Top 10 Best Hard Rock Songs of All Time

The Top Ten
1 Back in Black - AC/DC

Back in Black is the second best-selling album of all time (mind you, it should have been first). What makes it the best is the simplicity: the vocals are real, the drums are drums, the bass is a bass, and the guitars don't use silly effects like a talkbox or weird whining pedals. As Angus once said, We just play good hard rock 'n' roll. Hats off to AC/DC.

I have always loved AC/DC, and this song has always been the face of the band to me. With its iconic intro, amazing lyrics, and just always being the meaning of rock and roll to me, it's the greatest band and song ever!

The vocals in this song are just madness. It sounds like The Devil himself is belting out hard rocking awesomeness. This is easily the best hard rock song of all time and one of the best songs of all time.

2 Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses

This is just the song that made me fall in love with rock music. Beautiful lyrics, incredible sound, and a killer solo make it a major masterpiece in the history of hard rock.

My favourite song of all time. One of the only hard rock songs that also sounds great on piano. And the guitar solo is the best I've ever heard.

You know, it's not that easy to follow the exact vocals and guitar riff of it. Axl's voice, plus Slash's guitar, added by the other members on bass guitar and the heartbeat of the drums, everything here is legendary. Once you hear it, it's impossible to rehab your addiction to it.

3 Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses

Okay... first off, you've got to understand that HARD ROCK is not Bohemian Rhapsody or Stairway to Heaven or Fade to Black (although they're amazing songs, I personally can't get enough of Bohemian Rhapsody). They're classic rock, original rock, except for Fade to Black. That's metal. Welcome to the Jungle is REAL hard rock. Guns N' Roses are all about hard rock. Get your genres right. I think Welcome to the Jungle should be at the top, if not second, because you can't compete with AC/DC.

P.S. Bohemian Rhapsody does have hard rock elements, but the entire song is pretty much an amazing ballad.

P.P.S. Sweet Child O' Mine isn't really hard rock either.

I can't believe I'm not voting for a Disturbed song, but this song KICKS ASS. It's not my favorite song, but my favorite song isn't on this list high enough to really count (read: it's not on the first page and I didn't bother to go to page two), and this song deserves more credit than it has. So I'm going to go ahead and vote for it.

4 Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi

A great song has to have a great beat and meaningful, strong lyrics. This song has both. Everyone knows this song, and it is a staple for every situation we may have. A classic indeed.

One of the best songs ever. It has a really catchy tune, especially at the start, and the lyrics are extremely meaningful. Much better than the other songs on this list by a mile.

This is the epitome of great American rock songs. It has stood the test of time and will always rock. A true classic.

5 Fade to Black - Metallica

Metallica defines hard rock and metal. This song, along with Master of Puppets and Enter Sandman... man, how do they make such music? Kirk Hammett especially rocks with that guitar shredding! Rock on, Metallica!

Livin' on a Prayer? Really? Are you kidding me? It's nothing compared to Fade to Black. I really want to see Jon Bon Jovi or Sambora play the solos in Fade to Black.

This song is one of the greatest songs of METALLICA! The lyrics are just awesome. And the guitar solo is the best that I've ever heard. Nothing can beat this! How do these guys create such music?

6 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

This is the living epitome of hard rock and deserves to be higher on this list. It is a perfect blend of many musical elements and is very inspiring.

No matter what the genre, Bohemian Rhapsody is the best rock song of all time, bar none.

Many great songs rolled into one.

7 Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

This is probably the most iconic piece of rock ever to be created. With Page's amazing guitar riffs and Plant's voice, this song is truly amazing.

She'll get there. She knows, and the stories are untold. And she's buying a stairway to Heaven.

Both hard rock and an anthem at the same time.
The song builds to a climax beautifully.

8 Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

If there is a more iconic song, I don't know it. Right from the simple but sexy guitar to <everybody stops>... "Born to be wild" line, this song screams Rock and Roll Rules.

9 Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

It is the best song I have ever heard, man. I love Nirvana. Kurt rocks. This song made me fall in love with rock music. Beautiful lyrics, incredible sound, and a killer solo make it a major masterpiece in the history of hard rock.

People say this is both Grunge and Hard Rock, cool it down. Grunge is part of Alternative Rock music that evolved in the 90s. And Alternative Rock music is hard rock and rock music. So, better research before claiming anything. Grunge is rock.

I have always liked 90s rock better than 80s or before. This song is very original and has a nice progressive sound. I can't even begin to name all the 90s bands I like, but this song stands out to me.

10 Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

No. You mean to say "All My Love". This is where he, like... Ah, I can't explain it. Nobody can. Listen to it and you will understand. Enjoy!

Stairway to Heaven is classic rock. This one is the real hard rock!

The riff is the best thing to hear while having an orgasm.

The Contenders
11 Highway To Hell - AC/DC

When I think of a hard rock riff that I want to play in my head, it's always this one. It's just THE classic riff. And if you crank up the opening bars, I defy anyone hearing it not to get a buzz through their bones.

An awful lot of psychedelic rock, heavy metal, and even grunge songs on this list. Anyway, I think this is the all-time best hard rock song.

Pure, unique, unreal. AC/DC wrote the best hard rock song ever!

12 Iron Man - Black Sabbath

Very good song to hear, the best of Black Sabbath according to me. Why is Second Heartbeat by Avenged Sevenfold above this? That's beyond hard rock, people, it's heavy metal!

Seriously, this song or Paranoid should be number 1. Agreed, Livin' on a Prayer is a good song, but definitely not a hard rock song.

This song just epitomizes Black Sabbath. They're the true gods of metal. Amazing solo and riffs.

13 Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Thunderstruck is like the most hard rock song ever. I mean, the guy plays it with one hand in the air. What more do you need?

How is this not higher up? Should be in the top 5. The riff is literally LEGENDARY.

Back in Black will always be number 1, but this song is pretty incredible. Angus and Malcolm are rock geniuses.

14 Smoke On the Water - Deep Purple

It's not my favourite song of all time, but this is undisputedly No. 1. Back In Black, Sweet Child O' Mine? I might like those two more than this, but you must be having a laugh. Sweet Child O' Mine was a lousy filler riff, and Back In Black is a spare riff Malcolm Young made up, and even he wasn't the biggest fan of it. It's just how iconic this song is, and the story behind this song is one of the best in all of Rock, let alone Hard Rock. Also, Deep Purple is the most underrated band by a huge amount. It's just that it deserves the same recognition as Sabbath and Zeppelin, nothing less.

It's strange how Hard Rock songs by Deep Purple and Rainbow are ranked lower than those by Metallica or Led Zeppelin. Is Stairway to Heaven a hard rock song? This song is beautiful, and it is rock, not hard rock. In terms of hard rock songs like Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, Burn, Man on the Silver Mountain, Stargazer, Gates of Babylon, etc., these should be in the top 100.

And we've got Since You Been Gone from Rainbow, where even Spotlight Kid is more hard rock-ish. Since You Been Gone is kind of pop with an accent of Blackmore's guitar. It's all about popularity, not about the music, it seems.

15 Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin
16 Enter Sandman - Metallica

Seriously? 18th? Are you kidding me? This song should be in the top 5. Amazing music. Haven't you people heard the live version from 1991 Monsters of Rock?

Metallica stepped out of true heavy metal to make money, and this was the result: pure genius. Should be top 3.

17 Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

People need to start respecting Hendrix. Purple Haze at 14? This song, as well as the rest of "Are You Experienced?", put the "hard" in "hard rock".

18 Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

Dude, this song ruled the roost when Ozzy released "The Blizzard of Ozz." I am so surprised that it is at 29! Can you imagine? Ozzy Osbourne's one of the greatest hits... Man, top ten at least!

Very good for kids like me and amazing riffs.

19 Dr. Feelgood - Mötley Crüe

Classic kick-ass track along with Kickstart My Heart.

20 Detroit Rock City - KISS

Should be way higher up there with the drum and guitar combo. Absolutely great song.

Kiss is the best band in the world. Still kicking ass.

Best song ever. Should be in the top 10 for sure.

21 No One Like You - Scorpions

One of the best hard rock songs of the early '80s. A simple, strong riff from Rudolph Schenker. The thrilling, gigantic solo of Mr. Matthias Jabs. The perfect catchy melody and the unmistakable vocals of Klaus Meine. A rhythm section which is hard as a rock (F. Bucholtz - H. Rarebel). And of course, the excellent production of the master Dieter Dierks. Scorpions at one of their career's high moments. It should be much higher on this list.

22 Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

This one is too low. Not the best hard rock song, but definitely not 74th. And there are lots of songs on this list which are not hard rock.

23 Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

How did this happen? Number 51? Not cool. Definitely, Leppard rocks the house. You can do better.

24 Beat It - Michael Jackson

I don't like this as a hard rock song. I like it because it is so catchy, with amazing vocals and good structure.

When a pop singer writes a hard rock song.

25 November Rain - Guns N' Roses

21! Can't believe my eyes. I searched it just to see this song in the top ten. It's an amazing song, Axl on piano with soulful vocals, and Slash's guitar... I can't express my feelings for the song. You can say this song is my turning point in piano and singing career. I just love this song. The video is also very beautiful, with a pretty bride and handsome groom...

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