Top 10 Songs Containing Backwards Guitar

During the psychedelic era, musicians began experimenting with tapes by speeding them up, slowing them down, and playing them backwards. It didn't take long for guitarists to start recording guitar parts on tape and playing them backwards out of experimentation.

Backwards guitar continued to be used by artists even after the psychedelic era. Feel free to add more examples.

The Top Ten

  1. I'm Only Sleeping - The Beatles

    I'm Only Sleeping marks the very first time that backwards guitar was used on a rock song. George recorded two guitar solos, one on top of the other, and played them backwards.

    The vocals in the initial seconds surprised me, then the guitar blew me away. So lovely.

  2. Castles Made of Sand - Jimi Hendrix

    The song features a backwards guitar solo that, in my opinion, sounds really cool. It wasn't the only Jimi Hendrix song to use backwards guitar. He also used it on the song "Are You Experienced?"

  3. Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition

    The song opens with a backwards acoustic guitar solo played by studio guitarist Mike Deasy.

  4. D'You Know What I Mean? - Oasis

    The song ends with a distinctive backwards guitar arpeggio.

  5. Cosmic Dancer - T. Rex

    During the outro of the song, there is a lengthy backwards guitar solo, which has been double-tracked, just like on I'm Only Sleeping.

  6. Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

    The song features two guitar breaks, and they're both backwards. John Frusciante said he tried to record both of them on the first or second take.

    Interesting, I never knew this song had backward guitars. Honestly, I always recognize the bass before the guitars in this song.

  7. Armenia City In the Sky - The Who

    The song features backwards guitar throughout the whole piece, which makes sense, considering it was their most psychedelic-sounding song. I believe there's also backwards guitar on Amazing Journey (from Tommy).

  8. Thoughts and Words - The Byrds

    This song has quite a bit of backwards guitar, starting in the second verse.

  9. I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) - The Electric Prunes

    There's quite a lot of backwards guitar in the choruses. The whole thing is surprisingly heavy on studio technology.

  10. Blackened - Metallica

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Suicide Note Pt. 1 - Pantera

  12. ?

    That's Entertainment - The Jam

    13. The Contenders

  13. Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles

    This should really be at the top of the list.

  14. London Calling - The Clash

    The guitar solo is made up of two tracks that are both backwards. I feel guilty for not adding this song the first time.

  15. Pre-Road Downs - Crosby, Stills & Nash

    Although there isn't any backwards guitar on "Carry On," there certainly is backwards guitar on "Pre-Road Downs," courtesy of Stephen Stills.

  16. What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M.

    There's a backwards guitar solo in the middle of the song.

  17. Dominoes - Syd Barrett

  18. Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies

    The song ends with a backwards guitar solo played by Ed Robertson. The solo does not appear on the radio edit.

  19. You and I - Wilco

    The song ends with a backwards guitar solo played by lead guitarist Nels Cline. Instead of using tape, he uses a delay pedal that delays the signal, reverses it, and then sends the reversed signal through the output.

  20. Lounge Fly - Stone Temple Pilots

    The song begins with a strummed 12-string guitar played in reverse, sounding like a weird percussion instrument.

  21. She Said She Said - The Beatles

  22. Fade to Black - Metallica

  23. The Masterplan - Oasis

    The first guitar solo is backwards.

  24. There's No Other Way - Blur

    There's a backwards guitar solo about two-thirds of the way through.

  25. Ladies of the Road - King Crimson

    There's some backwards guitar each time they sing the "All you know that the girls on the road" section.

  26. Mission Statement - "Weird Al" Yankovic

    There's a backwards guitar solo at the 1:58 mark. Interestingly enough, the song that this portion of the song is based on (but not a direct parody), Carry On by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, doesn't have any backwards guitar at all. I guess he wanted to make it slightly different.

  27. My White Bicycle - Tomorrow

    This one has backwards guitar fills in between the verses of the song. The whole intro is also backwards.

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