3 Acoustic Classic Rock Songs That Give Me the Chills

The chills. That feeling that races up and down your spine, that tingly sensation like a million of the tiniest little feet are running up your back—isn’t it great when music gives you that rush? Don’t you just want to go and seek it out wherever you can?

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That’s just what we wanted to highlight here. We wanted to explore three acoustic classic rock songs that provide that lovely little sensation. Indeed, these are three acoustic classic rock songs that give (and everyone else) the chills.

“The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel from ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (1969)

Can we interest you in Simon & Garfunkel singing you a folk song about a down-and-out fighter? Can we interest you in perhaps the best singing duo of all time, melding their golden sunshine voices together to talk about a boxer? Two singers singing about a man who uses his two fists, a one-two punch for the ages, to be sure. This 1969 tune will last forever, fighting its way forward, one harmonious chorus at a time.

“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman from ‘Tracy Chapman’ (1988)

Fast-forward some 20 years from Simon & Garfunkel’s masterpiece above, and you will find Tracey Chapman singing about another kind of fighter. Some of us don’t have the chance to fight on the big stage in the big ring. Sometimes our battles are smaller in a small town. When the only goal is to get out, you’ll do anything to escape. Here, Chapman sings about the razor-thin lives of people trying to become adults in a world that wants them to shrink. It’s not easy, but Chapman makes it sound like an epic poem. No wonder the song has enjoyed a rejuvenation in recent years, thanks to country star Luke Combs and his cover.

“Patience” by Guns N’ Roses from ‘G N’ R Lies’ (1988)

When we think of rock band Guns N’ Roses, often it’s the party rock that comes to mind. The debaucherous stuff that certain groups were known for in the late 80s. But then every once in a while, GNR surprises yo,u and they release a song like “Patience”, which gets the hairs on the back of your neck to stick up. The 1988 acoustic-driven track remains a classic, even if it doesn’t always pop up at the top of one’s mind.

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