Top 25 Guitar Riffs

[Mopar Fanatic]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/04/02/bmriffs102.xml

1. Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple (1973)

2. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (1991)

3. Walk This Way - Aerosmith (1975)

4. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix (1967)

5. Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses (1987)

6. Paradise City - Guns N Roses (1987)

7. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead (1980)

8. Enter Sandman - Metallica (1991)

9. Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1992)

10. Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N Roses (1987)

11. Run To The Hills - Iron Maiden (1982)

12. Walk - Pantera (1992)

13. Johnny Be Goode - Chuck Berry (1958)

14. Back In Black - AC/DC (1980)

15. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin (1970)

16. Wake Up - Rage Against The Machine (1992)

17. Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979)

18. My Generation - The Who (1965)

19. 7 Nation Army - The White Stripes (2003)

20. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf (1968)

21. Give It Away - Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1991)

22. Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970)

23. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix (1967)

24. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor (1982)

25. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits (1984)

This list is pretty hideous, it should probably say Top 25 Most Recognizable Guitar Riffs.

[therealjohng]

Street Spirit by Radiohead needs to be on there.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

The riff to "Smoke on the Water" is terrible. I don't take anyone who likes that riff seriously.

[Darth Kenshin]

Slash is an amazing guitarist, and one of the best of the last 25 years or so, but having 3 in the top 10? That just reeks of bias. Anyway, my faves (not based on guitar prowess, but just on the actual riff):

Sunshie of Your Love - Cream (easily #1 to me)

Satisfaction - Stones (overrated song, but I gotta give Richards credit where due)

Iron Man - Black Sabbath

Sweet Home Alabama - Skynyrd (ridiculously catchy... and I hate southern rock)

Back in Black - AC/DC

In A Gadda Da Vida (or whatever it's called) - Iron Butterfly

Enter Sandman - Metallica

Smoke on The Water - Deep Purple (not #1, but it's pretty sick)

American Woman - Guess Who

You Really Got Me - Kinks

[Mopar Fanatic]

Slash is an amazing guitarist, and one of the best of the last 25 years or so, but having 3 in the top 10? That just reeks of bias. Anyway, my faves (not based on guitar prowess, but just on the actual riff):

Sunshie of Your Love - Cream (easily #1 to me)

Satisfaction - Stones (overrated song, but I gotta give Richards credit where due)

Iron Man - Black Sabbath

Sweet Home Alabama - Skynyrd (ridiculously catchy... and I hate southern rock)

Back in Black - AC/DC

In A Gadda Da Vida (or whatever it's called) - Iron Butterfly

Enter Sandman - Metallica

Smoke on The Water - Deep Purple (not #1, but it's pretty sick)

American Woman - Guess Who

You Really Got Me - Kinks

I don't like Metalica, but there are at least three riffs on the Master Of Puppets album that are far better then Enter Sandman.

Smoke on the water I could see making it on a top 100 but nowhere near top 25.

Other than that your list looks pretty Decent. Most of the choices I agree with.

[athf1980]

some of my fav. riffs

NIB-black sabbath
Iron Man-black sabbath
Hole in the sky-black sabbath
Entersand man-Metallica
Walk-Pantera
5 min. alone-Pantera
Back in Black-ac/dc
Highway to Hell-ac/dc
Smoke on the water-Deep Purple
Master of Puppets-Metallica
Kasmir-Led Zeppelin
Holy Diver-Dio

[Cop No. 633]

My biased list: :)

Diamond Head - the Ventures
Wipeout - the Sufaris
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix Experience
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience
Sympathy for the Devil - the Stones
I Want You - Bob Dylan
Louie Louie - the Kingsmen
You Really Got Me Going - The Kinks
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
Baba O'Riley - The Who
Where Is My Mind - the Pixies
Bela Legosi is Dead - Bauhaus
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
Iron Man - Black Sabbath
And My Bird Can Sing - the Beatles
Helter Skelter - the Beatles
Southern Man - Neil Young
London Calling - the Clash
I Fought the Law - the Clash
Sunshine of Your Love - Cream
Moonage Daydream - David Bowie
Space Oddity - David Bowie
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
My War - Black Flag
Slip It In - Black Flag
Last Dance with Mary Jane - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
She's So Heavy - the Beatles
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown

[Darth Kenshin]

I don't like Metalica, but there are at least three riffs on the Master Of Puppets album that are far better then Enter Sandman.

you think so? I'm also not a big Metallica fan, but I think Enter Sandman is the most pervasive of their songs. Whenever I hear it, I can't get the riff out of my head. Maybe it's the overall composition of the song that's making it stick out to me more than others: the intro builds greatly.


Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown

Is that a guitar?

[EvilHenchman]

What, no "Gimme Some Money"? I swear, Tap never gets no love.

[Cop No. 633]

Is that a guitar?

I just kept hearing that breakdown in my head... right after he says, "Papa's got a brand new bag!" I love that simple riff. Also there is guitar in it, it's just played in a rhythmic way that is early funk as opposed to melodic. I consider it a riff and very influential to funk guitarists.

[Le_Big_Mac]

This would be my top 25:

1. "Sunshine of Your Love" - Cream
2. "Iron Man" - Black Sabbath
3. "Heartbreaker" - Led Zeppelin
4. "Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones
5. "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin
6. "Layla" - Derek & the Dominos
7. "Sweet Child 'O Mine" - Guns 'N Roses
8. "Foxey Lady" - Jimi Hendrix
9. "Walk This Way" - Aerosmith
10. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
11. "Bo Diddley" - Bo Diddley
12. "Life in the Fast Lane" - The Eagles
13. "Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne
14. "Enter Sandman" - Metallica
15. "Day Tripper" - The Beatles
16. "Paranoid Android" - Radiohead
17. "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie
18. "Bulls on Parade" - Rage Against the Machine
19. "Trampled Under Foot" - Led Zeppelin
20. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
21. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" - Jimi Hendrix
22. "Rock Lobster" - The B-52's
23. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
24. "Heroes" - David Bowie
25. "La Grange" - ZZ Top

[teenkiller]

[QUOTE=Le_Big_Mac;2772272]
9. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana

They stole the riff from Killing Joke's "Eighties". You might want to give that song a listen. I like it far more but what do I know?

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[therealjohng]

I can't believe Master of Puppets isn't on there. Easily the greatest riff ever created.

[Cop No. 633]

[QUOTE=Le_Big_Mac;2772272]
9. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana

They stole the riff from Killing Joke's "Eighties". You might want to give that song a listen. I like it far more but what do I know?

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

Good point. Long live Killing Joke!

[Homyrrh]

The riff to "Smoke on the Water" is terrible. I don't take anyone who likes that riff seriously.
...esecpially when he openly admits that 'Paradise City' was "gay".

How about some love for Hendrix's cover of Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower'?

[Lady Stardust]

Bad list as usual.

[TheAxeGrinder]

Cherub Rock or Today by The Smashing Pumpkins

How you can overlook these riffs I don't know.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Cherub Rock or Today by The Smashing Pumpkins

Nice.

I love Amon Amarth's "Runes to my Memory" and Arch Enemy's "Revolution Begins".

[LordSimen]

25. Death - Zombie Ritual
24. Into Eternity - Splintered Visions
23. Korn - Good God
22. Children of Bodom - Needled 24/7
21. Iced Earth - Angels Holocaust
20. Megadeth - Peace Sells
19. Pantera - Cowboys from Hell
18. Pink Floyd - Time
17. System of a Down - War?
16. Van Halen - Panema
15. 3 - The End Is Begun
14. Ozzy Osbourne - Suicide Solution
13. Sonata Arctica - Mary Lou
12. Deep Purple - Hungry Daze
11. Danzig - Mother
10. Opeth - The Drapery Falls
9. Rage Against The Machine - Take The Power Back
8. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Three Steps
7. Guns n' Roses - Paradise City
6. Black Sabbath - War Pigs
5. Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark
4. Disturbed - Stupify
3. Metallica - Fade to Black
2. Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
1. The Devin Townsend Band - Bad Devil

[Darth Kenshin]

6. "Layla" - Derek & the Dominos


Inexcusable oversight. Great choice. Probably in my top 5


How about some love for Hendrix's cover of Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower'?

I always feel Hendrix riffs get overlooked because the rest of the song always overshadows it. Everyone remembers All Along the Watchtower for the ridiculous solo in the middle.

[Tree0404]

Dylan's version of "Watchtower" is almost unlistenable to me......his harmonica playing is atrocious.