Music

27 Rock Songs With Rock in the Title

Updated Oct 29 2022

All rock bands tend to have one song with the word rock in the title. AC/DC had ... a lot more. That's ok, they are AC/DC.

Alright, let's get right to this.

Rock of Ages (Def Leppard)

You'd never know that Rock of Ages was about to melt your face after the German, "Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen" cold open. But that's exactly what Pyromania's Rock of Ages does.

It might just be the best rock song with the word rock in the title. It also answers the question, "What do you want?"

Because the answer should always be Rock & Roll!

For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (AC/DC)

Some have rocked harder. Some have rocked faster. But no band rocks like AC/DC.

For anyone concerned about AC/DC playing the same song over and over again, don't be. This song, like all of the rest, is just another chapter in one long-running saga about Rock & Roll's majesty.

This just happens to be chapter where AC/DC thanks like-minded folks for also rocking hard. Not as hard as they do, but who truly can?!

And The Cradle Will Rock (Van Halen)

And The Cradle ... Will Rock!!!

Van Halen there is, there was, there will always be just one. Armed with an impeccable rhythm section, the premier frontman of the day, and arguably the best guitarist of all-time, the band released show stopper after show stopper for at least a decade and a half.

And The Cradle Will Rock was one such tune off Women and Children First. Chuck Klosterman, author of Fargo Rock City, had this to say about it:

"Manufactured around a keyboard riff that sounds like a guitar, it’s a fan favorite and the only single off Women and Children First. I’ve always found it a bit ponderous and uncompromisingly average, but I’ve also listened to it somewhere in the vicinity of 8,000 times."

Rock on! Rock on!

I Wanna Rock (Twisted Sister)

Simple, elegant, declarative, that's how Twisted Sister wrote it up for their 1984 hit, I Wanna Rock. A rock anthem through and through, I Wanna Rock is for anyone who doesn't want to be held down the long arm of The Man.

What's really intriguing is that this song was released in their 11th year of Twisted Sister's existence. Usually bands mellow out once they've started to receive fat paychecks. No Dee Snider & The Gang.

I Wanna Rock even cleverly finds its way into the 2000 movie Road Trip, where the crew of college kids are traveling down to Texas and belting it out at the top of their lungs in a van they "borrowed".

Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop) (Def Leppard)

The boys from Sheffield return with another song from third album Pyromania with Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop)

One only hear a few seconds of this song to know that the band was leaning heavily on their NWOBHM roots when they wrote it. As such, you'd never find it on their next album, the great Hysteria.

Cherub Rock (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Cherub Rock is 4:58 of kick ass rock. From the opening roll on the Chamberlin's snare to the clean repeated E chord in rhythm, this intro builds all of the necessary anticipation one needs to prep for the saturated power that follows.

Cherub Rock is one of the rare tunes that can't hang with any genre of rock, any style. Credit to The Smashing Pumpkins for that.

Rock You Like A Hurricane (Scorpions)

Proving that there's no need for subtlety, German rockers, the Scorpions, smashing everything in their path with 1984's Rock You Like A Hurricane.

The harmonized lightning from Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs is why we wake up every morning and go to work ... because we'll never wail like that on guitar.

At least Rock You Like A Hurricane has no ulterior motive or potential secrecy like The Scorpions world-changing hit, Winds of Change.

We Will Rock You (Queen)

Queen's We Will Rock You is arguably the most powerful rock song to exist without instrumentation. At approximately 1 minute and 27 seconds into the song, you can start to hear Brian May's guitar swell up and into his solo.

Other than that, it's all footstomps and claps. It's stunning in its efficiency and creativity. If anyone could pull that off, it would be Queen.

Warrant covered the song for the 1992 movie, Gladiator when no one was looking. Bet you didn't know that.

Rock And Roll All Nite (Kiss)

Never one to back down from good marketing, Kiss gave the world Rock And Roll All Nite in 1975 and rock shows were never the same. Neither were cover bands and weddings. It's ... a crossover hit?

Kiss is anything but unsavvy when it comes to business, so of course they made sure to write rock 'n' roll songs about rocking and rolling all night long.

In case you were wondering, Argent was the original writers of the song. Then Christian Rock band Petra came along and covered it. Then Kiss.

Detroit Rock City (Kiss)

The song that inspired a movie of the same name. Legions of Kiss fans bang their head and raise their fist to Detroit Rock City.

That's all one can hope for when you're penning a new tune.

God Gave Rock & Roll To You (Kiss)

Kiss covered God Gave Rock & Roll To You for the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey Soundtrack. There's no reason to remember the original, or even the cover that they covered it off of.

Because of The Great Ones, this is the only version that need be remembered. It's never too late to work 9 to 5.

Rock the Night (Europe)

These dudes from across the pond had an appetite for big hair, big sounds and big anthemic riffs, like that on Rock the Night.

Speaking of big, it was quite lofty of the Swedish band to name themselves after the whole continent. But that's all keeping in the spirit of metal.

Bravo, Europe.

Boyz Are Gonna Rock (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)

Metal that's out to punish. Vinnie Vincent is invading your radio with huge bends and finger tapping. And squealing vox. Yes, squeals.

Dont' hate us because those vocals warm our heart.

Rock Bottom (House of Lords)

Another punisher. Rock Bottom from House of Lords is a power-chugging heavy metal tune.

Nothing else to say really. It has rock in the title and it does, in fact, rock.

Let It Rock (Bon Jovi)

Big ol' organ to kick off Let It Rock, the leadoff track of Slippery When Wet. Heavy on production value, which is to be expected of a Little Mountain Sound Studios album that was produced by Bruce Fairbairn, the album gave us a couple of the best Hair Metal songs of all-time.

While Let It Rock isn't one of those, it certainly does its job of kicking open the doors of the band's third studio album.

The boys of Bon Jovi should be proud of the tune.

Let's Get Rocked (Def Leppard)

Much like their Australian counterparts, Def Leppard also loved using the word rock in their titles. What are we up to now, 3 just on this list alone?

Let's Get Rocked off of Adrenalize had some crazy animation in their video for the song. Check it out below.

Let There Be Rock (AC/DC)

Let There Be Rock. So sayeth AC/DC. And forevermore hence, there was Rock.

Thanks, Bon!

Raise Your Hands to Rock (Motley Crue)

A track off Theatre of Pain, The Crue wrote what feels like Tesla writing Twisted Sister's I Wanna Rock. That's not a bad thing. Though the Rock ROCK! of the chorus feels a bit ... borrowed.

Twisted Sister released Stay Hungry on May 10, 1984 and Motley Crue released Theatre of Pain on June 21, 1985. Just saying.

Rock Me (Great White)

Heavy blues influence on Rock Me, the 3rd track off of the album Once Bitten from Great White.

It's a song about being held through the night. Because one needs comfort throughout the long, cold, cold night. And nothing else.

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo (Rick Derringer)

Derringer's only hit song exudes 70s cool.

Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy (Bad Company)

Another British band bringing solid riffs to your eardrums with 1979's Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy. Just tons of fuzz all over the track.

Kids Wanna Rock (Bryan Adams)

Hard to leave one of Canada's greatest treasures off of this list. Bryan Adams hits us with a straightforward rock & roll tune with Kids Wanna Rock off of RECKLESS, an album that holds up well over it's (nearly) 40 years.

Rock the Casbah (The Clash)

Rock the Casbah is such an unintelligble mess of what's going on here!?

That's what makes it a great song. How does one even understand what drummer, Topper Headon created musically and Strummer wrote lyrically?

Before the internet, no one knew the lyrics in their entirety. We're still not sure people do even with Google.

That's Combat Rock.

I Love Rock 'n' Roll (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)

One of rock's hardest-hitting ladies, Joan Jett is best known for 1981's I Love Rock 'n' Roll. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks the following year.

You'll never be as cool as Jett, and you'll never write a rock hit as good as this.

Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young)

Grit, strong lyrics, and a chugging Em chord is the big takeaway from Neil Young's 1989 hit song, Rockin' in the Free World.

Grunge rockers Pearl Jam often cover this ditty from Ol' Uncle Neil to close out their 3-hour long shows.

Rock of Mages (Bang Camaro)

A beast of a song. Rock of Mages has all the feel of an all-out guitar war. The decimation of all senses commences immediately.

BATTLE! CRY!

The Bang Camaro man-choir is like nothing else in existence. Full stop.

Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin)

Appearing on Led Zeppelin IV, Rock and Roll was saved (by us) to be last because that's what you do with the best, you save it for last on the list.

Crushing drums, driving bass, in your face riffage, and trademark vocal shrills, the song has it all. Even rock piano.

Zeppelin hit a homer with Rock and Roll. Songs just aren't written like that anymore.

Honorable Mention Songs with Rock in the Title

Listen, there are some good, if not great songs in the list below. But they aren't really the type that are meant for our list. That's all.

Also, much like Hanoi Rocks, we're giving a pass to Springsteen's Rocky Ground. It's close enough.

Crocodile Rock (Elton John)
Good Rockin Tonight (Elvis Presley)
I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band) (The Moody Blues)
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me (Billy Joel)
Jailhouse Rock (Elvis Presley)
Let It Rock (Chuck Berry)
Old Time Rock & Roll (Bob Seger)
Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley & His Comets)
Rock Lobster (The B52s)
Rock Me Amadeus (Falco)
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide (David Bowie)
Rock This Town (Stray Cats)
Rock with You (Michael Jackson)
Rocky Ground (Bruce Springsteen)
The Heart of Rock & Roll (Huey Lewis)
You Rock My World (Michael Jackson)

We have actively left Nickelback's Rockstar off the list because it's Butt Rock, and Butt Rock should never be highlighted in any way, shape, form or fashion.

Honorable Mention Band (Hanoi Rocks)

Hard to leave the band Hanoi Rocks out of a list about including the word rock in your title when it's so evident.

Hanoi Rocks is famous in America mostly because of the incident where drummer, Razzle was killed by Vince Neil during a wild drive through the streets of Los Angeles after a night of hard partying.