10 EPIC ROCK GUITAR ALBUMS EVERY GUITARIST SHOULD KNOW

If you want to master the art of rock guitar, then you are going to need to do something very important.

And that is...

Listen to great rock records.

So below are 10 epic rock guitar albums every guitarist should know.

As I go through them, I’ll some share key points I’ve gleaned from studying these masters of rock guitar.

So without further ado, here they are (in no particular order):

1. Back In Black AC/DC

Angus Young is one of the greatest grand pooh-bahs of rock guitar. Malcolm gets credit too. But Angus was a master at creating killer riffs. He also plays the h3llz out of them in a stadium full of fist-pumping rock fans.

2. The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd

David Gilmour’s soaring leads with Pink Floyd have no doubt moved the world. Everything on this album from the way he bent strings, to the chord progressions, to even the use of psychedelic sounds is incredible.

3. Rumours Fleetwood Mac

Take a listen to tunes like “Go Your Own Way”. You'll hear how Lindsey Buckingham created powerful rock guitar sounds without even using a pick! He played fingerstyle. 

4. Toys in the Attic Aerosmith

Check out tunes like "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way" for great examples of how two guitar players can play rock in a band.

5. Abbey Road The Beatles

From the opening track “Come Together to tunes in Drop D and 6/8 time like “I Want You (She’s So Heavy). The whole album is chock-full of glorious rock guitar playing.

6. Paranoid Black Sabbath

This where where I first learned the sneaky way Tony Iommi played heavy metal chords up and down the neck.

7. Disraeli Gears Cream

This album features some of Cream's most iconic tracks, including "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strange Brew," and "Tales of Brave Ulysses."

8. Outlandos d'Amour The Police

Andy Summers has a very unique way of playing rock guitar. He did this masterfully with the Police in a trio situation. His blending of various rock techniques made just three guys in a band sound HUGE.

9. Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Another often unsung rock guitar hero is Mike Campbell. He was the perfect sidekick to Tom Petty. He was like Robin to Batman in Batman and Robin. Mike’s guitar parts helped propel many of these songs to become massive hits.

10. IV Led Zeppelin

From the high energy blues rhythms used on tunes like "Rock and Roll' to of course the pentatonic rock solos at the end of "Stairway To Heaven". Jimmy Page's rock guitar style changed the game.

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So there you have it!

10 epic rock guitar albums every guitarists should know

If you want to learn to play guitar like a thunderous rock guitar god. Get your hands on my fretboard guide and start mastering the fretboard today right here:

Jon MacLennan