ROCK'S GREATEST 40 RIFFS - As voted by PlanetRock Listners

[hatab]

ROCK'S GREATEST 40 RIFFS

The results are in. Debate over. The Greatest Ever Rock Riff has been named...

Thousands of you voted and now we have our answer - 'Smoke On The Water' is without doubt the Greatest Rock Riff of all time.

It's the sound of a million air-guitarists around the world kicking into action, and that simple, opening four bar/four chord refrain that is somehow burnt into the memories of anyone that has even seen, touched or heard a guitar is your number 1.

Deep Purple had a further 27 songs nominated in the 1208 songs that you voted for, whilst the runners up, Led Zeppelin, had a total of 38 songs nominated - five in the Top Forty.

But the riff kings were undoubtedly Black Sabbath who featured 43 times in the full list, while AC/DC featured 41 times (and actually took more votes in total than any other band).

But without any further ado - here's the full Top Forty

1) Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
2) Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
3) Guns n Roses - Sweet Child O Mine
4) AC DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
5) Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)
6) Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
7) Free - All Right Now
8) Cream - Sunshine of Your Love
9) Black Sabbath - Paranoid
10) Deep Purple - Burn
11) AC DC - Back In Black
12) Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze
13) Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
14) Metallica - Enter Sandman
15) Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
16) Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
17) Lynryd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
18) Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
19) Aerosmith - Walk This Way
20) AC DC - Highway to Hell
21) Black Sabbath - Iron Man
22) Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
23) Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
24) Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll
25) Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
26) Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
27) AC DC - Thunderstruck
28) Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar
29) UFO - Rock Bottom
30) Rainbow - Since You've Been Gone
31) Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
32) Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
33) Rush - Spirit of Radio
34) Status Quo - Caroline
35) Pink Floyd - Money
36) Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
37) Iron Maiden - The Trooper
38) Jethro Tull - Aqualung
39) Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
40) Guns n Roses - Paradise City

 

[Seedy_r0m]

WHAT...NO STAIRWAY!!!

Some very good tunes there, can't argue with that.
It's nice to see the Quo get a mention.

 

[Baaheeduk]

Wow...No Van Halen!

Eddie Van Halen is the man!

Great tunes listed though

EDIT: Oppps just noticed Van Halen.....lol

 

[daveleebond]

screw them, Reef 'place your hands'

 

[ronster]

:FRIGHT:no john squire:wtf:

 

[hatab]

Hey Guys i only posted the results of a poll running for some time at planetrock.....

whilst i agree there are some guitarists who have some wicked sounds don't feature and some that have me baffled why they are there

some notable guitarists who dont feature

robin trower
steve vai
Yngwie Malmsteen
Axel Rudi Pell
Rory Gallagher

where is the riff on shine on you crazy diamond ? don't get me wrong its probably my favourite Floyd track but it shouldnt be in this list imho

 

[jaffa]

I was surprised November rain isnt in the list...I always like that. Also agree with hatab....Rory Gallagher should have been there also.

But I totally agree with No.1

 

[Kris]

A few I'd rearrange around and a couple I'd drop but it's not a bad list.

Lot better than the rubbish lists you get on VH1 shows!

 

[Kris]

robin trower
steve vai
Yngwie Malmsteen
Axel Rudi Pell
Rory Gallagher

To be honest, as talented as Vai and Malmsteen are, I don't think they have any great memorable riffs. Malmsteen loses my attention quicker than you can blink.

Rory has some great riffs though. Just unfortunately not as mainstream as all the bands listed!

I don't think you can complain though with the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Hendrix and the like on that list though. They're all mostly instantly recognisable riffs.

 

[Seedy_r0m]

I also have this one:

100 Greatest Guitar Solo's

This was compiled by the editors of guitar world (who outta know a thing or two)

This is still available for download for those wanting to grab it.
--

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
2. Eruption - Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen)
3. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (Allen Collins, Gary Rossington)
4. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
5. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
6. November Rain - Guns N' Roses (Slash)
7. One - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
8. Hotel California - The Eagles (Joe Walsh, Don Felder)
9. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne (Randy Rhoads)
10. Crossroads - Cream (Eric Clapton)
11. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
12. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
13. Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
14. Layla - Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton, Duane Allman)
15. Floods - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
16. Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
17. Cliffs of Dover - Eric Johnson
18. Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
19. Highway Star - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)
20. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (Brian May)
21. Time - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
22. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler)
23. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine (Tom Morello)
24. Fade to Black - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
25. Aqualung - Jethro Tull (Martin Barre)
26. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
27. Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
28. Mr. Crowley - Ozzy Osborne (Randy Rhoads)
29. Forthe Love of God - Steve Vai
30. Surfing with the Alien - Joe Satriani
31. Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
32. Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix
33. The Thrill is Gone - B. B. King
34. Paranoid Android - Radiohead (Johnny Greenwood)
35. Cemetery Gates - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
36. Black Star - Yngwie Malmsteen
37. Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N' Roses (Slash)
38. Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
39. Cortez the Killer - Neil Young
40. Reeling in the Years - Steely Dan (Elliot Randall)
41. Brighton Rock - Queen (Brian May)
42. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles (Eric Clapton, George Harrison)
43. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top (Billy Gibbons)
44. Alive - Pearl Jam (Mark McCready)
45. Light My Fire - The Doors (Robbie Krieger)
46. Hot For Teacher - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
47. Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band (Dicky Betts)
48. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)
49. Europa - Carlos Santana
50. Shock Me - KISS (Ace Frehley)
51. Master of Puppets - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
52. The Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix
53. Since I’ve Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
54. Geek USA - The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan)
55. Satch Boogie - Joe Satriani
56. War Pigs - Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi)
57. Walk - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
58. Cocaine - Eric Clapton
59. You Really Got Me - The Kinks (Dave Davies)
60. Zoot Allures - Frank Zappa
61. No More Tears - Ozzy Osborne (Zakk Wylde)
62. Money - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
63. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden (Kim Thayil)
64. Little Red Corvette - Prince
65. In Bloom - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
66. Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman, Dickey Betts)
67. Beat It - Michael Jackson (Eddie Van Halen)
68. Starship Trooper - Yes (Steve Howe)
69. And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles (George Harrison)
70. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
71. Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (Eddie Hazel)
72. Walk This Way - Aerosmith (Joe Perry)
73. Stash - Phish (Trey Anastasio)
74. Lazy - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)
75. Won’t Get Fooled Again - The Who (Pete Townshend)
76. Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young
77. Man in the Box - Alice In Chains (Jerry Cantrell)
78. Truckin’ - The Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia)
79. Mean Street - Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen)
80. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC (Angus Young)
81. Sweet Jane - Lou Reed (Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner)
82. 21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson (Robert Fripp)
83. Scuttle Buttin - Steve Ray Vaughan
84. Santeria - Sublime (Brad Nowell)
85. Moonage Daydream - David Bowie (Mick Ronson)
86. Whipping Post - The Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman, Dickey Betts)
87. Cult of Personality - Living Color (Vernon Reid)
88. Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan (Denny Dias)
89. Killing in the Name - Rage Against The Machine (Tom Morello)
90. Let It Rain - Eric Clapton
91. Heard It Through the Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival (John Fogerty)
92. Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats (Brian Setzer)
93. The End - The Doors (Robbie Krieger)
94. Working Man - Rush (Alex Lifeson)
95. Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam (Mike McCready)
96. Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)
97. Cherub Rock - The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan)
98. Under A Glass Moon - Dream Theater (John Petrucci)
99. Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck
100. Three Days - Jane’s Addiction (Dave Navarro)

 

[Baaheeduk]

I really thought I might have seen the Guitar solo from Baker Street (Hugh Burns) in there!

And what is Eddie's 'Beat it' Solo doing at No67? That is a master class solo!

And no Steve Lukather (Toto)...WTF! He is an outstanding player with many a great solo in his portfolio. Listen to the full album version of running with the night by Lionel Richie to hear one of Steve's many excellent solo's.

I sometimes wonder if these poles are put together by Air guitarists instead of guitarists?

Don't get me wrong! some great solo's there, they seemed to have missed many other solo's that would blow some of the top 100 out of the water