# Greatest guitar riff of all time (according to poll)



## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Whelp... here's one thing that I'm sure no one can agree on.

Agree / disagree? What's your favorite riff of all time?









The 50 greatest guitar riffs of all time


From metal to rock, punk to grunge, these are the best guitar riffs ever recorded, as voted for by you




www.guitarworld.com


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I dunno, it's pretty hard to match this one.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Milkman said:


> I dunno, it's pretty hard to mstch this one.


In my old band, we were listening to this after rehearsal one evening. Absolute classic 🤣.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Grab n Go said:


> In my old band, we were listening to this after rehearsal one evening. Absolute classic 🤣.



Yeah it's pretty special.

I really like the "Emperor's New Clothes" mentality of those who insist the Shaggs were somehow brilliant but some of us just don't get it.

I sure don't, LOL.

Some things I'm confortable not to "get".


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## Jim9guitars (Feb 15, 2016)

I vote "My Pal Foot Foot". But seriously folks, Tony Iommi has a back catalogue of better riffs in my opinion. However, all of these "best" lists and polls rely on current artists and songs in most cases so to see a riff that old gives me hope.


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## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

What I love about The Shaggs is the emotional honesty. They care, and they are trying. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but Picasso said that he spent a large part of his adulthood trying to paint like a child.

There is no way I could ever play what The Shaggs play. I've got a better chance of playing like Joe Pass.

I smile when I hear The Shaggs......that's music to my ears.

Full Disclosure: I am not permitted to listen to The Shaggs if there is a chance my wife might hear some. She likes her music just a bit more refined.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I dunno, it's pretty hard to match this one.


Completely awful.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> Completely awful.


I'm not sure awful quite encapsulates this level of suck, but then again, what does?


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I'm not sure aawful quite encapsulates this level of suck, but then again, what does?



Had to look them up on youtube. Until I saw a video of them playing to a live crowd I thought, they must be joking.
Same type of phenomenon that followed William Hung I guess. It must be almost as hard to be so bad you become famous as it is to be good enough to be famous.
I remember back in the early 80's I got a call to do a fill in job. The guys name was elmer giroux. So I show up and its a drummer. He books gigs then tries to assemble musicians last minute to do the gig. He was the worst musician I ever played with. If I wasn't the one being subjected to it, he was so bad it was comical.
Oh well just one night to get through and never play with this guy again.
About a year or 2 later I had a good buddy of mine call me up for a fill in. He's a bass player. I didn't drive so he picked me up. He had a band so I assumed it was filling in with his band. We're on the way to the gig and I asked about some details. For which he tells me we're filling in for a guy by the name of Elmer Giroux. Ahhhh. We were already a half hour out of town but come close to getting out and walking back. After that I learned to ask more details before accepting fill ins.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Paul M said:


> What I love about The Shaggs is the emotional honesty. They care, and they are trying. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but Picasso said that he spent a large part of his adulthood trying to paint like a child.
> 
> There is no way I could ever play what The Shaggs play. I've got a better chance of playing like Joe Pass.
> 
> ...


Yes, it's "honestly" the worst thing I have ever heard. No connection whatsoever between the drum track and the rest of the ....band, guitars out of tune (sorry no way I can believe that was anything other than terrible ears), and a sense of melody that makes my skin crawl.

I also put it on once in awhile to horrify Linda.

Still works well.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Anyway, to get back on a more positive note, as everyone knows, the greatest guitar riff of all time is a Passage to Bangkok.

Coolest solo section (time sig) ever. It's one of a very few tunes that when the solo comes on, I want to jam the chords because it's so clever.


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## LouisFNCyphre (Apr 23, 2021)

Specifically the slam riff that starts at 2:52.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

I recorded it yesterday as a "flavour" for a possible online collab. 


__
https://soundcloud.com/user-453487393-638909333%2Fsinglewideriff


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## Gavz (Feb 27, 2016)

laristotle said:


>


Angel of deaaattthhh!!!!


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Whole Lotta Love sure is an iconic riff. Greatest of all time? I don't know if I could pick one. There are so many amazing riffs from so many different eras and styles. My current favourite Zepp riff is probably Heartbreaker and the first Zeppelin riff that really grabbed me when I was a kid was Black Dog.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

If I had to pick one riff that I could get behind any day of the week, it would be this one.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Smoke on the Water... In a Gada da Vida... Ironman...


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## David Graves (Apr 5, 2017)

This one, or any of John Sykes riffs on "Still of the night".


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## Buzz (May 15, 2008)




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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




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## Gavz (Feb 27, 2016)

The entire Mezmerize album is riffage heaven.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)




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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

Paul M said:


> What I love about The Shaggs is the emotional honesty. They care, and they are trying. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but Picasso said that he spent a large part of his adulthood trying to paint like a child.
> 
> There is no way I could ever play what The Shaggs play. I've got a better chance of playing like Joe Pass.
> 
> ...


Did you know that The Shaggs got back together a while ago and did some shows? I couldn't believe it, but it happened.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Here's one that I never hear anyone else mention... I only heard this ONCE and it stuck in my head for years in my teens... Triumph's Blinding Light Show




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triumph blinding light show live - Bing video







www.bing.com


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## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

There's no way I could pick a greatest riff but I would imagine that it came from either Malcolm Young in AC/DC or Tony Iommi in Black Sabbath.

Some other songs that deserve an honorable mention include:
Leaf Hound - Freelance Fiend 
The Hellacopters - By the Grace of God 
Sleep - Dragonaut
Danzig - Am I Demon


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

The greatest riffs are the ones that we hear in guitar stores on Saturday afternoons.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

These guys rank right up there with the greatest of riff-meisters!

@MetalTele79 as I was reading your list above I was expecting to see them after I had seen you mention Leafhound


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## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

fretzel said:


> These guys rank right up there with the greatest of riff-meisters!
> 
> @MetalTele79 as I was reading your list above I was expecting to see them after I had seen you mention Leafhound


Nice! I included Leaf Hound because I was just listening to them. Budgie are definitely up there with the killer riffs.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

DrumBob said:


> Did you know that The Shaggs got back together a while ago and did some shows? I couldn't believe it, but it happened.



Yes, and Dot Wiggins (one of the sisters) also had her own group afterwards.


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

Off the top of my head, I still love the intro to "Sweet Home Alabama" and I can't help but crank the radio when CCR's "Going Up Around the Bend" comes on.


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## SaucyJack (Mar 8, 2017)

ZZ TOP - Just Got Paid (HIGH QUALITY) - YouTube


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## albaloney (Nov 29, 2009)

King's X , 'Lost in Germany'.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Rush - Working Man


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

So many great riffs over the decades and I certainly couldn't award one as being the all-time best,... however this is my go to riff that I play and or listen to when wanting to lift my spirits from a blue mood.

I attended the Allman Brothers Band reunion tour in 1979 at the Clarkston, Michigan 'Pine Knob Music Theatre' (now the DTE Music Theatre). Long story but I had the opportunity to meet 'Dangerous' Dan Toler (Guitar) and David 'Rook' Goldflies (Bass) that night,... something I will never forget.

Jessica





Full Concert for more classic riffs.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I have no problem with Whole Lotta Love topping the poll, but Back in Black as # 2?
It may be an unpopular opinion, but I wouldn't even name that as AC/DC's top riff.
Lets, see off the top of my head:
TNT
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Jailbreak
If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
What Do You Do for Money Honey
Thunderstruck.

But hey. that's my opinion, may not be yours.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

A couple of riffs I really enjoy playing:








As well as a number of Deep Purple songs, in addition to SOTW.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

SaucyJack said:


> ZZ TOP - Just Got Paid (HIGH QUALITY) - YouTube



I can sure get behind this one as a great riff. I particularly like Dusty Hill's driving bass line behind it.

Bonamassa also does a pretty killer version.

Good choice.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

zontar said:


> I have no problem with Whole Lotta Love topping the poll, but Back in Black as # 2?
> It may be an unpopular opinion, but I wouldn't even name that as AC/DC's top riff.
> Lets, see off the top of my head:
> TNT
> ...


Yeah, I tend to agree. Back in Black I guess is such an iconic riff that I can also see why it got such a high level. If You Want Blood (You've Got It) is right up there as one of my favourites.
Have a Drink on Me is another AC/DC riff that that I really like and Hell's Bells is great, too.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Not strictly guitar, but how about the opening riff in "Sixteen Tons"? Or is there a guitar in there?


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Doug Gifford said:


> Not strictly guitar, but how about the opening riff in "Sixteen Tons"? Or is there a guitar in there?


So _that's_ what that song is. I grew up hearing recordings of that, but sung in different languages. It was weird.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

My personal favorite, and I know it would never make any top ten lists, is the opening of "The Spirit Of Radio". It got me interested in playing guitar and set me on a 40-year journey of insanity.

However, from a more mainstream point of view, it's hard to beat "Whole Lotta Love", plagiarism and all. It just puts a bolt of lightning in your spine and a swagger in your step all at the same time.

Honorable mentions to "Back In Black", "Li'l Devil", "Start Me Up", "Smoke on the Water", "You Really Got Me (VH)" and an oddball choice stuck in my ear the last few weeks, "Check" (Max Webster).


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)




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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Permanent Waves said:


> My personal favorite, and I know it would never make any top ten lists, is the opening of "The Spirit Of Radio". It got me interested in playing guitar and set me on a 40-year journey of insanity.


Inspired by Brampton’s then independent and fantastic radio station, CFNY.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Hard to argue with this one... I think this was EVH's fav Sabbath riff.


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## undermystone (May 10, 2021)

70's rock is rife with riff , and I love it !
Rock ‘N Roll (L. Reed) – by the band Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder - another great riff.
I admit I got that info re: Detroit , off the web(see below), I always just said Mitch Ryder,I didn't really know the band Detroit existed till the internet
but hard to beat Keith in my book






96.) Rock ‘N Roll - Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder - Michigan Rock and Roll Legends


This site is a totally independent and proudly non-commerical tribute to the artists and songs of Michigan's first vinyl records era.




michiganrockandrolllegends.com


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

Tull Aqualung...no doubts. Such a great memorable yet simple riff that captures the essence of the whole song. 50 years later makes ya think, unless of course, you're thick...as a brick.
[h://video]


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

One of the best riffs we all forget about because the killer slide solo steals the show. 

Lenny's "_Always on the Run_" needs to hand over some of it's royalties to this bad boy!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

No doubt Billy has played more than his share of cool riffs.
(And so has Dusty)


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## Twisted Metal (Oct 12, 2011)

albaloney said:


> King's X , 'Lost in Germany'.







Speaking of Kings X.....Over My head


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## albaloney (Nov 29, 2009)

Twisted Metal said:


> Speaking of Kings X.....Over My head


 Can't go wrong with Ty Tabor.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Gonna go with Crazy Train.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

Milkman said:


> I dunno, it's pretty hard to match this one.


Finally a band I wouldn't be afraid of having opening for me.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Stephenlouis said:


> Finally a band I wouldn't be afraid of having opening for me.


I think I’d rather open for them.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## Bluestone (Nov 2, 2021)

Carry On Wayward Son


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

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