Baby Blue

Badfinger, 1971, from Straight Up. Solo by Pete Ham.

Ham's clipped, melodic solo sums up Badfinger: Beatles-schooled songcraft with a harder guitar bite.

Baby Blue captures Badfinger's appeal in miniature: sharp, Beatles-inspired songwriting with a tougher guitar edge. Pete Ham's solo is clipped and melodic, a compact run of notes that is as hooky as the vocal melody. It never wanders; each phrase is short and purposeful, keeping the song's forward momentum. That precise, song-first approach to lead guitar became a template for later power pop bands. Listen for the crisp tone and tidy phrasing, and for how the solo echoes the main melody while adding just enough bite to lift the song. It is a great example of how a short solo can feel complete without extra flash or length.

Baby Blue by Badfinger is featured in our Power Pop (#3) list. The solo is played by Pete Ham and the song was released in 1971.

In our lists

• Beyond the Canon — #19
• The 25 Greatest Power Pop Guitar Solos — #3
• The Best Badfinger Guitar Solos — #1

Sources