Paranoid by Black Sabbath is a prototype 1970 Heavy Metal hit that spread the emerging new style around the globe. The band’s fast, staccato rhythm style, heavy distorted guitar tone and Ozzy Osbourne’s unique vocal range created a dynamic new sound that was soon being copied in garages and pubs all over the world.

Three decades after his iconic How To Make Gravy, Paul Kelly delivers the ‘sequel song’ Rita Wrote a Letter. Full of wry lines that reveal what happens to Rita and the kids after Joe gets out of jail, Rita Wrote a Letter is a perfect rejoinder to the Gravy song and, in typical Paul Kelly fashion a great rhythm song for acoustic steel-string and electric players.

1970s Oz Rock classic Khe Sahn by Cold Chisel is an excellent rhythm chart for developing steel-string players. Originally released in 1978, Khe Sahn has grown steadily more popular in the time since. It regularly features amongst the top 10 in Top 100 Song surveys in Australia and is one of Cold Chisel’s most enduring hits. Perfect for learning how to put chords together with a straight-ahead Rock strumming pattern.

California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & the Papas is one of the defining hits of the ‘psychedelic Pop’ era. The #1 rated song in the USA in 1966 it grew into one of the biggest global hits of the 1960s. With it’s signature guitar intro, strong rhythm progression and memorable melodies California Dreamin’ is a great song for acoustic guitarists.

Just Like Heaven is a classic ‘80s track by The Cure that is perfect for electric guitar and acoustic players. One of their biggest hits, Just Like Heaven comes from The Cure’s 1988 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me and the sing-along chorus, steady beat and catchy guitar lines have turned it into a streaming hit in the current era.

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor by Arctic Monkeys is a great 21st Century rocker for electric guitarists! From their Whatever People Say I Am ~ album, this is a straight ahead, fun, high energy garage-rock track with distinctive electric guitar lines.

Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver is one of the most recognisable Country/Folk style songs of all. A hit in 1971, it has maintained popularity in the digital era and become an official anthem in West Virginia as well as sporting venues around the world. Take Me Home, Country Roads’ steady medium-tempo rhythm and two-bars-per-chord structure makes it ideal for learner guitarists.

The fourth single from her Hit Me Hard and Soft album, Wildflower by Billie Eilish and Finneas is a cool jazz-pop number that makes a great chart for steel-string acoustic and electric guitars. The guitar is an integral element of the structure throughout Wildflower ; an excellent example of the importance of good rhythm guitar work.

Take On Me by A-ha is a one of the biggest global pop hits from the 1980s. The original is not guitar oriented but the song has been re-imagined as an acoustic fingerstyle ballad for the HBO hit series The Last of Us. Reduced to a slow, simple finger-picked ballad, Take On Me becomes a beautiful song for acoustic guitar.