12 Best Ever Hard Rock Riffs

While there may have been more popular grunge bands coming out in the 90's, there was no one who could compete with the musicianship of Soundgarden. It seemed that each member had their unique voice on their respective instrument, while also having God's Gift to Vocalists in Chris Cornell.

In addition to his showstopping voice, Cornell also had a knack for writing some of the band's most infectious riffs, with "Spoonman" being one of his absolute best. Like much of Soundgarden's work, the riff has a complex meter that seems to swirl around the listener's brain. The tune also boasts another alt-rock trademark: Drop-D Tuning. By turning every note into a chord, this riff went from being a bluesy prog run to a metallic juggernaut that hits you right in the center of the chest.

Even if the lyrics of the tune revolve around nothing more than a street musician who plays the spoons, it doesn't really matter when everything comes back to this riff. The entire tune feels like Black Sabbath by way of The Melvins, which turned out to be a marriage made in heaven for the entire rock community. Though Chris Cornell has earned numerous accolades for his vocals, his propensity for writing riffs like these bring him to a different level of rock god.