50 Rock Songs That Every Cover Band Musician Should Know - (2024)

One of the joys of playing music in a cover band is that you get to replicate some of the most popular songs in the history of music. Audiences throughout the world love these songs, which of course contributes to their longevity.

Not every band will play all of these songs, in fact some won’t play ANY of them. I’m not suggesting that these songs should be your set list.But as a working musician I have played many gigs with bands that I had never rehearsed with or even met, and I’ve found in those cases that it was essential to at leastKNOWevery track on this list.

So whether you’re a solo player, a hired gun, or a member of a full band, take a look at this list of the most played, requested, and successful songs in rock history. Then learn them so they are in your rock arsenal. You never know when you’ll need to pull any one of these off.

“What I Got” was Sublime’s biggest radio hit and reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock tracks Chart in 1997, the year after singer Bradley Nowell’s untimely death. This tune is always a crowd-pleaser, and the simple two-chord structure lends the song well to extended medleys.

One of the defining songs of the early ’90s Seattle grunge era,“Man in a Box”makes a great late-night power track to get the diehards pumping their fists and buying shots.

“Basket Case” is the song that exemplifies the spirit and mood of the mid-’90s rock culture. It was the biggest hit from Green Day’s debut album Dookieand still feels fresh today.

Pretty much every female singer that I’ve ever played with knows“Me & Bobby McGee.” It’s musically easy, fun and it showcases the vocalist’s pipes. Also every girl in the crowd wants to be on stage singing along.

Play this title track from the last AC/DC album featuring singer Bon Scott and guys will throw up the horns, chicks will head-bang, and everybody will sing the chorus. Always a winner!

“Talk Dirty to Me”is the late ’80s “hair band” signature song. Sometimes it works great—and sometimes it tanks—but it’s one you definitely need to know. (The video is also one of theTop 5 ’80s Hair Metal Band Spinning Videos).

The year is 1984. Things didn’t go as George Orwell envisioned. The greatest guitar player in rock started playing keyboards. Everyone knows this song and sings along. You must know it—and know it correctly.

The biggest hit for The Romantics, “What I Like About You” actually features drummer Jimmy Marinos on lead vocals. This tune is singable, dance-able, and works well in a medley with songs like “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” by John Mellencamp and “On the Darkside” by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.

This is the song you play when the guitar player breaks a string. So if you sing or play bass or drums, you need to be able to pull this one out.

“Can’t Get Enough”is good song for the first set. This rock radio classic holds up in the clubs and bars nearly 40 years after its release.

Wait . . . what? Paul Rodgers again!? Yep. The hook is killer. It’s got a great guitar solo. And the bass player even gets the spotlight for a moment. This song always goes over well.

A great tune for the mellow stoners in the room,“The Joker”is a timeless classic that often gets the crowd singing along.

Everyone wants more cowbell! And this 1969 hit satiates every rock and SNL fan by leading into the song with Bessie’s neck piece. A simple four-chord structure makes this one a no-brainer . . . and people love it.

This was Benatar’s biggest hit, back in 1980, and still remains popular with the party crowd. Even guys in bands have been known to get away with singing this tune, and it’s a must if you have an ’80s-music-lovin’ audience.

With another fantastic sing-along chorus for drunk people,“Here I Go Again”was a #1 hit for David Coverdale and Co. back in 1987 and still holds up as a hair-metal classic today.

While not technically a rock song (although it was covered brilliantly by Stevie Ray Vaughan), this 1972 Motown hit gets the crowd dancing and drinking and fits in well with the classic rock repertoire.

When girls ask to hear Def Leppard, they’re talking about“Pour Some Sugar on Me.”The 1987 Top 10 hit gets the ladies dancing—sometimes on the bar, sometimes on the stage. Know it. And even if you don’t sing, you best be shouting “Hey!” into a mic.

This was the band’s second-biggest hit, surpassed only by “Born To Be Wild” (an obvious choice for the biker lot), and does well to loosen up the crowd. If they’re not already dancing, a few folks should jump on the floor when you launch into this song.

Putting the words “Rock and Roll” in your title seems to work well (they’ll appear several more times in this list). Seger’s late-’70s hit was made popular by the 1983 Tom Cruise flickRisky Business, and“Old Time Rock & Roll”still remains a rock-radio and party-crowd staple today.

If there’s a bachelorette party in the crowd, this is a great tune to get the girls dancing and singing. If you know the blues, then you’ll have no problem playing this one.

From the 1976 albumHotel California,“Life in the Fast Lane”peaked at #11 inBillboardand is well-known by pretty much everyone. It rocks from start to finish, and is a great upbeat song to include in your set.

Although they have an extensive catalog of classic metal brilliance,thisis the song that defines Metallica. When it was first released, I was happily flabbergasted to see peopledance to a thrash band!What!? Over 20 years later . . . people still do.

People will request“Long Train Runnin’.“Because, “without love, where would you be now?”

Unless you’re playing in a Kiss tribute band or you’re really into Kiss, this is the only Kiss song that you’ll ever need to know. It’s a pretty reliable crowd-pleaser no matter what the gig.

Some of the songs on this list are the ones that define their band to the general public.“Crazy Train”is Ozzy’s highest-charting hit, from back in 1981, and can still be heard on the radio, in movies, commercials, TV shows, and sports stadiums throughout the country. Everyone knows it, and everyone loves it.

Whythissong? Do you know why? ‘Cause I don’t. I mean . . . it’s fun. It’s sing-along-able. As soon as it starts, you start singing along. And every girl loves it. Okay . . . I’m seeing why now.

In most bands I’ve ever played with,“Brick House”goes hand-in-hand with #9 on the list. Again, not really a rock song, yet extremely popular across several genres and a gimmie to get folks dancing. It’s a also a tune that can be stretched out and jammed upon if the band needs to fill up some set time.

I’ve played“Pride & Joy”many times with many different bands and I doubt I’ve played it the same way twice. That’s the blues for you, and this song epitomizes blues-rock for most casual music fans.

MTV made ZZ Top a household name in the ’80s with video hits such as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs,” but it’s this 1975 single that gets the most play by cover bands. Just another 12-bar blues tune. So even if you don’t think you know it, you do.

The 1979 version fromLive At Budokanwas the band’s biggest selling single, reaching #7 on theBillboardHot 100. Club-goers and party people all over the map are familiar with“I Want You to Want Me”and it usually gets a room pumped-up.

Way back before many of today’s bar patrons were even born, Aerosmith put out a record calledToys In The Attic.Aside from this hit, “Walk This Way,” the 1975 release also featured “Sweet Emotion” (another cover band favorite) and helped the band break into the mainstream. When Run-D.M.C. covered the track in the mid-’80s, the song crossed genres in a way that had never been seen before. To this day, it remains one of Aerosmith’s most popular songs and is played by most cover bands at one time or another.

It used to cost 10¢ to play the jukebox . . . according to former Runaways’ guitarist/singer/songwriter Joan Jett. Her version of“I Love Rock and Roll”is actually a cover itself (the original was written by the band Arrows in 1975) but was made insanely popular in the early ’80s, largely due to MTV exposure.

It’s difficult to say who has performed the quintessential version of “Mustang Sally,” but the basic structure remains the same in each recording. This is another great sing-along for the crowd (“Ride Sally, ride!”). If you play a musical instrument, you have to know this one.

This is another tune that was made popular as a cover. Written and recorded in 1968 by Otis Redding, the song enjoyed mainstream success in 1990 as the breakout hit single from the Crowes’ debut album. I think I’ve played this song more than any other one in my career.

From the 1980 multi-platinum masterpieceBack In Black,“You Shook Me All Night Long”remains one of the band’s biggest hits, and is performed by cover bands all over the world. It features one of the most iconic guitar solos in the history of rock, and boasts a chorus that people can’t help themselves to sing along with.

In 1976, Tom Petty released his debut album with the Heartbreakers, right before disco music exploded. The first single, “Breakdown,” became a Top 40 hit soon after its release. The second single, released in 1977, didn’t chart in the U.S., but alas has endured as Petty’s most often played song in the cover band scene.

When your band wants to get people up and dancing,“Play That Funky Music”is the tune that works every time. This one-and-only hit for Wild Cherry was released in 1976 and has sold over two and a half million copies in the U.S. alone. Pretty much every cover band (including wedding bands) will play this song at one time or another.

The blue-eyed Canadian rocker has had over a dozen Top 40 hits over the last three decades. Although “Heaven” and “Everything I Do (I Do it for You)” were his best selling singles, they’re much better suited for a wedding band or corporate event. “’69” reached #5 on Billboard’s Top 100 singles chart in 1984, and remains his most requested and most-often played song by classic rock cover bands.

A lot of musicians will roll their eyes when a band leader suggests playing“Brown Eyed Girl,”but the truth is that music fans both serious and casual will sing along, no matter where you are. “Moondance” works well for a more mellow gig, but this tune is the one you always want to have in your back pocket at a rock show.

“Jessie’s Girl” won Springfield a Grammy and was an instant hit way back in 1981. Over thirty years later, it’s still extremely popular for the party crowd, especially with girls. I’ve never played this song where there aren’t people singing along.

In 1986, New Jersey’s second favorite son and his namesake band released a song that would never go away. “Prayer” is one of the most beloved hair-metal tunes that has been covered by hundreds, if not thousands, of live performance cover bands. Serious guitar players even include the talk box in their rig to help authentically replicate one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

It’s true that some of the greatest songs are born in the simplest moments. While Slash was goofing around with a guitar exercise, the rest of the band started jamming along. Enter singer Axl Rose’s inspired lyrics while he was listening upstairs, and a classic rock song was born. If you’ve ever played at a club, you know that someone will inevitably request Guns, and“Sweet Child O’ Mine”is the song that they want to hear.

Having played all over the country in hundreds of different bars and clubs, I can honestly say that this is the song I’ve heard covered the most. It’s one that guitar players learn when they’re just starting out, due to its easy three-chord structure, and it’s one that every band knows how to play.

It’s no wonder that“Don’t Stop Believin”takes the top spot: It’s the most downloaded song of the 20th century and the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. “Don’t Stop” has one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock, and one of the most memorable, singable, and inspirational choruses in popular music. Anytime your band plays this song, you’re guaranteed to have a captive and appreciative audience.