This paper addresses the problem of designing an output error feedback tracking control for single-input, single-output uncertain linear systems when the reference output signal is smooth and periodic with known period T. The considered systems are required to be observable, minimum phase, with known relative degree and known high frequency gain sign. By developing in Fourier series expansion a suitable unknown periodic input reference signal, an output error feedback adaptive learning control is designed which 'learns' the input reference signal by identifying its Fourier coefficients: bounded closed-loop signals and global exponential tracking of both the input and the output reference signals are obtained when the Fourier series expansion is finite, while global exponential convergence of the input and output tracking errors into arbitrarily small residual sets is achieved otherwise. The structure of the proposed controller depends only on the relative degree, the reference signal period, the high frequency gain sign and the number of estimated Fourier coefficients. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.