Nine Fun, Easy and Playable Rock Songs to Drum To

There’s little more fun than drumming along to a full blooded rock record.

But it’s important to find songs that are challenging enough and inspire you to play with energy and passion, but aren’t so complicated that you spend days of anguish and need a mathematics degree to figure them out.

Here’s our list of great rock songs that are very playable:

9 Great rock songs to drum to

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

   Dave Grohl’s lick to introduce the drums to this legendary track is nothing short of iconic and is a must-learn for any drummer. The groove for Smells Like Teen Spirit is just as iconic.

   Add it to the ‘must learn’ list.

2. Song For the Dead - Queens of the Stone Age

   The intro/ drum solo for Song For The Dead played by Dave Grohl is recognisable to any rock drummer.

   You will hear parts of it being emulated in other people’s improvisations for ever more.

3. In Bloom - Nirvana

   Another Dave Grohl classic, In Bloom features a signature tom bombardment that, in Grohl’s typical style, bring perfect shape to the song and compliment Kut Cobain’s guitar riff. So fun to play.

   You’ll need to apologise to the neighbours afterwards.

4. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin

   So many Led Zeppelin songs could end up on this list with John Bonham’s thunderous playing not only bringing so much to the band but also providing decades of future drummers with serious fun.

   Babe I’m Gonna Leave You is high up on this list. In our opinion this song has it all: a highly emotive slow blues (every drummer needs to learn to play one of these), huge drum fills, and serious dynamic contrast. What’s not to love?

5. Times Like These - Foo Fighters

   From their excellent fourth album One by One ‘Times Like These’ is a roaring smash through playable and fun drum beats.

   The late great Taylor Hawkins showed exactly how to bring the right energy, fills and dynamics to a modern classic song without overwhelming or overplaying.

   ‘Times Like These’ is a great song for drummers to dust off their beats and practice creating energy without worrying about crazy time signatures or over-complicated beats.

6. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine

   ‘Killing in the Name’ is such a classic irresistible head banger that drummers simply must know it.

   Brad Wilk plays a relentlessly powerful beat that drummers can have fun throwing their hair around as they smash the cymbals in time with Tom Morello’s guitar stabs, including an always-fun half time beat and even an iconic cowbell lick.

7. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine

   Another Brad Wilk/ Rage Against the Machine classic makes our list for fun and playability.

   Bulls on Parade is another relentlessly powerful beat. The rap-metal genre lends itself to holding down a beat but infusing it with serious power: two of the most fun things a drummer can do.

   Bulls on Parade also features sections in which Wilk emphasises the guitar stabs, meaning drummers playing along have to be able to give the music shape, but don’t need to play anything so complex that it becomes like a dreary maths lesson.

8. Dream Brother - Jeff Buckley

   Jeff Buckley’s 1994 album Grace features great, fun drumming throughout (with an honourable mention for the title track Grace for a 6/8 sway). However Dream Brother stands out for the variety in the palate used to bring this beautiful track to life.

   The snare is played with snares disengaged and the cymbals splashy, the hi hat keeping time and allowing the drummer to get creative with mallets and warm expansive sounds in the first section of the song.

   The song then heads into a long build up in which the drums can really create a sense of tension and build before erupting into a huge beat punctuated by a drum-fill-led climax. Do yourself a favour and start playing along to this song.

9. Just - Radiohead

   Radiohead’s Philip Selway is a master of playing just the right thing for a song to let Thom Yorke’s vocal soar and Jonny Greenwood’s guitar genius take listeners to new dimensions.

   ‘Just’ is a great example of this ability, meaning it’s also highly playable for aspiring rock drummers. But it’s also great fun. Lots of half open hi hats and cymbal smashes bring energy to the track.

   There’s a Grohl-esque snare flam introduction to the drum part, huge dynamic contrasts and pauses.

   And what more could a drummer want than supporting Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke’s outrageous, anguished outro interplay?

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