Any list of the greatest solos, riffs, albums, or whatever, is guaranteed to start an argument amongst guitar players. But you’ll have to be incredibly brave to challenge the right of any of the following riffs to be on this list.
Each plays a role in defining the song, the band, or even an entire genre. Riffs are the cornerstones of guitar music, the hooks that propel a song to become a classic. So, let’s take a look at the very best ones ever recorded, starting with number…
15 - Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson/The Eurythmics
Marilyn Manson’s cover of The Eurythmics song Sweet Dreams is a masterclass in how to take a fantastic riff/song and make it even better. The passion and anguish Manson injected into the vocals completely redefined the meaning of the song making it his own.
The original riff was played using synths, but when John 5 transferred it to guitar, he slowed it down from 125 to 92 bpm giving it a much darker, more haunting feel. It was just what Manson needed to launch his career.
14 - The Ace of Spades – Motörhead
I once asked a famous producer what the best song ever recorded was, he replied within an instant, Motörhead’s Ace of Spades. I was a little surprised, so I asked him why. He said that no other two-minute piece of music contained anywhere near the energy of Ace of Spades, and he was 100% right.
Motörhead was a very special band, not only because of their massive influence on every metal/thrash band that came after them but because they perfectly captured the anger of punk and combined it with good old rock n’ roll. A wicked combination that is plain to see in the driving main riff in Ace of Spades. Had a guitar sounded so hostile before this, no, and not many have sounded as brutal since!
13 - The Rolling Stones – I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)
This all-time classic rock riff started life as an idea for a horn part on the song. But Keith Richards decided to try it on a guitar to see if he liked the result. He didn’t. He was then given a very early Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal by the band's pianist, and all of a sudden, the riff as we now know it was born!That fuzz pedal and this riff would go on to change rock guitar tone forever.
12 - Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Take four power chords, an offset guitar, add a Boss DS-1 Distortion, and put them in the hands of Kurt Cobain and what do you get? A riff that fueled a generation.
The moment he kicked the distortion pedal in at about eight seconds into the song, everything changed. It was out with the old and in with the new in a way that hadn’t been seen for decades.
The chords are pretty standard - F5-Bb5-Ab5-Db5 - but by briefly strumming the open strings as he moved between them he created some momentary discordance, adding a little conflict and tension to every chordal transition. Pure genius!
11 - Killing In the Name – Rage Against the Machine
This riff just had to be included on this list because it is arguably the most iconic drop-D riff ever, as well as being one of the first riffs guitarists learn when they start experimenting with drop-D tuning.
Surprisingly, Morello’s tone is only slightly overdriven, this gives each note a clear and punchy attack allowing them to ring through. Instead, he relied on the melodic elements and the astonishing groove of the track to create the heaviness.
10 - Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
In terms of happy accidents, the story of the recording of the riff for Money for Nothing is legendary. Knopfler was going for a Billy Gibbons-esque tone, so he decided to use a Gibson Les Paul Jr through a Laney 2x12 and then used his Morley wah as an equalizer, adjusting it slowly until he found exactly what he was looking for.
The amp was mic’ed with a trusty single Shure SM57, but the mic fell out of position and ended up pointing at the floor, not the speakers. And that’s how the tone of this massive worldwide hit was born.
Note-wise, it is fairly standard, mainly featuring the G minor pentatonic scale, but the sound of the wah, the highly unusual mic’ing position, and Knopfler’s incredible fingerstyle technique make the riff completely unique.
9 - Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
As Picasso famously said “Good artists copy. Great artists steal“ And it’s the same to this day, with legal debates constantly being reported in the music press about who copied what from who. But did you know that the birth of Rock n’ Roll was also blatant plagiarism? Yes, Chuck Berry’s classic intro from Johnny B. Goode was taken note-for-note from Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five’s Ain’t That Just Like A Woman.
They might have been the same notes, but Berry sure didn’t play them in the same way. With his ferocious style and with the addition of now classic sliding double-stops, it became something entirely different. But it wasn’t, just Chuck, Jimmy Page would go on to do the same with various blues riffs to co-invent the heavy metal genre. So, don’t be afraid to take inspiration, or even notes, from others, just make it your own!
8 - Layla – Derek & the Dominos
Clapton wrote “Layla” about his forbidden love - Pattie Boyd - the wife of his very close friend George Harrison. It was inspired by the epic Persian unrequited love poem, Layla and Manjun.
He was also in love with a guitar, ‘Brownie’, a 1956 Fender Stratocaster, but its tone just wasn’t right for a power-trio such as Cream, so he either played a Gibson 335 or an SG.
But on Layla, it all came together as he poured out his emotions using his guitar of choice, Brownie. He plugged it straight into a Fender Champ to produce the screaming tone for the riff that we all love to this day.
7 - Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
If I mention an E7#9 chord, what comes to mind? Well, I’m sure most of you will have instantly said “That’s the Hendrix chord!” But before Purple Haze, there was no Hendrix chord, E7#9 was mainly used in jazz.
The Hendrix chord is now considered to be a cliché, but back then, it was a sonic revolution. Hendrix loved the dissonance it created, so added a cool minor pentatonic riff as an introduction to the song before hitting everyone front and center with the magical E7#9 chord. A wonderful way to exit one of the greatest riffs in guitar history.
6 - Iron Man – Black Sabbath
Tony Iommi is undoubtedly one of, if not the biggest, guitar influence on heavy metal as well as rock in general. He is also one of the most prolific legendary riff writers in rock history. Many greats are happy that they have written a single classic riff, Tony has written countless, often having two or three within the same song, such as Iron Man.
But the standout has to be the slow doomy blues main riff that perfectly reflects the song's themes of revenge and armageddon. Riffs just don’t get much better than this!
5 - Enter Sandman – Metallica
In terms of a clean-picked, doomy, minor key riff, Enter Sandman is hard to beat. Unusually for Metallica, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett came up with the idea, playing what we now know as the riff once before going into the end power chord section. But the rest of the band told him to split it and play the first half three times before ending with the power chords. And the riff was born…
It’s the defining metal riff of the 90s and one that every guitarist should learn regardless of whether they like metal or not. It isn’t difficult to play, so is great for beginners and intermediate players.
4 - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen
What happens if you take a simple root A minor shape arpeggio and play it palm-muted down a half step? Well, if you happen to be Eddie Van Halen, you end up with one of the coolest guitar riffs ever written.
Van Halen’s debut album changed guitar playing forever. From the mind-blowing tapping in Eruption to the fantastic song-writing throughout as well as the flawless execution of so many masterful guitar techniques. But the most memorable riff on the album has to be this rather simple one, but as with anything EVH, it’s not about the notes you play, but how you play them. Plus, having an MXR Phase 90 in your signal chain will really help you get the sound.
3 - Back In Black - AC/DC
When Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC their goal was to work together to create a massive guitar sound, as opposed to being two ego-driven guitarists constantly trying to outdo each other.
They wrote guitar parts that perfectly complemented each other and worked together to produce a powerful sound that was bigger than both constituent parts. One of the best examples is the riff in Back in Black.
The funky, ground-shaking riff is an all-time classic that has made the album one of the best-selling in history.
2 - Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
Crazy Train was arguably the most important track on Ozzy's debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz. It was the first single and would show the world what he could do without being a member of the mighty Black Sabbath.
The song took Ozzy’s unique voice away from doom-laden Sabbath and into a modern context, add in Rhoads’ ferocious guitar technique, and you end up with a bonafide rock anthem. It would forever define Ozzy as a solo artist and establish Randy Rhoads as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation.
1 - No Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
If you asked AI - “What is a Riff?” - it should play you Whole Lotta Love, no other riff gets anywhere near as close to the actual definition of the term.
It’s the essence of rock guitar - distorted power chords, minor pentatonic notes, and some subtle string bends, all nicely squashed into one bar of music. It’s an all-time magical musical moment, the guitar version of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. It’s instantly recognizable and is destined to live on in the hearts and ears of music lovers forever.
Wrapping it Up
As with any Top whatever number list, there has to be at least a little bit of personal choice. For example, Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water would have made it into most people's Top 15, but I think it’s highly overrated. I love Blackmore, but it doesn’t even come close to some of his best riffs, such as Stargazer, which was very close to being on this list.
I’m sorry if I didn’t include your favorite riff or maybe even your favorite guitarist. But every riff featured is a classic that has lasted the test of time and will be around for us all to enjoy for many years into the future.
