these guitar licks really get under your
skin
stick in your head and bring out the
guitar hero and everyone welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten guitar
riffs of all time for this list we’ve
chosen one song per artist and stuck to
what we felt were their most signature
memorable or skilled guitar riffs we’ve
also excluded instrumentals this video
of the top ten guitar riffs of all time
is part of a series of videos that
includes the top 10 heavy metal hard
rock and classic rock guitar riffs
number 10 you really got me the kinks
opening our list is this bombastic
blues-based recording that musicologist
sugreev was the first hit song built
around power chords after topping the UK
charts
the single launched the kinks American
success and positioned them as a member
of the British Invasion thanks to its
distortion heavy guitar sound it also
helped the band lay the foundation for
hard rock punk rock and heavy metal in
1999 you really got me was inducted into
the Grammy Hall of Fame cementing its
legendary status
number nine Master of Puppets Metallica
our next riff comes off the first thrash
metal album to be certified platinum
Enter Sandman instigated Metallica’s
mainstream popularity but it was the
fast-paced and intricate compositions on
Master of Puppets and especially the
album’s only single and title track that
positioned the band as one of thrash
metals big four
enhanced by James Hetfield’s and kirk
hammett suit our abilities and featuring
extensive use of down picking this is
very much considered Metallica’s
signature song
number eight paranoid Black Sabbath
Ironman may have the cult status but
it’s paranoid that sighted time and time
again as essential to the heavy-metal
Canon Tony Iommi’s dynamic riffs meld
flawlessly with Ozzy’s trademark vocals
and geezer Butler’s tormented lyrics on
this Black Sabbath track creating a dark
and heavy blues rock sound unlike
anything heard before
it’s agressive frenetic pace and short
running time anticipated the punk-rock
sound that would dominate by the end of
the decade but also deeply informed the
blueprint of heavy metal
number seven back in black a CDC
determined to move on after the death of
original vocalist Bon Scott but also
wanting to honor his legacy ac/dc
released this hard-hitting in-your-face
track in 1989
opening with an unforgettable rip the
tune is driven by the dual guitar sound
of brothers Angus and Malcolm young
the screeching vocals of new-hire Brian
Johnson signaled the future success that
he and the band would have together and
assisted the song’s parent album in
becoming one of history’s best-selling
records
number six Leila
Derek and the Dominos
Eric Clapton reveals his unrequited love
for George Harrison’s then wife Pattie
Boyd on this track from Derek and the
Dominos only studio ever
originally written as a love ballad it
was actually guest guitarist Duane
Allman who wrote the songs
sizzling signature riff turning it from
a ballad into a rocker
moving that Laila had staying power
Clapton’s unplugged solo version one of
Ramy over two decades after the initial
release of the song in 1971
number five smoke on the water deep
purple
you’d be hard-pressed to find any
guitarist who doesn’t recognize this
iconic ritchie blackmore room it’s
likely the first one they ever learned
backed by John Lord’s fuzzy Hammond
organ Ian pieces smooth drumming and
Roger Glover’s electric bass the central
four note blue scale that rises above it
all is one of the most recognizable and
rock music
add e’en Gillan’s vocals to the mix and
you’ve got one of the most popular and
successful songs in Deep Purple’s
repertoire
number four a whole lot of love
Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page’s taught guitar work in the
intro to this song suggests a wild
animal waiting to be released
and Robert Plant’s signature plaintive
wail John Bonham’s thunderous drums and
John Paul Jones timeless bass drive home
the tension in this song
it’s an innovative take on the blues
giving it a harder edge and structuring
it into a tomb with sections of
atmospheric percussion and vocals
however its pages blues influenced power
ripping during the intro that remains
implanted in our brains
number three
voodoo child slight return the Jimi
Hendrix Experience
Purple Haze gave us the Hendricks Court
but it’s blue to child slight return
that showcases Jimmy’s electric guitar
talents to a team while the middle of
the song displays real guitar virtuosity
it’s the intro that gets Hendrix the
number three spot on this list
beginning with its signature wah-wah in
use the guitar soon lets out a crunching
psychedelic riff of mammoths sonic
proportions it’s a sound so large that
home Jimi Hendrix was really capable of
producing
number two crazy train Ozzy Osbourne
oopy hard-pressed to find a metal fan
that doesn’t recognize the Prince of
Darkness his first solo single
the song has been widely praised for
Randy Rhoads incomparable guitar
technique which made use of the full
minor scale in the main riff but let’s
not forget his mean guitar solo
though he’s contributed several other
notable rips to Ozzy’s repertoire crazy
train remains The Godfather of heavy
metals signature anthem and naps our
runner-up spot
before we unveil our top pick here are
some honorable mentions
that’s the way you do it you play that
keeps on
number one I can’t get no satisfaction
the stones became an international
sensation after Mick Jagger and Keith
Richards teamed up depend this song
considered one of the best in the
history of rock music Richards
originally wrote the tunes now famous
riff for a horn section
by using a Gibson fuzz box heap gave his
guitar a fuller sound and ensured that
fuzz boxes sold like hotcakes thanks to
the track success as a single it was the
Rolling Stones first American chart
topper and births one of the most
recognizable and dare we say
satisfactory riffs in rock history
do you agree with our list what’s your
all-time favorite guitar riff form or
riff tastic top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
skin
stick in your head and bring out the
guitar hero and everyone welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten guitar
riffs of all time for this list we’ve
chosen one song per artist and stuck to
what we felt were their most signature
memorable or skilled guitar riffs we’ve
also excluded instrumentals this video
of the top ten guitar riffs of all time
is part of a series of videos that
includes the top 10 heavy metal hard
rock and classic rock guitar riffs
number 10 you really got me the kinks
opening our list is this bombastic
blues-based recording that musicologist
sugreev was the first hit song built
around power chords after topping the UK
charts
the single launched the kinks American
success and positioned them as a member
of the British Invasion thanks to its
distortion heavy guitar sound it also
helped the band lay the foundation for
hard rock punk rock and heavy metal in
1999 you really got me was inducted into
the Grammy Hall of Fame cementing its
legendary status
number nine Master of Puppets Metallica
our next riff comes off the first thrash
metal album to be certified platinum
Enter Sandman instigated Metallica’s
mainstream popularity but it was the
fast-paced and intricate compositions on
Master of Puppets and especially the
album’s only single and title track that
positioned the band as one of thrash
metals big four
enhanced by James Hetfield’s and kirk
hammett suit our abilities and featuring
extensive use of down picking this is
very much considered Metallica’s
signature song
number eight paranoid Black Sabbath
Ironman may have the cult status but
it’s paranoid that sighted time and time
again as essential to the heavy-metal
Canon Tony Iommi’s dynamic riffs meld
flawlessly with Ozzy’s trademark vocals
and geezer Butler’s tormented lyrics on
this Black Sabbath track creating a dark
and heavy blues rock sound unlike
anything heard before
it’s agressive frenetic pace and short
running time anticipated the punk-rock
sound that would dominate by the end of
the decade but also deeply informed the
blueprint of heavy metal
number seven back in black a CDC
determined to move on after the death of
original vocalist Bon Scott but also
wanting to honor his legacy ac/dc
released this hard-hitting in-your-face
track in 1989
opening with an unforgettable rip the
tune is driven by the dual guitar sound
of brothers Angus and Malcolm young
the screeching vocals of new-hire Brian
Johnson signaled the future success that
he and the band would have together and
assisted the song’s parent album in
becoming one of history’s best-selling
records
number six Leila
Derek and the Dominos
Eric Clapton reveals his unrequited love
for George Harrison’s then wife Pattie
Boyd on this track from Derek and the
Dominos only studio ever
originally written as a love ballad it
was actually guest guitarist Duane
Allman who wrote the songs
sizzling signature riff turning it from
a ballad into a rocker
moving that Laila had staying power
Clapton’s unplugged solo version one of
Ramy over two decades after the initial
release of the song in 1971
number five smoke on the water deep
purple
you’d be hard-pressed to find any
guitarist who doesn’t recognize this
iconic ritchie blackmore room it’s
likely the first one they ever learned
backed by John Lord’s fuzzy Hammond
organ Ian pieces smooth drumming and
Roger Glover’s electric bass the central
four note blue scale that rises above it
all is one of the most recognizable and
rock music
add e’en Gillan’s vocals to the mix and
you’ve got one of the most popular and
successful songs in Deep Purple’s
repertoire
number four a whole lot of love
Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page’s taught guitar work in the
intro to this song suggests a wild
animal waiting to be released
and Robert Plant’s signature plaintive
wail John Bonham’s thunderous drums and
John Paul Jones timeless bass drive home
the tension in this song
it’s an innovative take on the blues
giving it a harder edge and structuring
it into a tomb with sections of
atmospheric percussion and vocals
however its pages blues influenced power
ripping during the intro that remains
implanted in our brains
number three
voodoo child slight return the Jimi
Hendrix Experience
Purple Haze gave us the Hendricks Court
but it’s blue to child slight return
that showcases Jimmy’s electric guitar
talents to a team while the middle of
the song displays real guitar virtuosity
it’s the intro that gets Hendrix the
number three spot on this list
beginning with its signature wah-wah in
use the guitar soon lets out a crunching
psychedelic riff of mammoths sonic
proportions it’s a sound so large that
home Jimi Hendrix was really capable of
producing
number two crazy train Ozzy Osbourne
oopy hard-pressed to find a metal fan
that doesn’t recognize the Prince of
Darkness his first solo single
the song has been widely praised for
Randy Rhoads incomparable guitar
technique which made use of the full
minor scale in the main riff but let’s
not forget his mean guitar solo
though he’s contributed several other
notable rips to Ozzy’s repertoire crazy
train remains The Godfather of heavy
metals signature anthem and naps our
runner-up spot
before we unveil our top pick here are
some honorable mentions
that’s the way you do it you play that
keeps on
number one I can’t get no satisfaction
the stones became an international
sensation after Mick Jagger and Keith
Richards teamed up depend this song
considered one of the best in the
history of rock music Richards
originally wrote the tunes now famous
riff for a horn section
by using a Gibson fuzz box heap gave his
guitar a fuller sound and ensured that
fuzz boxes sold like hotcakes thanks to
the track success as a single it was the
Rolling Stones first American chart
topper and births one of the most
recognizable and dare we say
satisfactory riffs in rock history
do you agree with our list what’s your
all-time favorite guitar riff form or
riff tastic top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
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