Top 101 Most Popular Guitar Songs

Riffs that stay with you, power chords that wake you up and fingerpicked notes that tug on your heartstrings. If it’s on this list, chances are you have heard it.

Sure, there are a ton of lists like this one, but here we have included artists from all generations and genres – even a Christmas song and a recent soundtrack hit thrown in for good measure.

Which ones take you back? Which ones did you totally forget about? And which ones make you want to jam right this second?

In no particular order, from every decade and genre, here are the top 101 most popular guitar songs.

Whole Lotta Love

• Artist: Led Zeppelin
• Album: Led Zeppelin II
• Released: 1969

One of the greatest guitar intros of all time and subsequently one of the best riffs ever written. Need we say more?

Comfortably Numb

• Artist: Pink Floyd
• Album: The Wall
• Released: 1979

Not one, but two solos are in this Pink Floyd number. And the second solo – especially when performed live – is widely considered the best solo of all time.

Smoke On The Water

• Artist: Deep Purple
• Album: Machine Head
• Released: 1972

The first song that every guitar player learns and one of the most recognizable intros in music. For that reason, Blackmore’s riff-work is an easy mention on this list.

Stairway To Heaven

• Artist: Led Zeppelin
• Album: Led Zeppelin IV
• Released: 1971

It’s wistful, melancholy string picking at its best. We don’t even have to mention the solo that kicks in at the six-minute mark, but we’re going to – it’s breath-taking.

Sad But True

• Artist: Metallica
• Album: Metallica
• Released: 1993

There isn’t a soul on earth who hasn’t headbanged to “Sad But True”. When it comes to chugging, palm-muted power chords, this Metallica hit tops the rest.

More Than A Feeling

• Artist: Boston
• Album: Boston
• Released: 1976

The best use of a D chord in music? We don’t know, but it sounds incredible. And that’s before the pre-chorus harmonies come in.

Seven Nation Army

• Artist: The White Stripes
• Album: Elephant
• Released: 2003

Is there a guitarist out there who doesn’t know how to play this song? There’s a reason why: it’s the catchies single-string guitar riff of the last twenty years.

Free Bird

• Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Album: Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Released: 1973

“Free Bird”, Lynyyrd Skynyrd’s most popular hit, is fifty-percent solo. It’s not easy to play either. And who can forget the poignant pitch-bending notes in the verses?

Sweet Child O’Mine

• Artist: Guns N’ Roses
• Album: Appetite for Destruction
• Released: 1987

At some point in life, we all wanted to be Slash. And the upper-neck guitar intro to this Guns N’ Roses release is just one of the reasons why.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

• Artist: Nirvana
• Album: Nevermind
• Released: 1991

Kurt Cobain was, in fact, a genius. After all, who else could make four power chords (and two verse notes) sound so catchy?

American Idiot

• Artist: Green Day
• Album: American Idiot
• Released: 2004

American Idiot saw Green Day take their music to a new maturity. And the neck-sliding power chords of the album’s first song were heard all around the world.

Hotel California

• Artist: Eagles
• Album: Hotel California
• Released: 1977

There’s something wistful, yet hopeful, about “Hotel California” – the Eagles’ greatest hit. And it all lies in the live-sounding expressiveness of the guitars.

Purple Haze

• Artist: Jimi Hendrix
• Album: Purple Haze
• Released: 1967

What most popular guitar song list would be complete with Jimi? And where guitars are concerned, “Purple Haze” is simply iconic. Why? ‘60s fuzz.

All Along The Watchtower

• Artist: Jimi Hendrix
• Album: Electric Ladyland
• Released: 1968

Jimi Hendrix followed “Purple Haze” with “All Along the Watchtower”, a track that better showcased his guitar prowess. And, time and time again, it never fails to impress.

Back In Black

• Artist: AC/DC
• Album: Back in Black
• Released: 1980

Arguably Angus Young’s catchiest chord sequence, and lick. But it’s just not the intro; the chorus just wouldn’t have been the same without Angus’ splashy chords.

Highway To Hell

• Artist: AC/DC
• Album: Highway to Hell
• Released: 1979

The song that made most of us pick up the guitar. To be honest, we still love to strike those chords now and again at max volume.

You Really Got Me

• Artist: The Kinks
• Album: You Really Got Me
• Released: 1964

Two chords, yet one of the most recognizable guitar intros of all time. It goes without saying that The Kinks deserve a spot on this list.

All Day And All Of The Night

• Artist: The Kinks
• Album: All Day and All of the Night
• Released: 1964

No one expected that The Kinks would top “You Really Got Me”, but they did with “All Day and All of the Night”. And we don’t know which intro riff is more catchy.

Sharp Dressed Man

• Artist: ZZ Top
• Album: Eliminator
• Released: 1983

ZZ Top did not mess around when writing “Sharp Dressed Man”. On the intro alone, the duo’s back-and-forth guitar work is their most memorable.

Whatever You Want

• Artist: Status Quo
• Album: Whatever You Want
• Released: 1979

Is it the chugging that mimics the hook? Is it the picked intro? It’s all of it. “Whatever You Want” is a song made for stadiums and it’s all because of the guitar.

Landslide

• Artist: Fleetwood Mac
• Album: Fleetwood Mac
• Released: 1975

No song mellows a grown man more than “Landslide”, one of Fleetwood’s more melancholy releases. It’s a great song to think to, but an even better one to fingerpick.

Thinking Out Loud

• Artist: Ed Sheeran
• Album: x
• Released: 2014

There’s no doubt that Ed Sheeran has put guitar back into the charts. And “Thinking Out Loud” features his most recognizable riff with flawless use of the hammer-on and pull-off.

Walk

• Artist: Pantera
• Album: Vulgar Display of Power
• Released: 1993

One of the greatest guitar intros in metal? We think so. There isn’t a metalist out there who hasn’t cranked up the distortion and headbanged to Pantera’s “Walk”.

The Boys Are Back In Town

• Artist: Thin Lizzy
• Album: Jailbreak
• Released: 1976

How do you make three chords memorable? You write “The Boys are Back in Town”, that’s how. Thin Lizzy’s best hit is a classic with an even better post-chorus guitar harmony.

Sultans Of Swing

• Artist: Dire Straits
• Album: Dire Straits
• Released: 1978

“Sultans of Swing” is just great fun to play – the mixture of strumming, picking and soloing makes this song the Dire Straits’ best, and most popular, on the guitar.

Bohemian Rhapsody

• Artist: Queen
• Album: A Night at the Opera
• Released: 1975

Everyone doubted “Bohemian Rhapsody” during the writing process. What changed everyone’s minds, though, was Brian May’s input at the four-minute mark.

Run Like Hell

• Artist: Pink Floyd
• Album: The Wall
• Released: 1979

If you have ever watched Pink Floyd live, the intro to “Run Like Hell” is no short affair. And before the sliding chords come in, the delayed guitar-picking is a live treat.

I’m Yours

• Artist: Jason Mraz
• Album: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
• Released: 2008

Jason Mraz’s multi-chart-topping release “I’m Yours” instantly became one of the most covered guitar songs, and serenading songs, of the last two decades.

Johnny B. Goode

• Artist: Chuck Berry
• Album: Johnny B. Goode
• Released: 1958

They just don’t make guitar intros like “Johnny B. Goode” anymore. Chuck Berry’s late ‘50s encapsulates the era and is one of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper

• Artist: Blue Oyster Cult
• Album: Agents of Fortune
• Released: 1976

The most famous open note of the ‘70s? Blue Oyster Cult’s most popular hit is their most recognizable on the guitar and subsequently their most fun to play.

War Pigs

• Artist: Black Sabbath
• Album: Paranoid
• Released: 1970

The band that gave birth to metal solidified their no-nonsense attitude to rock with the release of Paranoid. And the opening track is its most unforgettable.

Iron Man

• Artist: Black Sabbath
• Album: Paranoid
• Released: 1970

If “War Pigs” and “Paranoid” weren’t enough, the album’s fourth track featured yet more thickly distorted chords from Tommy Iommi that should never be played on low volume.

This Charming Man

• Artist: The Smiths
• Album: This Charming Man
• Released: 1983

Johnny Marr knew how he wanted his guitar to sound, and it was unique. “This Charming Man” showcases his sound and playing style like no other Smiths release.

Carry On Wayward Son

• Artist: Kansas
• Album: Leftoverture
• Released: 1976

Who doesn’t love the guitar riff on “Carry on Wayward Son”? And, to be honest, we don’t know which is more catchy: the guitar riff or the chorus.

I Was Made For Lovin’ You

• Artist: KISS
• Album: Dynasty
• Released: 1979

Where axe playing is concerned, no KISS track is more memorable than “I Was Made for Lovin’ You”, most prominent on the song’s anthemic, singalong chorus.

Raining Blood

• Artist: Slayer
• Album: Reign in Blood
• Released: 1986

At the time, nothing came close to the headbanging heaviness of “Raining Blood”. And for most metal lovers, it’s a song that comes second nature on the guitar.

Fortunate Son

• Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Album: Willy and the Poor Boys
• Released: 1969

The anti-war song of a generation. And it wasn’t just the lyrics; it was the fuzzed-up guitar licks that inspired independence and rebellion.

Pretty Vacant

• Artist: Sex Pistols
• Album: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols
• Released: 1977

Steve Jones isn’t known for being among the greatest guitarists of all time, but he did write “Pretty Vacant” – a song with the most recognizable guitar intro in punk.

20th Century Boy

• Artist: T. Rex
• Album: 20th Century Boy
• Released: 1973

Another contender for one of the most satisfying guitar intros to play of all time. Pull-offs on the E string have never sounded this good – not since.

Welcome To The Jungle

• Artist: Guns ‘N Roses
• Album: Appetite for Destruction
• Released: 1987

If you play the guitar, you’ll always recount the moment you cranked up the delay and learnt to play “Welcome to the Jungle” – before turning it up for the power chords.

Girl All The Bad Guys Want

• Artist: Bowling for Soup
• Album: Drunk Enough to Dance
• Released: 2002

The school soundtrack for almost every boy who grew up in the ‘90s. And let’s not forget how it has arguably the catchiest intro riff in pop-punk.

My Sharona

• Artist: The Knack
• Album: Get the Knack
• Released: 1979

Who knew plucking two notes would sound so good? The Knack knew. And it will always be their most popular song thanks to the guitar.

Just Like Heaven

• Artist: The Cure
• Album: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
• Released: 1987

Porl Thompson hit all the right notes in “Just Like Heaven”, a track that, if anything, does its title justice.

Panama

• Artist: Van Halen
• Album: 1984
• Released: 1984

We know that you have cranked up the distortion, added a little delay and reverb, and played “Panama” on full volume. Don’t deny it, because we have, too.

Walk This Way

• Artist: Aerosmith
• Album: Toys in the Attic
• Released: 1975

Joe Perry’s greatest riff? Easily. It’s not just catchy, but immensely fun to play on the guitar. Even on the verses. And the chorus. And the solo.

Blitzkrieg Bop

• Artist: Ramones
• Album: Ramones
• Released: 1976

Many of us will remember covering this song in the garage with friends. And there’s a good reason why: the song’s bouncy three power chord structure gets you bopping.

My Generation

• Artist: The Who
• Album: My Generation
• Released: 1965

Ever mimicked Pete Townshend’s windmill? You did. And you did it while playing “My Generation”.

What’s My Age Again?

• Artist: Blink-182
• Album: Enema of the State
• Released: 1999

Tom DeLonge’s simplistic style introduced many late ‘80s kids to the electric. And “What’s My Age Again?” was his most memorable riff and the one everyone wanted to learn.

Killing In The Name

• Artist: Rage Against the Machine
• Album: Rage Against the Machine
• Released: 1992

If there is ever a song for getting riled up, it’s “Killing in the Name”. It’s the drums, it’s the bass, it’s the guitar riffs that somehow make single notes sound heavier than chords.

Crazy Train

• Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
• Album: Blizzard of Ozz
• Released: 1980

The intro, and 30-second mark, of Ozzy’s first solo release “Crazy Train” is one that never fails to get us headbanging like The Godfather himself.

Every Breath You Take

• Artist: The Police
• Album: Synchronicity
• Released: 1983

Is there a more poignant guitar intro than the string-plucked chords of “Every Breath You Take”? We’re not so sure. Hats off to you, Sting.

Summer Of ‘69

• Artist: Bryan Adams
• Album: Reckless
• Released: 1985

The palm-muted intro riff to “Summer of ‘69” encapsulates the ‘80s like no other track of its decade. And, somehow, it even makes millennials feel nostalgic.

No One Knows

• Artist: Queens of the Stone Age
• Album: Songs for the Deaf
• Released: 2002

It’s catchy and great fun to play on guitar. The 2002 QOTSA release is easily their most popular song and it’s all owed to that intro riff.

Can’t Stop

• Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Album: By the Way
• Released: 2002

Red Hot Chili Peppers left their mark on the early 2000s with the release of By the Way, which featured yet more Frusciante magic on the album’s notable third release.

Snow (Hey Oh)

• Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Album: Stadium Arcadium
• Released: 2006

As if John Frusciante could top his previous efforts, he did with “Snow (Hey Oh)”, a mellow RHCP release with an intro riff that breaks fingers.

Beat It

• Artist: Michael Jackson
• Album: Thriller
• Released: 1982

The King of Pop showed a slightly heavier side with the release of “Beat It”, a song with one of the most recognizable power chord sequences in pop music.

Even Flow

• Artist: Pearl Jam
• Album: Ten
• Released: 1992

Pearl Jam’s most popular song just so happens to have one of the best guitar riffs of all time. It’s the neck slide that does it for us.

Redneck

• Artist: Lamb of God
• Album: Sacrament
• Released: 2006

Most metalheads will have the intro fingerwork to Lamb of God’s “Redneck” in their song-playing arsenal, one of the most recognizable metal riffs ever written.

Kashmir

• Artist: Led Zeppelin
• Album: Physical Graffiti
• Released: 1975

Led Zeppelin’s plodding 1975 release “Kashmir” is one that we have all, at some point, played on the guitar, or over the speakers, at ear-splitting volume.

All My Life

• Artist: Foo Fighters
• Album: One by One
• Released: 2002

The first time you heard the single palm-muted power chord intro to “All My Life”, you knew something big was going to follow. And Dave Grohl didn’t disappoint.

Rock And Roll Queen

• Artist: The Subways
• Album: Young for Eternity
• Released: 2005

The chorus to this song is huge – stadium-filling, even. And it’s all down to the overdriven guitars that, at the end of the first verse, hit you like a freight train.

Rebel Rebel

• Artist: David Bowie
• Album: Diamond Dogs
• Released: 1974

Among Bowie’s countless gems, “Rebel Rebel” stands out in terms of guitar writing. The recurring intro riff is simply iconic.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love

• Artist: The Darkness
• Album: Permission to Land
• Released: 2003

The Darkness took the music scene by storm with their debut album Permission to Land, which saw guitars return to the top of the charts with “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”.

Merry Xmas Everybody

• Artist: Slade
• Album: Merry Xmas Everybody
• Released: 1973

We hear it every year and it’s because it’s one of the best Christmas rock songs, or Christmas guitar songs, ever written, to put it simply.

More Than Words

• Artist: Extreme
• Album: Pornograffiti
• Released: 1990

Let’s face it: “More Than Words” is among the greatest guitar serenading songs of all time. And if you ever serenaded somebody, you probably played this song.

I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll

• Artist: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
• Album: I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll
• Released: 1981

We love rock ‘n’ roll, we love guitars. It’s the same thing. And the aptly chosen chords of Joan Jett’s rooftop-shouting hit are nothing short of anthemic.

Mr. Brightside

• Artist: The Killers
• Album: Hot Fuss
• Released: 2003

The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” has one of the best guitar riffs in pop-rock. On top of that, it’s a song that never fails to get a full stadium singing in unison.

Brianstorm

• Artist: Arctic Monkeys
• Album: Favourite Worst Nightmare
• Released: 2007

The first song of Arctic Monkeys’ second album. And the rapid string strumming of “Brianstorm” showed the world that the Arctic Monkeys still meant business.

Fluorescent Adolescent

• Artist: Arctic Monkeys
• Album: Favourite Worst Nightmare
• Released: 2007

Have two guitars ever sounded this good together in indie rock? The guitar work on “Fluorescent Adolescent” is among the Arctic Monkeys’ best.

Limelight

• Artist: Rush
• Album: Moving Pictures
• Released: 1981

Rush are known for their technical songwriting but at least we could play “Limelight”, which fits right in among the greatest guitar riffs ever written.

Breaking The Law

• Artist: Judas Priest
• Album: British Steel
• Released: 1980

Right from the intro, Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” is just one of those songs you just love to jam out to on the guitar.

Ace Of Spades

• Artist: Motorhead
• Album: Ace of Spades
• Released: 1980

Motorhead’s gigs were notorious for being ear-splittingly loud. And, to be honest, you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way for their raucous release “Ace of Spades”.

Sex On Fire

• Artist: Kings of Leon
• Album: Only by the Night
• Released: 2008

Kings of Leon are another band we have to thank for keeping guitars in the charts. And “Sex on Fire” doesn’t just have a massive chorus, but a widely recognizable riff that precedes it.

Supermassive Black Hole

• Artist: Muse
• Album: Black Holes and Revelations
• Released: 2006

There is no doubting Matt Bellamy’s talent on the guitar, and it’s most noticeable on “Supermassive Black Hole”, Muse’s biggest release to date.

Get It On

• Artist: T. Rex
• Album: Electric Warrior
• Released: 1971

“Get It On” is an iconic T. Rex hit thanks to its intro riff. In fact, it was so good that Noel Gallagher used it in his song “Cigarettes and Alcohol”. But don’t tell him we said that.

You Only Live Once

• Artist: The Strokes
• Album: First Impressions of Earth
• Released: 2006

The Strokes have a catalog of catchy guitar releases, but the one that takes top pick is “You Only Live Once”, recognizable right from the intro.

Song 2

• Artist: Blur
• Album: Blur
• Released: 1997

We have all shouted “woo-hoo” and strummed “Song 2” on max distortion. It’s a Blur song unlike their others, but one of their best.

And Your Bird Can Sing

• Artist: Beatles
• Album: Revolver
• Released: 1966

One of the greatest, and most upbeat, riffs to come out of the Beatles, written by the legend himself, John Lennon.

Run To The Hills

• Artist: Iron Maiden
• Album: The Number of the Beast
• Released: 1982

Pitch-bent notes, harmonized? Iron Maiden did it best in their 1982 release “Run to the Hills” from their third album.

B.Y.O.B.

• Artist: System of a Down
• Album: Mezmerize
• Released: 2005

It took a few years for Mezmerize to come out, but when it did, the creative guitar work on “B.Y.O.B.” stood out like nothing they’d released prior.

Love Yourself

• Artist: Justin Bieber
• Album: Purpose
• Released: 2015

Justin Bieber’s stripped-down “Love Yourself” has some of the most popular finger-plucked guitar notes in modern pop, and has been covered non-stop ever since.

Shallow

• Artist: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
• Album: A Star is Born
• Released: 2018

A Star is Born was nothing short of a blockbuster. And one of its central OST songs, “Swallow”, topped the charts with its poignant guitar writing.

I Wanna Rock

• Artist: Twisted Sister
• Album: Stay Hungry
• Released: 1984

To write a song called “I Wanna Rock”, Twisted Sister had to come up with the right chords. Thankfully, they did, and the message was received loud and clear.

Thunderstruck

• Artist: AC/DC
• Album: The Razors Edge
• Released: 1990

Who can dispute this one? The intro to “Thunderstruck” features the most recognizable finger tapping in music.

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

• Artist: Guns N’ Roses
• Album: Days of Thunder
• Released: 1990

The Bob Dylan number came to life through Slash who, in signature fashion, played the song shirtless, smoking and, of course, brandishing a double-neck guitar. Iconic.

Helter Skelter

• Artist: Beatles
• Album: The Beatles
• Released: 1968

The song that is widely attributed to giving birth to metal, inspiring the likes of Black Sabbath and more. For that reason, it easily deserves a spot on this list.

Fight For Your Right

• Artist: Beastie Boys
• Album: Licensed to Ill
• Released: 1987

Who said guitars don’t work with rap music? Beastie Boys proved everyone wrong with “Fight for Your Right”, a song that wouldn’t be the same without those power chords.

Breakeven

• Artist: The Script
• Album: The Script
• Released: 2008

“Breakeven” was so huge that it peaked charts in multiple countries. And we can’t deny that it was half owed to the song’s evocatively melancholic guitar intro.

Smokestack Lightning

• Artist: Howlin’ Wolf
• Album: Smokestack Lightning
• Released: 1956

Is there a more famous riff in blues music? “Smokestack Lightning” has a moody guitar groove that hasn’t been replicated since… and for good reason.

Hallelujah

• Artist: Jeff Buckley
• Album: Grace
• Released: 1994

Reverb up, chorus up. Jeff Buckley’s take on “Hallelujah” is nothing other than wistfully beautiful, and it’s owed to both the guitar tone and dream-like arpeggio.

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

• Artist: Green Day
• Album: Nimrod
• Released: 1997

If you grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, chances are you jammed this song on acoustic. The poignant “Good Riddance” is easily Billy Joe Armstrong’s most covered creation.

In Too Deep

• Artist: Sum 41
• Album: All Killer No Filler
• Released: 2001

Sum 41 will always be remembered as one of the great pop-punk bands of the 2000s. And it’s thanks to one of three riff-heavy releases from the album, “In Too Deep”.

Fat Lip

• Artist: Sum 41
• Album: All Killer No Filler
• Released: 2001

Before “In Too Deep” came “Fat Lip”, Sum 41’s first-ever release. And no one, even non-fans, will ever forget those palm-muted intro notes.

Wonderwall

• Artist: Oasis
• Album: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
• Released: 1995

Need we explain? If “Live Forever” didn’t solidify Oasis as the biggest band of their time, “Wonderwall” did. No acoustic guitar on the planet hasn’t had “Wonderwall” strummed on it.

Come As You Are

• Artist: Nirvana
• Album: Nevermind
• Released: 1992

The chorus-heavy, two-string intro to “Come As You Are” is Nirvana’s most iconic, perfectly encapsulating the grunge sound and movement of the early ‘90s.

Hey There Delilah

• Artist: Plain White T’s
• Album: All That We Needed
• Released: 2007

Melting the hearts of teenage girls all over the world in 2007, the finger-plucked “Hey There Delilah” put Plain White T’s on the map, since covered to no end for good reason.

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

• Artist: The Rolling Stones
• Album: Out of Our Heads
• Released: 1965

If you ever bought a fuzz pedal, it was to play “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” while pretending to be Keith Richards. The song arguably features his most iconic riff.

Under The Bridge

• Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
• Released: 1991

Frusciante’s stylistic flair on the guitar is most recognizable on “Under the Bridge”, a song with such melodic creativity it would work just as well as an instrumental.

Wish You Were Here

• Artist: Pink Floyd
• Album: Wish You Were Here
• Released: 1975

If the opening chords of Roger Waters’ “Wish You Were Here” didn’t transport you to another place, the acoustic solo did. The greatest acoustic song ever written? We wouldn’t argue.

Dust In The Wind

• Artist: Kansas
• Album: Point of Know Return
• Released: 1977

The finger-picked “Dust in the Wind” hits all the right notes. It’s melancholic, yet somehow hopeful at the midpoint, rendering it a masterclass in guitar songwriting.

Blackbird

• Artist: Beatles
• Album: The Beatles
• Released: 1968

McCartney’s classical-inspired “Blackbird” could have been an instrumental, but we’re glad it wasn’t. And where acoustic songwriting is concerned, it’s the Beatles’ most expressive.