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?
128x128onhwy61
The guitar solo in Sympathy for the Devil. Not a riff, per se, but IMHO the definitive solo. What Keith doesn't play is as important as what he does play.
some of the greatest riffs in rock history are so simple yet classic:

Pantera-Walk
Metallica-One
Motley Crue-Kickstart My Heart

Not technical fretboard wizardry, but the volume goes up when they come on.
Robert Wilkins "That's no way to get along" (1927)
Mississippi Sheiks "Sitting on top of the world" (1931)
Al Dimeola-"Race with The Devil on a Spanish Highway"
Whitesnake-Vandenberg/Cambel- Crying in the Rain
Zakk Wylde- "Bleed For Me"
Savatage-Chris Oliva - Gutter Ballet