Top 100 Best Acoustic Songs
Here is a list of the best acoustic songs ever written. Acoustic music has come a long way over the years, so many are “oldies” and many are “newies.” We are basing this list off of historical album sales, the ever so objective factor of acoustic-ness, but mostly how easily they make us cry. They are mostly arranged in alphabetical order, by song – so make sure you check out the whole list! Feel free to give your input on suggestions, changes, discards, or songs we may have forgot about.
Also, for those interested in a serious path to learning guitar, please see our trusted partner, Guitar Tricks:
Click the links to listen to the songs.
Listen 1-9 Listen 10-19 Listen 20-29 Listen 30-39 Listen 40-49
Listen 50-59 Listen 60-69 Listen 70-79 Listen 80-89 Listen 90-100
**ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Roughly)**
1. 3 AM – Matchbox 20
2. 10,000 Stones – Adrianne
3. A Million Years – Teddy Geiger
4. Against the Wind – Bob Seger
5. All We Are – Matt Nathanson
6. American Pie – Don McLean
7. And I Love Her – The Beatles
8. Angie – Rolling Stones
9. Annie’s Song – John Denver
10. Another Lonely Day – Ben Harper
11. Baby I Love Your Way – Peter Frampton
12. Best Deceptions – Dashboard Confessional
13. Blackbird – The Beatles
14. Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice
15. Blowing In the Wind – Bob Dylan
16. Boy With A Coin – Iron and Wine
17. Brilliant Dance – Dashboard Confessional
18. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp – Led Zeppelin
19. Bubbly – Colby Collait
20. Bulletproof Weeks – Matt Nathanson
21. Cannonball – Damien Rice
22. I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
23. Creep – Radiohead
24. Deacon Blues – Steely Dan
25. Desolation Row – Bob Dylan
26. Devil In Me – Kate Voegele
27. Down By The River – Neil Young
28. Dust In the Wind – Kansas
29. Elephant – Damien Rice
30. Everlong – Foo Fighters
31. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
32. Flake – Jack Johnson
33. Forever – Ben Harper
34. Friends – Led Zeppelin
35. Gravity – Sara Bareilles
36. Guinevere – Crosby, Stills & Nash
37. Hallelujah – Damien Rice
38. Hard to Imagine – Pearl Jam
39. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? – Nirvana
40. Heaven Beside You – Alice in Chains
41. Heros of War – Rise Against
42. Hey Joe – Jimi Hendrix
43. Hiding My Heart – Brandi Carlile
44. Home – Holly Conlan
45. Horse With No Name – America
46. Hotel California – The Eagles
47. House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
48. I Miss You – Incubus
49. If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
50. In A Graveyard – Rufus Wainwright
51. Astair – Matt Costa
52. In Your Eyes – Jeffery Gaines
53. Cathedrals – Jump Little Children
54. Just a Song Before I Go – Crosby, Stills & Nash
55. Layla – Eric Clapton
56. Living in Your Letters – Dashboard Confessional
57. Life By the Drop – Stevie Ray Vaughan
58. Sweet Melissa – Allman Brothers
59. Merry Happy – Kate Nash
60. Midnight Rider – Allman Brothers
61. More Than Words – Extreme
62. Naked As We Came – Iron and Wine
63. No One’s Aware – Jack Savoretti
64. Garotos II – Leoni
65. Nutshell – Alice in Chains
66. Off He Goes – Pearl Jam
67. Paperweight – Joshua Radin
68. Plush – Stone Temple Pilots
69. Push – Matchbox 20
70. Realign – Godsmack
71. Redemption Song – Bob Marley
72. Run – Collective Soul
73. Sandman – America
74. Say It Ain’t So – Mozella
75. Scratch – Kendall Payne
76. Shimmer – Fuel
77. Simple Man – Lynrd Skynyrd
78. Sittin’, Waitin’, Wishin’ – Jack Johnson
79. Slide – Goo Goo Dolls
80. Southern Man – Neil Young
81. Star Mile – Joshua Radin
82. Stay – U2
83. Swing Life Away – Rise Against
84. Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
85. The Magic Bus – The Who
86. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – The Band
87. The Past Recedes – John Frusciante
88. The Special Two – Missy Higgins
89. The Way I Am – Ingrid Michaelson
90. Time of Your Life – Greenday
91. Times Like These – Foo Fighters
92. Tuesday’s Gone – Metallica
93. Vegetable Car – Joshua Radin
94. What Can I Say – Brandi Carlile
95. When September Ends – Greenday
96. Where I Stood – Missy Higgins
97. Who Am I To Say – Hope
98. Wild Horses – Dave Matthews
99. Wonderwall – Oasis
100. You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor
235 Replies to "Top 100"
Moog Taurus on January 10, 2012
Sad that the Fleet Foxes weren’t on here.
Zachjone on January 10, 2012
Aaron you crazy bastard…. Its insane i was just stumbling along and happened to knowtice your name… Small world , nice work dude!!!
blube on January 19, 2012
Elton John – Love Song
Leonard Cohen – The Stranger Song
Lou Reed – The Kids
Gordon Lightfoot – Beautiful
Richie Havens – Here Comes the Sun
Bob Dylan – Mr. Tambourine Man
Joni Mitchell – Chelsea Morning
Wendy Waldman – Vaudeville Man
Loudon Wainwright III – Motel Blues
Bruce Springsteen – Johnny 99
Flo & Eddie – Just Another Town
The Velvet Underground – Pale Blue Eyes
Big Star – The India Song
Michael Stanley – Let’s Get the Show on the Road
Dirk Hamilton – Billboard on the Moon
jeeptuff on January 20, 2012
Days of the New
Nubnut on January 31, 2012
Not a single mention of Porcupine Tree?
Most people I know who have seen them live consider the acoustic version of Trains to be one of the greatest things they’ve seen. Acoustic or otherwise.
Wez on February 8, 2012
Songs I Love, Songs I like, Songs I Don’t know and I cant say there’s allot a dislike or any I particularly hate. I know opinions and tastes differ, so a good list in my opinion.
Gave me a few ideas of song to learn and look out for and also reminded me of a shitload I have forgotten over the years which I will relook.
I appreciate people adding their favorite songs too the comments, that was also a lot of help. Reading through the criticisms just felt like a waste of my time and theirs. Seriously, don’t these people have anything better to do?
I don’t have anything that should be added to a 100 best list that I can think of, but Bad religion’s acoustic version of sorrow is beautiful. a few tracks to look at if your an acoustic punk fan are the bonus tracks on their album “New maps of hell”. On the DVD Graffin and Gurewitz record some of the acoustic songs and admit that they have always written songs on acoustic before recording them on electric but as young punks in the 80’s were too ashamed of admitting it.
I’ll be enjoying learning some of these song and playing them next to the braai (South African word for BBQ, pronunciation: [ˈbrÉ‘e] – Yes I Wiki’d it) while jamming on my boks guitar. Cheers, and thanks for a sweet site. Will check in again.
peeblesdub on February 13, 2012
Dykeenies – clean up your eyes
Tom McRae – Boy with the bubblegum
Tracy Chapman – talking about a revolution
jii on February 16, 2012
Need some:
Joan Baez
Yes – “The Clap”
Squire on February 21, 2012
Just found this site….I like it a lot…and I really appreciate that most of the comments on this list are positive, with good ideas for songs on Top 100, Version 2.0…my two cents, Deer Tick for sure, Richard and/or Teddy Thompson, and The Low Anthem….keep it up!!!
Blackspot on February 22, 2012
Agree that k.d.lang’s hallejuah is fantastic – have a look the juno awards version on youtube. But also, Paul Brady – The Island.
Seo Essen on February 26, 2012
Lame commercial list….
No velvet Underground
No Leonard Cohen
No Nick Drake
Not even Joni Mitchell
But that talentless plonker Bono made the list
Tsk Tsk
fasterthankenyan on February 26, 2012
why in the hell is green day all the way at the bottom?? time of your life is a classic that should easily be to 15!
soupchicken on March 11, 2012
Um, Classical Gas by Mason Williams should replace one on this list, among others to be replaced…
DSP29 on March 14, 2012
Pretty much any Mumford And Sons song will make you cry, so where are they?
Rugh8888 on March 23, 2012
What about “Evaporate” by Chris Ayer??
and “Amie” ba Damien Rice…???
smchri on March 26, 2012
Great choice and scope. lot of good songs coming in from comments too tho to satisfy everyone the list would have to be top 10,000 songs!!!! lol
Agree that johnny cash’s version of hurt is awesome!!! Also a bit of tambourine man can’t ‘hurt’ the list. 😉
Have heard a version of pachelbel’s canon on guitar too but not sure who by and it was sublime.
One I would consider too is local hero by mark knofler. Superb talent and cutting tune which always reminds me of home!!!
jules on March 31, 2012
I see there is others who wrote the same, but it cannot be said enough: WHAT ABOUT CITY AND COLOUR? :O
Necromancer on April 13, 2012
All in all not a bad list ,I thought . Some songs aren’t strictly speaking acoustic just acoustic versions . Personally if I were to compile such a list I would select purely acoustic songs that were written as acoustic. It’s tricky I know as most pure acoustic material doesn’t get anywhere near the amount of exposure on radio etc especially in England unless played on certain stations by particular dj’s . Arguably the best acoustic songs in my humble opinion are just a voice and a guitar , no drums no keyboards etc but that’s just my opinion . Without doubt if the compiler had a wider knowledge the list would be somewhat different . I’d like to suggest that admin listens to Colin Hays gorgeous songs ” I don’t think I’ll ever get over you ” , ” Overkill ” or ” Beautiful world ” to get why I say what I do . When all is said and done this list has some wonderful songs on it and I thank the individuals that spent the time and effort to compile it .
Bassman1805 on April 18, 2012
“Tuesday’s Gone – Metallica”
*facepalm*
Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song was written by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
sufian84 on April 24, 2012
its a very good
Rain on the Sill on May 11, 2012
Pretty good list.
you could include
Unintended- muse
i’m yours- the script
Delko on July 2, 2012
I want this as an album
wblartist on August 4, 2012
No “Babylon”? No David Gray?
janine on August 15, 2012
It’s a pretty good list and reading all the comments and song suggestions here made it better. (discovered some acoustic songs that i’ve never heard before and yet awesome) 🙂
zack on August 20, 2012
John Mayer- Stop this train. Not popular but it’s a great tune.
Jim on September 17, 2012
I like your opinion of the best 100 acoustic songs. I would maybe add a couple and remove some, but good job. Most of the song links aren’t playable anymore however.
Dreamsbyday on September 23, 2012
Not one Joni Mitchell song?
(..list instantly rendered worthless…)
Dreamsbyday on September 23, 2012
…and no Simon and Garfunkel either.
Really ? Pffft..
Jill on October 4, 2012
Although I agree that Joni Mitchell belongs on this list… you added my all-time favorite.
JOHN FRUSCIANTE!!!!!!!!!
Honestly, anyone reading this who is really into guitarists and creative musicians, give him a listen (like Past Recedes). I’m so happy I saw his name, no one gives him that much recognition he’s considered one of the best guitarists of all time…
LT on December 8, 2012
Great list, some of my favorites on here…but I would love to see:
City & Colour: “Casey’s Song” or “Coming Home”
Nirvana: “Man who sold the world” HANDS DOWN
and maybe a little Anberlin…
otherwise good stuff..but seriously Dallas Green is acoustic genius, and needs an official spot on the list 🙂
pensgal87 on January 11, 2013
The bleeding (acoustic of course) five finger death punch. only the acoustic version brings the beauty of ians voice out. its such an amazing song 🙂
Romeo'sJuliet on March 7, 2013
Hi! This is a really nice list. of couce it is subjective. To anyone who is so pissed about it. Go make your own, and let the others be pissed about it too. pff!
mahenks on March 24, 2013
i would love to add this singer You make my world so colourful – Daniel Sahuleka (acoustic version) or still from him Dont Sleep Away – Daniel Sahuleka
Electronic Music on June 16, 2013
Thanks for this!!! I am an acoustic lover….!!
Ash Hadi on December 25, 2011
wel i love music, plz post some instrumental song