Suggested Listening
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!
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 & Dave'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 Ho) - 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!