I used to teach guitar classes for beginners, and one of my classes was called "A hundred Songs in Five Minutes"

Here is the jist of it--About half of all rock songs are really "La Bamba--which is:

||:AA/DD/EE/DD:||

Repeated over and over--That is to say--play two counts for each letter--there is one measure in each set of slashes--

You can do things like "Hang on Sloopy". "Twist and Shout"- "Stand" by REM--these are just examples: listen for it when you listen to the radio--yoou'll be surprised at how often you hear it--

Next chord progression is:

||:CC/AmAm/DmDm/G7G7:||

Which is all or part of every Doo-Wop ballad ever--songs like "Earth Angel" and Hush-A-Bye". and The Every Brother's "Dream, Dream Dream" (except the bridge, which is FF/CC/G7G7/CC/FF/AmAm/ D7D7/G7G7. and is often used as the bridge in many other songs)

It is also used in songs like "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and is the basis for the Pretender's "Don't Get Me Wrong" which has a bridge very similar to "Dream,Dream,Dream"

Here is a tip---Learn the songs a piece at a time--

songs are made up of one or more melodic phrases--usually four measures (each of 2,3, or 4 counts)each--

learn to play chords to each phrase first--(count them out-- "A'two three four D Two three four, or whatever, til you get the changes where they should be)-

Then the hum the melody while you play through the chords, and,and worry about the lyrics last of all--

Don't try to learn everything at once, you'll never get anywhere--