10 Best Rock Guitar Riffs Of The 1980s

It's an interesting thought experiment to consider this track was released the same year as Appetite For Destruction. They couldn't have existed in more different realms of rock. There was no flashy guitar solos in this track but it nevertheless earned the band international recognition.

This was the first of many mainstream hits for R.E.M., Michael Stipe wrote some of his most enduring lyrics, with his vocal performance receiving acclaim for its desperate outcries of emotive passion. The track also garnered guitarist Peter Buck adulation for the unique riff. It was a simple part but was expertly deployed to add weight to Stipe's vocals.

The distinctive guitar pattern, and the tone of the instrument, had a sound more akin to what was coming out of the British indie and alternative scenes during the 1980s than other American bands. Given the popularity of this track in the U.S., and the guitar sounds similarity to certain tracks by The Stone Roses, it's surprising the Manchester boys never really made it big over there.