100 Rock Wedding Songs to Play on Your Special Day

From classic rock to modern alt-rock, check out these playlist recommendations.

Bride and groom dancing with wedding guests

Photo by Katie Ruther

Let’s sing it: “I love rock 'n' roll, so put another dime in the jukebox, baby!” Sure, rock and roll may not be what most people think of when it comes to wedding music, but rock songs perennially pop up on many wedding playlists at receptions. From classic rock by bands like AC/DC and Queen to modern alt-rock, including Panic! at the Disco and Imagine Dragons, guitar-centric music makes for great moments on the dance floor.

More specifically, you can keep the majority of your playlist's rock music to the songs of your youth with bands like Jimmy Eat World, Oasis, and Blink 182, or, to keep the good mood going, opt for today’s electronic and indie-rock beats as dance-floor fillers. No matter what songs you add to your must-play list, however, you’ll love belting out the choruses as much as your guests—and rock tunes are the perfect way to get your crowd hyped up throughout your entire reception.

Ahead, here are our picks for the 100 best rock wedding songs to add to your playlist.

01 of 100

“You Shook Me All Night Long,” by AC/DC

Lyrics of Love: "Working double time/On the seduction line/She was one of a kind, she's just mine all mine"

02 of 100

"Back in Black,” by AC/DC

Lyrics of Love: "Back in the back/Of a Cadillac/Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack"

03 of 100

"Pour Some Sugar on Me,” by Def Leppard

Lyrics of Love: "Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on/Livin' like a lover with a radar phone"

04 of 100

"We Will Rock You,” by Queen

Lyrics of Love: "Buddy, you're a young man, hard man/Shouting in the street, gonna take on the world someday"

05 of 100

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll,” by Joan Jett

Lyrics of Love: "The beat was going strong, playing my favorite song/And I could tell it wouldn't be long till he was with me/Yeah with me"

06 of 100

"Sweet Home Alabama,” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lyrics of Love: "Sweet home Alabama/Where the skies are so blue/Sweet home Alabama/Lord, I'm coming home to you"

07 of 100

"Livin' on a Prayer,” by Bon Jovi

Lyrics of Love: "She says, we've got to hold on to what we've got/It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not/We've got each other and that's a lot for love/We'll give it a shot"

08 of 100

"Take Me Home Tonight,” by Eddie Money

Lyrics of Love: "Take me home tonight/I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light/Take me home tonight/Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang/Be my little baby"

09 of 100

"Here I Go Again,” by Whitesnake

Lyrics of Love: "Just another heart in need of rescue/Waiting on love's sweet charity/I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days"

10 of 100

"Carry on Wayward Son,” by Kansas

Lyrics of Love: "Carry on, you will always remember/Carry on, nothing equals the splendor"

11 of 100

"Sweet Child o' Mine,” by Guns N’ Roses

Lyrics of Love: "She's got a smile it seems to me/Reminds me of childhood memories/Where everything/Was as fresh as the bright blue sky"

12 of 100

"We’re Not Gonna Take It,” by Twisted Sister

Lyrics of Love: "We've got the right to choose it/There ain't no way we'll lose it/This is our life, this is our song"

13 of 100

"Jump,” by Van Halen

Lyrics of Love: "And I know, baby, just how you feel/You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real"

14 of 100

"Peace of Mind,” by Boston

Lyrics of Love: "I understand about indecision/But I don't care if I get behind/People livin' in competition/All I want is to have my peace of mind"

15 of 100

"Mr. Jones,” by Counting Crows

Lyrics of Love: "Smilin' in the bright lights/Coming through in stereo/When everybody loves you/You can never be lonely"

16 of 100

"Edge of Seventeen,” by Stevie Nicks

Lyrics of Love: "With the words from a poet/And the voice from a choir/And a melody nothing else mattered"

17 of 100

"Fat Bottomed Girls,” by Queen

Lyrics of Love: "Oh, won't you take me home tonight?/Oh, down beside your red firelight"

18 of 100

"Bohemian Rhapsody,” by Queen

Lyrics of Love: "Because I'm easy come, easy go/Little high, little low/Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me"

19 of 100

"Don't Stop Me Now," by Queen

Lyrics of Love: "I'm traveling at the speed of light/I wanna make a supersonic woman of you"

20 of 100

"Mr. Brightside,” by The Killers

Lyrics of Love: "Gotta gotta be down/Because I want it all/It started out with a kiss/How did it end up like this?"

21 of 100

"The Middle,” by Jimmy Eat World

Lyrics of Love: "It just takes some time/Little girl your in the middle of the ride/Everything, everything will be just fine"

22 of 100

"Wonderwall,” by Oasis

Lyrics of Love: "I don't believe that anybody/Feels the way I do, about you now"

23 of 100

"Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down,” by Fall Out Boy

Lyrics of Love: "I've been dying to tell you anything you want to hear/Cause that's just who I am this week"

24 of 100

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” by Panic! At The Disco

Lyrics of Love: "Well, this calls for a toast/So pour the champagne, pour the champagne"

25 of 100

“All the Small Things,” by Blink 182

Lyrics of Love: "She left me roses by the stairs/Surprises let me know she cares"

26 of 100

"My Own Worst Enemy,” by Lit

Lyrics of Love: "Please tell me why/The car is in the front yard and I'm/Sleeping with my clothes on"

27 of 100

"Shake It,” by Metro Station

Lyrics of Love: "I saw you dancing/And I couldn't get you off my mind/I could tell that you could tell/That I was taking my time"

28 of 100

"Otherside,” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Lyrics of Love: "I heard your voice through a photograph/I thought it up and brought up the past"

29 of 100

"What’s My Age Again?” by Blink 182

Lyrics of Love: "I took her out, it was a Friday night/I wore cologne to get the feeling right"

30 of 100

"Crazy Train," by Ozzy Osbourne

Lyrics of Love: "Millions of people living as foes/Maybe it's not too late/To learn how to love/And forget how to hate"

31 of 100

"Smells Like Teen Spirit,” by Nirvana

Lyrics of Love: "And I forget just why I taste/Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile/I found it hard, it's hard to find/Oh well, whatever, never mind"

32 of 100

"Semi-Charmed Life,” by Third Eye Blind

Lyrics of Love: "I'm smiling, she's living, she's golden/And she lives for me/She says she lives for me"

33 of 100

"Starlight," by Muse

Lyrics of Love: "My life/You electrify my life/Let's conspire to ignite/All the souls that would die just to feel alive"

34 of 100

"Stacy’s Mom,” by Fountains Of Wayne

Lyrics of Love: "She's all I want/And I've waited for so long"

35 of 100

"Self Esteem,” by The Offspring

Lyrics of Love: "But she came over, I lost my nerve/I took her back and made her dessert"

36 of 100

"All Star," by Smash Mouth

Lyrics of Love: "My world's on fire, how 'bout yours?/That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored"

37 of 100

"Seven Nation Army,” by The White Stripes

Lyrics of Love: "And I'm talking to myself at night/Because I can't forget/Back and forth through my mind/Behind a cigarette"

38 of 100

"Ocean Avenue,” by Yellowcard

Lyrics of Love: "There's a piece of you that's here with me/It's everywhere I go, it's everything I see/When I sleep I dream and it gets me by"

39 of 100

"High Hopes,” by Panic! at the Disco

Lyrics of Love: "Didn't know how but I always had a feeling/I was gonna be that one in a million/Always had high, high hopes"

40 of 100

"Handclap,” by Fitz and The Tantrums

Lyrics of Love: "You're like a drug to me, a luxury, my sugar and gold/I want the good life, every good night, you're a hard one to hold"

41 of 100

"Feel It Still,” by Portugal. The Man

Lyrics of Love: "Can't keep my hands to myself/Think I'll dust 'em off, put 'em back up on the shelf/In case my little baby girl is in need"

42 of 100

"Electric Feel,” by MGMT

Lyrics of Love: "I said ooh girl/Shock me like an electric eel/Baby girl/Turn me on with your electric feel"

43 of 100

"On Top of the World,” by Imagine Dragons

Lyrics of Love: "If you love somebody/Better tell them why they're here 'cause/They just may run away from you"

44 of 100

"Sweet Disposition,” by Temper Trap

Lyrics of Love: "A moment, a love/A dream aloud/A kiss, a cry"

45 of 100

"My Type,” by Saint Motel

Lyrics of Love: "When there's loving in the air/Don't fight it, just keep breathing"

46 of 100

"Friday I'm in Love," by The Cure

Lyrics of Love: "I don't care if Monday's black/Tuesday, Wednesday, heart attack/Thursday, never looking back/It's Friday, I'm in love"

47 of 100

"High and Low,” by Empire of the Sun

Lyrics of Love: "Let's get together and forget all the troubles and just float/I don't want you to go/I need to be closer to now"

48 of 100

"Such Great Heights,” by The Postal Service

Lyrics of Love: "I am thinking it's a sign/That the freckles in our eyes/Are mirror images/And when we kiss they're perfectly aligned"

49 of 100

"Heartlines,” by Broods

Lyrics of Love: "We only get the one life/And I wanna feel your heartlines/I wanna feel your heart"

50 of 100

"Kangaroo Court,” by Capital Cities

Lyrics of Love: "There's a dark part of town where the girls get down/And I cannot wait for a chance to go"

51 of 100

"Float On,” by Modest Mouse

Lyrics of Love: "Already we'll all float on alright/Don't worry even if things end up a bit/Too heavy we'll all float on alright"

52 of 100

"The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room),” by Flight Of The Conchords

Lyrics of Love: "Looking 'round the room/I can tell that you/Are the most beautiful girl in the room"

53 of 100

"Let It Go,” by James Bay

Lyrics of Love: "From walking home and talking loads/To seeing shows in evening clothes with you/From nervous touch and getting drunk/To staying up and waking up with you"

54 of 100

"The Less I Know the Better,” by Tame Impala

Lyrics of Love: "Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side?/I don't suppose you could convince your lover to change his mind/I was doing fine without you/'Til I saw your face, now I can't erase"

55 of 100

"Take the World,” by Johnnyswim

Lyrics of Love: "'Cause they can write stories/They can sing songs/But they don't make fairy tales/Sweeter than ours"

56 of 100

"What You Know,” by Two Door Cinema Club

Lyrics of Love: "You don't want to be alone/And I can't say it's what you know/But you've known it the whole time"

57 of 100

"Thank You," by Led Zeppelin

Lyrics of Love: "If the sun refused to shine/I would still be loving you/When mountains crumble to the sea/There will still be you and me"

58 of 100

"Iris," by Goo Goo Dolls

Lyrics of Love: "And I'd give up forever to touch you/'Cause I know that you feel me somehow/You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be/And I don't want to go home right now"

59 of 100

"White Wedding," by Billy Idol

Lyrics of Love: "It's a nice day to start again/It's a nice day for a white wedding"

60 of 100

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," by Aerosmith

Lyrics of Love: "I could spend my life in this sweet surrender/I could stay lost in this moment forever/Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure"

61 of 100

"Wild Horses," by The Rolling Stones

Lyrics of Love: "You know I can't let you slide through my hands/Wild horses couldn't drag me away/Wild, wild horses couldn't drag me away"

62 of 100

"Use Somebody," by Kings of Leon

Lyrics of Love: "Someone like you, and all you know, and how you speak/Countless lovers under cover of the street/You know that I could use somebody"

63 of 100

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl," by Jet

Lyrics of Love: "Big black boots/Long brown hair/She's so sweet/With her get back stare"

64 of 100

"First Day of My Life," by Bright Eyes

Lyrics of Love: "This is the first day of my life/I'm glad I didn't die before I met you/But now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you/And I'd probably be happy"

65 of 100

"She Loves You," by The Beatles

Lyrics of Love: "She says she loves you/And you know that can't be bad/Yes, she loves you/And you know you should be glad"

66 of 100

"I Believe in a Thing Called Love," by The Darkness

Lyrics of Love: "Can't explain all the feelings that you're making me feel/My heart's in overdrive and you're behind the steering wheel"

67 of 100

"Song 2," by Blur

Lyrics of Love: "Well, I lie and I'm easy/All of the time but I'm never sure why I need you/Pleased to meet you"

68 of 100

"Don't Stop Believin'," by Journey

Lyrics of Love: "A singer in a smoky room/A smell of wine and cheap perfume/For a smile they can share the night"

69 of 100

"Eye of the Tiger," by Survivor

Lyrics of Love: "Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past/You must fight just to keep them alive"

70 of 100

"You Really Got Me," by Van Halen

Lyrics of Love: "Please, don't ever let me be/I only wanna be by your side"

71 of 100

"Stairway to Heaven," by Led Zeppelin

Lyrics of Love: "There's a lady who's sure/All that glitters is gold/And she's buying a stairway to heaven"

72 of 100

"Hey Jude," by The Beatles

Lyrics of Love: "She has found you, now go and get her/Remember to let her into your heart/Then you can start to make it better"

73 of 100

"I Want You to Want Me," by Cheap Trick

Lyrics of Love: "If you want my love you got it/When you need my love you got it/I won't hide it/I won't throw your love away, oo"

74 of 100

"Ants Marching," by Dave Matthews Band

Lyrics of Love: "She thinks, we look at each other/Wondering what the other is thinking/But we never say a thing"

75 of 100

"You're the One," by Greta Van Fleet

Lyrics of Love: "You're the one I want/You're the one I need/You're the one I had/So come on back to me"

76 of 100

"You Really Got Me," by The Kinks

Lyrics of Love: "I always wanna be by your side/Girl, you really got me now/You got me so I can't sleep at night"

77 of 100

"Everlong," by Foo Fighters

Lyrics of Love: "If everything could ever feel this real forever/If anything could ever be this good again"

78 of 100

"Nothing Else Matters," by Metallica

Lyrics of Love: "Trust I seek and I find in you/Every day for us something new/Open mind for a different view/And nothing else matters"

79 of 100

"Love of a Lifetime," by FireHouse

Lyrics of Love: "With every kiss, our love is like brand-new/And every star up in the sky was made for me and you"

80 of 100

"Wonderful Tonight," by Eric Clapton

Lyrics of Love: "I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes/Then the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize/How much I love you"

81 of 100

"Faithfully," by Journey

Lyrics of Love: "Through space and time/Always another show/Wonderin' where I am/Lost without you"

82 of 100

"All I Want Is You," by U2

Lyrics of Love: "But all the promises we make/From the cradle to the grave/When all I want is you"

83 of 100

"I'll Follow You," by Shinedown

Lyrics of Love: "Without a doubt I'm on your side/There is nowhere else that I would rather be/I'm not about to compromise"

84 of 100

"Shut Up and Dance," by WALK THE MOON

Lyrics of Love: "She said shut up and dance with me/This woman is my destiny/She said oh oh oh/Shut up and dance with me"

85 of 100

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," by James Taylor

Lyrics of Love: "With sweet love and devotion/Deeply touching my emotion/I want to stop and thank you, baby"

86 of 100

"Love Will Keep Us Alive," by Eagles

Lyrics of Love: "Now I've found you/There's no more emptiness inside/When we're hungry/Love will keep us alive"

87 of 100

"Lady," by Styx

Lyrics of Love: "You're my lady of the morning/Love shines in your eyes/Sparkling, clear and lovely/You're my lady"

88 of 100

"Forever," by Kiss

Lyrics of Love: "It's forever, this time I know/And there's no doubt in my mind/Forever, until my life is through/Girl, I'll be loving you forever"

89 of 100

"You're the Inspiration," by Chicago

Lyrics of Love: "You know our love was meant to be/The kind of love to last forever/And I want you here with me/From tonight until the end of time"

90 of 100

"When I See You Smile," by Bad English

Lyrics of Love: "Sometimes I wonder/How I'd ever make it through,/Through this world without having you/I just wouldn't have a clue"

91 of 100

"Me and You Together Song," by The 1975

Lyrics of Love: "I've been in love with her for ages/And I can't seem to get it right/I fell in love with her in stages/My whole life"

92 of 100

"Shot in the Dark," by AC/DC

Lyrics of Love: "A shot in the dark/Make you feel alright/A shot in the dark/All through the whole night"

93 of 100

"emo girl," by Machine Gun Kelly and WILLOW

Lyrics of Love: "I'm in love with an emo girl/I fell in love with an emo girl/All I want is an emo girl"

94 of 100

"Brown Eyed Girl," by Van Morrison

Lyrics of Love: "My brown-eyed girl/And you, my brown-eyed girl"

95 of 100

"Dream," by Fleetwood Mac

Lyrics of Love: "Now here I go again, I see the crystal vision/I keep my visions to myself/But it's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams"

96 of 100

"No One Knows," by Queens of the Stone Age

Lyrics of Love: "Heaven smiles above me/What a gift here below/But no one knows/The gift that you give to me/No one knows"

97 of 100

"On Call," by Kings of Leon

Lyrics of Love: "I'm on call to be there/One and all to be there/And when I fall to pieces/Lord, you know, I'll be there waiting"

98 of 100

"Cherry Pie," by Warrant

Lyrics of Love: "She's my cherry pie/Cool drink of water, such a sweet surprise/Tastes so good, makes a grown man cry/Sweet cherry pie, yeah"

99 of 100

"Here to Forever," by Death Cab For Cutie

Lyrics of Love: "And it ain't easy living above/And I can't help but keep falling in love"

100 of 100

"Anchor," by Skillet

Lyrics of Love: "You are my anchor/So steady me, steady me now/You are my anchor/You're keeping my feet on the ground"

FAQ
  • What is the best song for a wedding entrance?

    The best song for a wedding entrance is one that resonates with you while conveying the energy of the moment. These songs tend to be upbeat and energetic to get everyone in the celebratory mood.

  • What songs should you not play at a wedding?

    Any tunes that are likely to ruin the mood are best kept off your wedding playlist. These can include songs that remind you of an ex or lyrics that don't match the vibe (such as ones that allude to infidelity or loss). It's also best to keep the guests' ages and preferences in mind, as some party songs may be too sexual for the older, younger, or more conservative attendees.

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