The Top 25 Guitar Riffs of All Time, Ranked

A great guitar riff can outlive generations. It's the hook that makes us pick up a guitar, crank the volume, and learn our favorite songs note for note. Some riffs are technically brilliant, others are deceptively simple, but all of them have one thing in common: they're unforgettable.

Here's our countdown of the 25 greatest guitar riffs ever recorded.

Gear to Play These Riffs

Before we dive in — if these riffs have you reaching for your guitar, a few quick recommendations that fit this list perfectly:

• Classic rock amp: Boss Katana 50 MkII — the do-everything amp that nails most of the tones on this list.

• Learn the riffs: Hal Leonard Guitar Tab Collections — official tabs for almost every song below.

• Used gear: Shop used Les Pauls on Reverb — the guitar behind more of these riffs than any other.

25. La Grange — ZZ Top

Billy Gibbons proved that groove can be just as powerful as speed. Few blues-rock riffs are more recognizable. For more on Billy's tone, see our Billy Gibbons feature.

24. Sunshine of Your Love — Cream

Eric Clapton's iconic riff helped define heavy blues-rock and inspired countless guitar players. Full backstory in our History of the Riff: Sunshine of Your Love, and don't miss the companion piece History of the Riff: Layla.

23. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love — Van Halen

Before the tapping and fireworks, Eddie Van Halen introduced the world to one of hard rock's most infectious riffs. Get the full story in The Ultimate Guide to Eddie Van Halen and the rig breakdown in Tone Decoded: Eddie Van Halen.

22. Rebel Yell — Billy Idol

Steve Stevens' driving riff gave this '80s anthem its unmistakable energy.

21. Layla — Derek and the Dominos

Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's guitar work turned this into one of rock's greatest songs. Read the full story in our History of the Riff: Layla.

20. Johnny B. Goode — Chuck Berry

Without this riff, rock guitar as we know it might not exist.

19. Sultans of Swing — Dire Straits

Mark Knopfler's fingerstyle masterpiece remains a lesson in taste and phrasing. Dig deeper in our Tone Decoded: Mark Knopfler and the Sultans of Swing solo masterclass.

18. Iron Man — Black Sabbath

A riff so heavy and ominous that it helped invent heavy metal. Full story in Tony Iommi: The Man Who Invented Heavy Metal.

17. Walk This Way — Aerosmith

Joe Perry's funky, swagger-filled riff is impossible not to recognize. Full rig in Tone Decoded: Joe Perry.

16. Back in Black — AC/DC

Simple, powerful, and endlessly replayable. More on Angus and Malcolm in The Young Brothers: Rock's Perfect Formula.

15. Panama — Van Halen

One of Eddie Van Halen's greatest rhythm performances. Want his tone? See Tone Decoded: Eddie Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen: The Day Guitar Changed.

14. Money for Nothing — Dire Straits

That huge guitar tone and unforgettable opening riff remain legendary. Mark Knopfler's whole approach in Tone Decoded: Mark Knopfler.

13. Sweet Child O' Mine — Guns N' Roses

Slash accidentally wrote one of the most recognizable riffs in rock history. More on his sound in Tone Decoded: Slash and a full solo breakdown in Slash's Sweet Child O' Mine Solo.

12. Mississippi Queen — Mountain

A thunderous riff that influenced generations of hard rock and metal bands.

11. Lay It Down — Ratt

Warren DeMartini's riff is a masterclass in '80s hard rock guitar. Full feature in Warren DeMartini: Ratt's Underrated Guitarist.

10. Barracuda — Heart

Nancy Wilson's aggressive riff remains one of rock's most underrated masterpieces.

“A great guitar riff can outlive generations.”

9. Crazy Train — Ozzy Osbourne

Randy Rhoads combined classical influences and heavy metal into one iconic riff. Read Randy Rhoads: Still Ahead of His Time and the Mr. Crowley solo breakdown. For the follow-up era, see Jake E. Lee: Replacing Randy Rhoads.

8. Paranoid — Black Sabbath

Proof that some of the greatest riffs are also the simplest. Full Iommi story in Tony Iommi: The Man Who Invented Heavy Metal.

7. Purple Haze — Jimi Hendrix

A psychedelic masterpiece that changed guitar forever. Full breakdown in our History of the Riff: Purple Haze.

6. Master of Puppets — Metallica

The ultimate thrash metal riff and a showcase of James Hetfield's right-hand precision. Pair it with The Ultimate Guide to Kirk Hammett and the Best Metal Guitars of 2026.

5. Money — Pink Floyd

Its unusual time signature only makes David Gilmour's riff more memorable. See Tone Decoded: David Gilmour, Decoding David Gilmour's Tone, and The Ultimate Guide to David Gilmour.

4. Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd

A Southern rock anthem with one of the most beloved riffs ever recorded. The same band's Free Bird solo is required listening too.

3. Enter Sandman — Metallica

Arguably the most famous metal riff of all time. More Hammett in The Ultimate Guide to Kirk Hammett.

2. Smoke on the Water — Deep Purple

Every guitarist has played it. Every guitar store has heard it. The Blackmore solo lives on in Highway Star: 50 Years Later, Still Untouchable.

1. Whole Lotta Love — Led Zeppelin

Jimmy Page's earth-shaking riff sits at the top of our list. Heavy, bluesy, and endlessly influential, it's the very definition of a timeless guitar riff. We broke it down in History of the Riff: Whole Lotta Love, and the band's solo crown lives in Stairway to Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Solo Ever Recorded?.

Ready to Play These Riffs?

If reading this got you itching to plug in, here are the picks we'd actually buy ourselves:

• Beginner electric guitar: Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster — the best sub-$500 Strat money can buy.

• For the metal crowd: ESP LTD EC-256 — a Les Paul-style shredder built for Master of Puppets and Enter Sandman.

• Amp: Boss Katana 50 MkII — the do-everything classic rock amp.

• Tab books: Hal Leonard Guitar Tab Collections.

• Used gear: Shop used Les Pauls on Reverb.

Vote: What's the Greatest Guitar Riff of All Time?

We ranked our 25 — now it's your turn. Cast your vote for the riff you think deserves the #1 spot.

Final Thoughts

No ranking will ever satisfy every guitar player — and that's exactly why lists like these are so much fun. Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know your picks for the greatest guitar riff of all time in the comments.

Keep Reading

• The companion list: The Top 25 Guitar Solos of All Time

• Tone deep dives: Top 10 Guitar Tones of All Time · Tone Decoded: David Gilmour · Tone Decoded: Slash · Tone Decoded: Eddie Van Halen · Tone Decoded: Mark Knopfler · Tone Decoded: Joe Perry · Tone Decoded: John Mayer

• History of the Riff: Whole Lotta Love · Sunshine of Your Love · Layla · Purple Haze · Surfing With the Alien

• Iconic Solos: Free Bird · Eruption · Stairway to Heaven · Mr. Crowley · Highway Star · Comfortably Numb · Sweet Child O' Mine · Sultans of Swing

• Guitar shopping: Best Metal Guitars of 2026 · Best Guitars Under $1,000 · Best Electric Guitars Under $500

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