200 Greatest Hard Rock Songs
Criteria: These hard rock songs are ranked according to their initial and lasting acclaim, influence as well as initial and lasting popularity. For songs which are only partially hard rock, only their hard rock parts are factored into their ranking.
See Definition below list.
See Definition below list.
Greatest Hard Rock Songs
1. Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix Experience
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
Cream
3. Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin
4. All Along The Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix Experience
5. Won't Get Fooled Again
The Who
6. I Love Rock 'N' Roll
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
7. Sweet Child O' Mine
Guns N' Roses
8. You Shook Me All Night Long
AC/DC
9. More Than a Feeling
Boston
10. We Will Rock You
Queen
Jimi Hendrix Experience
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
Cream
3. Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin
4. All Along The Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix Experience
5. Won't Get Fooled Again
The Who
6. I Love Rock 'N' Roll
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
7. Sweet Child O' Mine
Guns N' Roses
8. You Shook Me All Night Long
AC/DC
9. More Than a Feeling
Boston
10. We Will Rock You
Queen
11. Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple
12. Born To Be Wild
Steppenwolf
13. Highway to Hell
AC/DC
14. Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd
15. Walk This Way
Aerosmith
16. White Room
Cream
17. Kashmir
Led Zeppelin
18. Baba O'Riley
The Who
19. Dazed And Confused
Led Zeppelin
20. Back In Black
AC/DC
21. Stairway to Heaven
Led Zeppelin
22. All Right Now
Free
23. Aqualung
Jethro Tull
24. Revolution
Beatles
25. Livin On a Prayer
Bon Jovi
26. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
27. I Can See For Miles
The Who
28. Rock And Roll
Led Zeppelin
29. Pour Some Sugar On Me
Def Leppard
30. Black Dog
Led Zeppelin
31. School's Out
Alice Cooper
32. Rock and Roll All Nite
KISS
33. Bang a Gong (Get It On)
T. Rex
34. Welcome To the Jungle
Guns N' Roses
35. The Boys Are Back in Town
Thin Lizzy
36. Dream On
Aerosmith
37. Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
38. Pinball Wizard
The Who
39. Paradise By the Dashboard Light
Meat Loaf
40. American Woman
The Guess Who
41. Helter Skelter
Beatles
42. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
43. Beat It
Michael Jackson
44. Radar Love
Golden Earring
45. Highway Star
Deep Purple
46. Sweet Emotion
Aerosmith
47. You Keep Me Hangin' On
Vanilla Fudge
48. The Final Countdown
Europe
49. Eye of the Tiger
Survivor
50. We're an American Band
Grand Funk
51. Runnin' with the Devil
Van Halen
52. Who Are You
The Who
53. November Rain
Guns N' Roses
54. Behind Blue Eyes
The Who
55. Carry On Wayward Son
Kansas
56. Are You Gonna Go My Way
Lenny Kravitz
57. Surrender
Cheap Trick
58. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)
Neil Young
59. Summertime Blues
Blue Cheer
60. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Jimi Hendrix Experience
61. Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin
62. You Really Got Me
Van Halen
63. Heartbreaker
Led Zeppelin
64. Photograph
Def Leppard
65. Cryin'
Aerosmith
66. Thunderstruck
AC/DC
67. Love Bites
Def Leppard
68. Here I Go Again
Whitesnake
69. Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
70. Cult of Personality
Living Colour
71. Tom Sawyer
Rush
72. Hard to Handle
Black Crowes
73. Child in Time
Deep Purple
74. Crossroads
Cream
75. You Give Love a Bad Name
Bon Jovi
76. Rockin' In the Free World
Neil Young
77. Can't Get Enough
Bad Company
78. Long Time
Boston
79. Barracuda
Heart
80. Whole Lotta Rosie
AC/DC
81. Fox On the Run
Sweet
82. La Grange
ZZ Top
83. Bad Medicine
Bon Jovi
84. Break On Through (To the Other Side)
Doors
85. Over the Hills and Far Away
Led Zeppelin
86. Bad Company
Bad Company
87. Crazy On You
Heart
88. Slow Ride
Foghat
89. Locomotive Breath
Jethro Tull
90. Black Betty
Ram Jam
91. Foxey Lady
Jimi Hendrix Experience
92. Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
Aerosmith
93. We're Not Gonna Take It
Twisted Sister
94. Hot for Teacher
Van Halen
95. The Spirit of Radio
Rush
96. Detroit Rock City
KISS
97. Rock You Like a Hurricane
Scorpions
98. The Show Must Go On
Queen
99. Working for the Weekend
Loverboy
100. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
AC/DC
Deep Purple
12. Born To Be Wild
Steppenwolf
13. Highway to Hell
AC/DC
14. Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd
15. Walk This Way
Aerosmith
16. White Room
Cream
17. Kashmir
Led Zeppelin
18. Baba O'Riley
The Who
19. Dazed And Confused
Led Zeppelin
20. Back In Black
AC/DC
21. Stairway to Heaven
Led Zeppelin
22. All Right Now
Free
23. Aqualung
Jethro Tull
24. Revolution
Beatles
25. Livin On a Prayer
Bon Jovi
26. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
27. I Can See For Miles
The Who
28. Rock And Roll
Led Zeppelin
29. Pour Some Sugar On Me
Def Leppard
30. Black Dog
Led Zeppelin
31. School's Out
Alice Cooper
32. Rock and Roll All Nite
KISS
33. Bang a Gong (Get It On)
T. Rex
34. Welcome To the Jungle
Guns N' Roses
35. The Boys Are Back in Town
Thin Lizzy
36. Dream On
Aerosmith
37. Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
38. Pinball Wizard
The Who
39. Paradise By the Dashboard Light
Meat Loaf
40. American Woman
The Guess Who
41. Helter Skelter
Beatles
42. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
43. Beat It
Michael Jackson
44. Radar Love
Golden Earring
45. Highway Star
Deep Purple
46. Sweet Emotion
Aerosmith
47. You Keep Me Hangin' On
Vanilla Fudge
48. The Final Countdown
Europe
49. Eye of the Tiger
Survivor
50. We're an American Band
Grand Funk
51. Runnin' with the Devil
Van Halen
52. Who Are You
The Who
53. November Rain
Guns N' Roses
54. Behind Blue Eyes
The Who
55. Carry On Wayward Son
Kansas
56. Are You Gonna Go My Way
Lenny Kravitz
57. Surrender
Cheap Trick
58. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)
Neil Young
59. Summertime Blues
Blue Cheer
60. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Jimi Hendrix Experience
61. Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin
62. You Really Got Me
Van Halen
63. Heartbreaker
Led Zeppelin
64. Photograph
Def Leppard
65. Cryin'
Aerosmith
66. Thunderstruck
AC/DC
67. Love Bites
Def Leppard
68. Here I Go Again
Whitesnake
69. Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
70. Cult of Personality
Living Colour
71. Tom Sawyer
Rush
72. Hard to Handle
Black Crowes
73. Child in Time
Deep Purple
74. Crossroads
Cream
75. You Give Love a Bad Name
Bon Jovi
76. Rockin' In the Free World
Neil Young
77. Can't Get Enough
Bad Company
78. Long Time
Boston
79. Barracuda
Heart
80. Whole Lotta Rosie
AC/DC
81. Fox On the Run
Sweet
82. La Grange
ZZ Top
83. Bad Medicine
Bon Jovi
84. Break On Through (To the Other Side)
Doors
85. Over the Hills and Far Away
Led Zeppelin
86. Bad Company
Bad Company
87. Crazy On You
Heart
88. Slow Ride
Foghat
89. Locomotive Breath
Jethro Tull
90. Black Betty
Ram Jam
91. Foxey Lady
Jimi Hendrix Experience
92. Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
Aerosmith
93. We're Not Gonna Take It
Twisted Sister
94. Hot for Teacher
Van Halen
95. The Spirit of Radio
Rush
96. Detroit Rock City
KISS
97. Rock You Like a Hurricane
Scorpions
98. The Show Must Go On
Queen
99. Working for the Weekend
Loverboy
100. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
AC/DC
101. Ballroom Blitz
Sweet
102. Dr. Feelgood
Mötley Crüe
103. Rebel Yell
Billy Idol
104. Twilight Zone
Golden Earring
105. Janie's Got a Gun
Aerosmith
106. T.N.T.
AC/DC
107. Tush
ZZ Top
108. Girls, Girls, Girls
Mötley Crüe
109. Hocus Pocus
Focus
110. Frankenstein
Edgar Winter Group
111. Peace Of Mind
Boston
112. White Wedding
Billy Idol
113. The Stroke
Billy Squier
114. Magic Man
Heart
115. We're Not Gonna Take It
The Who
116. Hush
Deep Purple
117. Some Kind Of Wonderful
Grand Funk
118. 18 and Life
Skid Row
119. Bad to the Bone
George Thorogood
120. Round and Round
Ratt
121. Sharp Dressed Man
ZZ Top
122. Nothin' But a Good Time
Poison
123. Gimme All Your Lovin'
ZZ Top
124. Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd
125. Good Times, Bad Times
Led Zeppelin
126. I Hate Myself For Loving You
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
127. When the Levee Breaks
Led Zeppelin
128. Panama
Van Halen
129. Eighteen
Alice Cooper
130. Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young
131. Hot Blooded
Foreigner
132. Whiskey in the Jar
Thin Lizzy
133. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Van Halen
134. Youth Gone Wild
Skid Row
135. Blaze of Glory
Jon Bon Jovi
136. Why Can't This Be Love?
Van Halen
137. I Believe in a Thing Called Love
The Darkness
138. Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Guns N' Roses
139. Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Jet
140. Still of the Night
Whitesnake
141. Unskinny Bop
Poison
142. Innuendo
Queen
143. Hells Bells
AC/DC
144. Fat Bottomed Girls
Queen
145. Down Down
Status Quo
146. Stay with Me
Faces
147. Feel Like Makin' Love
Bad Company
148. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
AC/DC
149. Limelight
Rush
150. Wheel In the Sky
Journey
151. The Loco-Motion
Grand Funk
152. You Could Be Mine
Guns N' Roses
153. Don't Look Back
Boston
154. It's a Long Way to the Top
AC/DC
155. Stranglehold
Ted Nugent
156. Cherry Bomb
Runaways
157. Burn
Deep Purple
158. Mississippi Queen
Mountain
159. Let There Be Rock
AC/DC
160. Feels Like the First Time
Foreigner
161. Free Ride
Edgar Winter Group
162. Everything About You
Ugly Kid Joe
163. Eruption
Van Halen
164. No More Mr. Nice Guy
Alice Cooper
165. Cum On Feel the Noize
Quiet Riot
166. Communication Breakdown
Led Zeppelin
167. Heartbreaker
Pat Benatar
168. Dance the Night Away
Van Halen
169. Party Hard
Andrew W.K.
170. Right Now
Van Halen
171. Life Is a Highway
Tom Cochrane
172. I'll Wait
Van Halen
173. Dreams
Van Halen
174. Children of the Revolution
T. Rex
175. Cum On Feel the Noize
Slade
176. Rock of Ages
Def Leppard
177. Hysteria
Def Leppard
178. Poison
Alice Cooper
179. Rag Doll
Aerosmith
180. Keep the Faith
Bon Jovi
181. Armageddon It
Def Leppard
182. Sister Christian
Night Ranger
183. Rocket
Def Leppard
184. Bad Time
Grand Funk
185. Love Reign O'er Me
The Who
186. Same Old Song and Dance
Aerosmith
187. Back In the Saddle
Aerosmith
188. Achilles Last Stand
Led Zeppelin
189. Hair Of the Dog
Nazareth
190. Seven Seas of Rhye
Queen
191. Love in an Elevator
Aerosmith
192. Kickstart My Heart
Mötley Crüe
193. Animal
Def Leppard
194. Love Removal Machine
Cult
195. And the Cradle Will Rock
Van Halen
196. Burning Heart
Survivor
197. Burnin' For You
Blue Öyster Cult
198. I Can't Drive '55
Sammy Hagar
199. Smokin'
Boston
200. Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Quiet Riot
Sweet
102. Dr. Feelgood
Mötley Crüe
103. Rebel Yell
Billy Idol
104. Twilight Zone
Golden Earring
105. Janie's Got a Gun
Aerosmith
106. T.N.T.
AC/DC
107. Tush
ZZ Top
108. Girls, Girls, Girls
Mötley Crüe
109. Hocus Pocus
Focus
110. Frankenstein
Edgar Winter Group
111. Peace Of Mind
Boston
112. White Wedding
Billy Idol
113. The Stroke
Billy Squier
114. Magic Man
Heart
115. We're Not Gonna Take It
The Who
116. Hush
Deep Purple
117. Some Kind Of Wonderful
Grand Funk
118. 18 and Life
Skid Row
119. Bad to the Bone
George Thorogood
120. Round and Round
Ratt
121. Sharp Dressed Man
ZZ Top
122. Nothin' But a Good Time
Poison
123. Gimme All Your Lovin'
ZZ Top
124. Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd
125. Good Times, Bad Times
Led Zeppelin
126. I Hate Myself For Loving You
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
127. When the Levee Breaks
Led Zeppelin
128. Panama
Van Halen
129. Eighteen
Alice Cooper
130. Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young
131. Hot Blooded
Foreigner
132. Whiskey in the Jar
Thin Lizzy
133. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Van Halen
134. Youth Gone Wild
Skid Row
135. Blaze of Glory
Jon Bon Jovi
136. Why Can't This Be Love?
Van Halen
137. I Believe in a Thing Called Love
The Darkness
138. Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Guns N' Roses
139. Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Jet
140. Still of the Night
Whitesnake
141. Unskinny Bop
Poison
142. Innuendo
Queen
143. Hells Bells
AC/DC
144. Fat Bottomed Girls
Queen
145. Down Down
Status Quo
146. Stay with Me
Faces
147. Feel Like Makin' Love
Bad Company
148. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
AC/DC
149. Limelight
Rush
150. Wheel In the Sky
Journey
151. The Loco-Motion
Grand Funk
152. You Could Be Mine
Guns N' Roses
153. Don't Look Back
Boston
154. It's a Long Way to the Top
AC/DC
155. Stranglehold
Ted Nugent
156. Cherry Bomb
Runaways
157. Burn
Deep Purple
158. Mississippi Queen
Mountain
159. Let There Be Rock
AC/DC
160. Feels Like the First Time
Foreigner
161. Free Ride
Edgar Winter Group
162. Everything About You
Ugly Kid Joe
163. Eruption
Van Halen
164. No More Mr. Nice Guy
Alice Cooper
165. Cum On Feel the Noize
Quiet Riot
166. Communication Breakdown
Led Zeppelin
167. Heartbreaker
Pat Benatar
168. Dance the Night Away
Van Halen
169. Party Hard
Andrew W.K.
170. Right Now
Van Halen
171. Life Is a Highway
Tom Cochrane
172. I'll Wait
Van Halen
173. Dreams
Van Halen
174. Children of the Revolution
T. Rex
175. Cum On Feel the Noize
Slade
176. Rock of Ages
Def Leppard
177. Hysteria
Def Leppard
178. Poison
Alice Cooper
179. Rag Doll
Aerosmith
180. Keep the Faith
Bon Jovi
181. Armageddon It
Def Leppard
182. Sister Christian
Night Ranger
183. Rocket
Def Leppard
184. Bad Time
Grand Funk
185. Love Reign O'er Me
The Who
186. Same Old Song and Dance
Aerosmith
187. Back In the Saddle
Aerosmith
188. Achilles Last Stand
Led Zeppelin
189. Hair Of the Dog
Nazareth
190. Seven Seas of Rhye
Queen
191. Love in an Elevator
Aerosmith
192. Kickstart My Heart
Mötley Crüe
193. Animal
Def Leppard
194. Love Removal Machine
Cult
195. And the Cradle Will Rock
Van Halen
196. Burning Heart
Survivor
197. Burnin' For You
Blue Öyster Cult
198. I Can't Drive '55
Sammy Hagar
199. Smokin'
Boston
200. Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Quiet Riot
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Definition 1 (what is hard rock):
Hard rock is a genre of rock music with special emphasis on distorted electric guitars. It is often described as "aggressive", "heavy" and "anthemic". Its harmonic structure is usually based on power chords played over a blues scale. Hard rock originated in late 1966 with the first recordings by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. Its stylistic origins lie primarily in the garage rock of the first half of the 1960s.
Definition 2 (what isn't hard rock):
For the purposes of the list, songs from the following genres were not considered for this list, even though they may suit the definition given above: garage rock (e.g. The Sonics, The Kinks, Monks), heavy metal/proto-metal (e.g. Black Sabbath, Budgie, Sir Lord Baltimore), punk/proto-punk (e.g. The Stooges, MC5, New York Dolls), alternative rock/grunge (e.g. Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana) and stoner rock (e.g. Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Monster Magnet). The reason for this is that punk, metal and alt-rock already have their own lists, and thus it would be redundant to list them again. Also, they represent different branches of the rock tree with different stylistic features (for example, they're often not as clearly rooted in blues). Garage rock on the other hand is a sort of proto-'hard rock' with a more amateurish approach. Stoner rock is an almagam of influences from different styles (mainly hard rock, metal and alt-rock) that has really developed into something singular.
Definition 3 (what is hard rock anyway):
Even though metal songs were not considered for this list, glam metal was treated as a subgenre of hard rock as it's not really metal anyway. Other than that, songs from the following genres were often allowed if they rocked hard enough: blues rock, AOR, arena rock, southern rock, boogie rock, progressive rock, glam rock, psychedelic rock.
Hard rock is a genre of rock music with special emphasis on distorted electric guitars. It is often described as "aggressive", "heavy" and "anthemic". Its harmonic structure is usually based on power chords played over a blues scale. Hard rock originated in late 1966 with the first recordings by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. Its stylistic origins lie primarily in the garage rock of the first half of the 1960s.
Definition 2 (what isn't hard rock):
For the purposes of the list, songs from the following genres were not considered for this list, even though they may suit the definition given above: garage rock (e.g. The Sonics, The Kinks, Monks), heavy metal/proto-metal (e.g. Black Sabbath, Budgie, Sir Lord Baltimore), punk/proto-punk (e.g. The Stooges, MC5, New York Dolls), alternative rock/grunge (e.g. Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana) and stoner rock (e.g. Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Monster Magnet). The reason for this is that punk, metal and alt-rock already have their own lists, and thus it would be redundant to list them again. Also, they represent different branches of the rock tree with different stylistic features (for example, they're often not as clearly rooted in blues). Garage rock on the other hand is a sort of proto-'hard rock' with a more amateurish approach. Stoner rock is an almagam of influences from different styles (mainly hard rock, metal and alt-rock) that has really developed into something singular.
Definition 3 (what is hard rock anyway):
Even though metal songs were not considered for this list, glam metal was treated as a subgenre of hard rock as it's not really metal anyway. Other than that, songs from the following genres were often allowed if they rocked hard enough: blues rock, AOR, arena rock, southern rock, boogie rock, progressive rock, glam rock, psychedelic rock.
Edited By: Tim
List Begun: 2021-09-16