We all have our favorite acoustic guitar songs that no one else has ever heard of. Some of my favorite acoustic songs ever are simultaneously some of the most underrated. So I wanted to make a full post dedicated to celebrating my favorite underrated acoustic guitar songs.
If you’re an acoustic guitarist yourself and want to learn these underrated songs, I’ve also included chords, tabs, and video lessons for each song (if I could find them).
One final note before we get started: don’t forget to tune your guitar! These songs won’t sound right if your guitar is out of tune… If you need a great tuner, here’s my favorite clip-on guitar tuner (on Amazon).
Also: you will need a capo to play some of these songs. If you don’t have a capo (or want to upgrade to a better one) here’s my favorite capo (on Amazon).
Now without further ado, let’s jump into the 10 most underrated acoustic guitar songs:
1. Solitude – Black Sabbath
Technically, the studio version of Solitude uses an electric guitar. But the tone is extremely clean, and really the guitar is rather quiet. This makes it a great song to play on the acoustic guitar… Especially since it’s relatively easy.
As you’ll see in the links above, the song only uses two chords, so it’s one of the easier songs to play from this list. Since it’s a minor tune, it’s also a good change of pace, as acoustic songs tend to be overwhelmingly in major keys.
2. Church Street Blues – Tony Rice
Church Street Blues Chords & Tabs
Church Street Blues Video Guitar Lesson
Church Street Blues was written by Norman Blake, but Tony Rice’s version is a favorite among bluegrass guitarists, and one of the songs that made me fall in love with this genre of music. While Norman’s version is perhaps more “melodic” Tony’s cover above features faster and more complicated flatpicking and crosspicking patterns.
Make sure to check out some of Tony Rice’s other best songs:
- The 10 Best Tony Rice Songs for Acoustic Guitar (with Chords & Tabs)
- RIP Tony Rice – His 8 Best Songs Remembered
3. Blossom – James Taylor
Blossom is a bittersweet James Taylor song, combining upbeat lyrics and melodies with themes of loneliness and depression.
Blossom, smile some sunshine down my way lately, I’ve been lonesome
James Taylor, Blossom
Blossom, it’s been much too long a day
Seems my dreams have frozen, melt my cares away
Blossom is one of the many underrated gems from the Sweet Baby James album.
You can read more about James Taylor’s best songs here:
4. Rider On An Endless Line – Tim Stafford
Rider On An Endless Line Chords & Tabs
Tim Stafford started playing guitar in the 70s, eventually playing with Alison Krauss & Union Station, before forming the bluegrass band Blue Highway. Stafford is a prolific songwriter, with over 250 songs recorded.
Stafford is also one of the most academically accomplished bluegrass players, having taught courses on the subject at several different universities.
Rider On An Endless Line is one of his best songs and comes from an album of the same name.
5. Walls – Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot is an underrated singer-songwriter in general, and Walls is one of his most underrated songs.
Most people only know Lightfoot from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. While that’s a great song, he has a whole catalogue of great music that goes largely unappreciated.
6. Time for Me to Fly – REO Speedwagon
Time For Me To Fly Chords & Tabs
Time For Me To Fly Video Guitar Lesson
Ok, ok, this is a pretty dang popular song, I get it. But still, when people think of acoustic guitar songs, this is one that rarely comes to mind. Even though the intro is pure acoustic guitar and vocals. And, the song in its entirety is great as just a solo acoustic piece.
When I tried to look up lessons for this one on YouTube, it just underscored for me that it was a relatively underrated song. Most lessons are years old and of varying quality – none of the larger channels have taught this song still.
7. Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere – Dan Tyminski
Stuck In The Middle of Nowhere Chords & Tabs
Dan Tyminski is best known for his singing and guitar playing on the classic “Man of Constant Sorrow.” The song brought bluegrass music to a much wider audience when the song was featured prominently in the classic movie O Brother Where Art Thou?, starring George Clooney.
However, Tyminski has a bunch of other great songs. The entire “Carry Me Across the Mountain” album is excellent, and Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere is one of my favorite songs from it.
Tyminski is one of my favourite singers and players in the “newer wave” of bluegrass music, with great albums like Wheels and Carry Me Across the Mountain. He is one of the best bluegrass flatpicking guitarists alive today.
8. Mighty Mississippi – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Mighty Mississippi Chords & Tabs
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver have produced some amazing bluegrass music over the years. Mighty Mississippi is the first track off the Original Band album and has rollicking banjo and guitar licks throughout.
Lawson and Quicksilver have recorded many of the best bluegrass gospel songs of all time:
9. I Threw It All Away – Bob Dylan
I Threw It All Away Chords & Tabs
I Threw It All Away Video Guitar Lesson
I Threw It All Away is one of my favorites from the Nashville Skyline album – which went on to become one of Dylan’s best-selling albums. If you haven’t given the whole album a listen, I highly recommend it.
It reveals a different side of Dylan, with many of the songs having more of a country western feel compared to his other work. In my opinion, it’s easily one of Bob Dylan’s best albums:
10. I Couldn’t Believe It Was True – Willie Nelson
I Couldn’t Believe It Was True Chords & Tabs
This is a great acoustic song for solo acoustic guitarists to consider as it is pretty much just Willie and his guitar. Also, the chord structure is very simple, and the melody is extremely catchy. This one always stood out to me as an underrated tune from Willie’s famous Red Headed Stranger album.
Learn More of the Best Songs For The Acoustic Guitar
Looking for more great acoustic songs to learn on the guitar? Check out some of my most popular guides below:
- The 25 Best Country Songs for Acoustic Guitar (with Chords + Tabs)
- The 12 Best Grateful Dead Songs for Acoustic Guitar (with Chords + Tabs)
- The 10 Best James Taylor Songs for Acoustic Guitar (with Chords & Tabs)
- The 10 Best Eagles Songs for Acoustic Guitar (with Chords & Tabs)
- The 10 Best Tony Rice Songs for Acoustic Guitar (with Chords & Tabs)
Ready to Get Better at Guitar, Faster?
Whenever you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level, check out a few of my favorite resources below:
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Chords, Tabs & Video Lessons for 100 Epic Songs – This free guide that I created for fellow guitarists gives you chords, tabs, and video lessons for the 100 best songs to learn on guitar… I spent many hours putting this guide together to help you get better at guitar, faster. — CLICK HERE TO GET IT FREE
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