20 Greatest Rock Guitar Riffs
31 items ranked
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1.
Layla
103 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
2.
Whole Lotta Love
98 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
3.
Sunshine of Your Love
94 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
4.
Roadhouse Blues-The Doors
92 points - added 11 years ago by guest -
5.
Highway to hell
Just hear the first 2 notes and the song will be stuck in your head,i would also add hell's bells, Yeah Angus has probably the most memorable opening riffs, try them as ringtones and you will know why :)
86 points - added 13 years ago by guest -
6.
Smoke on the Water
Famous for being (along with Iron Man) the first riff any budding guitar player learns. Heck, most non-guitar players know this riff.
85 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill - 1 comment
Comments:
Smoke on the Water has to be the most famous riffs ever.m Maybe not the greatest but definitely the most famous.
Added 8 years ago by guest, 0 points
7.
Crazy Train
83 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
8.
Sweet Home Alabama
78 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
9.
All Along the Watchtower-Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix made a masterpiece out of this Bob Dylan song.
74 points - added 11 years ago by guest -
10.
Back in Black
74 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill - 1 comment
Comments:
Yeah, Angus all the way for opening riffs
Added 13 years ago by guest, 0 points
11.
Purple Haze
As much as he is known for his solo work, Hendrix wrote some monster riffs, most notably Purple Haze.
69 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
12.
The Man Who Sold The World-David Bowie
Great guitar riff played by Mick Ronson.
63 points - added 11 years ago by guest -
13.
Sweet Child O' Mine
62 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill - 1 comment
Comments:
Overrated.
Added 13 years ago by guest, 0 points
14.
Paranoid
Black Sabbath's most enduring song and most powerful riff. Tony Iommi is virtuoso rhythm player.
58 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill - 1 comment
Comments:
Great riff,but not no.3,Iron Main is better,and this defenatley dosen't beat Smoke on the Water.
Added 13 years ago by guest, 0 points
15.
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
An underrated lead man, Richards may be the greatest rhythm guitarist in rock and roll history. And this was his best moment.
54 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
16.
Baba O'Riley-The Who
Epic!
53 points - added 11 years ago by guest -
17.
Oh, Pretty Woman
51 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
18.
You Really Got Me
Without this one, the hard rock riff may not even exist. The template. The Kinks don't get near enough credit for their contributions to modern guitar work.
43 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
19.
Eruption - Van Halen
Nuff said
40 points - added 14 years ago by Enalya - 2 comments
Comments:
What about U2 The Fly
Added 12 years ago by guest, -7 points
Eruption is great, but it's just shredding, not a riff.
Added 14 years ago by porcupinetheater, 1 point
20.
Day Tripper
38 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
21.
Iron Man
37 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
22.
Money for Nothin'
33 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
23.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
29 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
24.
Johnnie B Goode/Chuck Berry
Legendary. Beach Boys borrowed it for Fun, Fun, Fun.
26 points - added 9 years ago by guest -
25.
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
21 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
26.
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
18 points - added 8 years ago by guest -
27.
Wild Thing
18 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
28.
Walk This Way
16 points - added 15 years ago by BradHemphill -
29.
High Command
Almost nobody on Earth knows about this song, (which is Ironic, considering the band's name is Earth), but this song is incredible. The riff is played for pretty much the entire song's length, and to this day I can't hear it without head-banging along, no matter my location.
12 points - added 14 years ago by porcupinetheater -
30.
Doctor Doctor
UFO, Rock anthem enough said
10 points - added 13 years ago by guest -
31.
Frankenstein/Edgar Winter Group
7 points - added 9 years ago by guest -
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