Guitar & Bass Tabs
Air Supply
About Air Supply
Air Supply is one of the defining soft rock acts to emerge from Australia in the late 70s and climb to global superstardom in the 1980s. Formed in Melbourne in 1975 by singer Russell Hitchcock and guitarist/composer Graham Russell, the duo built a catalog of soaring harmonies, melodic hooks, and polished ballads that bridged adult contemporary and pop rock. Their carefully crafted arrangements, built around lush vocal tradeoffs, intimate storytelling, and memorable choruses, helped popularize a coast to coast soft rock sound that still resonates on radio and in live arenas today.
From their early albums to a string of chart toppers, Air Supply became synonymous with polished production and accessible melodies. International success arrived quickly as they signed with Arista Records and toured relentlessly, embracing a worldwide audience that embraced their dramatic love songs and uplifting anthems. With hits like All Out of Love, Lost in Love, The One That You Love, and Making Love Out of Nothing at All, they entered the upper echelons of 1980s pop rock. Their lasting impact on melodic rock and the enduring appeal of well crafted soft rock ballads continues to inspire aspiring guitarists and vocalists alike.
🎸 Want to know what gear Air Supply used, their playing style, and fun facts? Scroll below the lessons!
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Making Love Out Of Nothing At All
Air Supply
View Tab →Playing Style
Air Supply's playing style centers on supportive rhythm guitar that blends with their signature two part harmonies. The parts are typically clean and bright, with open and barre chords underpinning the melodies, gentle arpeggios during verses, and tasteful lead fills that color the choruses without overpowering the vocal lines. The approach emphasizes dynamics and atmosphere over showy technique, so you hear smooth chordal comping, periodic palm muted accents, and deliberate strumming patterns that lift the song into big emotional crescendos. The result is a timeless soft rock sound where guitar, piano, and voice weave together to carry the mood of each ballad.
🎸 Gear & Equipment
Iconic gear for Air Supply-era performances leaned on clean electric guitar tones, often a Fender Stratocaster or similar rhythm guitar, paired with bright chorus and reverb on solid state or tube amps. In the studio, layered piano and keyboards carried much of the texture, with guitars added as complementary color through subtle chorus, slap-back delays, and plate reverbs. Live rigs typically included a reliable acoustic for ballads and a modulation-tinged electric guitar for brighter sections, reflecting the era's polished pop rock aesthetic.
Why Learn Air Supply Songs?
Learning Air Supply songs helps guitarists develop solid rhythm technique, emotive phrasing, and clean tone control. The songs feature approachable chord progressions with rich voicings and dynamic contrasts that train you to move smoothly between verses and choruses. While some ballads may require careful fingerpicking or arpeggio work, the core rhythm parts are accessible to beginners and ideal for players advancing to intermediate level who want to master big chorus chords and melodic fills. By practicing these tunes, you'll build foundational rock skills that translate to a broad range of pop, soft rock, and arena ballads.
Did You Know?
- 1Air Supply formed in Melbourne in 1975 and became one of the defining soft rock duos of the 1980s.
- 2Their 1981 hit The One That You Love reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- 3They are renowned for soaring vocal harmonies between Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock that became a signature sound.
- 4They have sold over 25 million records worldwide and remain active with touring and reissues.
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