12 Best Ever Hard Rock Riffs

12. Burn - Deep Purple

Deep Purple have been a band synonymous with classic guitar riffs. Ever since their inception, Ritchie Blackmore has graced the music world with some of the guitar's greatest musical moments. While "Smoke On the Water" is the classic riff from him that has driven many a Guitar Center employee insane, "Burn" is where the swagger really starts coming through.

At the time, Deep Purple were undergoing a sea change in their sound, with the incomparable songwriting team of Roger Glover and Ian Gillan being replaced by Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale. Replacing a lineup of that caliber would be impossible enough, but the title track to this song showed Blackmore was far from finished with his six-string wonders.

With Coverdale in tow, the whole tone of the band went in a more bluesy direction, with this riff being an unofficial introduction for the band's new sound. The core of the tune is centered around the off-rhythm hammer-ons, which gracefully fly off the cuff while Hughes' trademark backing vocals bring the song even more over the top.

There may be a special place in the rock and roll heavens for "Smoke On the Water," but "Burn" was the make-or-break moment for Purple that proved this band still had giants among their lineup.