April 2, 2020 by Klaus Crow
There’s something about playing guitar riffs. Creating that cool sound with your own bare fingers while sliding down and bending up those strings feels just like pure magic. Ain’t nothing like it.
Also the excitement of learning and eventually mastering a challenging riff is unbelievably fulfilling.
Let alone playing that riff with a real band will give you a true adrenaline rush. Yes that’s why we love to play riffs.
A little while ago I created a list with “50 of The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time”. After that I got a lot of requests for a “Greatest Riffs of all Time” list. And I thought ‘yeah why not?’ So here you are.
As most of you know the lists on Guitarhabits are in no particular order and they are never complete. The lists are here to inspire and to motivate.
You might discover a riff or song on the list that you haven’t thought of before and would really like to learn. Maybe you’ll get some new ideas for practice or encounter a “mustknowriff” for your repertoire. It’s all here.
I was thinking about my personal favorite and it’s just too hard to choose only one. There are too many brilliant creations and all unique in their own way. I love the simplicity of “highway to hell”, the beautiful, mysterious, wah wah riff of “Voodoo child”, I have a weak spot for almost every guitar riff by John Frusciante or Slash and not to mention the zillion riffs that aren’t even on the list. Thank god it never stops.
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Enjoy the list!
1 – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – Jimi Hendrix – Tabs
2 – Satisfaction – Rolling Stones – Tabs
3 – Smoke on the water – Deep Purple – Tabs
4 – Sunshine of your love – Cream – Tabs
5 – Sweet child o’ mine – Guns ‘n Roses – Tabs
6 – Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry – Tabs
7 – Whole lotta love – Led Zeppelin – Tabs
8 – Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix – Tabs
9 – Walk This Way – Aerosmith – Tabs
10 – Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana – Tabs
11 – You Really Got Me – The Kinks – Tabs
12 – Day Tripper – The Beatles – Tabs
13 – Paranoid – Black Sabbath – Tabs
14 – Highway to hell – AC/DC – Tabs
15 – Layla – Derek And The Dominos – Tabs
16 – Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Tabs
17 – Iron Man – Black Sabbath – Tabs
18 – Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison – Tabs
19 – Money For Nothing – Dire Straits – Tabs
20 – Enter Sandman – Metallica – Tabs
21 – Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes – Tabs
22 – Back In Black – AC/DC – Tabs
23 – Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne – Tabs
24 – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love – Van Halen – Tabs
25 – Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits – Tabs
26 – Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
27 – Rebel Rebel – David Bowie – Tabs
28 – Paperback writer – The Beatles – Tabs
29 – Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC – Tabs
30 – Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Tabs
31 – Money – Pink Floyd – Tabs
32 – Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz – Tabs
33 – Wild Thing – The Troggs
34 – Roadhouse Blues – The Doors – Tabs
35 – Rockin’ in a free world – Neil Young – Tabs
36 – Always on the run – Lenny Kravitz – Tabs
37 – Kashmir – Led zeppelin – Tabs
38 – Killing in the name of – Rage against the machine – Tabs
39 – Pride And Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tabs
40 – Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf – Tabs
42 – Master Of Puppets – Metallica – Tabs
43 – The trooper – Iron Maiden – Tabs
44 – Pinball wizard – The Who – Tabs
45 – All right now – Free
46 – Ace Of Spades – Motorhead
47 – Welcome to the jungle – Guns ‘n Roses – Tabs
48 – Beat it – Michael Jackson – Tabs
49 – La Grange – ZZ Top – Tabs
50 – Can’t stop – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Tabs
If I missed out on your personal favorite guitar riff, please share it in the comments.
I’d appreciate it.
50 greatest riffs of ALL TIME and you didn’t even include Alice In Chains – Man In The Box. For shame.
You left off Ted Nugent’s Stranglehold and/or Cat Scratch Fever. Thin Lizzy’s BABIT or China Town…
Considering that Nirvana borrowed that entire riff from Boston should automatically exclude them from this & all lists.
One of my favourites and also one I consider an anthem rock guitar riff of all time is ‘She sells sanctuary’ by The CULT. One of the simple yet amazingly powerful riffs you’ll ever hear I think.
Hi Eatnosenuggest,
And don’t forget “Them Bones” by Alice in Chains. Love that riff!
Bitch by the Stones is a great one!
Ha. Now we know that you are over 40. Almost nothing from the last 20 years
How bout Rush’s Working Man?
Breakdown from GNR and Can’t you hear me Knocking, stones with Mick Taylor
‘Barracuda’ and ‘Magic Man’ by Heart
‘Life in the fast lane’ by Joe Walsh/Eagles
‘Cult of Personality’ by Living Colour
Steely Dan, Reeling in the Years.
Brontosaurus
“Ghost” by Slash is an incredible riff as is “Flying High Again” as played by Randy Rhodes.
Rolling Stones monkey man
Hi, unreal riff but lesser known is Battle Cry by Saxon.
Would love someone to tell me the tablature of the main riff as I can’t find it anywhere. It surely makes the song
one way out by the Allman Brothers. Guaranteed to make you drive faster, which should be the litmus test for any riff
Funkadelic/Maggot Brain. Sly and the Family Stone/Sex Machine
What about Heartbreaker by Led Zeppelin?
Wish you were here” by pink floyd i think it one of the top classic which should be included
Doobie Bros. “China Grove” ?
Ah, I’ve just thought of You Can’t Do It Right by Deep Purple from Stormbringer and what about Live With Me by the Stones — the riff was played on the bass on Let It Bleed, but it was turned into a super guitar riff on Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out!
Pink Floyd – comfortably Numb
Agree with AC Frio!
āBarracudaā and āMagic Manā by Heart
āLife in the fast laneā by Joe Walsh/Eagles
āCult of Personalityā by Living Colour
No Prince?! Let’s Go Crazy….Purple Rain….I could go on.
Free bird Lenard skynard
Thanks everyone for sharing your favorites.
I really appreciate that.
Best regards,
Klaus Crow
Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
Road Runner – The Modern Lovers
Green River – Credence Clearwater Revival
One Way or Another – Blondie
Frank zappa willy the pimp
“Slither” by Velvet Revolver
“Lil’ Devil” by The Cult
“Limelight” by Rush
I hate to bias the list to Pink Floyd, but there are so many good riffs missing from here that belong to them: Another Brick in the Wall, Young Lust, Wish You Were Here, … they’re all so good!
Seriously though – great list! Any guitarist should strive to learn all of these licks.
A lot of these aren’t even riffs, just chord progressions. Example: smells like teen spirit is great and all, but there aren’t any real monumental riffs in it. I would have picked heart shaped box, or even come as you are over smells like teen spirit any day.
Hi Klaus
Rory Gallagher’s intro riff to “What’s Going On” has to be one of the most unknown great guitar riffs ever.
Please listen to it!!
what about hotel california?
“Love Like a Man” – Alvin Lee / Ten Years After
I know their not fashionable to mention, but what about Aqualung by Jethro Tull.
The local Guitar Center has banned it, because so many played it trying out new guitars.
“Tell Mama”, Savoy Brown still gives me chills when I hear it.
Only a lucky few even know of this one from an early Lou Reed Live album. Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner team up and slay the intro on this version of “Sweet Jane” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdWPeHFAMk
The Beautiful People, Marilyn Manson. Renown, widely recognized.
In Bloom-Nirvana
I wouldn’t consider it a “riff” but we can’t forget about Black Magic Woman by Santana
Impulse by An Endless Sporadic. Fairly new but absolutely amazing
Plug In Baby and MK Ultra by Muse should have been on here…
Hmmmm, missing Queen here, like Bohemian Rapsody or I want to break free or ….
How about Bruce Springsteen’s reworking of ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’ with Tom Morello off his album ‘High Hopes’ ?
Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know, I’ll let it speak for itself
over the mountain, rock bottom and just got paid!
Banned in D.C. where is it at?
Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill
Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
Give A Little Bit – Supertramp
No Rain – Blind Melon
Gary Moore…Still Got The Blues ??????? Are you kidding?
Gotta be Peter Frampton:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7rFYbMhcG8
What about “Rambling Man” by the Allman Brothers near the end of the song?
I’d Love to Change the World by Ten Years After (Alvin Lee)
Can’t Find My Way Home by Blind Faith (Eric Clapton)
Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
Tied to the Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers
Eighteen by Alice Cooper
Runnin on a Dream-tom petty and heartbreakers long riff at the end is so good it’s scary!
Without a doubt Steely Dan’s Reelin in the Years IS the best guitar riff of all time – any list that excludes that rock n roll masterpiece is rubbish.
How is it possible that Keith Richards gets only one mention in the top riffs of all time????? – He is the ‘Human Riff’ ……..he wrote hundreds of the most iconic riffs of all-time..
“Everyone’s A Winner” by Hot Chocolate
Snow by Red hot chili peppers
Hendrix, Santana, Carlton, Clapton…apparently not significant.
you should put Message in a bottle by The Police
What about Mississippi Queen? Or perhaps Hot For Teacher? And definitely needs something from Santana!
Great list, but you missed DON’T FEAR THE REAPER, Blue Oyster Cult, by far my favorite
Are you all smoking weed ????????? John forgerty !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty Things – ‘Modnight to Six’ ā¦ Dick Taylor’s handiwork should be the stuff of ringtones. Easily top 5ā¦
Sorry, ‘Midnight to Six’
“My Girl”
“Brown-Eyed Girl”
“I’m Your Captain”
“My City Was Gone”-Chrissy Hynde
“Fool For The City” – Foghat
“Journey To The Center Of The Mind” – The Amboy Dukes
“I Like To Rock” – April Wine
“Runaway” – Bon Jovi
“White Room” – Cream
“Born On The Bayou” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Very great list and enjoy “Money For Nothing” :)
Judas Priest
The intro to Over the Hills and Far Away is my favorite … so mellow, so perfect. Cool list, thanks!
ACDC “Thunderstruck”
In My Life by the Beatles
Already Gone by the Eagles
In My Life by the Beatles
Already Gone by the Eagles
The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy
Wasted by Def Leppard. Steve Clark used to come up with some great Riffs and was part of what made early leppard so good. I also love Riff Raff by AC/DC.
I know 80’s hair metal is generally ostracized, bu Fastway’s “say what you will” had one hell of a catchy riff.
Always surprised that the bridge from Slayer’s “Angel of Death” doesn’t make these lists. When that came out it was like someone had discovered a new way to play guitar. Later sampled by groups as diverse as Public Enemy and KMFDM. And it’s all riff.
I would like to have seen “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” by the Stones. Good list though.
Whisky in the Jar – Thin Lizzy
Hotel California – Eagles
Thanks. Very useful information. I only know 20 greatest, now I know more 30
Iggy Pop not once on list, can’t take it seriously.
Everybody Wants You by Billy Squier
Photograph ~ Def Leppard
Oh c’mon! Where’s Cowboys From Hell and Slither?
Stranglehold – Ted Nugnet! The whole songs a riff! Lol
I can’t believe you left out CSNY’s”Ohio”! That opening riff is one of the most recognizable and memorable riffs in any song, imho.
Bridge of Sighs – Robin Trower
I think Love Spreads by The Stone Roses at least needs an honarable mention. It’s killer
I think some folk don’t know what a ‘riff’ is and confuse it with ‘song’ or ‘solo’. What is the ‘riff’ in ‘Comfortably Numb’? Heavy Metal is the most riff-orientated genre there is. Candlemas, for example, are a riff machine.
Man in the Box
Rick Derringer “Rock ‘N Roll Hootchie Koo
I think that you should’ve included:
Hotel California-Eagles
Who’s That Lady-Isley Brothers
Let’s Go Crazy-Prince
how in the hell did November Rain not make it? Slash makes a guitar speak…
No raining blood that’s disrespect
“Home Sweet Home” By Motley Crue has such a memorable riff
I think āanother brick in the wallā from Pink Floyd has the most perfect riff of all time. Man, I jack that up so loud! Itās so pure!
wheres im going home byalvin lee and ten years after …. are you kidding meit should be number one
Turn Up Your Radio by The Master’s Apprentices deserves a place in your fine list.
Does no one else remember ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’?
No Cowboys from hell.. seriously?
How about Jimi Hendrix’s riff on Buddy Miles’ Changes? THAT should have certainly been included! I’m disappointed.
Wish You Were Here
Honestly surprised to NOT see Blue Oyster’s Dont Fear the Reaper