20 Greatest Guitar Riffs Of All Time

7. Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-AYAv0IoWI Alright, show of hands... how many of you were surprised to see this here? None of you? Well, I suppose that figures. The story of this legendary song has humble beginnings. Guitarist Slash was making up a simple riff on the guitar to practice skipping over strings, when rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin asked him to play it again. Singer Axl heard them jamming and couldn't help but add lyrics for it. Initially they viewed it as a goofy song, one that would just be filler on the album. Then of course it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became their signature song and propelled them into superstardom overnight. Take note, aspiring guitarists. A toss-away riff may change your life.

6. Thunderstruck - AC/DC (1990)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2AC41dglnM How many strings does one need to play on to create an epic, memorable riff? You can be like Slash, who in our previous entry used four of the six strings a guitar has. Or, you can be like Angus Young of AC/DC and make a blistering opening riff with one string, and one hand. The late 1980's were not good to AC/DC. After some initial (and phenomenal) success with their replacement lead singer, they sagged a lot in popularity and sales. Their three albums between 1981 and 1989 had tepid sales and lousy reviews. What restored the monsters of rock to their former throne? In part, this song. It was the flagship single off their hit album 'The Razors Edge', and since then has been a must-learn for amateur guitarists striving to take the next step on the skill level.