150 Best Rock Songs for Weddings
2018
These are the Best Rock Songs for Weddings to get people on the dance floor. Rock and Roll was born from a faster paced rhythm and blues style music in the late 1940’s. The guitars produced by Les Paul in the late 1940’s and into the early 1950’s also helped progress the producing of rock’n’roll music production.
The first rock and roll staged performance did not take place until 1953 featuring Bill Haley & His Comets with The Dominoes. Rock Around the Clock performed by Bill Haley & His Comets became the first rock and roll song to top the pop charts in 1955. Other early producers of rock’n’roll included Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Fats Domino.
Our Top 5 Best Rock Songs for Wedding Receptions: 1) Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey, 2) Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond, 3) Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi, 4) You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC, 5) Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison.
Best Rock Songs
Last Updated: October 27, 2018
AC/DC – Thunderstruck
1990, The Razors Edge
AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
1980, Back in Black
Aerosmith – I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing
1998, Armageddon Soundtrack
American Authors – Best Day Of My Life
2013, Oh, What a Life
Avenged Sevenfold – God Only Knows
2017, The Stage
B-52’s – Love Shack
1989, Cosmic Thing
Beach Boys – God Only Knows
1966, Pet Sounds
Beatles – All You Need Is Love
1967, Magical Mystery Tour
Beatles – Here Comes The Sun
1969, Abbey Road
Beatles – In My Life
1965, Rubber Soul
Beatles – She Loves You
1963, Twist and Shout
Beatles – Twist & Shout
1964, Please Please Me
Billy Idol – White Wedding
1982, Billy Idol
Bob Seger – Old Time Rock and Roll
1979, Stranger in Town
Bon Jovi – Always
1994, Cross Road
Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
1986, Slippery When Wet
Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
1991, Waking Up the Neighbours
Bryan Adams – Summer Of ’69
1985, Reckless
Cake – Love You Madly
2002, Comfort Eagle
Capital Cities – Safe and Sound
2011, In a Tidal Wave of Mystery
Cheap Trick – I Want You To Want Me
1977, In Color
Chicago – You’re The Inspiration
1984, Chicago 17
Coldplay – A Sky Full of Stars
2014, Ghost Stories
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
2008, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary
1969, Bayou Country
Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love
2003, Permission to Land
Dave Matthews Band – Crash Into Me
1996, Crash
Dave Matthews Band – Me and You
2009, Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King
Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me
1987, Hysteria
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
1982, Too-Rye-Ay
Don McLean – American Pie
1971, American Pie
Eagles – Love Will Keep Us Alive
2003, Hell Freezes Over
Edwin McCain – I Could Not Ask For More
1999, Messenger
Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
1977, Slowhand
Fall Out Boy – Centuries
2015, American Beauty/American Psycho
Firehouse – Love Of A Lifetime
1991, FireHouse
Fitz & The Tantrums – HandClap
2016, Fitz and the Tantrums
Fleetwood Mac – Landslide
1975, Fleetwood Mac
Foo Fighters – Everlong (Acoustic)
1997, The Colour and the Shape
George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
1982, Bad to the Bone
Georgia Satellites – Keep Your Hands To Yourself
1986, Georgia Satellites
Goo Goo Dolls – Come to Me
2013, Magnetic
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
2002, City of Angels
Grand Funk Railroad – Some Kind Of Wonderful
1974, All the Girls in the World Beware!!!
Grand Funk Railroad – The Loco-motion
1974, Shinin’ On
Green Day – Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
1997, Nimrod
Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
1988, Appetite for Destruction
Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World
2013, Night Visions
Imagine Dragons – Walking The Wire
2017, Evolve
James Bay – Us (Acoustic)
2018, Us
James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
1975, Gorilla
James Taylor – You’ve Got A Friend
1971, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl
2003, Get Born
Jim Croce – Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
1973, Life and Times
Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
1977, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
Joan Jett – I Love Rock And Roll
1982, I Love Rock ‘n Roll
Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends
1967, With a Little Help from My Friends
Joe Cocker – You Are So Beautiful
1974, I Can Stand a Little Rain
John Lennon – Imagine
1971, Imagine
Jon Bryant – At Home
2018, Released as a single
Journey – After All These Years
2008, Revelation
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
1981, Escape
Journey – Faithfully
1983, Frontiers
Kenny Loggins – Footloose
1984, Footloose Soundtrack
Kid Rock – All Summer Long
2008, Rock n Roll Jesus
Kinks – You Really Got Me
1964, Kinks
Kiss – Rock and Roll All Nite
1975, Dressed to Kill
Knack – My Sharona
1979, Get the Knack
Kongos – Come with Me Now
2013, Lunatic
Led Zeppelin – All Of My Love
1979, In Through the Out Door
Lifehouse – You And Me
2005, Lifehouse
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
1974, Second Helping
Matthew Perryman Jones – Rain or Shine
2010, The Distance In Between
Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
1991, Metallica
Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait
2012, Babel
Muse – Uprising
2009, The Resistance
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
1969, Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show
Nickelback – Never Gonna Be Alone
2008, Dark Horse
OneRepublic – Good Life
2009, Waking Up
Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
2018, Pray For The Wicked
Paramore – The Only Exception
2009, Brand New Eyes
Pearl Jam – Just Breathe
2009, Backspacer
Peter Gabriel – In Your Eyes
1986, So
Phillip Phillips – Home
2012, The World from the Side of the Moon
Plain White T’s – 1, 2, 3, 4 (I Love You)
2008, Big Bad World
Plain White T’s – Rhythm Of Love
2010, Wonders of the Younger
Pogues – Love You ‘Till the End
1996, Pogue Mahone
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
1975, A Night at the Opera
Queen – Crazy Little Thing Called Love
1979, The Game
Queen – You’re My Best Friend
1976, A Night at the Opera
Rembrandts – I’ll Be There For You
1995, L.P.
Rob Thomas – Little Wonders
2005, Meet the Robinsons Soundtrack
Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar
1971, Sticky Fingers
Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
1981, Shine a Light
Santana feat. Rob Thomas – Smooth
1999, Supernatural
Secondhand Serenade – Fall for You
2008, A Twist In My Story
Shinedown – I’ll Follow You
2013, Amaryllis
Shinedown – Simple Man [Acoustic]
2003, Leave A Whisper (Deluxe)
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
2006, Eyes Open
Staind – Tangled Up In You
2008, The Illusion of Progress
Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild
1968, Steppenwolf
Steve Miller Band – The Joker
1973, The Joker
Stray Cats – Rock This Town
1981, Stray Cats
Styx – Babe
1979, Cornerstone
The Cure – Lovesong
1989, Disintegration
Pretenders – I’ll Stand By You
1994, Last of the Independents
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Your Guardian Angel
2006, Don’t You Fake It
Semisonic – Closing Time
1998, Feeling Strangely Fine
Skylar Grey – Stand By Me
2018, Stand By Me
Stone Sour – Song #3
2017, Hydrograd
Three Dog Night – Joy To The World
1971, Naturally
Tom Petty – Wildflowers
1994, Wildflowers
Troggs – Wild Thing
1966, From Nowhere
U2 – All I Want Is You
1989, Rattle and Hum
U2 – Beautiful Day
2000, All That You Can’t Leave Behind
U2 – You’re the Best Thing About Me
2017, Songs Of Experience
Van Halen – Jump
1983, 1984
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
1967, Blowin’ Your Mind!
Van Morrison – Crazy Love
1970, Moondance
Van Morrison – Have I Told You Lately
1989, Avalon Sunset
Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
1997, Urban Hymns
Verve – Lucky Man
1997, Urban Hymns
Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun
1983, Violent Femmes
War – Low Rider
1975, Up in Smoke
White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
2003, Elephant
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Wedding Song (Acoustic)
2013, Mosquito
ZZ Top – Legs
1984, Eliminator
ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man
1983, Eliminator
Best Rock Songs – Sixties rock and roll were most known for the British invasion with the likes of The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones. The 60’s were also filled with surf music, folk, Motown and heavy metal. The seventies gave way to the popularity of disco. However, the 70’s had the beginning of punk rock, funk, and glitter rock.
The eighties saw new styles of rock and roll including the beginning of hair bands with glam rock, new wave, and hardcore rock and roll. In the nineties, we saw the beginning of a new type of rock and roll grunge with Nirvana at the forefront. Kids of the 90’s also heard ska, alternative, and many types of synthesized dance music.
Other Pop Rock Wedding Songs
a-Ha – Take On Me
1984, Hunting High and Low
Bay City Rollers – Saturday Night
1975, Rollin’
Billy Joel – She’s Got A Way
1982, Cold Spring Harbor
Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean – Feels
2017 – Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1
Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
2011, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 Soundtrack
Christina Perri feat. Ed Sheeran – Be My Forever
2014, Head or Heart
Coldplay – Sparks
2000, Parachutes
Howie Day – Collide
2003, Stop All The World Now
Charlie Puth – One Call Away
2015, Nine Track Mind
Colbie Caillat – Bubbly
2007, Coco
Ed Sheeran – Perfect
2017, Divide
Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
2017, Divide
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
2014, x
Elton John – Your Song
1970, Elton John
Gavin DeGraw – More Than Anyone
2003, Chariot
Huey Lewis & Gwyneth Paltrow – Cruisin’
2000, Duets Soundtrack
James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
2004, Back to Bedlam
Jason Mraz – I Won’t Give Up
2012, Love Is A Four Letter Word
Jason Mraz – Have It All
2018, Have It All
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
2008, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat – Lucky
2009, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You’re The One That I Want
1978, Grease Soundtrack
Justin Bieber feat. Usher – First Dance
2009, My World
Lauv – I Like Me Better
2017, Lauv EP
Matt White – Love
2007, Best Days
Maroon 5 – Sugar
2015, V
Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera – Moves Like Jagger
2011, Hands All Over
Michael Franti & Spearhead – Say Hey (I Love You)
2009, All Rebel Rockers
One Direction – Perfect
2015, Made in the A.M.
One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
2011, Up All Night
Onerepublic – Counting Stars
2013, Native
Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
1981, Working Class Dog
Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love
1986, Riptide
Romantics – What I Like About You
1980, The Romantics
Shane Filan – Beautiful In White
2017, Love Always
Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do
1994, Tuesday Night Music Club
Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
1969, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Good Bye
Stephen Lynch – Grow Old With You
1998, The Wedding Singer Soundtrack
Tom Walker – Just You and I
2017, Blessings – EP
Tori Kelly feat Ed Sheeran – I Was Made For Loving You
2015, Unbreakable Smile
Train – Hey Soul Sister
2009, Save Me, San Francisco
Train – Marry Me
2009, Save Me, San Francisco
Train – Play That Song
2016, A Girl, a Bottle, a Boat
Tubes – She’s A Beauty
1983, Outside Inside
Walk the Moon – Shut Up and Dance
2014, Talking Is Hard
Weezer – Africa
2018, Africa
Love this list! I have been looking for some genuine songs to fill our wedding playlist. This list was perfect. Thank you so much.
Thank you Jamie.
Great stuff…from toe tapping to hip swiveling, limb flailing and body gyrating dancing music. These tunes cover it all. Thank you ?. Nirvana and the grunge movement signaled the end of rock and roll as we knew it. Ska, alternative and generally tasteless stuff filtered through the rock airwaves turning people off and leading to electronic (computer generated no soul ) dance music. In turn we are now inundated with formulated pop pap from every corner of the media (gag me with a spoon) Thanks again for a terrific list. Long Live Rock!
Thanks David for stopping by and the comment. Rock on!
Great list. As a mobile DJ, I love the variety of lists you put out and they have been a great resource. Thanks. -DC
Thanks DC for the compliment. Keep filling your dance floors!
This list was great. Both me a my fiance are huge old rock fans and we had already picked our unconventional rock first dance song, we just needed others to complete our night. Thanks
Awesome Sarah. Glad you found the songs you need!
Thanks! We are about to do our first job as a wedding band. This list has made our three sets complete! Lets get to work :D
Awesome Harald. Glad you like the list. Good luck in playing music at the wedding. Make it a fairytale!
Thanks. I was planning my wedding and thought about Rock songs that would be played. I chose your website and bang my plan is compete.
Great Samson. Glad you stopped by!
Thank you!! Looking for a song to walk down to my husband to and i found some good ideas!! Love it. We dont want normal we want us. Thank you again for the wonderful ideas.
Great we could help you out Angel!
Most of these aren’t even rock songs; Jason Mraz and Maroon 5? No.
Hi Kayla. Thanks for your opinion. Yes, we did include some pop-rock songs. Do you have any favorite rock songs we could add to the list for replacements?
Always surfing the internet to see what other playlists are put into weddings.
Thanks for putting this website together! I was trying to figure out music for my ceremony and reception, and your suggestions made it SO easy. You’re amazing, thanks again!