It can be difficult to learn your first song, but beginners should focus on songs that are easy to sing or play. That way, you’ll get a feel for playing your instrument and getting a few feet out the door! You get to practice your skills as well as gain a better understanding of how each phrase or note of a song is played.
If you’re looking for easy but fun guitar songs to add to your repertoire, here are some of the best. These songs span different decades and various genres, so we’ve got something for everyone! And even if you’re not sure what genre you like best, give it a shot – there’s always a game mode somewhere in this list!
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Top Easy Guitar Songs Review
We’ve created a list of easy guitar songs that you can learn. They’re also great to sing along to and have fun playing guitar.
1. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” By Jet
There’s something about this song that just makes you want to get up and dance. It has a catchy beat and powerful vocals – it has a cool guitar riff too! “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” is a great song for beginners because it’s so catchy. It’ll get stuck in your head for days on end and you’ll find yourself tapping your feet to the beat.
2. “Sweet Home Alabama” By Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Home Alabama is an easy guitar song that has become extremely popular for new players. It uses both picking and strumming in a way to make it one of the most loved by beginners.
3. “Brown Eyed Girl” By Van Morrison
“Brown Eyed Girl” is when Van Morrison wrote a hit song in 1967. It immediately became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. This song is great for beginners and is pretty easy to figure out, so don’t worry if you hit a roadblock during your first few notes.
4. “Waiting On the World to Change” By John Mayer
John Mayer’s hit song “Waiting on the World to Change” belittles today’s society. A lot of John Mayer’s songs are more advanced but this one is a great little electric guitar beginner song that also features a minor chord or two.
5. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” By Nirvana
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the most iconic songs of 1990s, which helped them to achieve superstardom and popularity. The song is a great easy guitar song that will get everyone’s head banging.
6. “Wish You Were Here” By Pink Floyd
“Woo-woo-woo!” As soon as I heard it, I knew what this song meant. It’s a song that perfectly captures the feeling of longing for someone who is no longer in your life. The acoustic guitar licks are relatively easy to figure out with the help of tabs.
7. “Start Me Up” By The Rolling Stones
“Start Me Up” is a song by The Rolling Stones that was released in 1981, on the album “Tattoo You”. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and it became one of the band’s most iconic songs. It’s an easy guitar song that is simple to play but gets everyone’s feet moving. Try playing it with a capo on the 3rd fret and have some fun!
8. “Thinking Out Loud” By Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” has been praised and deemed easy to learn, especially for beginners. If you want a song to begin learning guitar from, this may be it. This song only uses a few basic chords, and the chord progression and strumming pattern are relatively simple.
9. “Smoke on the Water” By Deep Purple
This is a song by British rock band Deep Purple called “Smoke on the Water.” A music legend was in attendance! It was released in 1972 and is about a fire that broke out during a Frank Zappa concert. The lyrics describe the night of the fire when it started and how it spread quickly, destroying the building.
10. “Whole Lotta Love” By Led Zeppelin
Whole Lotta Love is one of the most iconic rock songs of all time. It was written and released by Led Zeppelin on their second album, Led Zeppelin II, in 1969. The song quickly became a fan favorite due to its driving guitar riff and Robert Plant’s powerful vocals. Have you ever wanted to learn how to play “Whole Lotta Love,” but didn’t know where to go for tabs? Luckily, it’s not too difficult. All you need is this article and a guitar.
11. “House of the Rising Sun” By Animals
In 1964, the Animals recorded their signature song, “House of the Rising Sun.” The music is minimalist and features only a few chords. Yeah, these chords really get the emotion across.
12. “Walk This Way” By Aerosmith
Aerosmith released their smash hit album “Toys in the Attic” in 1975. It included the song “Walk This Way,” which brought them both fame and fortune. “Walk This Way” helped to spread the idea of music videos and also became a big hit for Aerosmith.
13. “You Shook Me All Night Long” By AC/DC
“You Shook Me All Night Long” is a song by the Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, “Back in Black”, in 1980. It was written with a basic guitar-based scheme and easy to learn. The whole piece is made up of chords on D, C, G and is perfect for beginners to pick up!
14. “Seven Nation Army” By The White Stripes
“Seven Nation Army” is one of the most popular songs by American rock duo The White Stripes. It was released in 2003 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, “Elephant”. The White Stripes’s distinctive riff is played on an electric guitar with a heavy amount of distortion.
15. “Do I Wanna Know?” By Arctic Monkeys
Alex Turner’s song, “Do I Wanna Know?” is a great example of an Arctic Monkeys song that captures the feeling of vulnerability and unease. Not only does it speak to Alex Turner’s personal experiences, but it also provides an interesting composition with its busy guitar loop, catchy bassline, and driving drums.
16. “Taking Care of Business” By BTO
Taking Care of Business is a 1973 song by Bachman Turner Overdrive. It has lyrics that are motivating, and it is often used as an anthem for hard-working employees. Take Care of business is a classic rock song that tells you to work hard in order to achieve your goals and it’s great for beginners because it’s so easy to learn!
17. “Sunshine Of Your Love” By Cream
Sunshine of Your Love is a song by the British rock band Cream. It was written by bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton, and lyricist Pete Brown. The song’s guitar riff is one of the most recognizable riffs in rock. With the help of the song’s guitar tabs, you’ll be able to learn it in no time.
18. “Hair of the Dog” By Nazareth
“Hair of the Dog” is a song by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released as the lead single from their album of the same name in 1975. It has been covered by many artists including Guns N’ Roses who released a cover as a single in 1992. “Hair of the Dog” is one of the best beginner guitar songs. There are simple guitar tabs that you can use to learn it easily without missing a beat.
19. “Slow Ride” By Foghat
Slow Ride was released in May 1977 and is an early song from the album, Slow Ride. Written by band members Dave Peverett and Tony Stevens, it’s an uptempo blues-rock song with a hard-driving guitar riff. The guitar tabs are easy to understand and it’s a good one for beginners.
20. “Back In Black” By AC/DC
AC/DC’s hit song “Back in Black” led the way for their seventh album. It’s considered one of their most popular songs of all time, and is also one of the most popular songs ever made. The name of the song has a memorable melody that is easy to learn and is a best-seller, even among beginners. It’s a low-tempo steady song, which makes it an appealing piece for beginners.
21. “Here It Goes Again” By OK Go
Here It Goes Again is on their second album and rose to prominence due to its music video going viral. Luckily, they’ve got catchy melodies and energetic instrumentation.
22. “T.N.T” By AC/DC
This song is one of AC/DC’s most popular and well-known tracks, and has been performed live by the band on multiple occasions. It has also achieved notoriety for its opening guitar riff, which was one of the most famous riffs in rock history.
23. “Bad Moon Rising” By CCR
“Bad Moon Rising” is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released as the lead single on their 1968 album Green River. It has a memorable chord progression that can be good for practicing your strumming pattern skills.
24. “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” By CCR
CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” song tells a story of a person who has faced many challenges, but still holds out hope for the future. It’s a powerful reminder that things won’t always be this difficult. Hopefully, they’ll get better soon.
25. “Let it be” By The Beatles
One of the most influential bands in history, The Beatles are known for touching people’s hearts with their music. Let it Be is one example of that. It also won’t leave time for people to forget about them so they’ll still get inspiration from them for a long time!
26. “Free Fallin” By Tom Petty
Tom Petty’s classic “Free Fallin” is great for beginner songs because of its catchy and memorable melody. The lyrics are also smooth, simple, and accessible. “Fallin” is an example of Petty’s gift for writing timeless songs about the ups and downs of life.
27. “Stuck In The Middle With You” By Stealers Wheel
“Stuck in the Middle With You” is a song by Stealers Wheel, a Scottish rock band. It’s really easy to play and is for beginners. They have been playing it in lots of classic rock concerts over the years. “Stuck in the Middle With You” is great for learning guitar chords and everyone knows the lyrics!
28. “Love Me Do” By The Beatles
While The Beatles are best known for their later work, “Love Me Do” is one of their important songs. The song has a catchy melody as well as a steady beat and the use of harmonies give it a depth and richness that became timeless.
29. “Time Of Your Life” By Green Day
This song was released as a single from their fourth album, Nimrod, in 1997. It is simple but powerful, the guitar chords are easy to play with a simple strumming pattern, and the melody is catchy and memorable.
30. “Ring Of Fire” By Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” was, on one level, a simple love song. The single became one of Cash’s biggest hits, staying at number one on the country charts for seven weeks. The song’s distinctive sound is due in part to its production which featured mariachi horns and drums.
31. “Ho Hey” By The Lumineers
This song is in the key of G major, with a tempo of 104 beats per minute. It’s very upbeat and positive, and it gives you a good intro to the lyrics that are easy to get up on stage and sing along with. The lyrics of the song are simple and repetitive enough for beginners and sound great to experienced musicians. It also works because of its easy chord progression.
32. “Summer of 69” By Bryan Adams
One of Bryan Adams’ most popular hit songs is “Summer of 69.” It recalls memories of young love and carefree days. The song was released in 1984 but has been an anthem for years, especially during the summer months. You’ll be singing “I’m starting to wake up again, feeling better than I have in so long” before you realize it’s day time and it’s not a Paul Simon song!
33. “Hey, Soul Sister” By Train
Soul Sister is a song by Train. It was released as the first single from their studio album, Save Me, San Francisco (2009). Hey, Soul Sister has been popular with music fans because of its catchy melody and uplifting lyrics. The song has received praises from critics for its positive message.
34. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” By Queen
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury and released as a single in 1980. The verse has a lot of chord progressions that are easy to learn and for beginner guitarists.
35. “I’m Yours” By Jason Mraz
You’ve heard Jason Mraz’s song “I’m Yours” probably over the years. The song was released in 2008 and it became a smash hit on radio stations worldwide. It has a simple chorus with only 7 chords.
36. “Little Talks” By Of Monsters And Men
Of Monsters And Men’s “Little Talks” is about the mixed feelings of having to do growing up while also feeling very far away from the loved ones you have. The imagery in the song really is amazing and catchy, too. The chorus is one of my favorite parts of this song.
37. “Born In The U.S.A.” By Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” is an iconic song that perfectly captures the patriotic spirit of America. The song has a catchy melody that makes it easy to sing along to, and the message is one that everyone can relate.
38. “Walk Of Life” By Dire Straits
This song is musically similar, as it was composed in a similar style, to the hit Dire Straits song “Money for Nothing”. The current hit was also composed in a similar way and had an up-beat rhythm.
39. “Yellow” By Coldplay
“Yellow” by Coldplay is a song about nature’s beauty and the simplicity of life. The music is soft and mellow, with a gentle melody that makes it more enjoyable to play. Beginner guitarists who are struggling can also learn it without too much difficulty.
40. “No Rain” By Blind Melon
In 1992, a rock band from America called Blind Melon released their debut album, which included the hit single “No Rain.” The chord progression throughout is simple and easy and fun to play.
41. “Closing Time” By Semisonic
This song was released as a single in 1998 from Semisonic’s “Feelings Strangely Fine” album. It was written by Dan Wilson and produced by Nicholas Rowe. “Closing Time” is a power ballad with piano and guitar. If you’re new to barre chords, this one may require some practice.
42. ”All Right Now” By Free
Written by Paul Rodgers of Free and Andy Fraser of Deep Purple, “All Right Now” is a catchy tune with positive lyrics. It has become a timeless classic over the years, with people ranging from music fans to those who just enjoy the tune.
43. “3AM” By Matchbox Twenty
“3AM” is a Matchbox Twenty song released in 1997 as the third single from their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You. The verse progression in this song is an easy one to learn and the chords are very fun to play.
44. “Run-Around” By Blues Traveler
John Popper’s harmonica playing is prominently featured throughout this song, making it a fun and catchy tune that gets stuck in your head. The chorus of “run-around, run-around, run-around” is both catchy and empowering, making it an instant classic.
45. “She Moves In Her Own Way” By The Kooks
“She Moves In Her Own Way” is a 2007 song by The Kooks. It is about a certain woman the lyrics writer, Luke Pritchard, was attracted to. The song has a catchy and upbeat rhythm that belies the lyrical subject matter.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this list of easy guitar songs have given you some ideas as to what songs to start with. If you have any questions or comments about any of the songs listed above, don’t forget to leave their below.