Best saxophone solos in rock and pop

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Saxophones solos are not just for jazz. What are you favourites?

Mine are:

Kevin Ayers Red Green and You Blue Lol Coxhill on soprano sax starts at 2.15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDXppj_fD2c

Hazel O'Connor Will You? from the sadly long forgotten punk pop film Breaking Glass at about 2.17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou96vLl--e4

Pink Floyd Us and Them at about 5.18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDbeqj-1XOo

Lou Reed Walk on the Wild Side at 3.35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6fayQBm9w

[Cannot think of a name]

It's sort of a cheat since it's a trio that only features a two string bass and bari sax with drums, but I'm partial to Morphine. Partially because I was convinced a bari sax trio of this nature would be a cool idea but didn't have a bari sax or a bass player and drummer who agreed. Not to say we would have had the song writing for it.

I also like the sax that permeates The Cherry Poppin' Daddies Saddest Thing I Know.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

I also like the sax that permeates The Cherry Poppin' Daddies Saddest Thing I Know.

Like it, but I'd call it jazz.

[Minoa]

Double - The Captain Of Her Heart

That was the first song that came into my mind, when talking about saxophones in pop music. It also speaks volumes about Swiss elegance with their chocolates and watches.

[The New California Republic]

How has nobody mentioned Baker Street yet?

[Minoa]

How has nobody mentioned Baker Street yet?

Yes, that was an oversight from me due to other priorities outside the forum: sorry about that.

[Ubekibekibekibekistanstan]

Somehow Bruce Springsteen's Jungleland has gone unmentioned. It's over 9½ minutes, with a 2+ minute sax solo. Bob Seger put out some music featuring the saxophone as well.

[Bombadil]

Supertramp - The Logical Song

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Steely Dan - Deacon Blue

[Jetan]

You know which one it is.

[Anollasia]

Pink Floyd - Money

[Stiltball]

rat trap by the boomtown rats is really good- if short.

[Asle Leopolka]

Fucking casuals, the lot of you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdaaGlyu7EQ

[Myfanwyski]

it might not be a solo but the sax adds a nice flourish to Thin Lizzy's Dancing in the Moonlight

[The Blaatschapen]

Careless Whisper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

[Elejamie]

I Anixi (or more accurately, the version of it performed at Eurovision 1991) and the alternative version of The Jones Girl by the Five Satins. Fortunately, I've been nice enough to link you guys to the solos in question just so you can experience the majesty of these solos right from the get-go.

As for an actually genuinely good sax solo? I'm not sure if they'd count because, much like with Morphine, they've got a sax player in the band and so one's bound to show up, but Madness have got a whole load of good ones. It Must Be Love, Cardiac Arrest, Michael Caine, you just can't go wrong. One Step Beyond maybe but since it's mostly just saxophone + backing instruments (to the point where the opening introduction is pretty much a vocal solo) I'm not sure if that'd count.

For an actual proper solo that'd definitely count, Smooth Operator. 2:04 (althought it starts a little bit earlier, this is where it starts to pick up) to 2:22.

[Stiltball]

Nice use of a sax in this Madness hit.

great songwriters - the sax sticks in my mind

[Kohr]

INXS - Never Tears Us Apart

Tears For Fears - The Working Hour

[Nuroblav]

Nice use of a sax in this Madness hit.

great songwriters - the sax sticks in my mind

Speaking of Madness, they have a song called Embarrassment which has a great guitar solo.

[The Archregimancy]

Hazel O'Connor Will You? from the sadly long forgotten punk pop film Breaking Glass at about 2.17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou96vLl--e4

'Long-forgotten'?

Some of us found it utterly inescapable in 1980; the posters were plastered across almost every UK train station, from Fife to Portsmouth.

So no, not forgotten for all of us.


On topic... Brown Sugar, the Rolling Stones.