# Here Is Another One Of Those Best Polls-Riffs



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

[h=1]Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love voted best guitar riff[/h]







Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page described the riff as "menacing and caressing"
Continue reading the main story[h=2]Related Stories[/h]

Listeners to pick 'best guitar riff'
Led Zeppelin face copyright fight
Led Zeppelin's unheard workWatch

*Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love has been voted the greatest guitar riff of all time by listeners of BBC Radio 2.*
The rock classic came out top from a list of 100 riffs drawn up by a panel of Radio 2 and 6 Music DJs, critics and record producers.
Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N' Roses was second in the poll, with Back In Black (AC/DC) and Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple) the next most popular.
Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page said he was "knocked out" by winning the vote.
"I wanted a riff that really moved, that people would really get, and would bring a smile to their faces, but when I played it with the band, it really went into overdrive," he said.
"There was this intent to have this riff and the movement of it, so it was menacing as well as quite sort of caressing."
Other riffs in the list included Layla by Derek And The Dominoes, which was voted fifth best, Pretty Vacant by the Sex Pistols and Metallica's Enter Sandman.








The combined talents of Page, Robert Plant and John Bonham sent the riff into "overdrive", Page said
"Whole Lotta Love is one of the most important guitar riffs of the 20th century," said record producer and panellist Steve Levine. "The moment you hear literally two notes of it, you know exactly what it is."
The Top 30 announcement came on Zoe Ball's bank holiday show.
Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, Daft Punk and Pink Floyd were among the acts jostling for favour. The vote closed on 25 July.
The BBC station has been celebrating the guitar in a special season featuring documentaries and live performances.
The countdown of the top 100 riffs began on Will Gompertz's midnight show and continued across the day on BBC shows hosted by Alex Lester, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine and Jo Whiley.

[h=2]Top 10 guitar riffs[/h] TitleArtistSOURCE: BBC RADIO 2
 Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin
Sweet Child O'Mine
Guns 'N' Roses
Back in Black
AC/DC
Smoke On The Water
Deep Purple
Layla
Derek and The Dominoes
How Soon Is Now?
The Smiths
Down Down
Status Quo
Money For Nothing
Dire Straits
You Really Got Me
The Kinks
Money
Pink Floyd


----------



## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

Got to agree with the first three in that order but after that it is a free for all.


----------



## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

I guess because its the BBC they've got a right to be a little weird...but really, status quo and The Smiths? F-me, that's poor.
I never really think of Layla or Money is great riffs....great songs, yes. But not really riffs that stick out in my head.

I think Id probably have Sweet home Alabama and Mississippi Queen in there, but I don't expect the BBC to know much about southern American rock.
Walk this way
Crazy Train
Pretty Woman (van halen, for me).
Maybe a Ramones tune for something different.


----------



## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

Just to add a couple that I'd have voted for...
Badge, Aqualung, and Rebel Rebel.


----------



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Funny there's only old fashioned songs on that list.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

hardasmum said:


> Funny there's only old fashioned songs on that list.


That's because music was at the top of its game at that time. Much of the new music today is made by synthesizers instead of instruments. Many musicians agree that real musical artistry is becoming a thing of the past.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Where the hell is "Satisfaction" and "Ticket to Ride" and "Sunshine of Your Love"?


----------



## Guest (Aug 28, 2014)

voodo child (slight return)
spirit of radio


----------



## ThatGingerMojo (Jul 30, 2014)

I get it that this is a poll put together by a journalist somewhere in the BBC, but seriously..Sweet Child O Mine?? Even Slash hates that song. The riffs is trite, and gimmicky. I could name a hundred more riffs that belong before that fluff. I can also name nine better riffs on that album.


----------



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Steadfastly said:


> That's because music was at the top of its game at that time. Much of the new music today is made by synthesizers instead of instruments. Many musicians agree that real musical artistry is becoming a thing of the past.


I was being sarcastic. 

FWIW I'm a huge fan of 60's Mod, Rare Groove, Reggae and Soul music. In fact for nearly a decade I had a DJ night that specialized in that kind of music.

But I don't buy into this "new music is crap, nothing good has happened since the 70's" BS. I can find examples of "disposable, trite, teeny bopper music" from those same decades that "many musicians" highly regard as the good old days. 

Unfortunately I don't have a crystal ball to look ahead thirty years to see which artists today will stand the test of time, but I suspect there will be a few and a couple of them might even play synthesizers (which are in fact instruments).


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

hardasmum said:


> I was being sarcastic.
> 
> 
> But _*I don't buy into this "new music is crap, nothing good has happened since the 70's" *_BS. I can find examples of "disposable, trite, teeny bopper music" from those same decades that "many musicians" highly regard as the good old days.


Neither do I. Unfortunately, though, it is getting harder to find.


----------



## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

hardasmum said:


> I was being sarcastic.
> 
> FWIW I'm a huge fan of 60's Mod, Rare Groove, Reggae and Soul music. In fact for nearly a decade I had a DJ night that specialized in that kind of music.
> 
> ...


I agree...although I think music has changed. It's definitely less "riff-oriented". Sampling is a bigger part, and the keyboard stuff that's the basis for most hits these days ie Katy perry, lady Gaga just doesn't resound the same way a riff does in our memories.

- - - Updated - - -



Steadfastly said:


> Neither do I. Unfortunately, though, it is getting harder to find.


Not really.
when you're able to define what made the music of your generation "good" and others " bad", I'll agree with you.
until then, it's just a matter of what you're used to.
i think there's good music in every generation and drivel in every generation....and about the same ratio. We re just biased to the music of our own youth. There were plenty of old phogies when I was a teen who pissed on my music and how it couldn't hold a candle to the greats like Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra etc. lol I don't ever want to be as stale and tunnel-minded as them, even if i don't necessarily connect to what the kids are into today.
every musical generation is basically a backlash/response to the flaws in its predecessor.


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

This is starting to relate to the "musical age" thread Hamstrung started. You can find the good stuff at any point in time.

Shins, Sam Roberts, Arcade Fire, Jack White, etc, etc... in a decade or so they will be my good ole days. 

I don't have time to get into my current good ole days.

Concerning the riff list:

I get some and don't get others. Whole lotta love never did it for me (but I wasn't around then and suspect that have a lot to do with it). Black Dog was one of the licks that got me into guitar.


----------

