Top Ten Greatest Guitar Riffs

Best all time. It's just amazing. Although curiously, they play it faster in concert, not that I'm complaining.

acdc never fails too be impress people thay always got better live shows better guitarists and drummers and better singers and better songs and better solo and better riffs and better evreything and the hells bells riff and solo is just amazing it should be number 1 acdc is just the greatest band of all time

I just seen them live in their latest black ice tour and this song was AMAZING along with the whole show

endlessdream

How Is This Number Nine?!
Number 2 For Sure!

Neosantana

I understand smoke on the water being first, but this one needs to be second, you can't go a week w/out someone singing it.

Queen-aholic

Everyone knows this riff!

“Incredible riff, fabulous song!

23delusions

This riff is one of the best crazy song about a crazy man riding a crazy train can it get better ozzy rock ass if you don't agry do your self a favor and die alla abored h

Without doubt, this song ought to be among the top three greatest riffs ever... Randy rhoads for the win

now seriously, this is not the best song ever, but the riff is, no doubt about it

can't stop the spirits when they need you, this life is more than just a read-through

Psykosauron

John Frusciante Is A Beast In This Song

Dglass23

“back in balck is the best album, best song, and best riff by acdc. its the best riff ever fun to play or listen to.

lezakattack

“yeah def it should be in the top ten it has a great riff

“The Riff that helped sell approx. 50 million albums, 'nuff said.

This is the best Total Guitar voted of the past decade! :)

He should be in an higher rank! :)

It is also really good to play, and all the song is great ;)

Great riff...
When I go in Guitar shops I see everyone play this its so good.

GlonnAtronnAdonnAdict

“Wickedest riff ever, album rocks.........check it out.

michoverton

“Only recently released, the riff in this is bound to become a classic

Sick riff! This is one of those songs you can't get out of your head! Definitely in the top 10

The riff in this is incredible and is surely in the top 10!

He is genius, plying like band with an untalented girl only. Living in late sixties he would be among the best Onet.

THIS IS NUTS PEOPLE! LAYLA IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN CHEAP SMOKE ON THE WATER.

russian

“Great song, and to the guy who commented on Smells like Teen Spirit, Smoke on the Water came out in the Seventies...

raiderfan372

It's the tone that sounds like a foghorn blasting you from a deep sleep.

This should be in the top 10, at least. One of the greatest riffs/solos ever. Better than 'Welcome to the Jungle' and 'Sweet Child O' Mine'

“I love the song, great music, specially the guitar.

Viktor19

“there's distortion and the weird guitar solo

ronluna

Honestly this riff is extremely easy. But that being said its still one of the best song riffs ever.

This should be #1.
It's the hardest and the best guitar rift ever

ACDCRocks

Boobs are super duper awesome I boobies they're round with nipples and they are good. I heart the big ones. The little ones are ok. Let me see your boobd

Can't get it out of my head

Gamenerd78

Jimmy page is a god and this is easily his best riff.

Put that together with Robert plants vocals and you get the greatest band of all time

So much more interesting than Smoke on the Water. Lets face it, a Jimmy Page riff must be number one, and this is the best Page riff.

The Only Riff In my opinion that gets better every time you here it. It just keeps on sounding more complex. In my opinion that is what a great riff needs!

This song is so fun to play it's something I try to play every time I perform. I think it's cool the inspration for the song was an aquatic dream!

“amzing riff one of the ones that you just cant get out of your head and when you hear you just star rockin-out where ever you are

Hey the most addictive solo in rock n' roll history hey this has to be at the top

Takes you to space and far away

“The riff is awesome cause even thought Jphn Frusciante is playing really fast, it still sounds relaxing

RHCPfan

“Most Songs are just written so the guitarist can show of his skill and they forget about making good music. RHCP is one of the only bands that make good music.

RHCPfan

There should be more Queen songs here. They were the best ever, period. No one beats Brian May. And NO ONE beats Freddie Mercury.

One of the best riffs to ever begin a live show... And one of my favourite rock songs. Brian May has a few great ones to choose from; Queen didn't do a lot in that regard, so the few they did use were smokin.

“Should be higher up, probably lacks popularity because it's so hard to play but it is an awesome song.

Any Megadeth riff, dave mustaine was ranked number one rhythm metal guitarist in guitar one mag. i have no clue why there is no respect to him on this site, it's the overpowering metallica that makes megadeth get ignored when they are equals. Mechanix is the original four horsemen

the fastest riff I ever heard. fits about 100 chords in every second. the master - mustaine. megadeth ftw!

“syn's best for me
i like 4.00 this song

juicymetaly

“One of the best riffs I've ever heard!
A7X rules! they've got two of the best guitarists in the world!

SyNyStErVaLeNtine247

the riff is bassiccly rushs theme song

its a catchy song not my fave song 4ever and the riff is easy to remember and is in tune with the song I played this whole song by just making a few changes to the riff and it was like you couldn't even tell the diffrence

I can't help falling in love with this acoustic guitar's sound!

The classic sound by a classic guitar just sounds awesome!

Green_Day

why is this not on the list?
the best intro of all time

richie4life

Whats weong with everyone this is way better than half of the ones in the top ten

“I love the the guitar work ihope tobe that good someday

“I love the the guitar work ihope tobe that good someday

Completely underrated riff, solo, lyrics, and song.

VonHaggles

“The best guitar rift of all time. He plays it straight, then slide, then wah wah, then back to straight. Not one other mentioned guitar rift has this variety or explosive energy. This should be Number One!

prolly one of the catchiest riffs ever

wolf10

“Should be in the top 10 because if you listen to the song you will hear the word "help" being tapped out in morse code.

thomasnirvanastroud

“Why is this all the way down here?! It's one of the greatest guitar riffs EVER! AND one of the most recognisable, it should e in the top 20!

HenP

“This is a pretty scary, but good song. It's based on Romeo and Juliet, and the guitar is amazing.

“one of the best riffs of richie sambora, the guitarist of bon jovi

ronluna

“amazing riff! you can't get it out of your head

richie4life

For a pure strong and simply gut grabbing solo-Stranglehold is the BEST ever! And I have heard them all. There is no watered down note, no interference, no cover --just every bit of it clear and perfect and TOUGH! Give that bowhunter his due!

This Destroys enter sandman bollocks, bote for this now! ¬¬

C'mon! This riff is top 10 material!

Best riff ever! So well done, tom morello is an expert guitarest!

The best of dimebagg darell althought R.I. P but it is one of the best pantera songs and a great riff to begin with with a great solo nothing can match it its heavenly

“A crazy non-stop one minute solo, the solo of personality.

“Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney simply lay it down on this track... the entire song is great, but the two of them jammin togeather make it a GREAT SONG!

“Wow! This riff is just amazing, rob beach was a way underrated guitarist!

School's out for summer! School's been blown to pieces!
I don't think it gets much better than that!
Best anti-edu. Song I've ever heard, and the guitar riff is SICK!

Another one of Slash's guitar magic

patch32

“I my book, the best guitar riff ever.

mhosbond

“Just try to make a riff like this one. Easy and so good.

one of the best songs of a great band

ronluna

This song probably is Megadeth's most known song, this riff is catchy, easy and fun to play, and Mustaine is God.

I am surprised there is no Dream Theater on this list to this point. Petrucci writes some of the coolest riffs of the last 20 years.

fluntimes

Hows this not higher on the list?! The riff is amazing and its throughout the whole song.

“97?
The best melodic death metal riff ever in 97?

rock2metal