37 Easy Pop Songs On Guitar [With Tabs]

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd

Tab

To be honest, it feels a little out of place to consider Pink Floyd to be a pop group. But, the popularity and success of their song, Wish You Were Here, land them the title with this song.

For many people, this song has become an anthem of life and the connections made along the way. Wish You Were Here is perfect for learning how to sing a melody and play a guitar solo simultaneously. 

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding

Tab

Is there any better song sounding like a beach than Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay? This track certainly captures that lazy, open-breeze feeling of being by the ocean. 

You’ll have people whistling along if you play this live.

“I’m A Believer” by The Monkees

Tab

Whether you grew up with it or discovered it from Shrek, I’m A Believer is a certified pop song standard. Sure, there’s extra instrumentation involved that could make you think the song was difficult to play. 

Do a little digging and you’ll discover that it's nothing more than some simple strumming of some basic chords.

“Heart Of Gold” by Neil Young

Tab

Aside from singing, it’s always impressive when a guitarist can play multiple instruments at the same time. If you’ve ever wanted to get into playing harmonica while playing guitar, learn Neil Young’s Heart Of Gold.

This track was an absolute gold-mine hit for Neil Young and showcases both his songwriting and harmonica capabilities. Fortunately, it’s simple enough on the guitar for even absolute beginners to get under their fingers. 

“Down On The Corner” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Tab

You’ve already seen how simplicity in a Creedence Clearwater Revival song can be so effective. The track, Down On The Corner, increases the complexity only slightly while still providing that effective simplicity. 

This song has an unmistakable (yet extremely easy-to-execute) melody that plays throughout the entire track. Underneath the melody are some simple chords that any beginner should be able to play. 

If possible, challenge yourself to play all of the parts in Down On The Corner. It will be a good exercise designed to make you a more well-rounded musician overall.

“Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran

Tab

As far as modern pop guitarists go, Ed Sheeran has been one of the most popular. He figured out how to successfully integrate guitar loops into his live performance, which has been a hit with audiences. 

Sheeran is perhaps most famous for having a preference for using travel-sized guitars. This certainly hasn’t held back his success in the field of pop music by any means. 

“Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down

Tab

The early 2000s might not have been the best decade for music to have ever happened. Rock music was still trying to find a new identity in the wake of the collapse of grunge.

During that period, bands like 3 Doors Down reigned supreme with hit songs like Kryptonite. This is an easy pop song to play, but it might be pure kryptonite to some audiences. 

“Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls

Tab

Are you familiar with the film City Of Angels which featured Nicolas Cage? If so, you know that the Goo Goo Dolls were all over that film’s soundtrack.

But you didn’t need to see the film to hear their hit song, Iris. This song was played everywhere on just about any applicable radio station.

Iris has a very unique tuning, so do be mindful of the string tension when attempting to play this track. Strings of a thicker gauge might be more appropriate.

“Hold My Hand” by Hootie & The Blowfish

Tab

Hootie & The Blowfish were royalty in the genre of adult alternative, with their soft sound and melodic songs. Most of the group’s biggest hits have similar elements, usually featuring a memorable chorus.

Hold My Hand is one of these tracks, featuring an ideal part for a singalong during the chorus. This song uses a fairly simple strumming pattern over a basic chord progression.

“Lose Yourself” by Eminem

Tab

You had to know that, when covering pop music, almost any style of music is applicable. It’s for that reason that you see an Eminem rap song featured as an easy pop song for guitar.

Those who are familiar with the song know it has a pensive guitar part during the intro. A riff like this is especially great if you’re performing during some introduction ceremony to get the audience hyped. 

“Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles

Tab

Every guitarist needs to have a song that any audience can easily sing along with. Yellow Submarine is ideal, especially if you ever have any children present in your audience.

This lighthearted song by The Beatles will remain forever iconic and will never go out of style. Fortunately, the underlying guitar part consists of basic strumming patterns of your garden variety chord shapes. 

“Crimson And Clover” by Tommy James & The Shondells

Tab

The sound of the 1960s can’t quite be defined by one song. As a decade, the 1960s (especially the later years) sparked the phenomenon of musical evolution. 

Sure, the free-love hippie movement was changing society as people openly denounced involvement in wars. And, you could argue that this change in perception is evident in the music.

Something that gives plenty of evidence of this cultural shift is the classic track, Crimson And Clover. This is pure psychedelia in pop music format and is sure to catch an audience’s attention. 

“Gravity” by John Mayer

Tab

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that John Mayer possesses some magical musical craftsmanship. It took almost a decade for the collective population to openly accept Mayer as a brilliant guitarist. 

Much of that is due to the fact that Mayer established himself as a pop artist before anything else. His inclusion in some of the biggest guitar player music festivals toward the beginning of his career raised some eyebrows. 

Regardless of your opinion, his track, Gravity, is a sublime pop song that features some signature (yet simplistic) guitar orchestration. You’ll want to add this to your repertoire if you’re learning how to play guitar solos.

Best Pop Songs On Guitar, Final Thoughts

Are you surprised at the diversity in sounds that were once considered pop music in their time? The mind-blowing fact is that most of these songs have withstood the test of time with no problem.

Always refer back to this list when you feel like your performance setlist could use a bolster. If you learn every song mentioned here, you’d easily fulfill a 3-hour professional bar or restaurant gig.