Drum Lessons

7 Basic Building Blocks for Rock and Pop Beats – Song List

A short list of songs you can play with these beats:

Aretha Franklin – Chain of Fools: Beat B/A+C+B+C
ACDC – Back in Black: Beat A
ACDC – Hell’s Bells: Beat A (verse) B (chorus)
ACDC – Highway To Hell: Beat A+D
ACDC – Thunderstruck: Beat A
The Beatles – If I Needed Someone: Beat A+C
The Beatles – The Word: Beat A+C
The Beatles – Nowhere Man: Beat D+A
The Beatles – Drive My Car: Beat A+G/D+G
The Beatles – Eight Days A Week: Beat A
The Beatles – Dizzy Miss Lizzy: Beat A
The Beatles – Tell Me What You See: Beat D+A
The Beatles – I Saw Her Standing There: Beat A
The Beatles – You’re Going To Lose That Girl: Beat D+A
The Beatles – The Night Before: Beat D+A
The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun: Beat D+E
The Black Eyed Peas – Where Is The Love: Beat D+A
The Black Eyed Peas – The Apl Song: Beat A
The Black Eyed Peas – Latin Girls: Beat A+G
The Black Eyed Peas – Labor Day: Beat B+G+G+G
Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feelin’: Beat B+E
Bon Jovi – It’s My Life: Beat A+B/D
Bon Jovi – Living On A Prayer: Beat A+D+A+A
Bon Jovi – We Got It Goin’ On: Beat A (add bass drum on beats 2 and 4 with snare)
Calvin Harris – Feels: Beat A
Calvin Harris – Slide: Beat A
The Cars – Let’s Go: Beat A+B+A+C/B+B+C+G
Chainsmokers – Closer: Beat A+G
Cold Play – Yellow: Beat A+B(intro) B(verse) Beat D+G(chorus)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen The Rain: Beat D+A
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son: Beat A+B
Eagles – Take It Easy: Beat D+A
Foo Fighters – These Days: Beat B+C+G+B (open hihat on & of 4)
Foster The People: Don’t Stop: Beat D+A
Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Beat A+B (verse)
Green Day – Welcome To Paradise: Beat D+D+E+E(intro) A+C+E+E+D+D+E+A(verse) A+C+E+E (chorus)
Green Day – Whatsername: Beat A+B+B+B
Green Day – Geek Stink Breath: Beat C (verse) C+E (chorus)
Green Day – 21 Guns: Beat A+B
Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine: Beat D (verse) D+G (chorus and guitar solo) A+D (bridge)
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock N Roll: Beat B
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Hate Myself For Loving You: Beat B
Joan Jett (The Runaways) – Cherry Bomb: Beat B
Kool & the Gang – Celebration: Beat A
Kool & the Gang – Jungle Boogie: Beat A (theme)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: Beat A+C
Martin Garrrix – There for You: Beat D+G
Martin Garrix – In the Name of Love: Beat D+G
Maggie Lindemann – Pretty Girl: Beat A
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean: Beat A
Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal: Beat A
Michael Jackson – Beat It: Beat A+A+A+G
MC Hammer – Can’t Touch This: Beat D
Prince – Kiss: Beat D+H
John Lennon – Imagine: Beat A+B
Led Zeppelin – Misty Mountain Hop: Beat A+C+G+C
Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger: Beat A (add bass drum on beats 2 and 4 with snare, open hihat on &’s)
Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved: Beat D+E
Nirvana – Come As You Are: Beat A+C+C+E
The Police – Every Breath You Take: Beat D+A
Pixies – Where Is My Mind: Beat B (theme)
Pixies – Velouria: Beat D+A (theme)
Pixies – Allison: Beat A
Pixies – The Happening: Beat D+D+A+C
Jimi Hendrix – Born Under a Bad Sign: Beat A+C (verse) B (bridge)
The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up: Beat A
The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?: Beat D+E
The Rolling Stones – Jumpin’ Jack Flash: Beat D
Blue Oyster Cult – Burnin’ For You: Beat A+C+G+B
Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild: Beat D+D+E+A (1/4 notes on hihat)
Downtown Fiction – I Just Wanna Run: Beat B+G(verse) Beat A+B(chorus)
Muse – Time Is Running Out: Beat A(verse1) Beat C(chorus)
Queen – Another One Bites The Dust: Beat A (add bass drum on beats 2 and 4 with snare)
Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now: Beat C (verse theme) B (chorus theme)
Queen – We Will Rock You: Beat B
The Quik – Bert’s Apple Crumble: Beat C+E
The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated: Beat A+B
The Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop: Beat C
The Ramones – Sheena Is A Punk Rocker: Beat D+B
Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger: Beat A (add bass drum on beats 2 and 4 with snare)
Selene Gomez – We Own The Night: Beat D+A
Talking Heads – Psycho Killer: Beat A (add bass drum on beats 2 and 4 with snare)
The Ventures – Hawaii Five-O: Beat D+A
Weezer – Troublemaker: Beat D+E

Britt’s List:

Lady Gaga – Poker Face: Beat A
Lady Gaga – Just Dance: Beat A
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance: B+A
Florida – Low: D+G
Rihanna – Disturbia – Beat A
Katy Perry – Hot N Cold: Beat A
Taylor Swift – Begin Again: Beat A+G
Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: Beat A
One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful: Beat B+A+C+H
One Direction – One Thing: Beat C+H
Fun – We Are Young: Beat D+G
Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger: Beat B+A
Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved: Beat D+E
Train – Drive By: Beat A
Tegan And Sara: Closer – Beat A+B
The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go: Beat D+A (verse)
The Clash – Train In Vain: Beat A+B
The Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane: Beat D+E
David Bowie – Let’s Dance: Beat D+A
David Bowie – Changes: Beat B+C
Weezer – Island In The Sun: Beat A+A+A+B
Weezer – Say It Ain’t So: Beat D+G
Weezer – Buddy Holly: Beat A
Weezer – Undone (The Sweater Song): Beat A
Weezer – Beverly Hills: Beat B
Weezer – Pork And Beans: Beat A
Weezer – Perfect Situation: Beat B
Wilco – You And I: Beat D+E
Wilco – You Never Know: Beat A+C

Cole’s List:

The Beatles – Hey Jude: Beat A
Bob Dylan – Like A Rolling Stone: Beat D+A
Bob Dylan – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door: Beat A
Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb: Beat A
Pink Floyd – Another Brick In The Wall: Beat A
Michael Jackson – Beat It: Beat A
Michael Jackson – Thriller: Beat A
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir: Beat A
Guns n’ Roses – November Rain: Beat A+B
The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter: Beat A+B
The Doors – Light My Fire: Beat A
R.E.M. – Losing My Religion: Beat D+A
U2 – One: Beat B
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama: Beat B

Notes:
These beats represent the framework of the original drum parts. They are not meant to be exact and complete transcriptions. They are designed to give beginning drummers a starting point for playing along with the songs or playing with a band.

Where “H” is listed as a component of the beat, omit all bass drum hits.

Many of the pop/dance songs listed as Beat A have the bass drum added to the snare drum hits and/or variations in the hihat pattern.