Let's rock! For this list, we'll be ranking the most powerful, influential and iconic guitar riffs ever recorded. Our countdown includes Walk This Way, Barracuda, Welcome to the Jungle, Layla, Smoke on the Water, and more!
Aerosmith Who doesn't crave a little Aerosmith to kick start their day? Walk This Way may arguably be the band's best known song, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve every damn bit of praise. A lot of this credit should be laid at the feet of guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, who lay down such a thick and funky groove, that it makes Walk This Way basically impossible to resist. A major success in the ‘70s, the track later helped to revitalize the band's career when Aerosmith collaborated with Run-DMC for a reworked version of the song in 1986.
Ratt Don't sleep on hair metal riffs, especially when they're coming from musicians as talented as Ratt's Warren DeMartini or Robbin Crosby. The genre was actually a breeding ground for skilled players who usually played as flashy as possible, but could also bring to the table a surprising amount of depth and texture. Round and Round boasts one of those instantly memorable riffs that's mid-paced and metallic, but poppy enough to create crossover appeal. The song also has a superb harmony around the middle of the track, really letting Crosby and DeMartini shine bright. This riff is a reminder that '80s glam metal wasn't only about big hair, but big hooks as well.
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Queens of the Stone Age The ghosts of the desert loom high over Josh Homme's riffing on No One Knows, an echo to the star’s past with pioneering stoner rock band, Kyuss. Queens of the Stone Age are comparatively more pop-friendly than Kyuss, but that doesn't mean that No One Knows rocks any less. In fact, we'd argue that the quirky arrangement of the song is part of what makes the riffing stand out so much. Homme knows when to get funky, when to go heavy and when to let the song breathe. As a result, No One Knows is something of a pop-stoner-jam anthem for the ages.
Alice in Chains There had to be a lot of mixed feelings for Alice in Chains fans when the band finally released their fourth album—the first without frontman Layne Stayley, following his tragic passing. Thankfully, Black Gives Way to Blue had all of the music elements their audience craved, along with a new singer and rhythm guitarist, William DuVall. DuVall actually brings a lot to the table here on Check My Brain, playing along with guitarist Jerry Cantrell for the song's heavy and sludgy main riff. It's a throwback to the band's early, metallic period as heard on the Facelift album, and a welcome return to form for one of the greatest grunge pioneers.
Survivor You know it, you love it, you can sing every word by heart. It's Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, and it's a perfect pump-up song for any occasion. Of course, this melodic AOR rock jam became iconic thanks to being featured as the main theme to Rocky III, but we'd like to think it would've been a hit regardless. It feels epic regardless of context due to the impact and immediacy of that main riff; guitarist and songwriter Frankie Sullivan keeps things anthemic and mid-paced. We defy anyone to hear Eye of the Tiger and not want to punch a heavy bag or engage in some kind of personal heroism.
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Michael Jackson The King of Pop may not have been hard rock or heavy metal, but he certainly knew a good musician when he heard one. Michael Jackson surrounded himself with the very best, both on tour and in the studio, which explains why he employed none other than Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar for this track. The riff on MJ's Beat It sounds as if it was brought down by the gods themselves, a killer and groovy staccato number that gives the song an authentically tough feel. Oh, and then there's the matter of that solo, a pitch-perfect example of Eddien Van Halen at his very best. It’s the icing on the cake of this pop-rock crossover masterpiece.
Heart It was the classic rock gallop heard ‘round the world. It's Heart with one of their best known jams, so sing it with us now: ooooo Barracuda. It's a radio staple for the Seattle-bred group, and one that exemplifies that seventies rock sound that was so popular with fans. Guitarist Nancy Wilson actually revealed in a 2019 interview with Gear Factor that the killer main riff from Barracuda was adapted and borrowed from their touring partners Nazareth. Wilson went on to say that Heart heard Nazareth's heavy cover of Joni Mitchell's This Flight Tonight and liked it so much that they tinkered with their own tribute”. The end result was rock music’s most famous fish. The world has never looked at a barracuda the same way since.
Black Sabbath Here's a question: if Black Sabbath were the honest-to-goodness first heavy metal band, does that make Paranoid the very first crossover pop single for the genre? For better or worse, “Paranoid” has become intrinsically linked with Sabbath's iconic early period with Ozzy Osbourne. Of course, there's no denying the immediacy of that main riff, and it's even more crazy to note that the band basically wrote it in a matter of minutes. Yup, Paranoid was an afterthought for the band's then-titled War Pigs album, but it only took one listen by Vertigo Records execs to immediately change those plans, and voila! The Paranoid album was born.
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Iron Maiden The next band on our list is better known for their melodies and guitar harmonies than riffs, but Iron Maiden should NEVER be excluded from the conversation. The title track from the band's Powerslave album is a great example, while Wasted Years delivers the best of both worlds. The song opens with a super melodic guitar run that moves into the relatively simple main verse riff. It drives Wasted Years into the memorable chords that serve as structure for the chorus, before that opening melody returns and joins the verse riff again for the solo. It's metal magic, and an enduring hit for one of England's finest heavy exports.
Van Halen It's a song you've probably heard covered a million times by your favorite bar band, but you're STILL not sick of it. And to be honest? Neither are we. Van Halen explored different musical moods, but many fans have preferred it when Eddie and co. go full heavy metal on songs like Atomic Punk and our pick, Ain’t Talkin' Bout Love. It's a song that hangs its hat on that opening riff, but what a riff it is: an aggressive call to arms that basically serves up a Sunset Strip, hair metal prototype in just a few notes. Eddie may have initially dreamt up the track as a play on punk rock, but Ain’t Talkin' ‘bout Love went on to become a classic rock staple.
Slayer Simply stated: Slayer IS the sound of all hell breaking loose. The faint of heart need not apply for Raining Blood, a thrash metal masterpiece that truly is the sum of its creative parts. After all, you can basically just take your pick of badass riffs in this beast, from that iconic and dark opening harmony to the breakdown to end all breakdowns juuuust after the two minute mark. Oh, and did we mention that this song—minus the roughly 1 minute of rain noises—clocks in at just over 3 minutes? It's proof that you don't need any bloated posturing to create epic heavy metal. Slayer basically defines the genre.
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Guns N’ Roses Ok, so we easily could've given this ninth spot to any number of classic GnR jams, including Sweet Child o' Mine. Ultimately though, we settled on what has to be one of the best album openers ever, Welcome to the Jungle. Some songs just have that it factor, this nebulous power to put you in a specific time or place. In the case of Welcome to the Jungle, it's the 1980s Sunset Strip: Los Angeles sun, nighttime sleaze and the hot neon of unrepentantly bad behavior. If there was any doubt that Guns 'n Roses were truly living out the scenarios laid out in their songs, Welcome to the Jungle silenced them with a riff that screams, this is the next big thing: get used to it.
Dire Straits Mark Knopfler isn't really about the flash. His playing style tends to be far more subtle. Dire Straits’ lead vocalist and guitarist instead tends to focus on texture, melody and finger-picking technique. That said, the main hook to the Money For Nothing riff is actually quite thick, by Knopfler's standards, anyway. The riff and it's very eighties-sounding, synthesized production dates the song, but not really in a bad way. Instead, Money For Nothing brings a nostalgic smile to the faces of those who remember the decade, and
Iron Maiden The next band on our list is better known for their melodies and guitar harmonies than riffs, but Iron Maiden should NEVER be excluded from the conversation. The title track from the band's Powerslave album is a great example, while Wasted Years delivers the best of both worlds. The song opens with a super melodic guitar run that moves into the relatively simple main verse riff. It drives Wasted Years into the memorable chords that serve as structure for the chorus, before that opening melody returns and joins the verse riff again for the solo. It's metal magic, and an enduring hit for one of England's finest heavy exports.
Van Halen It's a song you've probably heard covered a million times by your favorite bar band, but you're STILL not sick of it. And to be honest? Neither are we. Van Halen explored different musical moods, but many fans have preferred it when Eddie and co. go full heavy metal on songs like Atomic Punk and our pick, Ain’t Talkin' Bout Love. It's a song that hangs its hat on that opening riff, but what a riff it is: an aggressive call to arms that basically serves up a Sunset Strip, hair metal prototype in just a few notes. Eddie may have initially dreamt up the track as a play on punk rock, but Ain’t Talkin' ‘bout Love went on to become a classic rock staple.
Slayer Simply stated: Slayer IS the sound of all hell breaking loose. The faint of heart need not apply for Raining Blood, a thrash metal masterpiece that truly is the sum of its creative parts. After all, you can basically just take your pick of badass riffs in this beast, from that iconic and dark opening harmony to the breakdown to end all breakdowns juuuust after the two minute mark. Oh, and did we mention that this song—minus the roughly 1 minute of rain noises—clocks in at just over 3 minutes? It's proof that you don't need any bloated posturing to create epic heavy metal. Slayer basically defines the genre.
Top 10 Iconic Guitars Of All Time
Guns N’ Roses Ok, so we easily could've given this ninth spot to any number of classic GnR jams, including Sweet Child o' Mine. Ultimately though, we settled on what has to be one of the best album openers ever, Welcome to the Jungle. Some songs just have that it factor, this nebulous power to put you in a specific time or place. In the case of Welcome to the Jungle, it's the 1980s Sunset Strip: Los Angeles sun, nighttime sleaze and the hot neon of unrepentantly bad behavior. If there was any doubt that Guns 'n Roses were truly living out the scenarios laid out in their songs, Welcome to the Jungle silenced them with a riff that screams, this is the next big thing: get used to it.
Dire Straits Mark Knopfler isn't really about the flash. His playing style tends to be far more subtle. Dire Straits’ lead vocalist and guitarist instead tends to focus on texture, melody and finger-picking technique. That said, the main hook to the Money For Nothing riff is actually quite thick, by Knopfler's standards, anyway. The riff and it's very eighties-sounding, synthesized production dates the song, but not really in a bad way. Instead, Money For Nothing brings a nostalgic smile to the faces of those who remember the decade, and
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