Music Theory

8 Best Classic Rock Songs To Learn on Guitar From the 60s & 70s

Musicnotes

• 4 min read
8 Best Classic Rock Songs To Learn on Guitar From the 60s & 70s

Elvis Presley credited blues and soul music as the inspiration for what was, at the time, a genre-busting musical style involving guitar-heavy melodies and edgy lyrics. His music’s connection to musical “outliers” contributed to the sense that to play rock and roll was to engage in a form of rebellion against social norms and niceties. The rock and roll music of the 1960s and 1970s was both musically and socially revolutionary, so join the rebellion and use this list to find the best classic rock songs to learn on guitar.

1960s Rock ‘n’ Roll Has Something To Say

The music of the 1960s reflected the social upheaval taking place across the United States. On the one hand, quixotic hippies shared their concerns about the world in acoustic and folksy melodies about peace and love. On the other hand, raucous bands with massive energy riffed and blared their protests against social injustices with loud chords and impossible riffs.

1. Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan, 1965)

Until he released “Like a Rolling Stone” in 1965, Dylan was primarily known for his acoustic style and protest lyrics. The record company balked at this highly electric tune, arguing that it didn’t suit the master guitarist’s image. At the time, rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t mainstream, so Dylan’s decision to leak the innovative and gritty piece was a risk that paid off (for him and his us!).

2. Paint it Black (The Rolling Stones, 1966)

The mix of Middle Eastern, Indian and Eastern European sitar tones with rock ‘n’ roll guitar crashes has earned this strangely lyrical tune a spot as one of the best rock songs of all time. The unusual combination of instruments and raw lyrics about grief and loss reminded us of the tumultuous 1960s when a war waged in a faraway place, a president was assassinated, and the country grappled with Civil Rights and race riots. (Play “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones solo or team up with your nearest sitar player for the full effect.)

3. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix, 1967)

No list of the best classic rock songs to learn on guitar is complete without Jimi Hendrix and Purple Haze. He famously said, “When I die, I want people to just play my music, go wild and freak out, do anything they want to do.” We suggest you take him at his word and learn the song that rocketed him to fame, although stringing your guitar upside-down is optional.

4. Get Back (The Beatles, 1969)

The Fab Four didn’t like how the British press and politicians characterized immigrants to Britain. Hence, they composed the satirical “Get Back” as an overt criticism of the negative attitudes they saw. The original release was recorded as a live session, just like yours, when you download the tabs and get to playing The Beatles tunes.

5. Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1969)

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” was written by John Fogerty as an anthem of protest against the Vietnam War, despite attempts by other groups who have “usurped” the song’s themes to their own ends. The rolling beat and gritty vocal patterns make this piece ideal for shouting out your own protest against injustices, whether personal or on a larger social scale.

1970s Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Trying To Figure It All Out

Then along came the 1970s. The eclectic nature of this decade’s music exemplifies the country’s heady blend of exhilaration at the exciting positive social and economic changes and existential dread about the rapid rise of technology and consumerism. Where the flower children of the 1960s idealized free love and recreational drug use, a more jaded 1970s audience understood the damage and danger of chemical dependence and the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. The best classic rock songs to learn on guitar from the 1970s have darker edges and tinges of regret.

6. Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin, 1971)

Copyright controversy aside, Led Zepplin‘s “Stairway to Heaven,” by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, is one of those classic rock anthems with such enduring popularity that even the most incisive satire can’t dim its appeal. Since everyone who picks up a guitar has probably attempted at least a few bars, why not learn a quality arrangement and play it like a masterpiece of rock should be played? The opening riff is relatively simple, even for beginners, and veteran performers can use the original as a canvas for their own stylings.

7. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1974)

Originally written as an open attack on another rocker’s musical depiction of the south, the meaning and impact of this quintessential southern rock anthem have shifted over the intervening decades. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first few bars of “Sweet Home Alabama ” should be on any beginning guitarist’s list of best classic rock songs to learn on guitar.

8. Hotel California (The Eagles, 1976)

If you’ve heard this song, you’ve played air guitar to this song. The Eagles’ anthem/ballad explores the problems of American decadence and the single-minded pursuit of the American dream. In 1998, the Roll and Roll Hall Fame named it one of the “songs that shaped rock and roll,” and for good reason. The guitar strings’ unique riffs and plaintive cries emphasize that we’re all trapped in a maze of lust and greed of all varieties with no way out. “Hotel California” is fantastic for beginners practicing their musical expression and just plain fun for more advanced players.

Classic Rock From the 60s and 70s Still Rocks

You don’t need to be a Boomer (although you’re still cool if you are!) to understand the power that rock ‘n’ roll music has to voice the concerns of a nation or an individual. At Musicnotes, we have the sheet music you need for the best classic rock songs to learn on guitar so you can be a part of the new revolution in classic rock.