Greatest Rock Guitar Riffs


A British guitar magazine recently polled it readers to compile a list of the greatest guitar riffs. Guns 'N Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" came in at the number spot. Here's a link to the poll results. As you can see the list is entirely metal oriented.

My list would include:

The Chuck Berry intro
The Chuck Berry rhythm
The Bo Diddley beat
Temptations - My Girl
Kinks - You Really Got Me
Steely Dan - Reelin' In the Years
Sam & Dave (Steve Cropper) - Soul Man
Stone Temple Pilots - Plish
Beatles - I Feel Fine intro
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze intro

Is it my fault that nearly all the great riffs are pre-1980?

What's on your list?
onhwy61

Showing 11 responses by oblgny

"Whisky Train" - Procul Harum
"Drop Dead Legs" - Van Halen
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking - The Rolling Stones
"That's All You Need" - The Faces
"All Right Now" - Free
"Narcotic Prayer" - Chris Whitley
"Roadhouse Blues" - The Doors
"Ma Ma Belle" - Electric Light Orchestra
"I Don't Need No Doctor" - Humble Pie (Rockin' The Fillmore)
"Love and Happiness" - John Mellencamp
"Melting Pot" - John Mellencamp
"Do Ya" - The Move
"Start Me Up" - The Rolling Stones
"Shattered" - The Rolling Stones
"Cinnamon Girl" - Neil Young
"The Pusher" - Steppenwolf
"Love Like a Man" - Ten Years After
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
"Silver Paper" - Mountain
"Hope You're Feeling Better" - Santana
"Lawyers Guns & Money" - Warren Zevon
"Heartbreaker" - Led Zeppelin
"Bridge Of Sighs" - Robin Trower
"Can't Hardly Wait" - The Replacements
"I Ain't Superstitious" - Jeff Beck
"Come As You Are" - Nirvana
"Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith
"Alive" - Pearl Jam
"You Got The Love" - Rufus with Chaka Kahn
...and so and so on.....

Don't snicker but....
"All I Really Want" - Alanis Morissette
Really - check that out again...

"Movies" - Alien Ant Farm
"Shaft" - Isaac Hayes
"Jump Into The Fire" - Harry Nilsson
"That Lady" - The Isley Brothers
"Its Your Thing" - The Isley Brothers
"Straw Man" - Lou Reed 

Thank heavens for Google and iTunes.  
Been checking out the ones I don't have.  Cool thread!
Just a correction to a preceding post.  The Doors - "Blood In The Streets"...That would be in fact,  "Peace Frog."

Kinda like misnaming "Baba O'Riley"  Teenage Wasteland.

But easy to understand none the less!
Falconquest...
Thanks for the bucket head suggestion.  I'd never heard of him before and went on iTunes and Tidal to check him out.  Diverse as all hell, fascinating, thoroughly amazing output.  Where the heck have I been???
"Monster" - Steppenwolf
"The Lemon Song" - Led Zeppelin
"Taxman" - The Beatles
"I Want To Tell You" - The Beatles
"Sick Of Myself" - Matthew Sweet
"Live With Me" - The Rolling Stones
"Birthday" - The Beatles
"Changed The Locks" - Lucinda Williams

R. I. P.   Paul Kantner.  

Dug out "Surrealistic Pillow" and "Bless Its Pointed Little Head" in memorium upon learning of his death last week.  On vinyl; to listen again on any other format struck me as possibly being disrespectful. 

Man, what a cast of characters in that band.  

Thanks - it was nice being around while you were, too.