10 Best Rock Guitar Riffs Of The 1980s

The Smiths might have been fronted by one of the more obnoxious figures in British rock but at least they could boast the guitar stylising of Johnny Marr.

This was a turning point for the Manchester band, with the ever dreary tone of Morrissey's lyrics, This Charming Man marked a change in mood. Johnny Marr seemed to constantly be battling with Morrissey's misery.

There's an explicit duality to their music: on the one hand you have Morrissey expressing the anxiety inducing condition that is being English, and on the other, you have Marr trying to imbue a sense of the carefree into their sound.

This Charming Man is the epitome of this dichotomy. Although the lyrics are not as down beat as other numbers by the band, they still express the awkwardness of social interactions. Marr's solution was to write a guitar riff that skipped happily along throughout the song, giving listeners the impetus to dance rather than listlessly mope about.

It's one of those riffs that's instantly recognisable, and although a little fiddly, incredibly satisfying to play along with.