3 Acoustic Classic Rock Songs From the 1960s You’ll Recognize in Two Seconds

While classic rock bands often go over the top with their songs, creating sky-scraping music that rattles your bones, the genre is also known for some milder, softer tunes. Indeed, ever so often, the acoustic guitar makes an appearance in classic rock.

Videos by American Songwriter

And when it does, wow, is it great! That’s just what we wanted to dive into below. We wanted to examine three bright, jangly songs that we return to often. These are three acoustic classic rock songs from the 1960s you’ll recognize in two seconds.

“The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel from ‘Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.’ (1964)

It’s a remarkable idea—to try and create the sound of silence. But somehow it would seem that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel did. They created a song that sounds like the absence of sound. It sounds like loneliness, it sounds like eeriness. Known for their blissful, divine harmonies, Simon & Garfunkel did a lot to promote the acoustic guitar. But to do it by creating a song that sounds like no song at all—simply incredible. And quite recognizable!

“Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan from ‘Bringing It All Back Home’ (1965)

Bob Dylan was a master at writing songs on his acoustic guitar in the early to mid-1960s. Truly, you could pluck a number of his creations from the era and put them on this list. But we chose to highlight “Mr. Tambourine Man”. Why? Because in a sea of electrified rock music, Dylan made sure to have at least one timeless acoustic number on his 1965 LP, Bringing It All Back Home. And the easily recognizable ode to Dylan’s jingle-jangle friend was it.

“Blackbird” by The Beatles from ‘The Beatles’ (1968)

Not only is this song from The Beatles both acoustic-driven and easily recognizable, but it is also a tune that many try to learn on their own in their living rooms. Just about any person who has ever picked up an acoustic has dreamed of being able to play this Paul McCartney-penned number perfectly. But whether or not your fingers are nimble enough to pull it off, as soon as you hear this track on the radio, you know what it is.

Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images