These 188 easy rock guitar songs prove you don’t need years of lessons to play real rock. Each one also uses only open chords that most beginners already know. Even better, every song comes with a capo spot, so you can play along with the original record.
About These 188 Easy Rock Guitar Songs
Every song in this list can be played with the same five easy open chords: G, C, D, Em and Am. No barre chords, no F, no Bm. Just five shapes most beginners learn in their first few weeks. The list covers classic rock, alternative, Southern rock, pop-punk and indie folk-rock, from The Beatles, Neil Young and Tom Petty to Nirvana, Green Day and The Lumineers. Most songs use just three or four of the five chords.
These are simplified “easy guitar” versions. They follow each song’s real chord changes, so they sound right, but they leave out the fancy licks and extra notes. For every song, we also show where to put a capo so you can play along with the original recording.
Why Five Chords Cover So Many Rock Songs
Wondering how just five chords can cover 188 rock songs? Our guide to 794 popular guitar songs you can play with 5 easy chords explains it in plain language. First, it shows why you don’t need hundreds of chords. It also explains how the major scale builds a family of chords that sound good together. Then it covers what chord progressions are and why musicians write them as numbers. Finally, it explains why thousands of songs share the same progressions. It also shows how a capo puts these five shapes in any key. It’s a quick read, and it’ll make this list much easier to use.
The Rock Song List
Scroll inside the table to see all 188 songs. On a phone, swipe sideways to see every column.
| SONG | ARTIST | CHORDS | PROGRESSION | EASY CHORDS | EASY KEY | ACTUAL KEY | CAPO FRET |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Phoenix | 5 | 2m – 6m – 1 – 4 – 5 | Am – Em – G – C – D | G | C | 5 |
| 1979 | The Smashing Pumpkins | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – C – D – Em | G | Eb | 8 |
| 3AM | Matchbox Twenty | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – C – D – Em | G | Ab | 1 |
| 9 Crimes | Damien Rice | 4 | 6m – 4 – 1 – 5 | Em – C – G – D | G | C | 5 |
| A Horse with No Name | America | 2 | 1m – b7 | Em – D | Em | Em | 0 |
| Adam’s Song | blink-182 | 5 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 2m – 5 | G – C – Em – Am – D | G | C | 5 |
| All Along the Watchtower | Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 1m – b7 – b6 | Em – D – C | Em | Cm | 8 |
| All Apologies | Nirvana | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | Db | 6 |
| All Right Now | Free | 3 | 1 – 4 – b7 | D – G – C | D | A | 7 |
| All That I’ve Got | The Used | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 2m | G – C – D – Am | G | G | 0 |
| All the Small Things | blink-182 | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | C | 5 |
| American Idiot | Green Day | 4 | 1 – 4 – b7 – 5 | D – G – C – Am | D | Ab | 6 |
| Back in Black | AC/DC | 5 | 1 – b7 – 4 – 5 – b3 | Am – G – D – Em – C | Am | E | 7 |
| Bad Moon Rising | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| Barbara Ann | The Beach Boys | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | F# | 11 |
| Better Together | Jack Johnson | 5 | 1 – 5 – 6m – 4 – 2m | G – D – Em – C – Am | G | F | 10 |
| Bitter Sweet Symphony | The Verve | 4 | 5 – 2m – 4 – 1 | D – Am – C – G | G | A | 2 |
| Blitzkrieg Bop | Ramones | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 2 | G – C – D – Am | G | A | 2 |
| Born in the U.S.A. | Bruce Springsteen | 2 | 1 – 4 | G – C | G | B | 4 |
| Born on the Bayou | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | E | 2 |
| Breakdown | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | 3 | 1m – b7 – b6 | Em – D – C | Em | Am | 5 |
| Breakfast at Tiffany’s | Deep Blue Something | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | D | 7 |
| Breath | Breaking Benjamin | 4 | 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 | Em – C – G – D | Em | Fm | 1 |
| Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – C – D – Em | G | G | 0 |
| C’mon Everybody | Eddie Cochran | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | E | 9 |
| Call Me the Breeze | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| Can’t You See | The Marshall Tucker Band | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | D | 0 |
| Caring Is Creepy | The Shins | 5 | 6m – 5 – 4 – 2m – 1 | Em – D – C – Am – G | G | D | 7 |
| Check Yes Juliet | We the Kings | 5 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 2m – 5 | G – Em – C – Am – D | G | D | 7 |
| Cleopatra | The Lumineers | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | Ab | 1 |
| Come As You Are | Nirvana | 5 | 1m – b7 – b3 – 4 – b6 | Em – D – G – Am – C | Em | Em | 0 |
| Common People | Pulp | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | C | 5 |
| Complicated | Avril Lavigne | 5 | 6m – 4 – 1 – 5 – 2m | Em – C – G – D – Am | G | F | 10 |
| Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team) | Taking Back Sunday | 4 | 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 | Em – C – G – D | Em | Dbm | 9 |
| Dammit | blink-182 | 4 | 1 – 5 – 6 – 4 | G – D – Em – C | G | C | 5 |
| Dancing in the Dark | Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 1 – 4 – 2m – 6m – 5 | G – C – Am – Em – D | G | B | 4 |
| Dead Flowers | The Rolling Stones | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| Decode | Paramore | 4 | b6 – 4m – 1m – b7 | C – Am – Em – D | Em | Bbm | 6 |
| Dog Days Are Over | Florence + The Machine | 3 | 1 – 2m – 6m | G – Am – Em | G | G | 0 |
| Don’t Let Me Down | The Beatles | 3 | 1 – 2m – 5 | G – Am – D | G | E | 9 |
| Down in the Valley | The Head and the Heart | 3 | 1 – 4 – 6m | G – C – Em | G | C | 5 |
| Down on the Corner | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | C | 5 |
| Dreams | Fleetwood Mac | 3 | b6 – b7 – 1m | C – D – Em | Em | Am | 5 |
| Every Rose Has Its Thorn | Poison | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – C – D – Em | G | F# | 11 |
| Feelin’ Alright | Joe Cocker | 2 | 1 – 4 | G – C | G | C | 5 |
| Fell in Love with a Girl | The White Stripes | 5 | 1 – b7 – b3 – 4 – 5 | Am – G – C – D – Em | Am | Bm | 2 |
| Fire on the Mountain | The Marshall Tucker Band | 5 | 1 – 5 – 2m – 4 – 6m | G – D – Am – C – Em | G | G | 0 |
| Free Fallin’ | Tom Petty | 2 | 1 – 5 | C – G | C | F | 5 |
| Friend of the Devil | Grateful Dead | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 2m | G – C – D – Am | G | G | 0 |
| Get Back | The Beatles | 3 | 1 – 4 – b7 | D – G – C | D | A | 7 |
| Gimme All Your Lovin’ | ZZ Top | 4 | 4 – b7 – 1 – 5 | D – G – Am – Em | Am | C | 3 |
| Girls & Boys | Good Charlotte | 3 | 4 – 5 – 1 | G – Am – D | D | Eb | 1 |
| Give Peace a Chance | Plastic Ono Band | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | Db | 6 |
| Gloria | Them | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | E | 2 |
| Glory Days | Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| Go Your Own Way | Fleetwood Mac | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | F | 10 |
| Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) | Green Day | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – C – D – Em | G | G | 0 |
| Hang On Sloopy | The McCoys | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | G | 0 |
| Harvest Moon | Neil Young | 3 | 1 – 2m – 4 | D – Em – G | D | D | 0 |
| Have You Ever Seen the Rain? | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 4 | 6m – 4 – 1 – 5 | Em – C – G – D | G | C | 5 |
| Helpless | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| Here Without You | 3 Doors Down | 4 | 1m – b7 – b6 – b3 | Em – D – C – G | Em | Bbm | 6 |
| Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) | Neil Young | 4 | 1m – b7 – b6 – b3 | Em – D – C – G | Em | Am | 5 |
| Highway to Hell | AC/DC | 4 | 1 – 4 – b7 – 5 | D – G – C – Am | D | A | 7 |
| Hit Me with Your Best Shot | Pat Benatar | 4 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 | G – C – Em – D | G | E | 9 |
| Hit or Miss | New Found Glory | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | E | 9 |
| Ho Hey | The Lumineers | 4 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 | G – C – Em – D | G | C | 5 |
| Hold My Hand | Hootie & the Blowfish | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | B | 4 |
| Holocene | Bon Iver | 4 | 1 – 6m – 5 – 4 | G – Em – D – C | G | Db | 6 |
| Home | Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros | 5 | 1m – b3 – b6 – 4m – b7 | Em – G – C – Am – D | Em | Bm | 7 |
| How You Remind Me | Nickelback | 4 | 1 – 4 – b7 – b3 | Am – D – G – C | Am | Cm | 3 |
| Hurts So Good | John Mellencamp | 4 | 1 – 5 – 6m – 4 | G – D – Em – C | G | A | 2 |
| I Know a Little | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll | Joan Jett & the Blackhearts | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | D – G – Am | D | E | 2 |
| I Miss You | blink-182 | 5 | 1 – 5 – 6m – 2m – 4 | G – D – Em – Am – C | G | B | 4 |
| I Wanna Be Sedated | Ramones | 5 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 2 – 6 | G – C – D – Am – Em | G | E | 9 |
| I Won’t Back Down | Tom Petty | 4 | 6m – 5 – 1 – 4 | Em – D – G – C | G | G | 0 |
| I Write Sins Not Tragedies | Panic! at the Disco | 5 | 1m – 4m – b6 – b7 – b3 | Em – Am – C – D – G | Em | Am | 5 |
| I’d Do Anything | Simple Plan | 4 | 4 – 5 – 1 – 6m | C – D – G – Em | G | Ab | 1 |
| Island in the Sun | Weezer | 5 | 6m – 2m – 5 – 1 – 4 | Em – Am – D – G – C | G | G | 0 |
| It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) | AC/DC | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | Bb | 8 |
| Jack & Diane | John Mellencamp | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | A | 2 |
| Jet Airliner | Steve Miller Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – b7 | D – G – C | D | C | 10 |
| Keep Your Hands to Yourself | The Georgia Satellites | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| Kids | MGMT | 4 | 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 | Em – C – G – D | Em | F#m | 2 |
| King and Lionheart | Of Monsters and Men | 4 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 5 | G – Em – C – D | G | Eb | 8 |
| Know Your Enemy | Green Day | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | B | 4 |
| La Bamba | Ritchie Valens | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | C | 5 |
| Last Kiss | Pearl Jam | 4 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 5 | G – Em – C – D | G | G | 0 |
| Learning to Fly | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | 4 | 4 – 1 – 6m – 5 | C – G – Em – D | G | C | 5 |
| Legs | ZZ Top | 4 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 5 | G – Em – C – D | G | E | 9 |
| Let Her Cry | Hootie & the Blowfish | 5 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m – 2m | G – D – C – Em – Am | G | G | 0 |
| Lightning Crashes | Live | 3 | 4 – 1 – 5 | C – G – D | G | B | 4 |
| Little Lion Man | Mumford & Sons | 4 | 6m – 1 – 4 – 5 | Em – G – C – D | G | F | 10 |
| Little Talks | Of Monsters and Men | 4 | 6m – 4 – 1 – 5 | Em – C – G – D | G | Db | 6 |
| Long Haired Country Boy | The Charlie Daniels Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | D | 7 |
| Lookin’ Out My Back Door | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 4 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 5 | G – Em – C – D | G | B | 4 |
| Lost in My Mind | The Head and the Heart | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | D | 7 |
| Louie Louie | The Kingsmen | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5m – b7 | D – G – Am – C | D | A | 7 |
| Low Rider | War | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | G | 5 |
| Margaritaville | Jimmy Buffett | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| Mercedes Benz | Janis Joplin | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | Eb | 8 |
| Mony Mony | Tommy James and the Shondells | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| Mr. Brightside | The Killers | 4 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 | G – C – Em – D | G | Db | 6 |
| My Own Worst Enemy | Lit | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 2m | G – D – C – Am | G | E | 9 |
| Name | Goo Goo Dolls | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | A | 2 |
| Not Fade Away | Buddy Holly & The Crickets | 3 | 1 – 4 – b7 | D – G – C | D | E | 2 |
| Ocean Avenue | Yellowcard | 4 | 5 – 6m – 4 – 1 | D – Em – C – G | G | A | 2 |
| Old Time Rock and Roll | Bob Seger | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | F# | 11 |
| One Way Out | The Allman Brothers Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| One Week | Barenaked Ladies | 4 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 | G – C – Em – D | G | A | 2 |
| Only One | Yellowcard | 4 | 6m – 4 – 5 – 1 | Em – C – D – G | G | E | 9 |
| Only Wanna Be with You | Hootie & the Blowfish | 4 | 1 – 5 – 2m – 4 | G – D – Am – C | G | F# | 11 |
| Ophelia | The Lumineers | 4 | 6m – 4 – 1 – 5 | Em – C – G – D | G | F | 10 |
| Oye Como Va | Santana | 2 | 1m – 4 | Am – D | Am | Am | 0 |
| Paperback Writer | The Beatles | 2 | 1 – 4 | G – C | G | G | 0 |
| Peaceful Easy Feeling | Eagles | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 2m | G – C – D – Am | G | E | 9 |
| Pompeii | Bastille | 4 | 4 – 1 – 6m – 5 | C – G – Em – D | G | A | 2 |
| Pumped Up Kicks | Foster the People | 4 | 2m – 4 – 1 – 5 | Am – C – G – D | G | Eb | 8 |
| Push | Matchbox Twenty | 4 | 1 – 5 – 6m – 4 | G – D – Em – C | G | F# | 11 |
| Rave On | Buddy Holly | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | G | 0 |
| Re: Stacks | Bon Iver | 5 | 1 – 4 – b7 – 5m – 2m | D – G – C – Am – Em | D | D | 0 |
| Rebel Rebel | David Bowie | 4 | 4 – 5 – 1 – 2m | C – D – G – Am | G | A | 2 |
| Rivers and Roads | The Head and the Heart | 3 | 1 – 6m – 4 | G – Em – C | G | C | 5 |
| Rock’n Me | Steve Miller Band | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | B | 9 |
| Rockin’ in the Free World | Neil Young | 4 | 1m – b7 – b6 – b3 | Em – D – C – G | Em | Em | 0 |
| Run Through the Jungle | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 1 | 1m | Am | Am | Dm | 5 |
| Scar Tissue | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 3 | 1 – 5 – 6m | C – G – Am | C | F | 5 |
| Semi-Charmed Life | Third Eye Blind | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | G | 0 |
| Sex on Fire | Kings of Leon | 3 | 1 – 6m – 4 | G – Em – C | G | E | 9 |
| Shake It Out | Florence + The Machine | 5 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 – 2m | G – C – Em – D – Am | G | F | 10 |
| She Talks to Angels | The Black Crowes | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | E | 9 |
| Simple Man | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 3 | b3 – b7 – 1m | G – D – Em | Em | Abm | 4 |
| Skinny Love | Bon Iver | 3 | 6m – 1 – 2 | Am – C – D | C | C | 0 |
| Sleep on the Floor | The Lumineers | 4 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 | G – C – Em – D | G | C | 5 |
| Sleepyhead | Passion Pit | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | Ab | 1 |
| Slide | Goo Goo Dolls | 4 | 6m – 5 – 4 – 1 | Em – D – C – G | G | Ab | 1 |
| Small Town | John Mellencamp | 5 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 2m – 6m | G – D – C – Am – Em | G | B | 4 |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | 4 | 1 – 4 – b3 – b6 | Em – Am – G – C | Em | Fm | 1 |
| Someday | The Strokes | 5 | 1 – 2m – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – Am – C – D – Em | G | A | 2 |
| Song 2 | Blur | 5 | 1 – b7 – b3 – 4 – 5 | Am – G – C – D – Em | Am | Fm | 8 |
| Southbound | The Allman Brothers Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | C | 5 |
| Southern Cross | Crosby, Stills & Nash | 4 | 1 – b7 – 4 – 2m | D – C – G – Em | D | A | 7 |
| Spirit in the Sky | Norman Greenbaum | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | A | 2 |
| Statesboro Blues | The Allman Brothers Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | D | 7 |
| Stubborn Love | The Lumineers | 4 | 4 – 6m – 1 – 5 | C – Em – G – D | G | C | 5 |
| Summertime Blues | Eddie Cochran | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | E | 9 |
| Surfin’ U.S.A. | The Beach Boys | 3 | 5 – 1 – 4 | D – G – C | G | Eb | 8 |
| Sweet Jane | The Velvet Underground | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | D | 7 |
| Swing, Swing | The All-American Rejects | 4 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 5 | G – Em – C – D | G | G | 0 |
| T.N.T. | AC/DC | 3 | 1 – b3 – 4 | Em – G – Am | Em | Em | 0 |
| Take It Easy | Eagles | 5 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m – 2m | G – C – D – Em – Am | G | G | 0 |
| Take the Money and Run | Steve Miller Band | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | G | 5 |
| Takin’ Care of Business | Bachman-Turner Overdrive | 3 | 1 – b7 – 4 | D – C – G | D | C | 10 |
| Teach Your Children | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 4 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 6m | G – C – D – Em | G | D | 7 |
| That Smell | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 3 | b6 – 1m – b7 | C – Em – D | Em | Am | 5 |
| The Anthem | Good Charlotte | 4 | 1 – 5 – 4 – 6m | G – D – C – Em | G | Db | 6 |
| The Boys of Summer | The Ataris | 5 | b3 – b6 – b7 – 1m – 4m | G – C – D – Em – Am | Em | Ebm | 11 |
| The Cave | Mumford & Sons | 4 | 6m – 1 – 5 – 4 | Em – G – D – C | G | E | 9 |
| The Freshmen | The Verve Pipe | 4 | 1 – 4 – 6m – 5 | G – C – Em – D | G | E | 9 |
| The Joker | Steve Miller Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | F | 10 |
| The Kids Aren’t Alright | The Offspring | 4 | 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 | Em – C – G – D | Em | Bbm | 6 |
| The Middle | Jimmy Eat World | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| The One I Love | R.E.M. | 5 | 1m – b7 – b3 – 4m – b6 | Em – D – G – Am – C | Em | Em | 0 |
| The Waiting | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | 4 | 4 – 1 – 5 – 6m | C – G – D – Em | G | D | 7 |
| Times Like These | Foo Fighters | 5 | 5 – 4 – 1 – 2m – 6m | D – C – G – Am – Em | G | G | 0 |
| Travelin’ Band | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | F# | 11 |
| Tumbling Dice | The Rolling Stones | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | B | 4 |
| Twist and Shout | The Beatles | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | D | 7 |
| Two Princes | Spin Doctors | 4 | 1 – 6m – 5 – 4 | G – Em – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| Uncle John’s Band | Grateful Dead | 5 | 1 – 4 – 5 – 2m – 6m | G – C – D – Am – Em | G | G | 0 |
| Uneasy Rider | The Charlie Daniels Band | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | C | 5 |
| Up Around the Bend | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 1 – 5 – 4 | G – D – C | G | D | 7 |
| Vindicated | Dashboard Confessional | 4 | 1 – 6m – 5 – 4 | G – Em – D – C | G | Eb | 8 |
| Welcome to My Life | Simple Plan | 5 | 1 – 6m – 4 – 5 – 2m | G – Em – C – D – Am | G | Db | 6 |
| Werewolves of London | Warren Zevon | 3 | 5 – 4 – 1 | D – C – G | G | G | 0 |
| What’s My Age Again? | blink-182 | 4 | 4 – 1 – 5 – 6m | C – G – D – Em | G | F# | 11 |
| What’s Up? | 4 Non Blondes | 3 | 1 – 2m – 4 | G – Am – C | G | A | 2 |
| When I Come Around | Green Day | 5 | 1 – 5 – 6m – 4 – 2m | G – D – Em – C – Am | G | F# | 11 |
| White Blank Page | Mumford & Sons | 4 | 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 | Em – C – G – D | Em | F#m | 2 |
| White Winter Hymnal | Fleet Foxes | 4 | 1 – 2m – 4 – 5 | G – Am – C – D | G | E | 9 |
| Why Don’t You Get a Job? | The Offspring | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | F | 10 |
| Wipe Out | The Surfaris | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | C | 5 |
| With or Without You | U2 | 4 | 1 – 5 – 6m – 4 | G – D – Em – C | G | D | 7 |
| Yellow Submarine | The Beatles | 5 | 5 – 4 – 1 – 6m – 2m | D – C – G – Em – Am | G | F# | 11 |
| You Shook Me All Night Long | AC/DC | 3 | 1 – 4 – 5 | G – C – D | G | G | 0 |
| You’ve Got the Love | Florence + The Machine | 3 | 2m – 1 – 5 | Am – G – D | G | F# | 11 |
| Zombie | The Cranberries | 4 | 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 | Em – C – G – D | Em | Em | 0 |
How To Use The Rock Song List
Scroll through the easy rock guitar songs above, then use this guide to get the most out of them.
SONG and ARTIST: The song and the recording we matched. The key and capo match this artist’s studio version.
CHORDS: How many different chords the song uses.
PROGRESSION: The song’s chords written as numbers. “1” is the home chord, the one the song keeps coming back to. “4” and “5” are the other two main chords. “m” means minor. A “b” (flat) number, like b7 or b3, is a chord borrowed from outside the usual set; rock songs use them a lot. You don’t need the numbers to play the songs, but they show you the pattern. Songs with the same numbers share the same chord pattern.
EASY CHORDS: The chords you actually play.
EASY KEY: The key those easy chords are in.
ACTUAL KEY: The key of the original recording (“m” means a minor key).
CAPO FRET: Where to put your capo so the easy chords match the original recording.
- 0 means no capo. Just play.
- High numbers (8 and up) work, but the frets get cramped. It’s fine to skip the capo and play in the easy key instead. You won’t match the record, but the song will sound right.
Getting Started With Easy Rock Guitar Songs
1: Learn the five chords: G, C, D, Em and Am.
2: Learn the four patterns that cover most of this list:
- 1 – 4 – 5 (G – C – D): the original rock ‘n’ roll pattern. Try La Bamba or Twist and Shout.
- The “four-chord” pattern: G, C, D and Em in different orders (for example 1 – 4 – 6m – 5, G – C – Em – D). It’s the sound behind One Week, Ho Hey and Mr. Brightside.
- 1 – b7 – 4 (D – C – G): the swaggering classic-rock sound. Try Gloria or Takin’ Care of Business.
- 1m – b6 – b3 – b7 (Em – C – G – D): the moody minor sound of Zombie.
3: Put on the record. Put your capo on the fret shown and strum along with the original recording.
4: Rock it up. Use mostly downstrokes, dig in a little harder, and let the low strings ring. That alone makes these chords sound like rock.
Quick Tips for Playing Along
- To find a capo spot by ear, strum the song’s first chord along with the recording. Then slide your capo up one fret at a time until it matches.
- Instrumentals are included (like Wipe Out). Strum the chords while the band plays the melody.
What Makes a Song Qualify
Five easy chords. Every song can be played with G, C, D, Em and Am at a single capo position. We tested each song at every capo position and with every combination of the five shapes. If it still needed another chord, it didn’t make the list.
Simplified, not changed. We strip out the decorations, such as 7ths, sus and add chords, and treat power chords as plain chords. We skip passing chords that go by in less than a beat. But we never swap a chord for a different one just to make a song fit. If a song truly needs an F, a Bm, a B or any other chord outside the five, we left it out. (That’s why some famous rock songs aren’t here.)
One exception: riff songs. Some rock songs, like Smells Like Teen Spirit and Back in Black, are built on “power chords,” which aren’t major or minor. For those, an Em or Am shape stands in for the power chord. Those songs show a plain number (like 1 or 5) in the PROGRESSION column where the EASY CHORDS show Em or Am.
Where to Go After These Rock Songs
Once you’ve played a handful of these easy rock guitar songs, try another genre. The blues list is a natural next step. Most of it uses the same G, C and D you’ve been strumming here.
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Continue Learning
Explore the rest of this series:
- Play 794 Popular Guitar Songs With 5 Easy Chords
- Play 164 Classic Blues Songs With Just 5 Easy Chords
- Play 162 Pop Songs on Guitar With Just 5 Easy Chords
- Play 144 Country Songs on Guitar With Just 5 Easy Chords
- Play 136 Traditional Songs on Guitar With Just 5 Easy Chords
About the Education Team
Four music-industry veterans with decades of combined experience in music education, curation, and production at TrueFire and ArtistWorks. The TrueFire Studios Education Team plans and edits this content and works with our master-musician faculty to keep it accurate and genuinely useful.