The Greatest Guitar Riff of All Time

[Gutterflower]

Yeah Doobie, I wouldn't tout that list too much. There is some very lame shit in there.

Yep, three out of the top ten are GNR tunes. What the hell? The English must love them some Slash!

precisely ... what the hell is that? That isn't what got me.... it was the fucking White Stripes and Nirvana.

What the blazing hell is "Smells Like Team Spirit" doing right under Ritchie Blackmore's legendary "Smoke on the Water" riff???? You got to be kidding me.

Let's make our own list

It doesn't necessarily have to be a ROCK tune - just a great guitar riff. I'll start it off:

1. Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Stones
2. Barracuda - Heart
3. When Doves Cry - Prince
4. Shot In The Dark - Jake E.Lee w/Ozzy Osbourne
5. Voodoo Chile - Hendrix
6. Life In The Fast Lane - The Eagles
7. Bebe le Strange - Heart
8. Young Lust - Pink Floyd
9. Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
10. Ain't Talkin' Bout Love - Van Halen
11. Kid Ego - Extreme
12. Cuz You're Gone - Goo Goo Dolls
13. Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin
14. Kashmir - Zep
15. Tush - ZZ Top
16. Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
17. Still of the Night - Whitesnake
18. Let It Go - Def Leppard
19. Wicked Sensation - Lynch Mob
20. War Pigs - Black Sabbath
21. Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
22. Perfect Strangers - Deep Purple


Add to it

[mrmetal]

1. Smoke on the Water
2. Iron Man
3. Heartbreaker
4. Crazy Train
5. Bark at the Moon
6. Eruption
7. Shock Me
8. Highway to Hell
9. Rock Bottom (UFO)
10. Masterplan (Evergrey)
11. Wicked Sensation
12. Day Tripper
13. La Grange
14. Man On The Silver Mountain
15. Limelight
16. Cities On Flame

Ok... Linda, I added to mine.

[Dude]

In no particular order:

* Supernaut (Black Sabbath)
* Pictures of Home (Deep Purple)
* I am a Viking (Malmsteen)
* High Wire (Badlands)
* Aqualung (Jethro Tull)
* Taxman (The Beatles)

And, of course, Zeppelin:

* The Wanton Song
* Black Dog
* Houses of the Holy

[CharvelSuperStrat]

Into the Void (Black Sabbath)
Vambo (Sensational Alex Harvey Band)
Ride The Jack (Badlands)
Warrior (Thin Lizzy)
Black Hearted Women (Blue Murder)
Flick of the Switch (AC/DC)
L.A Connection (Rainbow)
Burn (Deep Purple)
Baba O'Riley (The Who)
Killing The Dragon (Dio)
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Michael Schenker Group)
Money (Pink Floyd)
Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
One Track Mind (MotorHead)
Crying in the Rain (WhiteSnake)
Hot n' Ready (UFO)
Schools Out (Alice Cooper)
Freewill (Rush)
Diary of a Madman (Ozzy Osbourne)
Fly on a Windshield (Genesis)
Assualt and Battery (Hawkwind)
Third stone from the Sun (Jimi Hendrix)
Hocus Pocus (Focus)

Well i think im done for now...........and Metal Health (Quiet Riot)

[jefnel1]

Progressive bands all have the best guitar riffs. So many riffs packed together with change after change...

Death Angel, Dream Theater, Rush, Queensryche are my favorites. "The Organization" from Death Angel is one of the best riffing songs of all time.

[Doobie]

In no particular order:

How Many More Times – Led Zeppelin
Soul Stealer - Badlands
For Whom The Bell Tolls – Metallica
Hot For Love – Judas Priest
Take Hold – Queensryche
Sex Child – Blue Murder
Bark At The Moon – Jake w/Ozzy
One More For The Rodeo – UFO
Last In Line – Dio
Pride & Joy – SRV
Great White Buffalo – Ted Nugent
Sorrow - Pink Floyd

[BlackHeaven]

Mean Street - Van Halen
Running with the Devil - Van Halen
Beautiful Girls - Van Halen
Blackout - Scorpions
Dead Skin Mask - Slayer
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Beast of Burden - Rolling Stones
La Grange - ZZ Top
You Could Be Mine - Guns'n'Roses
Cowboys from Hell - Pantera
My Girlfriend's Girlfriend - Type O Negative
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty
The Immigrant Song - Thieving Bastards

[mrmetal]

Progressive bands all have the best guitar riffs. So many riffs packed together with change after change...

Death Angel, Dream Theater, Rush, Queensryche are my favorites. "The Organization" from Death Angel is one of the best riffing songs of all time.

Jeff, you are coping out on us man. Make a list of songs, not bands!

[MrScary1971]

Some great ones already mentioned so here goes mine

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
Back in Black - AC/DC
Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath
Empire - Queensryche
In My Dreams - Dokken
Walk This Way - Aersosmith
Living After Midnight - Judas Priest
Dirty Deeds - AC/DC
Balls To The Wall - Accept
Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions
Millennium - Killing Joke
Would? - Alice In Chains
Looks That Kill - Motley Crue
The Battle Rages On - Deep Purple
Miracle Man - Ozzy Osbourne
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
Down With The Sickness - Disturbed
Bulls On Parade - Rage Against The Machine
Hall Of the Mountain King - Savatage
Hot For Teacher - Van Halen

[Doobie]

Would? - Alice In Chains

Good one!

[JR97]

So many good ones listed. If there's a band that just has a knack for kick ass opening riffs/intros, it's gotta be The Rolling Stones.

Jumping Jack Flash
Brown Sugar
Gimme Shelter
Honky tonk Woman
Can't You Hear Me Knockin.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzKczV_k6I4

Gimme Shelter has got to be one of the greatest rock songs of all time. One of my favorite versions if Ruth Copeland with Funkadelic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZReJBEYZ_G8 (Warning: graphic Vietnam era imagary)

[Shadow]

So many great legendary/Master musicians & bands that took the World by storm with their mighty Classic trailblazing riffs that bring music life & vitally to those songs-it took awhile to try to figure out what a "riff" & realized it's the root groove/the blueprint so to speak of the solid skelentol of the song that the rest of the music grooves lean on: anyway, I guess let me give it a go...'I just know what I digg that makes me stomp or tap your feet to the music, here we go/on the heavy side that is...

"High Wire" Badlands
"Bludfuk" Jake E. Lee
"This Moment" Disturbed
"Say What You Will" Zakk Wylde/Black Label Society
"Flying High Again" Ozzy Osbourne/Randy Rhoads
"Back In Black" AC/DC "I think AC/DC are the Kings of the music riffs/all their thunderous songs are foot stompers"
"Blood of Kunga" Vader (oh, my goodness...'very thunderous song/I thougt it was Earthquake outside/awesome amazing "complicated" riffs grooves in that band!)
"Iron Man" Black Sabbath - it is said that Mr. Tony Iommi is master of the music riffs...'I agree his amongst them and definately a Pioneer that pave the way/him and AC/DC. Peace and much respects!

...'there's much much more but this will do for now. I also like Tesla, Symphony X, Primal Fear, etc.,. the list of sings & bands are numerous!

[Dude]

In no particular order:

* Supernaut (Black Sabbath)
* Pictures of Home (Deep Purple)
* I am a Viking (Malmsteen)
* High Wire (Badlands)
* Aqualung (Jethro Tull)
* Taxman (The Beatles)

And, of course, Zeppelin:

* The Wanton Song
* Black Dog
* Houses of the Holy

...can't believe I forgot this one:

* All Right Now (Free)

[hashima]

The Vision - Tony MacAlpine
Slow Poke Music - Whitesnake
Panama - Van Halen
Back to the future piece - Van Halen
Boston Rain Melody - Steve Vai
Lady Killer - Racer X
Sunlit Nights - Racer X
Poison Eyes - Racer X
Back To Shalla-Bal - Joe Satriani
It's Not Love - Dokken
Knucklebones - David Lee Roth
It's Showtime! - David Lee Roth
Going Crazy! - David Lee Roth
Flesh For Fantasy - Billy Idol
Never Know Why - Ozzy Osbourne
Waiting For Darkness - Ozzy Osbourne
Mukai Kaze To Kakulenbo - Kawai Sonoko
C-Girl - Asaka Yui


I could order them differently every second day + add + add + add

[stratattack]

1) Breakin The Law Judas Priest

2) Untited Judas Priest

3)wicked Sensation Lynch

4) Your In Love RATT

5) Bark At The Moon Jake With Ozzy

6) Runaway Train Jake With Badlands

7 Exit House Jake

8)Money For Nothing Mark knofler

9)Rebel ReBel Mick Ronson

10) Black Curtain Mega deth