Watched that riff program on BBC4 the other night, and although I play the guitar, I’ve come to realise that I don’t know many, what you would call, classic rock songs.

Back in Black and Hey Hey, My My are about it……so, any suggestions?

What do you want to do? Play songs or just riffs and solos?
The lis is way too long. Hendrix, Clapton, Cream, Almans, Rory Gallagher… Honestly no point in advising. Just check out greatest guitar track ever Album listings and see what you like.
Is this for you or an audience?

Isn’t smoke on the water what everyone *has* to learn?

What was that film where the guy in the guitar shop had a big sign up saying NO SMOKE ON THE WATER!?

Wayne’s World….or was that No Stairway…..?

What was that film where the guy in the guitar shop had a big sign up saying NO SMOKE ON THE WATER!?

I remember in Waynes World:

How about a more gentile classic… [video]http://youtu.be/HR0RqIb-jH4[/video]

Little Wing (by Jimi) and Hotel California are easier than they sound.

Rain Song (Led Zep) easy if you do the VERY wierd tuning.

Aah yes. My old memory is wrong.

No Stairway? Denied!

Just learn any that you feel like you want to learn. Can’t be bothered wasting time learning songs that I feel I should know, I learn songs I want to know

^ this +1000 if we’re focusing on playing for fun.

If your playing for learning pick a classic that has parts in it that are relevant to what your learning. A particular scale, mode or arpeggio etc

SRV, Mary had a little lamb is my favourite guitar shop jam, with a nice pentatonic solo after the main riff. Simple, easy, sounds epic an can be played smoothly enough to convince the salesmen* its worth letting you near the nice stuff.

*Always men!

Unless you’re playing some mad ibanez metal machine type thing, in which case only van halens panama will do. Not flashy, none of that double tapping nonsense, just good, solid, 80’s rock!