I heard the Burritos out in California could fly higher than the Byrds/ Roger McGuinn had a 12 string guitar, it was like nothing I ever heard... David Allan Coe, "Willie and Waylon and Me"
One of the joys of occasionally invading Crispin's space is to remind the world through my amateur efforts that we're dealing with a guy who should probably be music editor for Rolling Stone or at least their head critic. I always enjoy Crispy's criticism, and while I disagree with him on, well, most issues I do think he has great knowledge and insight on music, musicians, trends and so on. That obeisance paid, Guitar World published one of those lists of the greatest or most important or "Recorded in FSharpMinor" examples that are always fun to pick apart. In this case they are stalking the elusive 12 string guitar, and it's an interesting example of why most music magazines suck.
These things are always open to argument and while we recognize some 12 string work, a lot of it is just there. So some people appear to make the list because, well, they made the list. Either surprise that someone was playing a twelve and it sounded OK, or it's a great song and the band was famous for having a 12 String lead player. Go figure. Or a double-neck guitar -- critics love double neck guitars. So did I when I was fifteen. Unless the guy waving that ax around is Jimmy Page, I inevitably think of Cheap Trick or The Cyrkle when I see one.
I really love Substitute, for example, my favorite Who song but Townsend makes lousy use of the 12 string here.Sounds very much like he tuned the both strings to the same pitch. "I can't explain" is a better example of his use of the 12. And, he's playing a Fender 12...who does that?
There is room on a list like this for a lot more Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom or Mike Campbell blazing through "American Girl" and "The Waiting" top a lot of the other examples on the list by far. American girl shows the 12 to a lot of advantage, letting Campbell's solo on the six just soar so instead of two guitars, it sounds like a choir!
The 12 on more than a feeling is more of a prop and an excuse to fiddle around by the producer than integral to the music. Gene Clark's "I'll feel a whole lot better" deserves a place before some other better known Byrds stuff because the 12-string makes the song. It's not important in 8 Miles High.
Some of McGuinn's solo stuff is also interesting for 12 string. Rock and Roll Time is a cover of a Kris Kristofferson song and goes places Mr. Kris would endorse but not expect.
However, it's interesting to note that in a rare example as 12 string aficionados and players alike can attest that they all seem to be in tune. It is actually possible.