250 Greatest Rock Instrumentals

Criteria: These Rock Instrumentals were ranked for their influence, popularity, composition, originality, and instrumentation. (There may be the occasional voice or chant, but no significant lyrics) (This list does not include Jazz, Blues, Classical, or solo Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals.)
Greatest Rock Instrumentals
1. Green Onions
Booker T & The MGs
2. Honky Tonk
Bill Doggett
3. Walk Don't Run
The Ventures
4. Pipeline
The Chantays
5. Night Train
Jimmy Forest
6. Wipe Out
The Surfaris
7. Rumble
Link Wray
8. Rebel Rouser
Duane Eddy
9. Frankenstein
Edgar Winter
10. Misirlou
Dick Dale
11. Sleepwalk
Santo and Johnny
12. Jessica
Allman Brothers Band
13. TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)
MFSB
14. Tequila
Champs
15. Time Is Tight
Booker T & The MGs
16. The Deacon's Hop
Big Jay McNeely
17. Eruption
Van Halen
18. Cissy Strut
The Meters
19. Memphis
Lonnie Mack
20. Apache
The Shadows
21. Raunchy
Bill Justis
22. Soul Twist
King Curtis
23. Space Guitar
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
24. Last Night
The Mar-Keys
25. Wild Weekend
The Rockin' Rebels
26. Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
27. Rockit
Herbie Hancock
28. The Popcorn
James Brown
29. Hip Hug-Her
Booker T. & The MG's
30. Let's Go Trippin'
Dick Dale
31. Telstar
The Tornadoes
32. Soul Finger
Bar Kays
33. Out Of Limits
The Marketts
34. Funky Drummer
James Brown
35. Rock And Roll Part 2
Garry Glitter
36. Soul Serenade
King Curtis/Willie Mitchell
37. Machine Gun
The Commodores
38. Outa Space
Billy Preston
39. The Lonely Surfer
Jack Nitzsche
40. Scorpio
Dennis Coffey
41. Hide Away
Freddie King
42. Hang 'Em High
Booker T. & The MG's
43. Beck's Bolero
Jeff Beck
44. Sophisticated Cissy
The Meters
45. Pick Up The Pieces
Average White Band
46. Twine Time
Alvin Cash & The Crawlers
47. Flamingo
Earl Bostic
48. Because They're Young
Duane Eddy
49. Groovin'
Booker T. & The MG's
50. Moby Dick
Led Zeppelin
51. Harlem Nocturne
Johnny Otis/The Viscounts
52. La Villa Strangiato
Rush
53. Ain't It Funky Now
James Brown
54. Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
55. Wham!
Lonnie Mack
56. Ghost Riders In The Sky
The Ramrods
57. Forty Miles Of Bad Road
Duane Eddy
58. Blue's Theme
Davie Allan & The Arrows
59. Soul Sacrifice
Santana
60. The Horse
Cliff Nobles & Co.
61. Cleo's Mood
Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
62. Hawaii Five-O
The Ventures
63. Orion
Metallica
64. Surfing With The Alien
Joe Satriani
65. Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Part Two)
Jessie Hill
66. Lark's Tongue In Aspic
King Crimson
67. 20-75
Willie Mitchell
68. Express
BT Express
69. Viva Tirado
El Chicano
70. In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
Allman Brothers
71. Peaches En Regalia
Frank Zappa
72. Sparks
The Who
73. Summertime
Booker T. & The MG's
74. Red River Rock
Johnny & the Hurricanes
75. Hocus Pocus
Focus
76. YYZ
Rush
77. Cole Slaw
Frank Culley
78. The Happy Organ
Dave "Baby" Cortez
79. Star Spangled Banner
Jimi Hendrix
80. Mrs. Robinson
Booker T. & The MG's
81. Journey To The Stars
The Ventures
82. Interstellar Overdrive
Pink Floyd
83. Peter Gunn
Duane Eddy/The Art Of Noise
84. Satch Boogie
Joe Satriani
85. Gonzo
James Booker
86. Smokie Part Two
Bill Black's Combo
87. Cliffs Of Dover
Eric Johnson
88. Wade In The Water
Ramsay Lewis Trio
89. Teen Beat
Sandy Nelson
90. Tall Cool One
The Wailers
91. Swanee River Hop
Fats Domino
92. Penetration
The Pyramids
93. Summer Madness
Kool & The Gang
94. Bongo Rock
Preston Epps/Incredible Bongo Band
95. One Mint Julep
Ray Charles
96. Nottingham Lace
Buckethead
97. Samba Pa Ti
Santana
98. Mumblin' Guitar
Bo Diddley
99. Hold It
Bill Doggett
100. Miami Vice Theme
Jan Hammer
101. Grazing in The Grass
Hugh Masekela
102. Slaughter On 10th Avenue
The Ventures/Mick Ronson
103. Cannonball
Duane Eddy
104. Walking With Mr. Lee
Lee Allen
105. Melting Pot
Booker T. & The MG's
106. Soulful Strut
Young-Holt Trio
107. 30-60-90
Willie Mitchell
108. Rawhide
Link Wray
109. Classical Gas
Mason Williams
110. Spudnik (Surf Rider)
The Ventures/The Lively Ones
111. Tuff
Ace Cannon
112. Hand Clappin'
Red Prysock
113. Joy
Apollo 100
114. Surf Beat
Dick Dale
115. The In-Crowd
Ramsey Lewis Trio
116. Theme From S.W.A.T.
Rhythm Heritage
117. Space Race
Billy Preston
118. White Silver Sands
Bill Black Combo
119. The Extremist
Joe Satriani
120. Nutrocker
B. Bumble & The Stingers/ELP
121. Baja
The Astronauts
122. Flights Of Fantasy
The Ventures
123. In/Flux
DJ Shadow
124. Iron Butterfly Theme
Iron Butterfly
125. Boss
The Rumblers
126. The Messiah Will Come Again
Roy Buchanan
127. Pass The Peas
The JB's
128. When The Water Breaks
Liquid Tension Experiment
129. Embryonic Journey
Jefferson Airplane
130. Kometenmelodie
Kraftwerk
131. Scuttle Buttin
Stevie Ray Vaughan
132. Moon Dawg
The Gamblers
133. Perfidia
The Ventures
134. A Night With Daddy G
The Church Street Five
135. O-H-I-O
The Ohio Players
136. The Animal
Steve Vai
137. Ramrod
Duane Eddy
138. Poppin'
Willie Mitchell
139. Atom Heart Mother
Pink Floyd
140. Stormy
The Meters
141. Free Flight
Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes
142. Soft
Tiny Bradshaw
143. You Can't Sit Down
Phil Upchurch Combo
144. Buck's Boogie
Blue Oyster Cult
145. Jay's Frantic
Big Jay McNeely
146. Instant Groove
King Curtis
147. Theme From The Wild Angels
Davie Allan & the Arrows
148. Suds
James Brown
149. Little Wing
Stevie Ray Vaughan
150. Rudy's Rock
Bill Haley & The Comets
151. Jack The Ripper
Link Wray
152. Hole In The Wall
The Packers
153. Erotomania
Dream Theater
154. The Call of Ktulu
Metallica
155. Guitar Boogie
Johnny Otis
156. The Hustle
Van McCoy
157. Ram Bunk Shush
Bill Doggett/The Ventures
158. Overture (Tommy)
The Who
159. Whittier Boulevard
Thee Midniters
160. Red
King Crimson
161. Mr. Eliminator
Dick Dale
162. Ytse Jam
Dream Theater
163. Torquay
The Fireballs
164. Do It Any Way You Wanna
People's Choice
165. Aztec
Bo Diddley
166. University Boulevard
Los Straitjackets
167. Glasgow Kiss
John Petrucci
168. Soul Limbo
Booker T. & The MG's
169. Ode To Billie Joe
King Curtis
170. Let's Go
The Routers
171. Surfer's Stomp
The Marketts
172. Slow Walk
Sil Austin/Bill Doggett
173. Fire On High
ELO
174. Philly Dog
The Mar-Keys
175. Cause We've Ended As Lovers
Jeff Beck
176. Animal
Phil Keaggy
177. Cruise Missile
Steve Morse
178. Some Kind-A Earthquake
Duane Eddy
179. Heavy Juice
Tiny Bradshaw
180. Blue
Yngwie Malmsteen
181. Speed Metal Symphony
Cacophony
182. Boureé
Jethro Tull
183. K-Jee
The Nite-Liters
184. Kon Tiki - The Shadows
185. Ballero
War
186. The Jam
Paul Gilbert
187. Boot-Leg
Booker T. & The MG's
188. Open Sesame
Kool & The Gang
189. The 2,000 Pound Bee
The Ventures
190. Underwater
The Frogmen
191. Wring That Neck
Deep Purple
192. Righteous
Eric Johnson
193. Vaquero
The Fireballs
194. Ease Back
The Meters
195. The Wedge
Dick Dale
196. Toccata
Emerson Lake and Palmer
197. Paradigm Shift
Liquid Tension Experiment
198. Point Panic
The Surfaris
199. Quadrophenia
The Who
200. Cold Turkey
Johnny Otis
201. Guitar Boogie Shuffle
The Virtues
202. Zoot Allures
Frank Zappa
203. Kemuri
DJ Krush
204. Liberty
Steve Vai
205. Spreadin' Honey
Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
206. Taurus
Dennis Coffey
207. Bustin' Surfboards
The Tornadoes
208. America
The Nice
209. The Hunch
Paul Gayton
210. Europa
Santana
211. Mr. Moto
The Belairs
212. The Swag
Link Wray
213. Diamond Head
The Ventures
214. Liberation
Chicago
215. Zeke The Freak
Isaac Hayes
216. Lost And Found
DJ Shadow
217. Freeway Jam
Jeff Beck
218. Wheels
The String-A-Longs
219. The Crush Of Love
Joe Satriani
220. Jellybread
Booker T. & The MG's
221. Hot Lanta
Allman Brothers Band
222. Underture (Tommy)
The Who
223. Don't Be Cruel
Bill Black Combo
224. Black Star
Yngwie Malmsteen
225. Every Beat Of My Heart
James Brown
226. The Lonely One
Duane Eddy
227. Nun Chuka Kata
Buckethead
228. Percolatin'
Willie Mitchell
229. Sun Goddess
Ramsey Lewis and Earth, Wind & Fire
230. The Wizard Turns On...
The Flaming Lips
231. Tic Toc
Lee Allen
232. The Victor
Dick Dale
233. Perpetual Burn
Jason Becker
234. Gator's Groove
Willis Jackson
235. Stoked
The Beach Boys
236. Chinese Checkers
Booker T. & The MG's
237. Six Days
DJ Shadow
238. I'm Alright
Neil Zaza
239. Albatross
Fleetwood Mac
240. Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Brian Wilson
241. Cecilia Ann
Pixies
242. Zap
Eric Johnson
243. The Toussaint Shuffle
Toussaint McCall
244. My Sweet Ginny
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
245. Spunky
Johnny Jenkins
246. Was Dog A Doughnut
Cat Stevens
247. Stomp
Little Feat
248. Devil's Angels
Davie Allan & The Arrows
249. Rockhouse
Ray Charles
250. Epilogue For Lisa
Shawn Lane

Booker T & The MGs

Bill Doggett

The Ventures

Link Wray

Duane Eddy

The Tornadoes

Greatest Rock Instrumental Albums

1. Ventures In Space
The Ventures
2. Blow By Blow
Jeff Beck
3. Melting Pot
Booker T. & The MG's
4. Have 'Twangy' Guitar, Will Travel
Duane Eddy 
5. Surfer's Choice
Dick Dale 
6. Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
7. Surfing With The Alien
Joe Satriani
8. Plays & Directs The Popcorn
James Brown
9. Passion And Warfare
Steve Vai
10. Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
11. The Meters
The Meters
12. Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
13. Endtroducing
DJ Shadow
14. Live At Fillmore West
King Curtis
15. Love Is The Message
MFSB
16. Population Override
Buckethead
17. Ah Via Musicom
Eric Johnson
18. Link Wray & The Wray Men
Link Wray
19. On Stage!
The Ventures
20. Out Of Limits
The Marketts
21. Liquid Tension Experiment
Liquid Tension Experiment
22. Strictly Turntablized
DJ Krush
23. Rhapsody In White
Love Unlimited Orchestra
24. King Size Soul
King Curtis
25. What If
Dixie Dregs
26. Wired
Jeff Beck
27. The Shadows
The Shadows
28. Pop Symphony #1
Jan & Dean
29. The Most Exciting Organ Ever
Billy Preston
30. The Velvet Touch Of
Los Straitjackets

Greatest Rock Instrumental Artists

1. Booker T. & The MG's
2. The Ventures
3. Duane Eddy
4. King Curtis
5. The Meters
6. Link Wray
7. Dick Dale
8. Jeff Beck
9. Bill Doggett
10. Big Jay McNeely
11. The Shadows
12. Joe Satriani
13. Yngwie Malmsteen
14. Willie Mitchell
15. Eric Johnson
16. Davie Allan & The Arrows
17. Bill Black's Combo
18. Ramsey Lewis Trio
19. The Mar-Keys
20. Steve Vai
21. Johnny & the Hurricanes
22. The Tornadoes
23. The Champs
24. The Marketts
25. MFSB

Edited By:
Last Updated: 2023-12-13