Last Updated on April 2, 2020 by Klaus Crow

Photo by Bigstock photo

There’s something about playing guitar riffs. Creating that cool sound with your own bare fingers while sliding down and bending up those strings feels just like pure magic. Ain’t nothing like it.

Also the excitement of learning and eventually mastering a challenging riff is unbelievably fulfilling.

Let alone playing that riff with a real band will give you a true adrenaline rush. Yes that’s why we love to play riffs.

A little while ago I created a list with “50 of The Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time”. After that I got a lot of requests for a “Greatest Riffs of all Time” list. And I thought ‘yeah why not?’ So here you are.

As most of you know the lists on Guitarhabits are in no particular order and they are never complete. The lists are here to inspire and to motivate.

You might discover a riff or song on the list that you haven’t thought of before and would really like to learn. Maybe you’ll get some new ideas for practice or encounter a “mustknowriff” for your repertoire. It’s all here.

I was thinking about my personal favorite and it’s just too hard to choose only one. There are too many brilliant creations and all unique in their own way. I love the simplicity of “highway to hell”, the beautiful, mysterious, wah wah riff of “Voodoo child”, I have a weak spot for almost every guitar riff by John Frusciante or Slash and not to mention the zillion riffs that aren’t even on the list. Thank god it never stops.

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Enjoy the list!

1 – Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – Jimi Hendrix – Tabs

2 – Satisfaction – Rolling Stones – Tabs

3 – Smoke on the water – Deep Purple – Tabs

4 – Sunshine of your love – Cream – Tabs

5 – Sweet child o’ mine – Guns ‘n Roses – Tabs

6 – Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry – Tabs

7 – Whole lotta love – Led Zeppelin – Tabs

8 – Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix – Tabs

9 – Walk This Way – Aerosmith – Tabs

10 – Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana – Tabs

11 – You Really Got Me – The Kinks – Tabs

12 – Day Tripper – The Beatles – Tabs

13 – Paranoid – Black Sabbath – Tabs

14 – Highway to hell – AC/DC – Tabs

15 – Layla – Derek And The Dominos – Tabs

16 – Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Tabs

17 – Iron Man – Black Sabbath – Tabs

18 – Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison – Tabs

19 – Money For Nothing – Dire Straits – Tabs

20 – Enter Sandman – Metallica – Tabs

21 – Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes – Tabs

22 – Back In Black – AC/DC – Tabs

23 – Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne – Tabs

24 – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love – Van Halen – Tabs

25 – Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits – Tabs

26 – Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor

27 – Rebel Rebel – David Bowie – Tabs

28 – Paperback writer – The Beatles – Tabs

29 – Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC – Tabs

30 – Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Tabs

31 – Money – Pink Floyd – Tabs

32 – Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz – Tabs

33 – Wild Thing – The Troggs

34 – Roadhouse Blues – The Doors – Tabs

35 – Rockin’ in a free world – Neil Young – Tabs

36 – Always on the run – Lenny Kravitz – Tabs

37 – Kashmir – Led zeppelin – Tabs

38 – Killing in the name of – Rage against the machine – Tabs

39 – Pride And Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tabs

40 – Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf – Tabs

41 – Alive – Pearl Jam – Tabs

42 – Master Of Puppets – Metallica – Tabs

43 – The trooper – Iron Maiden – Tabs

44 – Pinball wizard – The Who – Tabs

45 – All right now – Free

46 – Ace Of Spades – Motorhead

47 – Welcome to the jungle – Guns ‘n Roses – Tabs

48 – Beat it – Michael Jackson – Tabs

49 – La Grange – ZZ Top – Tabs

50 – Can’t stop – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Tabs

If I missed out on your personal favorite guitar riff, please share it in the comments.

I’d appreciate it.