This List Of The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs Of All Time Will Confuse You

What are the most iconic guitar riffs of all time? That was the question put to the UK as part of BBC’s celebration of the instrument in a week-long series of special broadcasts, documentaries, and live performances – culminating in a listener poll of the 100 greatest riffs ever.

Spanning over half-a-century of memorable licks, from Chuck Berry’s 1958 classic ‘Johnny B. Goode to as recently as Arctic Monkeys ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ and Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’, the selections were made by a panel including BBC Radio DJs, music critics, industry experts, and record producers, before being voted on by the BBC Radio 2 listeners.

Emerging victorious on the list was Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’, with a “knocked out” Jimmy Page remarking of claiming the #1 spot: “I wanted a riff that really moved, that people would really get, and would bring a smile to their faces. but when I played it with the band, it really went into overdrive. There was this intent to have this riff and the movement of it, so it was menacing as well as quite sort of caressing.”

Following Zeppelin were equally classic cuts, including Guns ‘N Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine (#2), Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water’ (#4), Eric ‘Slowhand’ Clapton’s Derek & The Dominoes (‘Layla’ #5), and ‘Back In Black’ by AC/DC (#4) – the first of three Aussies to make the grade. Trailing towards the end of the list were INXS’s ‘Need You Tonight’ (#65) and Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ (#97).

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One caveat of the poll is that each artist can only appear once to ensure no one band dominates the list, but it does lead to some rather head-scratching selections (Foo Fighters’ lame Tom Petty rip-off ‘Wheels’ over, oh, anything else in their catalogue?). As is always the case with these kinds of polls, there’s plenty to argue over as well.

There’s plenty of obvious dues paid (‘Enter Sandman’? Check. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’? Check.) but also a preference for bands popular in the UK over more wider-respected riffs (Manic Street Preachers over White Stripes, while Ocean Colour Scene pips Pearl Jam, Oasis, Van Halen, QOTSA – you name it), and aside from cuts from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Breeders, there’s also a distinct lack of female guitar heroes in the list.

Take a look at the full 100 below, just be prepared to get more confused the further down you go.

The Top 100 Guitar Riffs Of All Time

As voted for by BBC Radio 2

1. Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
2. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns ‘N’ Roses
3. Back In Black – AC/DC
4. Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple
5. Layla – Derek And The Dominoes
6. How Soon Is Now? – The Smiths
7. Down Down – Status Quo
8. Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
9. You Really Got Me – The Kinks
10. Money – Pink Floyd
11. Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
12. Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
13. Motorcycle Emptiness – Manic Street Preachers
14. 20th Century Boy – T. Rex
15. Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys
16. Enter Sandman – Metallica
17. Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
18. The Spirit Of Radio – Rush
19. Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
20. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
21. All Right Now – Free
22. Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
23. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
24. Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream
25. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
26. Paranoid – Black Sabbath
27. I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction) – The Rolling Stones
28. Day Tripper – The Beatles
29. The Riverboat Song – Ocean Colour Scene
30. Alive – Pearl Jam
31. One Vision – Queen
32. She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
33. Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
34. Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
35. No Surprises – Radiohead
36. Hocus Pocus – Focus
37. Cigarettes & Alcohol – Oasis
38. No One Knows – Queens of The Stone Age
39. I Can’t Explain – The Who
40. Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
41. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love – Van Halen
42. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
43. Fools Gold – The Stone Roses
44. Apache – The Shadows
45. Run To You – Bryan Adams
46. Stay With Me – Faces
47. Atomic – Blondie
48. Life In The Fast Lane – Eagles
49. Milk & Alcohol – Dr. Feelgood
50. Spoonman – Soundgarden
51. Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash
52. Killing in The Name – Rage Against The Machine
53. Beat It – Michael Jackson
54. Don’t Believe A Word – Thin Lizzy
55. Walk This Way – Aerosmith / Aerosmith & RUN-D.M.C.
56. Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
57. Mannish Boy – Muddy Waters
58. Peter Gunn – Duane Eddy
59. Good Times – Chic
60. Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
61. Misirlou – Dick Dale
62. Song 2 – Blur
63. Marquee Moon – Television
64. Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
65. Need You Tonight – INXS
66. Pride (In The Name Of Love) – U2
67. Shakin’ All Over – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
68. Theme From Shaft – Isaac Hayes
69. There She Goes – The La’s
70. Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
71. Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
72. Every Breath You Take – The Police
73. Rumble Link – Wray
74. Block Buster! – Sweet
75. My Sharona – The Knack
76. A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins
77. Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty
78. Cannonball – The Breeders
79. Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
80. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
81. Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker
82. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll – Rainbow
83. Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
84. Words of Love – Buddy Holly
85. Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds
86. That Lady – The Isley Brothers
87. Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
88. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle – Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
89. C’mon Everybody – Eddie Cochran
90. Wheels – Foo Fighters
91. The One I Love – R.E.M.
92. September – Earth, Wind & Fire
93. Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
94. Jack & Diane – John Mellencamp
95. Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols
96. Rocks – Primal Scream
97. Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
98. Loser – Beck
99. Unbelievable – EMF
100. Get Lucky – Daft Punk

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