The Songs That Launched A Million Guitars

[Zzzptm]

Not the *best*, necessarily, but the ones that seem to have inspired the most kids into pawn shops to pick up a cheap guitar and a practice amp... and even if they only played a few hesitant chords, the chords were for THESE songs.

Obviously, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple has to be on that list. Top slot: if not, the second overall. "Crazy Train" by Ozzy would be my only other consideration for the top spot.

"Stairway to Heaven" is on that top list as well, I would imagine.

Others?

[Tyr66]

Highway To Hell

[Zzzptm]

Highway To Hell

I remember one of my buddies trying to show me how he had just learned how to play it.

More like he got the notes in the right order and somewhat at the right time... we were all 13, we were impressed. And then we all went to play Space Invaders.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Early songs from the 60s like The Kinks You Really Got Me or Steppenwolfs Born To Be Wild must have had an influence too.

[Jack the Stripper]

Eruption

[Vyn]

Danny Cedrone's guitar solo on Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock".

[Zzzptm]

Yeah, all of those, great tunes. And "Eruption" was one that was always hard to tell if my buddy had actually learned it or was just faffing about.

And if we stretch back to the 50s and early 60s, "Miserlou" by Dick Dale made a lot of kids want to play the guitar while surfing.

Link Wray's "Rumble" made them want to play guitar while having a knife fight.