Which guitar riff truly reigns supreme? At guitarplayers.net, we’re diving headfirst into this age-old debate to definitively crown the Most Epic Guitar Riffs ever created. We’ve tapped into the collective wisdom of guitar enthusiasts, drawing inspiration from a Guitar World reader’s poll, and combined it with our own expertise to present you with a definitive list.
To make this selection as comprehensive and diverse as possible, we initially faced a daunting task: narrowing down a vast universe of incredible riffs. Even with a self-imposed rule of “one riff per artist,” our initial shortlist ballooned to over 125 contenders. This meant some legendary riffs, even titans like Paranoid or Highway to Hell, had to be excluded to ensure a wider representation of guitar mastery. One riff per band – that was our guiding principle. While alternative suggestions were considered, it became clear that the guitar community largely resonated with our initial choices.
So, join us as we embark on a thrilling countdown, exploring 50 of the most iconic and unforgettable guitar riffs ever etched into recording history. We’ll delve into the stories behind these riffs, uncover the techniques that make them so potent, and even hear insights from some of the very guitarists who brought them to life.
Let’s plug in and crank it up!
50. Opeth – Heir Apparent (2008)
Opeth – Heir Apparent (Audio) – YouTube
Opeth – Heir Apparent album art, showcasing progressive death metal band from Stockholm.
Progressive Metal Grandeur from Stockholm’s Masters
Kicking off our epic riff countdown is “Heir Apparent,” a track showcasing Opeth’s signature progressive death metal sound from their earlier era. This Swedish powerhouse is renowned for crafting intricate and devastating riffs, but it’s the riff that explodes into existence around the 2:30 mark that truly exemplifies Mikael Åkerfeldt’s genius for sonic destruction.
This monstrous riff begins with earth-shaking power chords starting from the 1st fret, ascending to open positions. It then dynamically shifts, alternating between rapid-fire descending octave shapes higher up the fretboard and menacing palm-muted chromatic notes in the lower register. These contrasting elements clash and coalesce in a spectacular display of musical warfare. Adding to the controlled chaos is Fredrik Åkesson’s blistering solo, a dramatic tapestry woven with bluesy bends and diminished runs, perfectly capturing the riff’s unsettling and ‘outside’ feel.
49. The Beatles – Ticket to Ride (1965)
The Beatles – Ticket To Ride – YouTube
The Beatles Ticket to Ride single cover featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr in black and white.
Rickenbacker Chimes and a Hint of Indian Influence
Released in April 1965, “Ticket to Ride” became The Beatles’ seventh consecutive UK number one hit, instantly recognizable by its shimmering opening riff. This iconic motif is played with two fingers on a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, creating a beautifully chiming arpeggiated texture. Underpinned by repeating A chords, the riff subtly hints at the traditional Indian music that would increasingly influence the band’s later work, adding a layer of exotic mystique.
Played by George Harrison on his Rickenbacker 360/12, the riff possesses an ethereal, slightly metallic sonic quality. The staggered phrasing, incorporating a quarter-note triplet at the end, further enhances its free-spirited and distinctly 60s vibe, making it an unforgettable and innovative riff for its time.
48. Free – All Right Now (1970)
Free – All Right Now (Doing Their Thing, 1970) Official Live Video – YouTube
Free performing All Right Now live in 1970, featuring Paul Kossoff on guitar and Paul Rodgers on vocals.
Paul Kossoff: Mastery in Simplicity and Tone
We admit to being slightly surprised that Free’s 1970 mega-hit, “All Right Now,” only just cracked the Top 50! The opening seconds, featuring Paul Kossoff’s explosively cranked-up Les Paul locked in step with Simon Kirke’s powerful drum beat, constitute one of the most instantly recognizable and impactful intros in rock history. Kossoff, known for his incredible touch and tone, used one of his prized Les Paul sunbursts on “All Right Now,” plugged straight into a roaring Marshall stack.
As vocalist Paul Rodgers aptly described, “Koss had such an amazing sound on that opening chord and with his chord structure on the A chord. He had such a long reach and could actually hold the A note on the E string on the 5th fret. He could get a real ripping sound, and it had a lot of depth to it.” This riff is a testament to the power of simplicity and tone in creating an epic guitar moment.
47. Polyphia – G.O.A.T. (2018)
Polyphia | G.O.A.T. (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Polyphia G.O.A.T. music video still featuring Tim Henson and Scott LePage playing Ibanez guitars.
Redefining Modern Guitar with Dazzling Sounds and Techniques
In recent years, Polyphia guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage have emerged as true innovators, leading the charge in modern guitar virtuosity. They’ve masterfully blended elements of fusion, progressive metal, tech-metal, and even trap beats into their own unique and mind-bending sonic cocktail.
The 2018 track “G.O.A.T.” stands as one of their most popular and influential compositions to date, amassing over 50 million plays across YouTube and Spotify. Its central riff is a dazzling display of contemporary techniques, built upon a foundation of pinch harmonics, lightning-fast 19th and 20th fret taps, artfully incorporated open strings, and B natural minor arpeggios.
Both Henson and LePage utilized Ibanez guitars for the recording, instruments synonymous with modern virtuosity. Tone-wise, Henson relied on the versatility of the Fractal Axe-Fx and a touch of BIAS FX, while LePage opted for a more traditional setup, employing an Orange amplifier and cabinet, showcasing the diverse approaches within this groundbreaking band.
46. Soundgarden – Outshined (1991)
Soundgarden – Outshined – YouTube
Soundgarden performing Outshined live, Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil playing guitars.
Grunge Power in Unconventional 7/4 Time
1991 marked the year Seattle rock exploded onto the global scene, and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger album was a pivotal release in this movement. “Outshined” became the album’s most accessible and arguably most impactful track. The song’s opening groove and verse riff, drenched in drop D tuning, is the stuff of stoner rock dreams – a heavy, hypnotic, and utterly captivating foundation. The single-finger bends from guitarists Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell perfectly complement the riff’s raw power and infectious hook. Simply put, it’s the sonic definition of badassery.
True to Soundgarden’s penchant for pushing boundaries, this powerful riff is built upon an unconventional 7/4 time signature, adding a layer of subtle rhythmic complexity beneath its apparent straightforwardness. In grunge’s most experimental and inventive band, Kim Thayil’s role was paramount, masterfully blending Stooges-esque aggression with psychedelic Sabbath-inspired heaviness through his favored 70s Guild SG-100 guitar.
45. Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows (2002)
Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Queens Of The Stone Age No One Knows music video still featuring Josh Homme playing guitar.
Stoner Rock’s Defining Anthem
QOTSA’s breakout hit, “No One Knows,” boasts a riff so undeniably potent that it effectively functions as the song’s chorus. While the lyrical refrain “I realize you’re mine” is repeated, anyone who has witnessed a QOTSA live show knows that it’s the explosive guitar riff that truly ignites the crowd into a frenzy.
Josh Homme, known for his distinctive approach to guitar and gear, deliberately avoided mainstream amps like Marshalls, Voxes, Fenders, or Gibsons during the recording of the Songs For The Deaf album. For “No One Knows,” he ingeniously combined three amplifiers: a solid-state Peavey, an Ampeg VT40, and a vintage Tube Works head. The song’s unique and instantly recognizable recorded tone is a result of carefully blending microphones capturing the sound of this idiosyncratic and powerful rig.
44. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Can’t Stop (2002)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Can’t Stop [Official Music Video] – YouTube
Red Hot Chili Peppers Can't Stop music video still featuring John Frusciante playing a Fender Stratocaster.
A Funk Guitar Masterclass in Fret-Hand Muting
Few rock guitarists embody funk as deeply as the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante, and “Can’t Stop,” the third single from 2002’s By The Way, features the album’s most relentlessly rhythmic and funky riff. Frusciante, a devotee of vintage Stratocasters and Telecasters, conjures a sharp, punchy single-coil bridge pickup tone that perfectly complements the song’s groove.
The verse riff centers around a repeated two-note figure, D to E (played on the G string, 5th and 7th frets), outlining the flat 7th and root of the E minor key. Frusciante expertly hits the root notes of the underlying chord progression (Em, D, Bm, C), maintaining a remarkably clean sound thanks to his deceptively complex fret-hand string muting technique. Combine this with his aggressive and funky right-hand attack, and you have all the essential ingredients for an utterly unstoppable and iconic riff.
43. Eagles – Life in the Fast Lane
Life In The Fast Lane – YouTube
Eagles performing Life in the Fast Lane, Joe Walsh and Don Felder playing guitars.
Country-Rock Pioneers Take a Hard Rock Turn
Another legendary riff that originated almost as an afterthought, “Life In The Fast Lane” began as a mere warm-up exercise for Joe Walsh until its raw energy caught the ears of his Eagles bandmates. The riff’s brilliance lies in its masterful use of rhythmic displacement. It’s essentially the same core idea played three times with subtle variations, but the fourth repetition enters half a beat earlier, injecting a massive surge of urgency and driving momentum.
The Eagles’ signature Hotel California-era guitar tones were primarily Fender-based, and “Life In The Fast Lane” carries the raw, overdriven sound of Fender Tweed Deluxes and Champs pushed to their limits. Walsh typically played a Stratocaster, while Don Felder often wielded his iconic ’59 Les Paul – a truly formidable tag team of guitarists and instruments perfectly suited to this hard-rocking anthem.
42. The Police – Message in a Bottle (1979)
The Police – Message In A Bottle (Official Music Video) – YouTube
The Police Message In A Bottle music video still featuring Andy Summers playing a Telecaster.
Their Breakthrough Number One Hit and a Police Signature
Powered by Andy Summers’ instantly recognizable and hook-laden riff, “Message In A Bottle” perfectly distilled The Police’s unique blend of post-punk energy and white reggae rhythms into what Summers himself described as “a very different-sounding pop song.” While internal tensions within the band were always present, Summers recognized that The Police provided the ideal platform for his distinctive and innovative guitar playing.
“It was a unique chemistry,” Summers reflected, “between the guitar, the bassline, the high vocals that Sting had then, and Stewart (Copeland)’s unique drumming. Never to be repeated.” This riff, and the song as a whole, serves as a testament to that unique and unrepeatable chemistry.
41. Rainbow – Stargazer (1976)
Stargazer – YouTube
Rainbow performing Stargazer live, Ritchie Blackmore playing a Fender Stratocaster.
Ritchie Blackmore in Unstoppable Form
In this epic track from Rainbow’s classic second album, Rising, “Stargazer” features a riff with a distinct ‘walking’ feel, achieved through the clever incorporation of passing tones within its pentatonic framework. A key element is the three-note chromatic run, starting on the fifth fret of the fifth string, moving from the minor 7th to the major 7th, and finally resolving to the E octave, adding a touch of sophistication and melodic interest.
During this period, Ritchie Blackmore primarily utilized an Olympic White ’73 Stratocaster and a sunburst ’74 Strat, both featuring scalloped necks, plugged into a Marshall Major amplifier that had been modified for even greater power and distortion.
“This extra output stage basically made the 200-watt into a 280-watt,” Blackmore once revealed, underscoring his relentless pursuit of volume and power. “So I did have the loudest amp in the world.”
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