Harmonica masterpieces: world-class performances you should hear at least once
Harmonicas can produce bright, cheerful sounds or resonate with a touch of melancholy—there’s so much to love about them.
They’ve long been beloved around the world, and there are countless wonderful songs that feature harmonica playing.
So in this article, we’ve picked out classic tracks where you can really savor the harmonica.
It’s a fun instrument to puff away at on its own, but when added to an ensemble, it can deliver a surprisingly strong presence.
Why not take this opportunity to start playing the harmonica?
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Harmonica masterpieces: World-class performances you should hear at least once (21–30)
Heart Of GoldNeil Young
This song, known in Japan as “Lonely Journey,” was released in 1972 and became his biggest hit.
You can’t talk about this track without mentioning the harmonica in the intro.
For folk and country songs, featuring harmonica in the introduction is, in a way, a classic choice.
RubyRichard Hayman
Richard Hayman, an American musician also known as a harmonica player, arranged the theme song for the 1952 film Ruby Gentry and performed the harmonica himself.
Known in Japan by the title “Rubii” for both the film and its theme, it stands as a classic of film music.
Mr. Tambourine ManBob Dylan
There are harmonica players in many genres—classical, jazz, bossa nova, blues, folk—but when it comes to a giant of the folk world, it has to be Bob Dylan.
Playing the guitar while blowing the harmonica—this is quintessential “Bob Dylan’s music.”
Up Jumped SpringHendrik Meurkens
Born in Hamburg, Germany, he originally played jazz vibraphone, but under the influence of jazz harmonica great Toots Thielemans, he began performing on the chromatic harmonica.
He is well-versed not only in jazz but also in Brazilian music, and he even spent a period living in Brazil.
Since Toots’s passing, he has been gaining attention as his successor.
The Promised LandLEE OSKAR
Born into a Jewish family in Copenhagen, Denmark, he began playing the harmonica at the age of six and moved to the United States at eighteen in search of musical success.
There, he joined the renowned funk band WAR.
The video features his song “The Promised Land.” It was also a hit in Japan as a commercial jingle.
BluesetteToots Thielemans
He is a Belgian jazz guitarist and jazz harmonica player.
His career began when he started playing the accordion at the age of three and later took up the harmonica as a hobby.
He is a prominent figure in the jazz harmonica world, known for leaving numerous outstanding performances, and is also recognized for performing the theme of the American puppet show Sesame Street.
When I Think of YouWilliam Galison
The film Wish Upon a Star, released in 2003, stars Yuko Takeuchi and Yu Yoshizawa, with a harmonica serving as a key item in the story.
The piece used in the film is When I Think of You, allowing listeners to fully savor the gentle tones of American harmonica player William Garrison.