There are a few great tunes that just never go away. The classics that have been able to stand the test of time are known by two or three generations. The same applies for songs that guitarists learn to play. There are some essential songs that whether your 50 or 15 you just need to learn.

I did a little research and compiled a list of the top 10 essential songs to learn on guitar. These span a few decades and are not genre specific. If you’re trying to think of new songs to learn this is an essential list to go through.

Worried you might not be good enough to play some of these tunes? If your guitar playing isn’t quite up to par yet you could use a guitar lesson dvd. After just a few weeks of video lessons and practicing you’ll be playing better.

10 - Dust in the Wind - Kansas

Depending on your age you either remember this song from when it was originally released in 1978 or you’ve heard it in numerous movies over the last 10-15 years. Either way this is a great song for beginners to learn to play. You only need your open chords for this song.

9 - Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

The guitar riff at the beginning of Sweet Home Alabama is as memorable as anything that’s every been played on the radio. It’s easy enough to figure out but fun enough to play that beginners absolutely love it. You can learn this song on an acoustic or electric guitar and it sounds great.

Take the time to figure out how to play the intro picking portion and then connect it with the chords for the chorus and the verse.

8 - Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

The power chords that start this song off are perfect for beginners and a really catchy rhythm. While the band Deep Purple did have quite a few hits none were as popular as Smoke on the Water.

7 - Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

This is a newer song on the list, but a great acoustic tune to learn. Clapton wrote this song about the loss of his son in 1991. More recently he has stopped playing it.

This is a classic tune to learn on acoustic guitar. It will take a bit of time to play this perfectly but it’s worth the practice and the wait.

6 - Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Few song writers have had the longevity of Van Morrison, and his song Brown Eyed Girl is a testament of just how great he is at his craft. This is an easy song to learn for most beginner players, and even more fun if you learn to sing and play it at the same time.

5 - More Than Words - Extreme

This was a beautiful love song from the early nineties. This is a good song to play and sing at the same time, a lot of guitarists have learned this song to play for a special someone.

4 - Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is one of the biggest rock bands of all time, and their classic song Wish You Were Here is the fourth most popular song guitar players want to learn. If you’re a beginner I suggest skipping the intro lead section and jumping right to the chords.

3 - Hotel California - The Eagles

This song is still on classic rock stations daily and sounds great on your own or jamming with a friend. There are a couple of parts in this song, the rhythm chords and a back ground lead portion. So depending on your skill level you can challenge yourself.

2 - Wonder Wall - Oasis

This might seem crazy to some of you by Oasis’s Wonder Wall was a classic acoustic tune from the early nineties. This song is great for beginners in part thanks to is unique chord progressions and catchy melodies. If you can sing and play at the same time this one is a must.

1 - Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

There’s little surprise I’m sure that this song is the most popular with guitarists. This song has a little something for guitar players of all skill levels.

The intro is challenging for beginners to learn, while the solo is as tough as any for more advanced players.

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