At the risk of running afoul of the “everybody knows everything” theorem, this article aims to engage drummers of all skill levels by suggesting songs everyone can play along with for education, enjoyment and chops building.

So, what’s the risk? 

It’s the very subjective nature of calling a song “best for beginning players, intermediates, experts” and so on. Everyone learns drums at their own individual rate, and one drummer’s “easy” can be another’s “difficult,” and vice versa. We’re well aware some players will find fault with a few of our selections, but we tried to keep things on point by researching drum lesson sites, querying drum staff on the Guitar Center team and bouncing the songs off local drum teachers.

But let’s put subjective skill-level assessments to the side and agree that all of the following songs can teach you something valuable about the art of drumming. So, go through your vinyl collection or load up your favorite music site, pop on some headphones, sit down at your kit and let’s bash.

Table of Contents

The Benefits of Playing to Songs
   Improves Timing and Feel
   Reveals the Processes of Legendary and Popular Drummers
   Gives You "Band Practice"—Even If You Don't Have a Band
   Clarifies What "Playing for the Song" Really Means
   Exposes You to Different Styles and Techniques
   It's Fun
Best Songs for Beginner Drummers to Play Along With
   "Another One Bites the Dust," Queen (1980)
   "Back in Black," AC/DC (1980)
   "Seven Nation Army," White Stripes (2003)
   "Levitating," Dua Lipa (2020)
Best Songs for Intermediate Drummers to Play Along With
   "Blackened," Metallica (1988)
   "New Born," Muse (2001)
   "Up All Night," Blink 182 (2011)
   "Uptown Funk," Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars (2014)
Best Songs for Experienced Drummers to Play Along With
   "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," Paul Simon (1975)
   "The Black Page," Frank Zappa (1977)
   "La Villa Strangiato," Rush (1978)
   "Fool in the Rain," Led Zeppelin (1979)
Play On

The Benefits of Playing to Songs

An unfathomable number of instrumentalists have learned to play—at least partly—by stealing licks from recorded media: hit songs, deep cuts, movie soundtracks, stylistic repertoires, catalogs of favorite bands and anything that inspires them. (“That Pizza Hut commercial had a wild drum part.”) Recordings also serve to build a kind of “oral tradition” amongst musicians, where studying the past informs the future (sampling, anyone?). So, before you think that playing to songs is too much of a “My First Drum Kit” activity, here are some key takeaways for drummers of all levels.

Improves Timing and Feel

Practicing to a metronome to develop rock-solid timing is a given. Playing to a song can also help you improve your timing, and it’s arguably more engaging than the click-click-click of a metronome. Be aware that not all popular recordings were cut to click tracks or precisely beat corrected on a DAW. Many rock tracks of the ’60s, for example, have a certain swing, based on the internal clock of the drummer putting down the groove. The tempos can be behind or ahead of the beat, and the drummer may have sped up a bit for choruses, slowed down for verses, rushed their fills or inadvertently changed-up parts—a common consequence of tracks being cut live in the studio with the whole band. If the drummer had a bit of a wobble, but the rest of the tracks were exciting—not perfect but emotionally exhilarating—the producer often left in so-called “mistakes” to preserve the most thrilling overall performance. Back then, feel was often more critical (and seductive) than precision. Play along to a song featuring Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones), Ginger Baker (Cream) or Keith Moon (The Who), and you’ll soon decode the individual feel factor of these legendary drummers.

Reveals the Processes of Legendary and Popular Drummers

To enlarge on that last point a bit, playing to songs lets you study why a drummer made certain creative decisions that enhanced the music. Why did the drum fill happen there? Why are there so many crash cymbals in this part of the song? Why are the hi-hat and kick driving this section of the groove instead of snare, hi-hat and kick? There are myriad approaches to study, and as you have the song and the drummer to absorb as you play along, you can start increasing your arrangement chops.

Gives You "Band Practice"—Even If You Don't Have a Band

Playing with other musicians is critical to growth. But, for some, it’s getting harder all the time to find instrumentalists with similar interests to form a band with a plan, rent rehearsal space, navigate everyone’s schedules to set practice time, and then get out there and find a venue that will hire your act. Small wonder so much music is being made in home studios by one or two creators these days. While playing to a recording is definitely not the same as performing with a crew of live musicians, you at least have “the band” documented, so you can jam with the real people who made the original recording. Trust us—it’s a much better experience than playing all alone in your garage, or being chained to a practice pad.

Clarifies What "Playing for the Song" Really Means

If you play along to a hit song, you’re working with a proven musical entity that captivated the ears of perhaps millions of fans. Now, in most cases, songs sell downloads and drive successful tours—not flashy instrumentalists. (Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix were geniuses to be sure, but if their songs had not been all over popular radio at the time of their release, the horror is that they may have been geniuses toiling in utter obscurity.) Try to always keep in mind when you should selflessly play for the song and music fans, and when it’s appropriate to unleash the flash to impress other musicians.

Exposes You to Different Styles and Techniques

There’s so much music out there, and playing to a wide spectrum of different recordings can teach you volumes about drumming—and not limited to tempo, technique and feel. Take the opportunity to absorb and study myriad musical styles. For example, you could seek out psychedelic soul, samba jazz, Cajun, Latin trap, gumbe and raga rock recordings, and try to decode how the percussionists conceptualize and execute grooves. From an educational standpoint, you have a massive safety net, because even if getting a handle on a particular genre is totally grueling, you can stop and start the recording as often as you need to in order to zero in on the rhythmic details. We won’t tell …

It's Fun

Not everyone has a working band or a group of regular jam buddies they can play with. Happily, playing along with recordings allows drummers to consistently experience what it’s like to perform with a band—albeit a virtual one—as well as hone their “playing with others” awareness. And, hey, “playing drums” with Queen, Led Zeppelin and/or your personal favorite bands is pretty darn fabulous. Embrace the bliss.

Best Songs for Beginner Drummers to Play Along With

These songs have more-or-less basic grooves that are easy to decode—even for those just starting their journey behind the drum kit. Keep in mind that “basic” doesn’t necessarily translate as boring, uninspired or dumb. Keeping a massive and propulsive groove moving along as unstoppable as a runaway freight train—and without ornamentation or distracting fills—is epically powerful. For example, just watch tens of thousands of AC/DC fans bobbing their heads in rhythmic synchronization when the band breaks out “Back in Black” at a stadium concert.

"Another One Bites the Dust," Queen (1980)

Why It’s a Good Choice: A super solid 4/4 rock beat with the kick drum hitting on beats one and three, and the snare on beats two and four. There are a couple of snare fills to change things up, but, for the most part, once you get a handle on the basic groove, you can just keep rolling along.

Beats Per Minute: 110

Watch Out: This song is all about a relentless and steady beat. Picture it blasting from the massive speakers in old-school dance clubs. If you play a lot of fills, you’re missing the point big time—unless you use the song’s metronomic beat to practice playing fills and getting back to beat one in ziplocked time. Trust us, this song will reveal any fractured fills or wobbly time.

Fun Fact: A British study found “Another One Bites the Dust” provided good training for medical personnel performing the recommended chest compressions per minute (100–120) during CPR.

"Back in Black," AC/DC (1980)

Why It’s a Good Choice: Another solid and unrelenting 4/4 groove at an unhurried tempo that lets new drummers comfortably dig in. There are also a couple of fun little moves to challenge your dynamic sensibilities and technique, such as the punches that mirror the guitar riff in the intro and verses, and the crashes on the final “back in black” vocal at the choruses.

Beats Per Minute: 94

Watch Out: Take care not to rush the punches, because the “swifties” might cause you to fall off tempo or lurch too much into the exacting verse groove. Everyone knows the part—it’s headbanger’s catnip—and if you goof, getting seamlessly back to the recorded performance could be awkward and punishing for a few beats. Be sure to open up the hi-hat a bit in the choruses.

Fun Fact: AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young denied the Beastie Boys permission to include a sample of “Back in Black” in their song “Rock Hard” for a 1999 compilation CD. (The cheeky Beasties had sampled it without permission in 1984 for the tune.) Allegedly, Young told the band, “It’s nothing against you guys, but we don’t endorse sampling.”

"Seven Nation Army," White Stripes (2003)

Why It’s a Good Choice: Choosing and playing parts of the kit to animate a song beyond the groove is one of a drummer’s coolest creative tasks. In “Seven Nation Army,” drummer Meg White gets almost cinematic by introducing elements as the song unfolds—kick and floor tom at the intro, then the snare and, finally, exploding into the main guitar hook with crash cymbals. This song is great for learning the concept of a rhythmic narrative flow, managing dynamics and building drama—all at a tempo that a beginner should be able to handle quite easily.

Beats Per Minute: 124

Watch Out: Be aware of the dramatic stops and work out in your own way how to make them as vivid and theatrical as possible. Also, Meg isn’t simply battering crashes during the riff—she sometimes mimics the guitar part.  

Fun Fact: White Stripes guitarist Jack White had written the “Seven Nation Army” riff for a possible James Bond theme. It ended up in this song because White felt that dream was never going to happen. Except it did. In 2008, his collaboration with Alicia Keys, “Another Way to Die,” become the theme of the Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

"Levitating," Dua Lipa (2020)

Why It’s a Good Choice: Inspiring people to get up and dance is one of the hallmarks of a fabulous pop song, and this fun, disco-influenced track will definitely train you how to get bodies moving. The song absolutely kicks, but the 4/4 beat and slow tempo should encourage even less-than-experienced drummers to play along with confidence.

Beats Per Minute: 103

Watch Out: The claps added to the main groove are matched by double snare patterns. The song also breaks down to a half-time feel in the pre-chorus sections.   

Fun Fact: Apparently, the mental image of actor/filmmaker Mike Myers dancing around in an Austin Powers movie informed the mood of the song.

Best Songs for Intermediate Drummers to Play Along With

As awesome—and sometimes challenging—as it is to keep a basic groove percolating in near-metronomic time, it’s not the only way to elevate a song or musical work. Remember the “play for the song” guidance earlier in this piece? A drummer can make a song more exciting, memorable and/or surprising with just the right fill or accent at the proper point in the arrangement. Traditional examples of this approach include playing a snare roll to power into a chorus from a verse, breaking down to a hi-hat and kick drum part to emphasize emotional dynamics in the lyrics and creating a tom pattern to lift up a bridge.

You can also create parts that are almost “songs” in themselves. One enduring classic is Ringo Starr’s intro to “Ticket to Ride” by the Beatles. By the way, it has almost become a cliché to state that Ringo is “less than fabulous” as a drummer. But dig deep, and you’ll find Ringo is a massively creative drummer who has always looked for interesting and distinctive ways to drive a song.

"Blackened," Metallica (1988)

Why It’s a Good Choice: Opinions on whether drummer Lars Ulrich is a rhythmic maestro or an embarrassment are legion, but nailing “Blackened” is no easy task. There are some tricky timing and mood variations, and your endurance will be put to the test.

Beats Per Minute: 129

Watch Out: Ulrich’s double-bass performance is almost never-ending, and its speed could make it tough to get the parts just right.

Fun Fact: Bizarrely for a heavy metal album, Jason Newsted’s bass was placed so low in the mix that it’s practically inaudible. Apparently, that’s the way Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield wanted it.

"New Born," Muse (2001)

Why It’s a Good Choice: We’ll let Muse drummer Dominic Howard take the podium for this one. “‘New Born’ is quite hard to play,” he admitted in a Modern Drummer interview. “It’s relentless—this snare drum thing all the way through for ages. The verses are really long, and it’s just tiring.”

Beats Per Minute: 151

Watch Out: After taxing your stamina throughout the track, the crazy kick drum pattern near the end of the song seems devilishly designed to really put the hurt on you.  

Fun Fact: “New Born” was inspired by guitarist Matthew Bellamy’s fear that technology is “destroying all humanity.”

"Up All Night," Blink 182 (2011)

Why It’s a Good Choice: Travis Barker is one of the most explosive drummers ever, and “Up All Night” shows him negotiating several styles, moods, techniques and feels.

Beats Per Minute: 156

Watch Out: Barker’s double-handed hi-hat and ride groove at the song’s intro—all while laying down a hip-hop influenced groove—is just “wow.”  

Fun Fact: “Up All Night” took two years to record. During this time, the song’s instrumentation changed and it evolved into a heavy rocker from a much more open, airy and synth-speckled version.

"Uptown Funk," Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars (2014)

Why It’s a Good Choice: “Uptown Funk” is a wonderful funk, soul boogie, R&B workout that’s fun to play, but that also challenges you to navigate some dynamic shifts while keeping everything as solid as titanium dance shoes.

Beats Per Minute: 115

Watch Out: The snare rolls that match the horn stabs need to be locked in and tight, and without ever breaking the dance groove. Stay frosty (and on tempo). 

Fun Fact: “Uptown Funk” had an extremely difficult birth. The song took months to complete, Mars and Ronson fought over musical parts and arrangements, and Mars was not impressed with early versions of the production. By the way, Mars is the drummer on this track.

Best Songs for Experienced Drummers to Play Along With

As good as you get, keep in mind there are aliens among us. Technical monsters walk the earth, and they delight and challenge us with absolutely bonkers fills, zip across the kit with limbs akimbo, negotiate mind-blowing time changes and generate other percussive mayhem to make gigging pros—and maybe even a few drum teachers—sweat buckets.

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," Paul Simon (1975)

Why It’s a Good Choice: You’re kidding, right? A Paul Simon song is the foundation for a challenging drum part? Well, if the drummer is Steve Gadd, the answer is yes. Gadd plays a repetitious, military-like, 16th-note pattern that’s anything but mellow—at least from a technical standpoint. The hurdle is limb independence and sticking, as Gadd uses his left hand on the hi-hat (which is uncommon), and his interplay between left foot, left hand, snare and kick is remarkable. Oh, and you have to keep the tempo precise, as well.

Beats Per Minute: 102

Watch Out: Gadd adds an accent on his floor tom without messing with the feel. The song shifts to a straighter beat for the “Get on the bus, Gus” section and then seamlessly returns to the signature groove. Note that we said seamlessly.    

Fun Fact: The song isn’t just a clever lyric—it’s based on Simon’s real-life divorce from his first wife. In a tribute to Gadd’s percussive genius, the song was constructed around the drums.

"The Black Page," Frank Zappa (1977)

Why It’s a Good Choice: Guitarist and composer Frank Zappa was a musical genius, albeit a “twisted” one. He specifically wrote “The Black Page” to intimidate. The title refers to the overwhelming number of notes on the sheet music. 

Beats Per Minute: 81

Watch Out: Zappa was also a master of the unconventional, so expect syncopation, fluid time signatures and quirky accents.  

Fun Fact: First composed for drum kit and percussion, the song has several manifestations: “The Black Page Drum Solo,” “The Black Page #1” and “The Black Page #2,” as well as a new age version.

"La Villa Strangiato," Rush (1978)

Why It’s a Good Choice: It’s frightening—a nine-minute opus with multiple drum parts and something like 100 time signature changes in the first six minutes. Drummer Neil Peart was a Jedi master of technique, speed and precision. Playing along with this track will test you mercilessly, but don’t let it break you.

Beats Per Minute: 142

Watch Out: Pretty much everything in this song is a technical landmine. Be vigilant.  

Fun Fact: Rush actually planned to record “La Villa Strangiato” in one take. It didn’t happen. Bassist Geddy Lee later admitted, “Our ideas exceeded our ability to play them. We thought, ‘We’re going to write this long piece, record it live off the floor and boom.’ But it was really difficult. It was beyond us.”

"Fool in the Rain," Led Zeppelin (1979)

Why It’s a Good Choice: This half-time shuffle may appear to be straightforward and tame, but drummer John Bonham drops a lot of nuanced accents and dynamic shifts. The takeaway here isn’t so much about challenging parts as it is about swing and feel.

Beats Per Minute: 130

Watch Out: The hi-hat pattern is busy and somewhat covertly complicated, as Bonham plays open hi-hats at the end of the first triplet. There are also ghost notes on the snare and syncopated kick drum parts. 

Fun Fact: Although Bonham owns this track, he didn’t bring the idea of the samba feel to the band. Instead, it was vocalist Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones, who were captivated by the samba grooves playing during the 1978 World Cup soccer competition in Argentina.

Play On

There are so many songs that could have been chosen for this article, but we hope these 12 selections provide an inspiring kickoff for your play-along adventures. The rest is up to you, and there are near limitless recordings available from which to choose. The entire history of recorded music is your classroom, inspiration driver, style tutor and artistic mind blower.

You can sit at your kit and drum to songs by listening through a number of playback mediums, but electronic kits typically offer the benefit of hearing the recording and your drumming through the control module. Look for e-kits with Bluetooth or an input jack. Check out How to Choose the Best Electronic Drum Kit for reference. You can also contact one of our Gear Advisers for guidance.