Genres change over time. What was once hard rock may now be considered adult contemporary. But at the time, these tunes were as hard as rock could get. Grow that hair, crank the Marshall stack to 11, grab your axe and a Boss distortion pedal, and let 'er rip baby, let 'er rip!
Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water is one of those songs every wanna-be rock guitarist learns in the first few hours of picking up a guitar. It hit #4 on the Billboard pop single chart in 1973. The lyrics tell a true story of a fire that broke out during a Frank Zappa concert at a casino in Switzerland in 1971. To get the real feel for this, use a Fender Stratocaster and some dirty crunch.

While Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train never had much official Billboard success, it features a riff forever embedded in the collective consciousness of metal guitarists everywhere. Released on the 1980 Blizzard of Ozz album, it features the virtuosic shredding and songwriting skills of guitarist Randy Rhoads - a legend and pioneer in the realm of hard rock guitar.
