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20 Guitar Classics You Sure Want to Know How to Play

By Klaus Crow 30 Comments

April 2, 2020 by Klaus Crow

Photo by John W. Tuggle
Guitar players (beginners and intermediate) ask me from time to time which songs they really should know how to play on the guitar.

Sure there are a lot of songs you can mention but there are always certain songs that stand out from the rest and which most guitar players want to know how to play when they start out.

I still know how great it felt and what a victory it was when I could play “Sweet child o’ mine” and “More than words” for the first time. The golden days of learning your classics you will never forget.

To give you an idea of what guitar songs have really made a name for itself I put together a list with 20 guitar classics with help and many thanks of guitar players on twitter and in real life.

I appreciate every song you want to add to this list. I know the list is far from complete and not each and every song may suit your taste, but it’s here to give you some inspiration. You might want to learn to play some great classics that have made musical history.

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Enjoy!

1 Hotel California – The Eagles – Tabs

2 Nothing else matters – Metallica – Tabs

3 More than words – Extreme – Tabs

4 Wonderwall – Oasis – Tabs

5 Stairway to heaven – Led Zeppelin – Tabs

6 Sweet child o’ mine – Guns ‘n roses – Tabs

7 Knocking on heavens door – Bob Dylan Chords

8 Sweet home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Tabs

9 Wish you were here – Pink Floyd – Tabs

10 Blackbird – The Beatles – Tabs

11 Smoke on the water – Deep Purple – Tabs

12 Under the bridge – Red hot chili peppers – Tabs

13 Dust in the wind – Kansas – Tabs

14 Heart of gold – Neil Young – Tabs

15 Sunshine of your love – Cream – Tabs

16 Autumn leaves – Tabs

17 Girl from Ipanema – Antonio Carlos Jobim – Tabs

18 Smells like teen spirit – Nirvana – Tabs

19 Give a little bit – Supertramp – Tabs

20 Tears in heaven – Eric Clapton – Tabs

Here is one song I really love. It’s not necessarily a guitar classic, but just a beautiful song I often play. Originally written by the Bee Gees, but this version by Ray La Montagne and Damien Rice makes me fall in love with it over and over again.

1 To love somebody – Ray La Montagne & Damien Rice

What is your favorite guitar classic?
Please share in the comments.

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  2. 50 Reasons Why You Should Play Guitar (and Not Any Other Instrument )
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Comments

  1. Matthew Lane says

    at

    I thought your list (with a pass for Neil Young – he’s just undeniable) was kind of generic … the “do you know ‘Freebird’?” list that every guitar player needs before taking his or her guitar to a party. But you brought it home with your “addition” to the list … That version of “To Love Somebody” is nothing short of incredible. I watch the YouTube video of it regularly, and my brother and I did a similar version together at my wedding reception.

    Thanks for the great site. I think I’ll go home and learn a song from your top twenty.

  2. Michael says

    at

    my guitar classic (this moment) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rePcHxFJIuU death cab for a cutie , i’ll follow you into the dark. play it in different ways, you can also fingerpick it like simon and garfunkels ‘the boxer’ …

  3. Leonie-Marie Mete says

    at

    Thank you for your article! I never thought of learning songs as a “victory”, but it is! If fact, I’ve seen it as such a mountain in my mind, that I have been overwhelmed by it too many times, I get stuck. Unfortunity tho, the freedom experienced once you have a song under your belt, is so rewarding, you cant not want to commit! If I learn a song a week, then that is 52 in a year! Then it will become a habit I will get use too!

  4. Michael Haber says

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    Hey very good song choices!!! Although i feel the fact that theres no Jimi Hendrix in there at all is a lil bit of a downer. There should definitely be maybe some little wing, castles made of sand, or wind cries mary action, but other than that very strong song choices!

  5. Juri says

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    Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing a must !

  6. Dennis Meeks says

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    I’m from the OLD coffee house generation. Back then it was the Animals, “House of the Rising Sun”
    On most open mic nights you would hear, “Hey Joe”,and “Words” It was the time of the Hippie generation. I was in the Army during that time but we had our own Coffee House in one of the Service Clubs on Post every Thursday night.

  7. Nino says

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    Any My Morning Jacket song.

  8. Klaus Crow says

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    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for sharing your favorite guitar classics. Love reading your comments.

    You’re awesome!

    Thanks,
    Klaus

  9. Mark says

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    I like your choice of songs . The song that got me into guitar was Van Halen Aint talkin about love . I remember it was 1989 and I was living in California and I heard the song from the 1984 album. I also heard Eruption which made something in my head click.It was the beginning of a long journey.Regards Mark

  10. Glenn says

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    Hey what about Santana??? Black Magic Woman? or Bon Jovi, Wanted Dead Or Alive? And the best of all…..My Sharona by the Knack!!!

  11. Nehal says

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    Master of Puppets – Metallica
    Rock You Like a Hurricane – The Scorpions

  12. Klaus Crow says

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    Hi Nehal,
    Thanks for your contribution.

    “Master of puppets” is indeed a heavy metal classic we can not ignore.

    Best regards,
    Klaus Crow

  13. Wayne says

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    Layla by Eric Clapton.

  14. Dan says

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    Certainly any rock guitarist would have some love for Kirk Hammet’s biological father, Mr. Tony Iommi.

  15. pringlepoacher says

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    It’s great to see the passion that everyone has for “their” music. The great thing is that we get to share it with the world! I have seen this list recreated many times over the years and as always it’s hard to dispute any artist left in or out. The point being that we are all artists. We just paint our pictures in a different way.

  16. puhawang says

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    That song is good for learn guitar… i like so much…

  17. John says

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    Good selection…summer of 69 is a must

  18. gary says

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    layla by Eric clapton

  19. Arthur says

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    wow, when i saw this i felt great because i know how to play four songs here, namely blackbird, more than words, stairway to heaven and sweet child o mine. looks like i need to learn the next 16! ;)

  20. chris says

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    Here comes the sun was my first and jam with george on you tube regularly

  21. Klaus Crow says

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    Hi Chris,

    Thanks for mentioning. That’s a great classic.

    Best regards,
    Klaus Crow

  22. Shane Thompson says

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    I love the guitar in “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz.
    House of the Rising Sun is a great one to learn, and Johnny B Goode, definately should be mentioned!

    Great article!

  23. Sandy says

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    I really wanted to learn to play guitar but the problem is that I was not given a chance to do it. But if I could maybe I was also playing guitar in some weddings too as sideline.

  24. Sabrina says

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    Shouldn’t “Hey There Delilah” be there??

  25. MK says

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    Stairway to Heaven, is a good song for beginners, because it flexes a lot of chords, picking, and neck movements. It may be the best one for beginners to learn on.
    IMHO

  26. Natasha says

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    I love all those song options and I’m really glad i actually know how to play a few of them. One song i would recommend is “Romance de Amour”. it may not be a classic but its a really fun song to play and it really helps with the speed of your fingering, and it allows a lot of room to improvise and be creative !!!

  27. Cardosa says

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    Nice list :)

    To be honest i was looking for, classic guitar songs to get inspired to learn :) .

    Love all the songs from the list and i leave here another kind of “style”, hoping someone get’s inspired ^^

    Asturias – Isac Albeniz

  28. Marco says

    at

    1 Yes
    2 Yes
    3 No
    4 No
    5 Yes
    6 Yes
    7 Eh
    8 No
    9 Yes
    10 Yes
    11 Yes
    12 No
    13 No
    14 No
    15 Yes
    16 No
    17 Yes
    18 Yes
    19 No
    20 No

  29. Ally says

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    Simple kind of Man is another classic that when you play with people they should know.

  30. Branden says

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    My favorite classic is: simple man-lynard skynyrd

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