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“The Middle” By Jimmy Eat World
This punk rocker is full of great riffs, but the thing is… It’s just three easy chords holding the pieces together – A, D, and G.
Tab: UkuTabs
“Hey Ya!” By Outkast, A Fast-Paced Ukulele Song
There is quite the story behind how “Hey Ya!” became a hit, and looking at the vague and sparse lyrical content, which hint at relationship trouble, sheds some light on why that might have been.
Catchy, though, and that’s probably why it rose to the top. Am, C, F, and G are all you need to play it.
Ukulele Tab: UkuTabs
“Smooth” By Santana ft. Rob Thomas
World guitarist Santana was smart to have collaborated with a variety of artists his junior in the late 90s and 2000s. And “Smooth” featuring Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas still stands as an accomplishment.
Pick up a few Latin jazz chords for best results – Am, E7, Am7, Dm7, Em7.
Don’t be intimidated though – most of these aren’t that hard!
Chords: Ukulele Tabs and Chords
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” By Nirvana
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at a bit of grunge, there’s nothing quite like this tune.
You can basically play it with A, C, D, and F, but you can also pick up the power chord shapes shown in the tabs. A fun ukulele song if you’re up for trying something different.
Ukulele Chords: UkuTabs
“Something In The Way” By Nirvana, One Of The Best Ukulele Songs For Beginners
Nirvana songs certainly had their moments, but oftentimes, they were beyond simple.
All you need to play “Something In The Way” are two power chords – A5 and F5.
“Jane Says” By Jane’s Addiction
This Jane’s Addiction favorite is just two chords over and over – G and A.
Ukulele Tab: Ukulele Tabs
“Zombie” By The Cranberries
The dramatic “Zombie” isn’t half as intimidating as it sounds – it’s just C, D, Em, and G.
Chords: UkuTabs
“Otherside” By Red Hot Chili Peppers
It’s hard to think of Jane’s Addiction without also thinking of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“Otherside” was one of the best tunes on Californication, and you can play it with Am, C, Em, F, and G, but the riffs are worth learning too.
Ukulele Chords: UkuTabs
“Chasing Cars” By Snow Patrol
This “us against the world” love song resonated with a mid-2000s audience, and it’s just three chords – A, D, and E.
Tab: UkuTabs
“Hello” By Adele
Adele songs aren’t always the easiest to follow along with. You can play “Hello” with just five chords though – Em, G, D, C, and Bm.
Ukulele Tab: Ukulele Tabs and Chords
“Ho Hey” By Lumineers
“Ho Hey” is an obvious throwback to early folk rock, which was in vogue in the early 2010s, and to some extent, is still popular today.
You should expect a stripped-down song like this to be simple, and it is – Am, C, F, and G are all you need to play it.
Chords: UkuTabs
“Margaritaville” By Jimmy Buffett
Parrot Heads everywhere can’t get enough of the island escape lifestyle, and “Margaritaville” is the perfect companion on your journeys.
Get it under your fingers – Am, D, D7, and G.
Ukulele Chords: UkuTabs
“All Along The Watchtower” By Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan wrote the song, Jimi Hendrix immortalized it. It’s just three chords and the truth – Am, G, and F.
“Down On The Corner” By Creedence Clearwater Revival
There’s just something about the cheery “Down On The Corner” that makes you want to get up and dance.
Make it yours for C, G, and F.
Ukulele Tab: Ukulele Tabs and Chords
“Still Haven’t Found (What I’m Looking For)” By U2
Here’s another U2 ballad that grabbed listeners by the heart, and it’s just three chords – C, F, and G.
Chords: Live Ukulele
“I Won’t Back Down” By Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Well… you kind of know how to play this one already. Okay, okay, enough with the Sam Smith jokes already.
Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” is a classic, and you can do no harm adding it to your ukulele repertoire.
Just make sure you can play C, D, Em, and G, and you’ll be off to the races.
Ukulele Chords: UkuTabs
Best Easy Ukulele Songs, Final Thoughts
With these easy ukulele songs you’ve got everything you need to take your ukulele playing to the next level. And with the attached chords and tabs, you can learn which fret to hold down and when.
Just be patient with yourself. Some chords are harder than others. Some songs are harder than others, too. It can take a while to work out certain sections.
But if you keep at it, you will improve. And if you learn all the songs listed here, you will eventually be able to play just about anything, including popular ukulele songs like Hey Soul Sister by Train and Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole! Practicing a Bruno Mars song as well like The Lazy Song, Uptown Funk, Just The Way You Are or any of his other classics will also be achievable. I mean, who doesn’t love a bit of Bruno Mars music?
So which of these ukulele songs are you going to learn to play first? Whichever you decide, have fun.
Now, what songs did we miss? Would you like to have seen Leonard Cohen Hallelujah (or the Jeff Buckley remake) make the list? Or another top song? Let us know.