It’s a known fact that guitar riffs are insanely popular in the rock and metal world. Guitar riffing in various subgenres of rock and metal has made jaws drop. This article offers a detailed perspective on the best rock guitar riffs and metal guitar riffs.

A guitar riff serves as a thematic idea for a song which adds the signature element of musical ideas. In simple terms a guitar riff is the main musical theme of the song which may be heard one time or at different times during the song. A riff could be a sequence of chords or a flurry of notes that emphasize a signature sound in a song. Since early days in music, guitar riffs have mesmerized audiences with their unique augmentation. In rock music guitar riffs form the core signature sound of a musical idea. A riff brings out the melodic groove that connects with the listener in a subconscious state.

Riffs are the mainstay of a song that may be repeated at different intervals of the song, or just once as the song opens, or during the chorus.

Rock riffs and metal riffs are excessively popular with individuals learning to play the guitar. Rock riffs and metal riffs encompass elements of groove, melodic aspects and brutal poetic sound aesthetically, and that’s the reason we find novice guitar players emulating riffs of their favorite rock songs.

Guitar riffing in the 60s took a new direction with many bands experimenting with song structure. The guitar riffs at different stages of the song became hugely popular with progressive bands of the 60s and 70s and the trend has continued with bands in the progressive rock and progressive metal domain. Heavily distorted guitar riffs are a manic rage in heavy metal and its extreme subgenres. Many metal guitarists use brutal distortion patches while playing their riffs at various stages in a song. Rock guitar riffs in the past and present have emphasized poetically to captivate minds and hearts.

Riffing techniques among guitar players vary in accordance with the song and picking preferences. Guitar players with strong alternate picking and economy picking often come up with mesmerizing riffs that come to life with a flurry of notes and chords. Many guitar players showcase complex guitar riffs in various extreme metal genres.

A riff may be a simple two chord progression or a number of notes that augment sound, either way riffs should add dynamism to the structure of song composition. In rock and metal, it’s often guitar riffs that help a song go further in a musical direction. Rock guitar riffs and metal guitar riffs have always been and will always be popular with music aficionados. In the days ahead it’s going to be to be a feast of guitar riffs in different music genres. Keep listening and keep churning out those monster guitar riffs.

The list below encompasses an epic list of rock guitar riffs and metal guitar riffs that have enslaved hearts and minds. This list is not an attempt to rank songs in accordance with riffs; it’s just a celebrative showcase of the best guitar riffs.

100 Greatest Rock Guitar riffs and Metal Guitar Riffs

1. Walk- Pantera
2. Smoke on the Water- Deep Purple
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana
4. Whole Lotta Love- Led Zeppelin
5. Back In Black- AC/DC
6. Paranoid- Black
7. Sweet Child O’ Mine- Guns N’ Roses
8. Sunshine of Your Love- Cream
9. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)- Jimi Hendrix
10. You Really Got Me- The Kinks
11. Breaking The Law- Judas Priest
12. Symphony of Destruction- Megadeth
13. Alive- Pearl Jam
14. Killing in the Name- Rage Against The Machine
15. Are You Gonna Be My Girl- The Jets
16. Enter Sandman- Metallica
17. Day Tripper- The Beatles
18. Holy Diver- Dio
19. Layla- Derek and The Dominos
20. Every Breath You Take- The Police
21. Are You Gonna Go My Way- Lenny Kravitz
22. Eye of The Tiger- Survivor
23. Ace of Spades- Motorhead
24. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll- Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
25. Born to Be Wild- Steppenwolf
26. Money For Nothing- Dire Straits
27. All Right Now- Free
28. Spirit of Radio- Rush
29. Rational Gaze- Meshuggah
30. Sweet Home Alabama- Lynyrd Skynyrd
31. The Trooper- Iron Maiden
32. Pretty Vacant- Sex Pistols
33. Sharp Dressed Man- ZZ Top
34. Pull Me Under- Dream Theater
35. My Sharona- The Knack
36. Hammer Smashed Face- Cannibal Corpse
37. Rock You Like a Hurricane- Scorpions
38. Man on The Silver Mountain- Rainbow
39. Outshined- Soundgarden
40. Hocus Pocus- Focus
41. Roadhouse Blues- The Doors
42. Beast and the Harlot- Avenged Sevenfold
43. Barracuda- Heart
44. Walk This Way- Aersomith
45. Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes
46. Caught In A Mosh- Anthrax
47. ‘Runnin’ With The Devil- Van Halen
48. Carry On Wayward Son- Kansas
49. Zero Tolerance- Death
50. Satisfaction- The Rolling Stones
51. Down With the Sickness- Disturbed
52. Sultans of Swing- Dire Straits
53. Motorcycle Emptiness- Manic Street Preachers
54. Diamond Head- Am I Evil
55. Hysteria- Muse
56. Balls to the Wall- Accept
57. Man in the Box- Alice In Chains
58. Take Me Out- Franz Ferdinand
59. Blitzkreig Bop- The Ramones
60. Architect of Pain- Exodus
61. How Soon Is Now?- The Smiths
62. Run To You- Bryan Adams
63. Scar Tissue- Red Hot Chili Peppers
64. Blood and Thunder- Mastodon
65. Money- Pink Floyd
66. Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys
67. Monkey Wrench- Foo Fighters
68. Freezing Moon- Mayhem
69. Scream For Silence- Children of Bodem
70. Sex Type Thing- Stone Temple Pilots
71. Don’t Fear the Reaper- Blue Oyster Cult
72. Say it Ain’t So- Weezer
73. Pinball Wizard- The Who
74. Long Train Runnin’- The Doobie Brothers
75. I Got Mine- The Black Keys
76. Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train
77. Wanted Dead or Alive- Bon Jovi
78. Owner of a Lonely Heart- Yes
79. Clenching the Fists of Dissent- Machine Head
80. Hello from The Gutter- Overkill
81. Fools Gold- The Stone Roses
82. Stillborn- Black Label Society
83. Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)- Skunk Anansie
84. Pleasure to Kill- Kreator
85. Bohemian Like You- The Dandy Warhols
86. Arise- Sepultura
87. Witching Hour- Venom
88. Oh Well- Fleetwood Mac
89. Welcome Home- King Diamond
90. No Love Lost- Carcass
91. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida- Iron Butterfly
92. I Believe In a Thing Called Love- The Darkness
93. Angel of Death- Slayer
94. Dehumanized- Symphony X
95. No Surprises- Radiohead
96. The Bucket- Kings of Leon
97. Lateralus- Tool
98. Should I Stay Or Should I Go- The Clash
99. Waking the Demon- Bullet for My Valentine
100. Celebrity Skin- Hole

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Thank you for visiting my profile. I am a Freelance Content Writer. I like to learn something new every day. When I’m not at the computer, I’m either reading or on vacation. I dwell in peace, I hope you do too. My Favorite Quote “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.”- Dalai Lama

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