GNR voted Greatest Guitar Riff

[MrRant 0]

The famous guitar riff from Guns N' Roses' seminal single Sweet Child O' Mine has been voted the greatest of all time in a poll conducted by Total Guitar magazine.

 

Total Guitar editor Scott Rowley said the poll indicated that a new era of rock has been ushered in.

 

"To a new generation of guitarists, Metallica are more important than the Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses more thrilling than the Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath better than the Beatles," he said. "Riffs are an interesting measure of people's tastes because they're usually easy to play and very catchy - they're the hook of the song."

 

"This isn't about who's the flashiest guitarist. It's more about the guitarists and songs that get you most excited," he added.

 

Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love came in second and third respectively.

 

http://www.star-ecentral.com/music/sleeve/...s&date=5/5/2004

 

Personally... I agree.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Like I need to even give approval here.

[C Dubya 04 0]

Layla riff > Sweet Child riff >>>> everything else

[Guest Museite]

I agree, but no mention for Layla and Seven Nation Army?

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

"Sweet Child O' Mine" is a great riff, but personally, I think that "My Michelle" and "Welcome to the Jungle" both top it.

 

Of course, "Layla" trumps everything.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

For pure rock and roll riffs that instantly stand out and are identifiable, catchy, and grand, I'll take Paranoid, Purple Haze, and Daytripper. Pretty much anybody with a guitar can play those.

[Ripper 0]

Someone had to mention Stairway first and i guess it should be me.

 

Everyone with a guitar TRIES to play that but nothing gets more flubbed.

[NoCalMike 0]

Layla defintately is one of the all-time greats, and easily better then Sweet Child 'O mine.

[Red Baron 0]

Paranoid is easily one of the best.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I learned how to play guitar through "Iron Man" and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)," so I'm biased as picking those as easily my most identifiable.

 

But "Sweet Child O' Mine" has a riff that, while good, is nowhere near the best. "Louie, Louie," "You Really Got Me," and "All Along The Watchtowers" (Hendrix) are more recognizable, by far.

[skullman80 0]

no love for the riff from "Master of Puppets"...thats a damn fine riff...

[DMann2003 0]

Pour Some Sugar on Me has a killer riff

[C Dubya 04 0]

I'm going to add "Smoke on the Water" and "Satisfaction". Still not better than Layla, but very good and probably more recognizable.

[ZGangsta 0]

Someone had to mention Stairway first and i guess it should be me.

 

There's not really a riff in Stairway per say. I don't know if you're thinking of the intro or the solo but neither of those are really 'guitar riffs.'

 

I love Sweet Child (which Slash supposedly played as a joke the first time), but I think Smoke on the Water, Layla, and Heartbreaker are better, more memorable riffs.

[tbondrage99 0]

Where as I think Sweet Child O Mines riff is amazingly good, I think I have to go with Smells Like Teen Spirit, but I'll settle with it being 2nd.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

While I agree those mentions (mostly "Layla" though) ...i wonder if "Back In Black" got anywhere on the list.

[DrainYou42 0]

Where's "Bad to the Bone"?

[JangoFett4Hire 0]

Rolling Stone's "Bitch" is probably one of the best riffs, I think. Underrated too.

 

How many Zep songs are on the list I wonder. They have so many instantly recognizable ones (Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, Houses of the Holy, Heartbreaker/LLM (SJAW), In the Evening, Communication Breakdown, etc etc).

 

Cream had a ton too.

[haVoc 0]

Speaking of Guns N' Roses, I think a "Behind The Music" may finally be coming out on these guys. But, that is a guess so don't hold me to it.

 

I just read this...

 

Joe Perry and Steven Tyler taped a segment of Behind the Music for one of the biggest bands of the 80's and early 90's.

 

GNR blew up while opening for Aerosmith in the late 80's so, like I said, I'm guessing here.

[1234-5678 0]

Speaking of Guns N' Roses, I think a "Behind The Music" may finally be coming out on these guys. But, that is a guess so don't hold me to it.

 

I just read this...

 

Joe Perry and Steven Tyler taped a segment of Behind the Music for one of the biggest bands of the 80's and early 90's.

 

GNR blew up while opening for Aerosmith in the late 80's so, like I said, I'm guessing here.

Yeah sometime in mid June, followed by a special on Velvet Revolver. Man, Axl is just gonna get buried here, lol.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Did you see VR on Letterman the other night, JAxl? Pretty average performance, but Slash kicked it as usual. I'm buying that album purely because he is on it.

 

UYI

[1234-5678 0]

Nah I didn't see it, I find myself kind of liking "Slither" though. I'll buy it for Slash and Duff, although I have heard the lyrics are kind of subpar (lack of Axl).

[The Mandarin 0]

"Smoke on the Water" > "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

[skullman80 0]

"Smoke on the Water" > "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Does anyone actually think otherwise??...I mean seriously...