essential guitar tracks

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The Black Keys' Patrick Carney (left) and Dan Auerbach perform onstage at the Audacy Riptide Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida on December 2, 2023

Black Keys, Black Crowes and the next in line for Mastodon’s mind-expanding metal crown: this week’s essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell, Matt Owen, Matt Parker published

The must-hear licks, riffs, solos and six-string moments from BIG|BRAVE, Bring Me The Horizon, Dead Poet Society, Bodega, Slift, Waxahatchee, and more

Axl Rose (left) and Slash perform onstage with Guns N' Roses

Three “God-like guitarists” join forces and stadium-conquering rockers channel their inner spy: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Must-listen-to tunes from Guns N' Roses, Architects, IDLES, The Libertines, Devon Ross, Ryujin and many more

Anna Calvi performs at TOdays Festival 2023 at sPAZIO211 in Turin, Italy on August 26, 2023

10,000 volt lead licks and the bluesier side of Peaky Blinders: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Killer new cuts from Ace Frehley, Judas Priest, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Anna Calvi, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Alkaline Trio, and many more

Dre DiMura

Black metal has gone orchestral and nu-disco shred is back, baby: This week’s essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Unmissable tunes from John Mayer, Dre DiMura, Heriot, Ihsahn, Julian Lage, Porno for Pyros and so many more…

Marcin Patrzalek poses with an acoustic guitar

Layla gets the two-hand tapping cover treatment and the Spiritbox x Megan Thee Stallion collab you never knew you needed: This week’s essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Must-hear jams from Marcin, Plini and Tosin Abasi, WILLOW, Robby Krieger, Caligula’s Horse, Ty Segall, The Struts and loads more…

Rock and roll band 'The Beatles' rehearse their song 'All You Need Is Love' for 'Our World' the first live satellite uplink performance broadcast to the world on June 25, 1967 in London, England.

A heavy solo debut from Mick Mars, a double-neck fretless tribute to Eddie Van Halen and a brand-new Beatles song: This week’s essential guitar tracks

By Jackson Maxwell published

Also: massive new singles from Helen Ibe, Spiritbox, Deap Vally, Iron Axxis, Unprocessed… oh, and did we mention the Beatles?

Plini

Otherworldly headless shred, and fresh riffs from one of the most underrated guitarists of his generation: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Matt Parker published

Hot new tracks from Plini, Big Wreck, Green Day, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dance Gavin Dance, Tim Henson, Robby Krieger and so very many more

Brittany Howard performs onstage

Legend of Zelda-inspired fret-burner gallops and drunken bends: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Matt Owen published

Usher in the weekend with must-hear cuts from Brittany Howard, Dead Poet Society, Kurt Vile, DragonForce, IDLES and more

Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap of Judas Priest perform onstage during the Power Trip music festival at Empire Polo Club on October 07, 2023 in Indio, California.

This week's essential guitar tracks: Fresh eyebrow-singing solos from Judas Priest, and a former coma patient delivers jaw-dropping Dimebag-meets-EVH shred

By Matt Owen published

The hottest new cuts from Richie Faulkner and co, Moon Tooth, Spiritbox, Tyler Larson, Black Pumas, Lamb of God, Scott Stapp (yes), and many more…

Aaron Marshall, and the Guitar World Essential Guitar Tracks logo

Wolfgang Van Halen’s favorite guitarist tears it up while death metal has never sounded more alive: this week’s essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Round out the week with our curated list of unmissable songs from Intervals, Alluvial, Sophie Lloyd, Santana, Kvelertak, Sleater-Kinney and more

Juho Ranta-Maunus playing guitar in the music video for The Drift

A Young Guitarist of the Year returns and Toto’s Africa meets extreme metal: This week’s essential guitar tracks

By Matt Owen published

Fresh new tunes you need to check out this week, from Juho Ranta-Maunus and Marnie Stern to U2 and Bernie Marsden

Victoria De Angelis and Thomas Raggi of Måneskin perform at San Siro Stadium on July 24, 2023 in Milan, Italy.

Remarkable returns from the Rolling Stones and Måneskin, plus a Tool bassist’s sonic experiments: this week’s essential guitar tracks

By Jackson Maxwell published

Besides stadium and arena mainstays, we’ve got fresh cuts from The Gaslight Anthem, Dead Poet Society, Shylmagoghnar and an eclectic Justin Chancellor side-project

Marnie Stern of the 8G Band performs on July 23, 2015

Pantera-inspired groove-metal throwdowns and the return of one of the 21st century’s foremost tapping talents: this week’s essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

New releases you can’t afford to miss from Marnie Stern, Jason Hook, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Lynch, Ty Segall, Blackberry Smoke and so… much… more!

Los Angeles, CA, Thursday, March 11, 2021 - Eric Burton, right, and Adrian Quesada of The Black Pumas perform for a pre-taped segment for the 63rd Grammys at the LA Convention Center.

The ravaged rock wasteland between Endless Boogie and Mötorhead, and a comeback for one of the most influential riffsmiths of his generation: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

From Robin Trower to Spiritbox, Black Pumas to George Lynch, Helmet to Polaris, these are the guitar-forward songs you can't afford to miss this week

Emily Wolfe performs onstage at the Haute Spot in Cedar Park, Texas on June 26, 2021

Gossamer tremolo picking and the stuff of Phrygian nightmares: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Matt Owen published

Unmissable new songs from Fiddlehead, HotWax, Guns N’ Roses, Emily Wolfe, Born of Osiris, Babymetal ft. Tom Morello, CLT DRP, and more

The Joy Formidable's Rhydian Dafydd (left) and Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan perform at The Fillmore Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 19, 2022

Palm-muted gut-punches and Strandberg shred that sounds like Plini meets Mario Kart: This week’s essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Fresh, guitar-driven cuts from Bleed From Within, The Joy Formidable, Ottto, Angra, James Bay, Eliza McLamb, and loads more

Lucia de la Garza, Eloise Wong, and Bela Salazar of The Linda Lindas perform at the Sonora Tent during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, 2023 in Indio, California.

Johnny Cash’s 1930s Martin makes a comeback – and so does Napster-era crunch: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Jackson Maxwell published

You just gotta hear these new songs from Sophie Lloyd, The String Revolution ft. Tommy Emmanuel, Crypta, Graveyard, The Linda Lindas, Wilco, Nervosa and so very many more

Steve Lacy

Chuck Berry-by-way-of-the-gutter riffs and choppy Strat-isms from Fender's latest signature artist: This week's essential guitar tracks

By Matt Parker published

Must-hear new cuts from Brian Setzer, Steve Lacy, Of Mice & Men, Buck Meek, Bad Wolves and loooads more

Reba Meyers of Code Orange performs on the Sonora stage during the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 22, 2022 in Indio, California.

High-profile collabs with '90s alt-rock guitar royalty and Keanu Reeves' return to music: this week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

The freshest cuts from Code Orange ft. Billy Corgan, Alice Cooper ft. Tom Morello, The Gaslight Anthem ft. Bruce Springsteen, Dogstar, Brothers Osborne, Night Verses and a heck of a lot more

Jacob Collier playing a yellow five-string Strandberg

5-string Strandbergs and 11-minute djent epics: this week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

New face-melters from Jacob Collier, Tesseract, Cherry Glazerr, Dan Auerbach, Demi Lovato + Slash, Svalbard and many more