🎸 Guitar Chords for Rock Bands from the 70s – Volume 1

This collection features guitar-friendly songs from standout bands like Atlanta Rhythm Section, Badfinger, Blues Image, and more.

Whether you're diving into power chords, tight riffs, or smooth melodic lines, each lesson is designed to bring the feel of the '70s right to your fingertips. From chart-toppers to cult favorites, you'll find a range of tunes that helped shape the sound of a decade.

Georgia Rhythm appears on the 1976 album A Rock and Roll Alternative.

“Georgia Rhythm” reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song captures the band’s Southern roots with its smooth melody and authentic feel—like a melodic postcard to their Georgia heritage. While not their biggest hit, it showcases the sound that laid the groundwork for their later radio success.

Imaginary Lover was released in early 1978 as the lead single from their breakthrough platinum album Champagne Jam.

This song became the band's second Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 9 in Canada.

A quirky bit of trivia: a radio station once played the track at the wrong speed (45 rpm), making the vocals sound like Stevie Nicks—prompting Nicks herself to say it “gave [her] the chills”.

The song’s lyrical theme—celebrating fantasy over real romance—coupled with its smooth groove, made it a standout in their catalog.

She Knows All My Tricks appears on the bands 1997 Partly Plugged album.

“She Knows All My Tricks” shows ARS in a stripped-down yet soulful mode.

Written by long-time collaborators Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, and Ronnie Hammond, the song blends introspective lyrics with warm acoustic textures. Though it didn't chart prominently, it highlights the band's continued creative spirit—offering something fresh while honoring their stylistic roots in Southern rock.

So Into You emerged in January 1977 as the breakout single from Atlanta Rhythm Section’s sixth album, A Rock and Roll Alternative.

Its smooth groove and romantic lyricism quickly struck a chord with listeners — climbing to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and securing the #1 spot on the Mainstream Rock chart. In Canada, the song was even more of a smoldering success, soaring to #2, trailing only behind the Eagles’ "Hotel California".

The story goes that the song’s inspiration was rumored to be Leslie Hawkins, one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s backup singers — though that's never been confirmed and it remains ARS’s signature hit and one of the most enduring Southern rock ballads of the late ’70s.

Baby Blue is one of Badfinger's most iconic songs, featured on their 1971 album "Straight Up." The song was a significant success for the band, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Written by Pete Ham, the song's melodic and catchy sound struck a chord with listeners, making it a memorable part of the power pop genre. Its chart success solidified Badfinger as a prominent force in the early 1970s rock and pop music scene.

A noteworthy piece of trivia about "Baby Blue" is its role in the television series "Breaking Bad." The song was featured in the series finale, and this exposure led to a resurgence of interest in the song and Badfinger's music.

Day After Day is another notable track from Badfinger's 1971 album "Straight Up." Written by Pete Ham, the song became one of the band's most recognizable hits, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

"Day After Day" has continued to enjoy popularity over the years, with its timeless melody making it a favorite choice for radio play and inclusion in various compilations of classic rock songs.

One interesting piece of trivia about the song is that it features George Harrison of The Beatles on slide guitar. Harrison's contribution to the song added a distinctive and memorable element to its sound.

No Matter What is a classic rock song by Badfinger, featured on their 1970 album "No Dice." This track, written by Pete Ham, stands as one of the band's signature tunes and exemplifies their talent for crafting infectious rock melodies.

"No Matter What" made a significant impact on the music scene, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Over the years, "No Matter What" has maintained its popularity, becoming a staple in classic rock radio playlists and compilation albums.

One interesting piece of trivia about the song is that it was produced by the legendary Todd Rundgren, adding an extra layer of musical excellence to the track.

Thirteen is a track from Big Star's debut album from 1972.

This song was released as a single but was mislabeled and called Don't Lie To Me. There is no mention if the song became a hit but Rolling Stone has it as #396 on their list of the greatest 500 songs of all time.

Burning For You  was the lead single from Blue Öyster Cult’s eighth studio album, Fire of Unknown Origin (1981), and marked a commercial resurgence for the band.

Sung by guitarist Buck Dharma, who also co-wrote it with lyricist Richard Meltzer, the track became their only number‑one hit on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and reached #40 on the Hot 100, earning them a rare Top‑40 placement.

Its slick production, strong melody, and early MTV video helped cement it as a staple of early ‘80s hard rock radio.

Don't Fear The Reaper was originally released in 1976 from their album Agents of Fortune.

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” became Blue Öyster Cult’s highest-charting single, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Written and sung by Dharma, the song unites a haunting melody, philosophical lyrics contemplating mortality and eternal love, and a hauntingly memorable riff. Over the decades, it has become a rock music landmark—praised for its craft, featured in numerous films and TV shows, and forever memorialized in pop culture thanks to the legendary “more cowbell” Saturday Night Live sketch.

Hooked On A Feeling was from the Swedish band Blue Swede and this song was also the name of the 1974 album. BJ Thomas first recorded the song in 1969.

The Blue Swede version hit #1 in the US in 1974.

Ride Captain Ride hails from the American rock band Blues Image. It was written by the band's singer and guitarist Mike Pinera and their keyboardist Frank "Skip" Konte. The song is on their 1970 album, "Open."

When it was released as a single in the spring of 1970, it became very popular, reaching No. 4 on the US and Canadian charts. It was Blues Image's only Top 40 hit and also reached No. 23 in Australia.