculously "dark" beginning and (2) the end, where the sax sounds like a woman being murdered.

This one fits in so nicely with the rest of the song, it slipped right by me until it was pointed out by someone. I can almost overlook the long sax fadeout. But not quite.

Just plain overdone. The solo needs to complement the song, not try to improve it.

This was a happy song, until the sax player did a little too much crack.

Call it "Appropriate Blaring", but I actually think it works.

A sax solo is extra lame when it is just one in a run of many different instrument solos.

INXS loves the saxophone. When this one comes in, I almost cringe it's so ridiculously dramatic.

The singer and saxophonist were definitely recorded in different rooms.

You can tell this guy's talent was wasted on this terrible solo. The little run at the end was him saying "Hey! I'm actually a pretty good sax player!"

This solo started before the song really started. So the mood that is broken is one of optimism, like "I hope this is a great song!"

I'm still shaking from this one.

Doesn't really add much to the song (except another shot at that refrain after), but a pretty good solo nonetheless.

Ah, relaxing on the beach....wait I'm suddenly in a stadium with some sax player!

I'm *almost* on my feet.