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 talkbox or weird whining pedals. as Angus once said, 'we just play good hard rock 'n' roll'. Hats off to AC DC.

Always have 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 has been the meaning of rock and roll to me. 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 for rock music.. Beautiful lyrics, incredible sound and killer solo makes it a major masterpiece in the history of hard rock.

I love every song on this list, although I'm not sure Bohemian Rhapsody and Stairway to Heaven count as Hard Rock, still great songs though.

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.

3 Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses

This song is an essention of hard rock.
Top of this list is bad...
Back in Black - ok.
Bohemian Rapsody ISN'T HARD ROCK... I love queen
But it doesn't deserve this place.
Sweet Child O mine - ok, but
Stairway to heaven... I don't think that this is hard rock.
It's more likely rock ballad
Next three are ok but Iron Man IS DOOM METAL SONG... And this
Is a list of best hard rock - not metal songs.
For Whom the bell tolls - the same... Metallica is a Thrash Metal
Band... Only few of they're songs are hard rock... For Whom The Bell
Tolls doesn't count to them. Whole Lotta Love is ok but Fade to Black
Is another Thrash metal song. It's a ballad but not a hard rock.
We Are The Champions isn't Hard Rock song... It hasn't even a guitar solo!
That was enough about songs... Above the Welcome to The Jungle...
That's why I think this must be in first three.

Okay... first off, you've gotta understand that HARD ROCK is not Boh. 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 classical 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 youcan't compete wih AC/DC.

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

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

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 is a staple to every situation that 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, master of puppets and enter sandman...man, how do they make such music? Kirk Hammett especially rocks with that guitar shredding! Rock on Metallica!

One of the best hard rock/metal songs of all time the only song that beats it is... Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin. Here is my opinion on the top 10,

1. Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin

2. Fade to Black by Metallica

3. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

4. Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses

5. Smells Like Teens Spirit by Nirvana

6. For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica

7. Iron Man by Black Sabath

8. Enter Sandman by Metallica

9. Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses

10. Livin On Prayer by Bon Jovi

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...

6 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

This is the living epitome of hard rock and desrves to be higher on this list. It is a perfect blend of many musical elements and it 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 their 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.
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 wailed" line, this song screams Rock and Roll Rules

Wild song I tell ya

9 Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

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

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

I 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 "all my love", this is where he like... Ahh, I can't explain, nobody can't, 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, its always this one. Its 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, best of Black Sabbath according to me? Why is Second Heartbeat of 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 songs ever. I mean, the guy plays it with one hand in the air, what's 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 #1, but this song is pretty incredible. Angus and Malcom are rock geniuses

14 Smoke On the Water - Deep Purple

It's strange how HARD ROCK Deep Purple and Rainbow songs are lower than Metallica or Led Zeppelin. Stairway to Heaven is hard rock song? This song is beautiful and this 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, etc etc should be 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 kinda pop with accent of Blackmore's guitar. It's all about popularity not about music it seems.

This should be at no. 1. It's such a great song. Nice vocals, a world famous guitar riff, and a true story written in the lyrics. This is true hard rock. I honestly do not know why such useless songs from other genres are much higher in this list.

This is the #1 hard rock song ever! don't understand how completely lame song are much higher.

This is the first song every guitarist learns to play.

This ranking is not real

15 Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin

Very good song!

16 Enter Sandman - Metallica

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

Metallica step out of tru Heavy metal to make money and this was the result, pure genius should be top 3

I love this song so much.

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".

Hitting with the intro

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 arse track along with kickstart my heart.

Best song I've ever heard!

20 Detroit Rock City - KISS

Should be way higher up their with the drum and guitar combo absolutely great song.

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

Best song ever. Should be in top 10 for sure

21 No One Like You - Scorpions

One of the best hard rock songs of the early 80's. 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

#34? Should be in the top 3

Best of the best

23 Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

This song doesn't need any reason to be on One. And for god's sake Metallica is NOT a hard Rock Band.

Bands like bon jovi are simply overrated

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, amazing vocals, and good structure

When a pop singer writes a hard rock song.

Best hard rock song ever!

25 November Rain - Guns N' Roses

21! Can't believe my eyes I searched it just to see this song in top ten. Its an aammmazing song axl on piano with soulfull vocal and slash's guitar... I can't express my fellings for the song. You can say this song is my turning point in piano and singing carrie just love this song. The is also very beautifull with a preety bride and handsome groom...

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