What is the Greatest GUITAR RIFF of all time? | SKY ARTS Decides 

The riff in Sabbath Bloody Sabbath that kicks in at 4.07 gets it for me every time. I'm right there with you on that!

Great content. Brian May - “No one talks about Ritchie Blackmore anymore and I don’t know why” Ritchie should be at No 1, for the intro to Speed King alone. A stellar racket. He of course, couldn’t give a monkey’s.🙈 Journalists used to ask members of Purple, what Smoke on the water is about (its a story) and believed Ritchie’s wind up that the riff was Beethoven’s 5th .. but backwards.😀

Sunshine Of Your Love, Peter Gunn...

True, a number of these tunes are void of riffs. 'Born to Be Wild' is a notable chord sequence. As for 'Satisfaction', Keith Richards wasn't inspired by his guitar; his story is that he awoke in the middle of the night with the riff in his head, recorded on a cassette player on his bedside table, then went back to sleep. The next morning he realised what he had created. A couple good riffs not on the list: 'Boogie Chillen' (John Lee Hooker), 'Sunshine of Your Love' (Cream), 'Heartbreaker' (Free), 'South Californa Purples' (Chicago Transit Authority); 'Scatterbrain' (Jeff Beck), 'We've Gotta Get Outta This Place' (The Animals), 'Oh Well' (Fleetwood Mac) and 'The Twilight Zone' (Golden Earring). Nothing obscure about anything here (even the Beck tune was on a million-plus selling album), though sadly the general public all seem to listen to the same twenty bands and buy the same twenty records.

“More interested in my accountancy qualifications than listening to Slayer”😅 Andy drops at least one priceless gem in every rant

Keith Richards and John Fogarty can't shred like Eddy Van Halen but they created more classic riffs than 100 shredders. Ok Ok - I'm showing my age.

The "Beat it" riff was written, to my knowladge, by Luke, Steve Lukather

Great video Andy!!

Blackmore alone should be in there 10 times before half the artists in there. Black Night, Into The Fire, Hard Lovin Man, Maybe I’m a Leo, Pictures of Home, Woman From Tokyo, Rat Bat Blue, Burn, Saul Away, Man on the Silver Mountain… etc

Thanks for the humor, Andy, I appreciate knowing that there are some folks out there who know practically nothing about music. But this has been the case for a long, long time. There are so many great guitarists and great riffs that have been produced, especially in the last 150 years it is impossible to really list them. There is no "greatest" just a whole lot of great, really great. And as I told my nephew a long time ago some will never be known at all.

Creedence has some memorable riffs Green River, Bad Moon, Who'll stop the Rain, Proud Mary, Suzie Q

Can't You Hear Me Knocking

(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult

Hold on, we need to define what a riff is first. When does a lick become a riff? Are 3-string chords allowed ? 2 strings?!

The opening Allan Holdsworth guitar part to the song Sweet Revenge from the New Tony Williams Lifetime album Million Dollar Legs is a monster riff

A poll of two thousand people? Was this the UK only via Sky Arts? It's a small sample number which ever way you look at it. You could get a bigger response via this channel!

Message in a Bottle is a hipper Andy Summers riff, imho! Hendrix’s most underrated *actual* riff: In from the Storm. I wouldn’t expect Holdsworth to show up on a list like that, but Metal Fatigue has got to be one of the heaviest riffs ever. Genesis was never a riff band, but Mike Rutherford came up with a few highly unique ones, notably Turn it On Again. Surprised Layla didn’t make it in here, or some of the Cream ones like Politician or Crossroads…

Yeah Summers wrote it (or improvised it on the spot, really), the song wasn't even going to be on the album because it was dead on the water and Sting & Copeland were bikeshedding over the drums for like 2 weeks straight He says he played it in one take which is harder to believe, but he was coming back from practicing guitar duo with Fripp so you know he was on point

Sunshine of your love , Alright now , boys are back in town , and surprisingly no U2 not necessarily favorites of mine but surprised they didn't make the cut

three riffs i'd have on there: Harvey Milk - I Do Not Know How To Live My Life PJ Harvey - Missed Chavez - You Must Be Stopped If you're into riffs and unfamiliar with these, you could do worse than check 'em out

Love your humor! Thanks

I'm pretty sure something from ZZ TOp should be in there. La Grange maybe. Judas Priest - Breaking the law is a really fun riff. Blue Öyster Cult had a shitload of heavy and awesome songs. Godzilla has a great riff. CCR - Fortunate Son. So many great riffs in the history of rock. Who the hell knows which ones are the best ones?

As you said Andy you could just fill the list with Zep, Sabbath and AC/DC. One of my favpurite riffs is Space Station No 5 by Montrose and Bad Motor Scooter is not bad either. Still you've inspired me to dig out some of my vinyl. Currently listening to Breadfan by the mighty Budgie, now there's a riff. Tony Bourge was a very underrated guitarist, he really soars on the track Parents from the same album. Also an honourable mention to Can't You Hear Me Knocking by the Stones the first half of it contains an absolutely mighty riff from Keef.

For me...I was an eleven year old boy and dart dart dartdarenderio...riff came over the radio and the hair in the back of my neck stood straight up. My God ... Brown Sugar.

That's why I am here! Low quality, budget, entertainment 👌

Yeah, Andy Edwards jumpers! Ball caps and tee shirts! Do the merch! Don't forget travel mugs to keep the beverage hot on a cold, damp, dark December day! Can't beat a lovely brew-up for raising morale on days like this.

It's a bit of an odd list even for popularist guitar riffs. I always think of The Smiths when it's about arty folk but should it be This Charming Man or How soon is Now?

There aren't many new rock bands, but a group like The Warning gives me hope for the future.

Sunshine of Your Love - Cream, Hocus Pocus - Focus, Inna Gadda da Vida - Iron Butterfly, Eternity's Breath - Mahavishnu Orchestra...

totally agree re that riff in the middle of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. awesome. sounds great to play also. completely killer. some many great mid song riffs actually. you should do a top 20 mid song riffs.

EAT THAT QUESTION

'Mama' (1971) live on GTK (TV) by Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs (Australia). 10 minutes of blues rock nirvana including scatting. Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl ripped off the song in Cut Me Some Slack. Thorpe, a child singing prodigy, id one of rocks greatest ever vocalists. Thr drummer, Gil Matthews, also a prodigy who toured in America with Buddy Rich as a teen. The Aztecs were also possibly the loudest band in the world with custom made gear apparently rated 1000+ watts. In one gig (see youtube) they famously damaged the stone foundations of the Melbourne Town Hall. Another gig at the Bondi Lifesaver was so loud that the exotic fish in a huge tank on a different floor all, sadly, went belly up. Billy went to America and did Children of the Sun with Leland Sklar. As with many of Australia's rock icons of the 60's and 70's, Billy was a British child immigrant.

Ritchie, Iommi and Page own this issue front to back

No competition, it's Getcha Rocks Off by Def Leppard! Apart from being an awesome "stand-alone" riff, to me it does what many riffs don't do, it continues to be played under the vocal during the verse. Many riffs, like Smoke on the Water, end as the vocal comes in. I bought the original 7" Getcha Rocks Off on Bludgeon Riffola records back in the day, and I still play it today.

Made me laugh again on the sabbath. Its crazy but amazing how they also have most beautiful melodies.good on them for doing it!

Brilliant as ever Andy. Brainstorm by Hawkwind does it for me.

Great stuff Andy. Loved your thoughts on Ozzy's lift-off to that middle section of SBS. Funny as hell. Iron Man is indeed the greatest riff on the Paranoid album. Here's a few more as I'm watching: Whipping Post (Allman Bros); Schools Out (Alice Cooper); Spoonful (Cream); Breadfan (Budgie). Thousands more, but I think you need to go more into what makes a riff great. There are a lot of different elements to me that make a riff classic.

'Day Tripper' has always been my favorite.

Stargazer - Rainbow

Keith's opening riff to Can't You Hear Me Knocking is way cooler than any of the riffs mentioned above and is hands-down the greatest rock riff of all time. Hell, probably the top five riffs of all time are Keith's.

Layla - Eric Clapton Must be on the list - as well as Black Dog

Andy, Sky Arts is channel 36 on Freeview. The first has Iommi and May playing together. I didn't realise there was a poll involved. I thought that EVH played the solo and Steve Lukather played the rest. Sweet Child O' Mine is a great riff because it's really Xanadu. Got interrupted before I finished watching. In the Andy Summers edition he said that he rearranged Sting's original riff.

AC/DC the "stick this in your fuse box" riff in the middle of Live Wire still gets my old ass bangin!

The fact that this list has both purple rain and sultans of swings, which aren't even riffs, and no Smells like Teen Spirit, is utterly mental

Layla, Sunshine of Your Love, All Right Now, Oh Well, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Aqualong, I Want You, Come Together and many more!

7:07 skipped #6 "You Really Got Me"

Although much maligned the synth pop of the early eighties in many ways took on the mantle of the guitar riff. Many songs were based around great keyboard riffs...Human League, Depeche Mode, New Order, Yazoo, Gary Numan, OMD, Tears For Fears...riffmeisters all.

Couple of Led Zeppelin riffs that I like: Good Times, Bad Times and the hard rock section of Bring it on home. And of course, any 20 greatest guitar riff list should start with first 100 being Tony Iommi riffs.

Basically there are so many Great Chuck Berry Riffs, that at least 100 should be named: So I throw in „Are you glad to be in America“ by James Blood Ulmer.

Rush- Spirit of the Radio.

Sunshine of your love Man on the silver mountain

Billy Thorpe. Epic. Tones from Adelaide, Australia.

Look at you, revealing yourself. It's a great thing.

Rock n' roll isn't dead, it's just sleeping

Satisfaction

Two Dire Straits riffs in the Top 5....Hilarious! FWIW, my Top 5... 1. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry 2. "Purple Haze" - Jimi Hendrix 3. "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple 4. "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin 5. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” - Rolling Stones

Seems to be some confusion between a guitar “riff” and a guitar “part”

Black dog must be the longest riff in the history of guitar riffs.. WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO!!! DREAMS TURN TO NIGGTMARES HEAVEN TURNS TO HELL.. yes i remember that sabbath bit now. Loove it all

Keith Richards is on the top!

It's a list of popular riffs I think. I've always liked Lemon Song by Zeppelin and the heavy riff from In a Glasshouse by Gentle Giant. Budgie were a great riffing band. After listening to the end to the list of guitarists, where's Paco de Lucia?

Great vid! I’d go for Willy The Pimp even though it was played on violin.

I miss Zappa here!

Free - Alright Now. Beatles - Helter Skelter. Mountain - Missippi Queen. Focys - Hocus Pocus. Chicago - 25 or 6 to 4. Procol Harem - Broken Barricades. Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman. Blur - Song 2. Neil Young - Hey Hey My My Into the Black.

John Martyn: Smiling Stranger (admittedly a bass riff but so cool!)

The best part of the Stones is the riffs, there should be more here. Also, UFO, even though you mention Schenker in the guitarists part, he's a true riff-meister.

Apparently Les Paul was a descent guitarist before he became a guitar

Princess of the Night, Saxon. Boom.

to paraphrase it with zappa: rock 'n' roll isn't dead but it smells funny

She's Gone Shootin' is my favourite ACDC Riff

Paperback Writer has this beautiful rawness.It's very heavy really but isn't. Cars by Gary Numan isn't a guitar riff but it is.And it is superb.

Andy, you can't beat stupidity because it knows no bounds and is devoid of senses.

What's your favorite leg on a fish?

The Doors - Wild Child

I thought ya said somethin' 'bout Nancy Wilson at the beginning of the video. Barracuda --- what an incredible riff. Dare I say contender for top dog. Simple? yes. Memorable? yep, Heavy? yep... and those harmonic dress it up so you'd never forget it.

How about the riff in *Gamma Ray* by German band *Birth Control* ? (Or maybe "the main riff"? Or am I displaying my ignorance again?) Edit: Oh hang on, I think that's a synth riff, isn't it?

"Money, it's a hit. Don't give me that do-goody-good bul-"

I'd give it to felllow by the name of Grant Geissman. He was guitarist on Feels so Good by Chuck Mangione.

Seahorses Love is the Law (John Squire) an under appreciated riff

Only at 10+ minutes but the Beat It riff is Steve Lukather. Eddie did the solo.

Rick Derringer and Rory Gallagher had some of the greatest rock riffs ever. But they're not in the group of 70s musicians being remembered in current trends and reaction videos.

Layla was top of a similar poll 20 yrs ago, when chances of hitting music fans in a poll of 2 thou was better.

MUSIC MACHINE PSYCHOTIC REACTION!

Layla? Panama? Hey Hey My My? Do Ya?

Money. It’s a hit. Got it all memorable, infectious, odd time signature. Roger liked it so much he left it off his redux 😂

For me NIB is the most awesome Sabbath riff.

Vambo Marble Eye by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

How about "Peaches" by the Stranglers?

Andy mentioned Van Halen, however never brought up the riff in Unchained, which is a killer riff.

Seek And Destroy!

Supernaut by Sabbath off Vol. 4 is the greatest riff of all time.

SLEEP - DOPESMOKER

Sunshine Of Your Love should be Number 1 It's like Smoke On The Water but better

Why isn't Marseilles by Angel City not on the list... Or Layla... that should be on the list... Or Frankenstein... Or Keep Playin' That Rock N Roll... 😊

How about a list of the top twenty Black Sabbath riffs? Or Led Zep riffs? Or Rolling Stones riffs? Or ZZTop riffs? They have all produced plenty to choose from. I'm surprised Layla didnt get in the top 22. Maybe it was 23. Also, I think Oh Well by the real Fleetwood Mac has one of the best riffs ever.

Barracuda - Heart

Cradle Rock - Rory Gallagher

For me, Jimmy Page on Physical Graffiti "In My Time of Dying", "Kashmir", et al.

Your face when it came to PurpleRain was worth the price of admission alone, if there was a price of admission of course. Those of us who actually love riff based rock music will all have our own favourites but before the list went up I really thought Smoke on the Water would be ranked as the greatest - though as you say not necessarily their best - what about Burn or Flight of the Rat? And what about Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and Saxon and Diamond Head and and and and and ...........

I would think most contributors to this list are probably casual listeners, not died in the wool music fans.

The fact that they had to put the bands in brackets for the guitar players tells you all you need to know about who is being polled! You know, the one with the curly hair, from Queen………..and no Budgie on the riffs list? 2000 Spotify listeners would be my guess.