Rock Guitar

216 songs · 90 artists

Rock is the broadest guitar genre. It covers everything from the melodic songwriting of The Beatles to the arena anthems of Queen and the blues-infused riffs of Led Zeppelin. If a song has a guitar, drums and attitude, it probably fits here.

This is a great starting point if you're not sure what to learn next. Rock songs range from beginner-friendly open chords to challenging solos, and they teach you rhythm, dynamics and feel in ways that more technical genres sometimes skip.

A
Ask Carl 1
B
Billy Idol 5
Bread 1
Bruce Springsteen 3
Bryan Adams 4
C
Can't Find My Way Home 1
Cheap Trick 2
Chuck Berry 2
D
Dire Straits 4
E
Eddie Money 2
Electric Light Orchestra 2
F
Fleetwood Mac 4
Foreigner 4
G
George Harrison 2
Gerry Rafferty 1
H
Huey Lewis and The News 1
I
Iggy Pop 1
J
Jimmy Buffett 1
John Fogerty 1
John Mellencamp 2
Journey 9
K
Kenny Loggins 1
L
Lenny Kravitz 2
Living Colour 1
Lou Reed 1
Loverboy 1
M
Maggie May 1
Måneskin 1
N
Nazareth 1
No Doubt 1
P
Pat Benatar 1
Paul McCartney 3
Peter Frampton 1
Peter Gabriel 1
Phil Collins 2
Procol Harum 1
Q
Queen 18
R
Ram Jam 1
REO Speedwagon 3
Ritchie Valens 1
Robert Plant 1
Rod Stewart 1
Roy Orbison 1
S
Sammy Hagar 1
Spinal Tap 1
Stealers Wheel 1
Steely Dan 1
Steppenwolf 2
Steve Miller Band 2
Stray Cats 1
Styx 1
Supertramp 2
Surftones 1
Survivor 1
T
Ten Years After 1
Tenacious D 1
The Band 1
The Beatles 31
The Black Crowes 2
The Cars 2
The Doobie Brothers 3
The Eagles 1
The Hollies 2
The J. Geils Band 1
The Killers 1
The Kingsmen 1
The Kinks 1
The Knack 2
The La's 1
The Moody Blues 1
The Outfield 1
The Pogues 1
The Police 4
The Pretenders 1
The Rolling Stones 11
The Romantics 1
The Tragically Hip 1
The Troggs 1
The Who 3
Thin Lizzy 1
Tom Petty 8
Toto 3
Trans-Siberian Orchestra 3
U
U2 7
Ugly Kid Joe 1
V
Van Morrison 1
W
Wicked Game 1
Y
Yes 1
#
10cc 1
38 Special 1

Why Rock Guitar Matters

Rock guitar is where most players develop their core skills: strumming patterns, barre chords, pentatonic soloing, bending, vibrato and dynamics. The genre rewards feel over speed and musical taste over raw technique. A well-placed bend in a Beatles song can be more powerful than a hundred shred notes.

The range is enormous. Smoke on the Water is one of the first riffs every guitarist learns. Stairway to Heaven takes you from fingerpicked arpeggios to a blazing solo. Bohemian Rhapsody covers half a dozen styles in six minutes.

If you want to focus on a specific era, browse 60s rock for the British Invasion sound, 70s rock for the golden age, or 90s rock for alternative and grunge. You can also explore related genres like Blues Rock or Classic Rock.