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100's Of Free Demos & Chord Sheets
Songs By Electric Light Orchestra
Ob The Acoustic
Thanks for dropping by my songs by Electric Light Orchestra on guitar page where you'll discover several great ELO songs you can learn on the acoustic guitar.
Below are sample demos and a few demos for these songs plus tips on strumming, whether any of the songs have lead, Drop D tunings, capos etc for my versions on acoustic, and free pdf chords and lyrics sheets you can download.
If you need to purchase a full instructional demo, there is a link for that as well for a small fee.
I'm using the Electric Light Orchestra album covers below to indicate the original source for each song.
Jump links to quickly access the sections.
Songs By Electric Light Orchestra
Lyrics, PDF's & Tutorials
1. Can't Get It Out Of My Head
This song can be found on the 1974 album "Eldorado" album.
The song reached #5 in France, #25 in Canada and #9 in the US and was their first top 10 in the US.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 3rd fret
- Rhythm = this one has one pattern which is down root down down up and repeat - a few places where you'll use all down strokes as well
- Picking = No
- Chords = A, Amaj7, D, E, Bm, Gbm, A7, D7, E7, F, G
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2. Don't Bring Me Down
Don't Bring Me Down hit the airwaves in 1979 as a single from ELO's album Discovery.
The song hit #1 in Canada and was a top 10 in several other countries.
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3. Evil Woman
Evil Woman was a big hit for ELO and hit #10 in the UK and the US and a top 10 in a few other countries. The song is from the 1975 album "Face The Music".
This was the groups first big worldwide hit song. A line in this song is a tribute and a nod to The Beatles song Fixing A Hole.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = use a down down up down up down up rhythm and repeat - a few downstrokes only in places and you can use a shuffle in places if you'd like
- Picking = No - quick riff only
- Chords = C7, F7, Adim, Am, Em, Dm, F, G, C
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4. Hold On Tight (To Your Dream)
Hold On Tight To Your Dream is from the bands 1981 album "Time".
The single did very well, hitting #1 in Spain and Switzerland and reaching the top 10 in several other countries.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = use a down up down up and a bit of rock n roll riff playing
- Picking = a bit at the end
- Chords = D, G, C, Em, Bm, Am, G6, D7
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5. Living Thing
In 1976 ELO released their album "A New World Record" album and from that record released the single "Livin Thing".
This song was a top 10 in more than 10 countries and hit #1 in South Africa. Download the free Electric Light Orchestra Living Thing lyrics below.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = first pattern is a quick shuffle as in the beginning, then use a down down down up down up ... and you can use down strokes in one section here
- Picking = No
- Chords = C, A+m, F, G, Am, Ab, Fm, Em, Dm, Adim
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6. Mr Blue Sky
This song hit #6 in the UK and #35 in the US and was a top 40 in several countries and hails from the album "Out Of The Blue".
Jeff Lynne spent two weeks in a chalet in the Swiss Alps with dull weather and didn't write a thing. Suddenly the sun came out and inspired
Jeff to write 13 song in the next two weeks for the album "Out Of The Blue".
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 3rd fret
- Rhythm = you'll have a down strokes, a chop and a shuffle pattern in this one
- Picking = a little
- Chords = D, Dbm, Gbm, Bm, E, Gb, G, Asus, A, D/Gb, Em, C, A#, F, Fm, Dm, Ddim
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7. Rock & Roll Is King
It's a bit unusual for a record to release 6 singles but that's what happened in 1983 from the "Secret Messages" album, and this song was one of those singles.
The song was a top 15 in several countries and a top 10 in four others.
- Drop D Tuning = Yes
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = down down down up down up down up --- or you could play all downstrokes
- Picking = No
- Chords = A, D, E, B, D7, Gbm, E7
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8. Showdown
Showdown was a #12 in the UK, #47 in Canada and a #53 in the US and hails from the album "On The Third Day" from 1973.
Download the free Electric Light Orchestra Showdown lyrics below.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = 3rd fret
- Rhythm = down down up down down up down down up down up - and repeat as this one has a bit of a gallop vibe to it
- Picking = Yes
- Chords = Em, Am, Dm
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9. Strange Magic
Strange Magic was on the 1975 album "Face The Music" and was released as a single and reached #38 in the UK and #14 in the US.
You have to admit that Jeff Lynne is a genius creator of music.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = downstroke and you can play a down root down root etc as you start to sing
- Picking = No just a riff
- Chords = G, Cm, G/D#, G/E, Dm, Em, Am, D7
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10. Sweet Talking Woman
Sweet Talkin' Woman hails from the groups 1978 album "Out Of The Blue" and the single hit #6 in the UK and #17 in the US.
The original title was called Dead End Street, but wash changed during the recording. The US mix for this song was slightly faster than the UK
and therefore the song is approx 10 seconds shorter than the UK version.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = you can play down down up down up down up in the verse or down down down up down up as you'll see I play both .. in the ch it's a quick skip in the pattern which is d-d-u-d-u-d-u-d-u- and repeat and a few spots where you'll chop the pattern and play downstrokes only
- Picking = No
- Chords = F, G, Am, C, Em, Dm
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11. Telephone Line
In 1977 the album "A New World Record" was released and four singles were released from this album. Telephone Line was a #1 in New Zealand and Canada and hit #8 in the UK and #7 in the US.
This song was the bands first UK Gold Sales Award single and their biggest selling single in the US. The ringing telephone was re-created on a Moog after phoning a telephone number in the US and syncing up the
Moog with the ring tone. The song was also the theme song for the 1977 film "Joyride".
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = for this you could play all downstrokes for the verse or down root down root and just alternate. in the chorus a down down up down up will work.
- Picking = small riff
- Chords = Am, G, Fmaj7, Amaj7, A7/A+, Bm, E, D, Dbm, Dmaj7, A7, Fdim, A, Gbm, F
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12. Turn To Stone
Turn To Stone was a single released from the 1977 album "Out Of The Blue" and did very well on the charts reaching #18 in the UK, #13 in the US and #9 in Canada and France.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = a down down up down up and repeat will do the trick for this one
- Picking = No
- Chords = E, Gb, Gbm, A, Bm, Dbm, Abm, C, F, G, Db
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13. Wild West Hero
This song is also from the 1978 album "Out Of The Blue" and charted in two countries. #6 in the UK ad #9 in Ireland.
Jeff Lynne claimed to have written this song in about 4 minutes.
- Drop D Tuning = No
- Capo = No
- Rhythm = use downstrokes for the most part - then use down down down down up as the chords change ... and then be prepared to play a bit of rock n roll in the middle
- Picking = No
- Chords = G, D, D/Gb, Em, A7sus, A7, Dsus, Cmaj7, G6, Gdim, B7, Cm, D#7, D7
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There you have it. Songs by Electric Light Orchestra that I've covered to date and have full tutorial lessons on. I hope the samples, demos, rhythm tips and free chords and lyrics sheet were helpful.
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