Suggested Listening

Rob Moody, guitar teacher, teaching an electric guitar lesson to an adult student in Melbourne, Australia

stuff every guitarist should know!

These songs are recognised widely as some of the top pieces in their genre. Of course there are many other good songs, but these represent many of the most influential tunes in their categories and are great pieces for guitarists. Our teachers use many of these songs in our guitar lessons- get in touch and we’ll get you playing these in no time!

Classic Rock

  • Stairway To Heaven, Black Dog, Heart Breaker - Led Zepplin

  • Let There Be Rock, Long Way To The Top, High Voltage - AC/DC

  • Eleanor Rigby - great cover version by The Zoot

  • While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles, with Eric Clapton

  • I Want You/She's So Heavy - The Beatles

  • Hotel California, One Of These Nights, Life In The Fast Lane - The Eagles

  • Have a Cigar, Dogs, Sheep - Pink Floyd

  • Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh

  • Radar Love - Golden Earring

  • Down Down, Roll Over Lay Down - Status Quo

  • Smoke On The Water, Black Night, Child In Time, Burn - Deep Purple

  • Once Bitten Twice Shy - Ian Hunter & Mott The Hoople

  • Sweet Jayne - Lou Reed (live version with Hunter & Wagner)

  • The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy

  • Bad Boy For Love, We Can't Be Beaten - Rose Tattoo

  • Star Fleet -Brian May with Eddie Van Halen

  • Sweet Child Of Mine, Welcome To The Jungle - Guns & Roses

Instrumental Rock

  • Surfing With The Alien ; Always With Me Always With You ; Satch Boogie ; Day at the Beach - Joe Satriani

  • Sacha - Hank Marvin

  • Beck’s Bolero ; Led Boots ; Where Were You - Jeff Beck

  • Albatross - Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green)

  • Third Stone From The Sun/Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

  • Apache, Wonderful Land - The Shadows (with Hank Marvin)

  • Sleepwalk - by Santo & Johnny (but check out the Brian Setzer remake - its fabulous!)

  • Miserlou - Dick Dale

  • Wipe Out - The Surfaris

  • Rumble - Link Wray

  • Pipeline - The Chantays

  • Bombora ; The Crusher - The Atlantics

  • The Cruel Sea - The Dakotas

  • Telstar - The Tornados

  • Walk Don't Run - The Ventures (twangy Surf Rock supremos!)

  • Orleans Stomp, Sly Din - The Cruel Sea

  • Wedding Cake Island - Midnight Oil

  • Jessica - The Allman Brothers

  • Europa, Flor D 'Luna, Samba Pa Ti - Carlos Santana

  • The Loner - Gary Moore

  • Dead Man - Neil Young

  • Eruption - Van Halen

  • Rude Mood, Scuttlebuttin' - Stevie Ray Vaughan

  • For The Love Of God, Sisters, Frank - Steve Vai

  • Indianola, Rugged Road, Politician, Revelation, Misdirected Blues - Robben Ford

  • Cliffs Of Dover, Trademark, Pavilion, Zap, SRV - Eric Johnson

  • Electric Gypsy - Andy Timmons (Rob’s favourite solo!) 

Great Lead Solos

  • Something, Fixing a Hole, Back in The USSR - The Beatles

  • All Along The Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix

  • Stairway To Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Since I've Been Lovin' You - Led Zepplin/Jimi Page

  • Smoke On The Water, Highway Star, Space Truckin' - Deep Purple/Ritchie Blackmore

  • Can't You Hear Me Knockin' - Rolling Stones, featuring Mick Taylor

  • Fooled Around and Fell in Love - Alvin Bishop

  • Hotel California, One Of These Nights, Take It Easy - The Eagles

  • Love Will Find a Way - Pablo Cruise

  • Your No Good - Linda Ronstadt (with Waddy Watchel)

  • No Regrets - The Walker Brothers

  • Conquistador - Procol Harem

  • Minstrel In The Gallery - Jethro Tull

  • Sultans Of Swing, Lady Writer, Tunnel Of Love, Love Over Gold - Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler

  • Physical - Olivia Newton-John - features THAT solo by Steve Lukather

  • Shadow Boxer/Marseilles/No Secrets - The Angels

  • I'll Be Around - Doug Parkinson

  • Before Too Long - Paul Kelly

  • Rosanna/Hold The Line - Toto

  • Comfortably Numb, Time, Money, Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd/David Gilmour

  • Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush - features a wonderful guitar solo over the ending by Ian Bairnson

  • Back In Black, Let There Be Rock (live version is great) - AC/DC

  • Beat It - Michael Jackson with Eddie Van Halen

  • China Grove, Jesus Is Just Alright, Take Me In Your Arms - Doobie Brothers

  • More Than A Feeling - Boston

  • Its a Long Way There - Little River Band (featuring Rick Formosa)

  • Is This Love - Whitesnake

  • Don't Stop Believin/Stone In Love/Lights - Journey

  • China Girl, Let's Dance - David Bowie, with Stevie Ray Vaughan

  • Still Got The Blues - Gary Moore

  • Errol/Things Don't Seem/Beautiful People/Oh Not Not You Again - Australian Crawl

  • Live Forever - Oasis

  • Standing On The Outside - Cold Chisel

  • Tucker's Daughter - Ian Moss

Classic Signature Riffs

  • Black Dog, Heart Breaker, The Immigrant Song - Led Zepplin

  • Walk This Way - Aerosmith

  • (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction/Paint It Black - Rolling Stones

  • Johnny B. Goode, Oh Carol, Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry

  • My Generation - The Who

  • The Peter Gunn Theme - composed by Henry Mancini, original played by his orchestra: the guitarist?

  • You Really Got Me - The Kinks + great cover version on 1st Van Halen album

  • Day Tripper, I Feel Fine, Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds, Birthday - The Beatles

  • Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream/Eric Clapton

  • Smoke On The Water, Black Night, Pictures Of Home - Deep Purple

  • Man On The Silver Mountain - Ritchie Blackmore & Rainbow

  • All Right Now/Wishing Well - Free

  • What Is Life - George Harrison

  • Layla - Derek & The Dominoes (featuring Eric Clapton)

  • Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie/Mick Ronson

  • Children Of The Revolution - T Rex/Marc Bolan

  • Hurricane, Hey Hey, My My, Needle and the Damage Done - Neil Young

  • Breakdown, Refugee, Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

  • Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas

  • Rock & Roll All Night - Kiss

  • School's Out, Poison - Alice Cooper

  • The Boys Are Back In Town, China Town - Thin Lizzy

  • Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols

  • Message In A Bottle, Walking On The Moon - The Police

  • Aint Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen

  • Hells Bells, Rock & Roll Aint Noise Pollution, Thunderstruck - AC/DC

  • Beat It - Michal Jackson with Eddie Van Halen

  • I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Vertigo - U2

  • Smells Like Teen Spirit, Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

  • In a Big Country - Big Country

  • Ungaurded Moment, When You Were Mine - The Church

  • Bitter Sweet - The Hoodoo Gurus

  • Boys Don't Cry, The Forest, Just Like Heaven - The Cure/Robert Smith

  • Money For Nothing - Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler

  • Owner Of a Lonely Heart - Yes (featuring Trevor Rabin)

  • This Charming Man/What Difference Does It Make/How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths

  • Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz

  • Always On The Run - Lenny Kravitz, with Slash

  • Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

  • Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Great Rhythm Tracks

  • Space Oddity, Jean Jeanie, Suffragette City - David Bowie

  • Thank You, Ramble On, Hangman, Tangerine - Led Zepplin

  • Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile) - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

  • You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Savoy Truffle, Dear Prudence - The Beatles

  • Jumping Jack Flash, It's only Rock and Roll (But I like It), Brown Sugar, Start Me Up, Wild Horses, Angie - Rolling Stones

  • Wish You Were Here, Pigs On The Wing - Pink Floyd

  • White Room, Badge - Cream

  • Venus - The Shocking Blue

  • The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

  • Little Green Bag - The George Baker Selection

  • Lay Lady Lay, Knockin' On Heavens Door, Hurricane - Bob Dylan

  • Pinball Wizard, I'm Free, Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

  • My Sweet Lord - George Harrison

  • Lying Eyes, Tequila Sunrise, Take it Easy - The Eagles

  • Born To Run, The River - Bruce Springsteen

  • Listen To The Music, Rockin' Down The Highway - Doobie Brothers

  • Long Way To The Top, You Shook Me All Night Long, High Voltage, Jail Break - AC/DC

  • Balwyn Calling, Lygon Street Limbo, Women in Uniform - Skyhooks

  • Girls On The Avenue, Capricorn Dancer - Richard Clapton

  • Almost With You, Under The Milky Way Tonight, 10,000 Miles - The Church

  • Before Too Long, To Her Door - Paul Kelly

  • Better Be Home Soon, Don't Dream Its Over, Into Temptation, Weather With You - Crowded House

  • Streets Of Your Town, Love Goes On - The Go Betweens

  • Dead Or Alive - Bon Jovi

  • Mr Cab Driver, Believe - Lenny Kravitz

  • Patience - Guns & Roses

  • Losing My Religion, Its The End of The World, Driver 8 - REM

  • Wonder Wall, Live Forever, Roll With It - Oasis

  • Under The Bridge, Breaking The Girl - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

  • Smells Like Teen Spirit, Polly, About a Girl - Nirvana

  • Light Up The Sky/Panama/Unchained/Somebody Get Me A Doctor/Summer Nights/Humans Being - Van Halen

  • Crazy train - Ozzy Osbourne

Finger Picking Classics

  • Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

  • More Than Words - Extreme

  • Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen (and several well known cover versions)

  • Road Trippin' - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

  • Feelin' Groovy, The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel

  • Dust In The Wind - Kansas

  • Blackbird - The Beatles

  • Fire & Rain, You've Got A Friend - James Taylor

  • Needle and the Damage Done - Neil Young

  • Landslide, Never Go Back Again - Fleetwood Mac

  • Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

  • Vincent - Don McClean

  • Songbird - Eva Cassidy

  • You Were Meant For Me - Jewel

Heavy Rock Classics

  • Iron Man, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Hole In The Sky - Black Sabbath

  • Suicide Solution/Over The Mountain/Mr Crowley - Ozzy Osbourne, with Randy Rhodes

  • Hocus Pocus - Focus

  • Armageddon It/Pour Some Sugar On me - Def Leppard

  • Number Of The Beast/Run To The Hills/ 2 Minutes To Midnight- Iron Maiden

  • Sweet Child Of Mine - Guns 'n Roses

  • Welcome To The Jungle - Guns 'n Roses

  • Decadance Dance/Cupid's Dead - Extreme

Best Funk Guitar Songs

  • Shining Star - Earth Wind and Fire

  • What Is Hip? - Tower Of Power

  • I Feel Good - James Brown

  • Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

  • Funky Monks - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

  • Cult Of Personality/Love Rears Up Its Ugly Head - Living Colour

  • Corey Wong - Airplane Mode + plenty more!