Last Updated on May 26, 2023 by Teemu Suomala
When starting out with the guitar, it’s super important to find easy songs to learn from your favorite genre. And clearly, you are into rock like so many of us.
The rhythm, scales, and chords vary between these songs, but in general, all of these are pretty easy to play. Of course, some of these songs include some harder parts(solos), but in general, these are easy to play.
Let’s first quickly look at how to use this post and then you can start learning some amazing rock songs.
Who crafted this post:
Author: Teemu Suomala
How to Use This Post
Scroll down and select your favorites.
If you click:
- the video image, you can listen the song.
- the”interactive tab”, you will be directed to Songsterr where you can learn the song using interactive tab(this is my favorite way of learning new songs)
- the ’’tab’’, you will find tabs for that songs (if you don’t know how to read tabs, check this guide).
- the ‘’chords’’, you will be directed to the page where you can learn chords for that songs.
Most of the chords and tabs are provided through trusted ”Songsterr” or ”ultimate-guitar.com”.
In the info boxes you can see:
- Rating for ”how easy are the riffs?”
- Rating for ”how easy are the solos?”
- Rating for how easy the song is overall when we look at the both riffs and solos
Learn how to read guitar chord charts here.
Without further to do, here are the songs:
47 Easy Rock Songs on Guitar For Beginners (With Tabs)
The 1960s
House of the Rising Sun – The Animals (1964)
Summary
A song that is worth a learn for everyone. This especially teaches you the use of smooth picking patterns.
You Really Got Me – The Kinks (1964)
Summary
This Kinks classic consists of crunchy riffs and a spanky solo full of bends. And all this is easy to play.
(I can’t get no) Satisfaction – Rolling Stones (1965)
Summary
Really easy Rolling Stones classic. Awesome piece of rock history.
Wild Things – The Troggs (1966)
Summary
A simple riff that’s aged very well. Easy to master.
Sunshine of Your Love – Cream (1967)
Summary
One of the most well-known riffs of all time. Worth a learn and it probably won’t take you long.
All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix (1968)
Summary
You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard this song. The best time to learn its catchy intro lick was yesterday, and the second-best time is today…
Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Summary
Really an American-sounding rock classic…and this is a good thing in my opinion. Plus it’s easy to learn!
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin (1969)
Summary
One of the Zeppelin’s most popular songs gives you an iconic rock riff and short, but energy-flowing solo.
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The 1970s
Have You Ever Seen The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
Summary
One of my favorite chorus and underrated riffs. This Have You Ever Seen The Rain.
Mississippi Queen – Mountain (1970)
Summary
If you feel like learning amazing rock solos, I would start with this masterpiece.
Horse With No Name – America (1971)
Summary
I first heard this song on Friends, when Joey went to Las Vegas to shootings of new film…and I have loved this song since. Especially if looking for an acoustic rock song, this is a great pick!
Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple (1973)
Summary
A song that is in every ”easy guitar songs list”. But I recommend that you dive a little deeper than just the main riff. Then and only then do you begin to understand how great this song really is. PS. I love the solo!
La Grange – ZZ Top (1973)
Summary
These long-bearded fellows have been guilty of producing one of the catchiest rock riffs of all time. And almost all of these riffs are easy to learn!
TNT – AC/DC (1975)
Summary
One amazing thing about AC/DC is the fact that their songs are easy to learn. And TNT is no exception. Start learning only if you are not fearing the explosion.
Blitzkrieg Bop – Ramones (1976)
Summary
Really simple song and must learn in my opinion…why? Because it teaches you fast shifts with barre-chords.
Detroit Rock City – Kiss (1976) – Has one of the best solos for beginners to learn!
Summary
Kiss demoted Detroit from Steel city to Rock city. And the manifestation of this demotion is easy to play. A couple of catchy riffs and a simple solo.
Highway To Hell – AC/DC (1979)
Summary
Overall, one of the easiest songs to learn from AC/DC. All from main riff to solos are almost easy as it gets!
The 1980s
Eye of the Tiger – Survivors (1982)
Summary
Rocky-approved song, that just scremas ’80s and ”play me”! Learn couple simple but awesome riffs, and ta’daa, you have mastered the Eye of The Tiger.
Here I Go Again – Whitesnake (1982)
Summary
Song that has a really sin-along-able chorus also includes pretty nice riffs, and amazing solo. Riffs are easy to master, but especially alternative picking part of the solo is a bit trickier.
The one I love – REM (1987)
Summary
If you want an really catchy and easy rock song to master, The One I Love is one of best choices in my opinion.
Knockin’ on heavens door – Bob Dylan (1987)
Summary
Frequently covered song, but this original has a calming mood that really separates it from the rest. Playing this is a pleasure.
Every Rose Has Its Thorn – Poison (1988)
Summary
Bret Michaels called his girlfriend via payphone and he heard a male voice in the background. He was devastated and went into the laundromat and wrote: “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”.
Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty (1989)
Summary
A song full of Los Angeles references lacks a solo, but doesn’t lack in any other way. Plus everyone can master this song quickly.
The 1990s
Come As You Are – Nirvana (1991)
Summary
According to Cobain himself, this song is about”people and what they’re expected to act like””. So perform it any way you want, but you are probably not going to have a hard time learning it.
The Fly – U2 (1991)
Summary
The Fly has and surprisingly high energy to be a U2 sing, but it still works. Like a charm. And of course, you can learn this song easily.
Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz (1993)
Summary
The main riff is what steals the attention here, but it’s worth learning because it really teaches bending mid-riff like nothing else.
Cherub Rock – The Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
Summary
Really powerful riffs and simple, but groovy solo. Beginners dream.
Song 2 – Blur (1997)
Summary
A short song that has sunk into the brains of many of us. The riff of this classic is actually pretty good, and you guessed it, easy to learn.
Everlong – Foo Fighters (1997)
Summary
One of the most popular songs of Foo Fighters is also one of the easiest to play.
The Kids Aren’t Alright – The Offspring (1998)
Summary
The first riff I ever learned with the guitar was the main riff of this song. I learned with no prior experience or knowledge about music theory. And you can absolutely do the same. PS. The solo is really underrated.
Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999)
Summary
Super-easy, but super-amazing song. The first RHCO song that I ever learned from start to finish.
Otherside – Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999)
Summary
In general, Red Hot Chili Peppers-songs are pretty beginner-friendly, and Otherside is definitely one of them. And it’s a great song overall too.
The 2000s
Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down (2000)
Summary
You don’t have to Superman to learn this song. And even if you are, don’t fear the name, you can master this.
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World (2001)
Summary
Breakthrough and savior hit of Jimmy Eat World teaches you easy palm muting patterns and simple chorus while being surprisingly fun to play.
In The End – Linkin Park (2002)
Summary
This song is not known for its guitar riffs…but it teaches you pinch harmonics during verses and use of crunchy power chords during the chorus. You can probably learn this in under 30min!
Seven Nation Army – White Stripes (2003)
Summary
Verses and solo of this song are really easy, but playing the chorus correctly, and especially doing the fast shifts correctly is a bit trickier. But at the same time, this teaches you so much…
Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day (2004)
Summary
One of the best and easiest songs of Green Day in my opinion. My favorite band when growing up.
Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day (2004)
Summary
First solo I ever learned was from this song. Really good song to get started with, plus sounds great with acoustic guitar too.
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Summary
This song sink into my brain during my waay to many hours spent playing NHL 2005(it was on the soundtrack). I eventually learned parts of this song when I started guitar playing at 2009.
System of a Down – Lonely Day (2005)
Summary
A great beginner song by System of a Down is “Lonely Day.” It’s a simple ballad that can also be performed on an acoustic guitar.
Knights of Cydonia – Muse (2006)
Summary
This song has a nice variety of good-sounding riffs and licks. And all this is easy to learn. This was one of the songs that I learned to play during my first year with the guitar.
Still Counting – Volbeat (2008)
Summary
If you are into heavier rock, this piece from Volbeat is one the easiest to learn. HOT and HEAVY.
Far From Home – Five Finger Death Punch (2009)
Summary
A beautiful ballad that has everything. A clean intro that invites you to listen and play. Crunchy chorus riffs. And simple but awesome-sounding solo.
The 2010s
Say You’ll Haunt Me – Stone Sour (2010)
Summary
A heavy rock song that sounds good and is easy to play, moody solo too. Corey Taylor states that the lyrics are about his wife.
Country Song – Seether (2011)
Summary
This song has really underrated riffs in it. Just listen. And maybe even learn some of them, it’s not going to be too hard.
Satellite – Rise Against (2011)
Summary
This song has really underrated riffs in it. Just listen. And maybe even learn some of them, it’s not going to be hard.
Walk – Foo Fighters (2011)
Summary
Grammy-winning song written by Dave Grohl. Teaches you picking patterns with intro riff and also palm muting.
How to Learn Hard Songs? – 3 Simple Steps
Although it’s a good idea to learn some easy songs at first so that you can maintain your motivation…but it’s an even better idea to always try to improve your skills.
That’s why you probably should learn some harder songs, riffs, and solos too!
The hardest parts for me are usually fast chord shifts and super fast and complex guitar solos. If I find myself struggling with some songs, I usually do this:
- learn to play the song correctly at a very slow speed
- speed up the playing with small steps
- practice the hard parts more than others
These steps have helped me to learn many hard songs, riffs, and solos. The time period spent practicing varies, but eventually, songs start to sound right at the correct speed. That’s how real skills are developed, with practice, practice, and practice. But the end goal is worth all the hard work.
The #1 Guitar Practice Mistake When Learning Songs
Please, check this short video I crafted so that you can avoid the #1 practice mistake I made when I started playing:
These articles can help you get great rock tones!
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And guitar stings can really affect the tones you get too, check this articles for good fits with rock:
These articles talk about different guitars that offer high value for the money and can rock:
Conclusion on Easy Rock Songs on Guitar For Beginners
I hope that you find songs to master from this post!
If you want to find out more amazing songs to learn, I recommend checking out this article I was featured in: The Best Classic Rock Albums Of All Time.
However, it’s always a good idea that you cover some basic things about the guitar ASAP. This post will help you with that: How to Play Guitar? Get Started Fast and Free!
Also, if you want more easy songs to master, check this post out: 76 Easy Guitar Songs for Beginners from Every Genre (With Tabs and Chords).
Teemu’’the play easy songs’’ Suomala
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