16 Best Classic Rock Songs to Hear at Jersey Shore Beach Bars

People from the Philadelphia area associate Jersey Shore beach bars with some very specific images.

The allure of freedom and an escape from all worries can creep into the minds of anyone looking for a few days off from work to enjoy the summer weather, and most of these visions include a cold drink underneath a peaceful sunset with family and friends.

In towns like Sea Isle, Wildwood, or Avalon, that could also mean an acoustic guitar player at a beach bar playing loudly enough to enjoy and softly enough to talk over.

These guitar players aren’t going to rock you out as hard as a Rolling Stones concert, but the best ones can create the perfect mood with the right selection of smooth classic rock songs.

Hit songs from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Billy Joel probably race through your mind if you’ve ever been to some of these relaxing Jersey Shore beach bars for a summer happy hour.

Pretty much anything by Bruce Springsteen will please the crowd. The long-time Jersey Shore fanatic romanticized the feeling of freedom and peace of mind during the summer with lyrical references all throughout his career.

Plenty of his Rock & Roll counterparts also provided the peaceful, easy feeling that vacationers at the Jersey Shore look for during that short stretch of time when they get to avoid their problems.

It's probably the most recognizable hit from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and it gets plenty of love because of its soft sound that sets a light mood. 

Most people who hear "Piano Man" have an immediate association with a particular group of friends or some specific period of time in life when the song stirred some emotion.

The authentic emotion sets a mood of community, especially when people sway their drinks back and forth in a "cheers" motion.

He's the hero the common man and the Rock & Roll legend that popularized the feeling of freedom associated with the Jersey Shore.

Visit any beach bar within a few hundred miles of Philadelphia, and you're bound to hear at least one song from The Boss. 

"Thunder Road," "Glory Days," "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," and "Born to Run" are some of the best go-to Bruce songs that pump up any crowd enjoying a cold beer in a relaxing environment.

The Bruce Springsteen version might've become more popular, but Tom Waits originally performed "Jersey Girl."

The lyrics hit home in an unmistakable way. 

No song will give you a more "Peaceful Easy Feeling" than the Eagles' hit.

This one was a layup. 

The mild sound of Jackson Browne gives a sense of bringing back memories.

The unmistakable background riff provides the perfect mix of a light sound and the hard rock style of Led Zeppelin.

"Over the Hills and Far Away" is another often-used beach bar favorite. 

It's certainly not a song that's centric to the Jersey Shore, but the smooth sound of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic adds another light song from a Rock & Roll band into the mix.

Bob Seger sang about memories and youth with authenticity.

So many vacationers at the Jersey Shore think back to their childhoods and going on vacation with family as a warm memory of the past, even if the experiences weren't always perfect.

The softer sound of a love song can create a peaceful mood in a relaxing setting. 

The sound of Southern Rock hits home just as well as Lynyrd Skynyrd with "Can't You See" by the Marshall Tucker Band, a group that strangely doesn't have a member named Marshall Tucker.

The opening chords for "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" strike a crowd with a unique sound that sets the perfect relaxing mood.

The lyrics might mislead listeners a little bit, but lines about a young man chasing an older woman set an intimate mood. 

The guitar solo is the appropriate level of classic rock for the setting without a wild "Won't Get Fooled Again" type of sound. 

The opening verse of "Free Ride" invokes the feeling of freedom and life away from responsibilities, which is exactly what vacation is all about.