Guns N Roses Voted Best Guitar Riff Of All Time

Guns N Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine" Voted Best Guitar Riff Of All Time

posted Aug 12, 2009 at 12:01 PM by Diamond Oz. (50 Comments)

Band Photo: Guns N Roses (?)

Guns N Roses has topped a recent poll of the Greatest Guitar Riffs of all time with their 1987 hit song, "Sweet Child O' Mine." The poll received 5,000 votes and saw Eric Clapton come in second with the classic song, "Layla." Aerosmith came in third with their staple, "Walk This Way," Michael Jackson came in fourth with his song, "Beat It" and Motorhead rounded off the top five with the heavy metal anthem, "Ace Of Spades."

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50 Comments on "Guns N Roses Voted Best Guitar Riff Of All Time"

1. - writes:

hmmmmm

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 12:27 PM ET | IP Logged

2. Brianmn writes:

Sorry but this honor should go to the opening of Master of Puppets.
Either that or Raining Blood.
THOSE are riffs.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 12:28 PM ET | IP Logged

3. ..... writes:

i f***ing hate these bias polls there are so many better riffs out the from bands that arnt mainstream.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 1:16 PM ET | IP Logged

4. Chribbe writes:

What a f***g joke!

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 1:19 PM ET | IP Logged

5. Zontar The Munificent writes:

HOGWASH!!! RUBBISH!!! & ETC...

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 1:27 PM ET | IP Logged

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6. tallica_fan writes:

best riffs or best simple radio friendly riffs? jesus christ according to these clowns enter sandman is metallica's best riff ever and smoke on the water is genius..f*** i hate the mainstream.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 1:56 PM ET | IP Logged

7. spiral_architect writes:

the poll got it wrong........"whole lotta love" is the best riff ever.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 2:12 PM ET | IP Logged

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8. Blindgreed1 writes:

^^^I'll go along with that one. Casmir is a close second.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 2:36 PM ET | IP Logged

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9. Pursuit_Of_Vikings writes:

I don't think it's their best song, but as far as riffage goes in the Zeppelin department, I would have to say I like The Ocean best, with Communication Breakdown coming in second. Metallica-wise, I'd have to go with Blackened, followed by Wherever I May Roam.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 3:17 PM ET | IP Logged

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10. Spider writes:

Led Zepplin - Black Dog

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 4:10 PM ET | IP Logged

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11. wilco writes:

people you should not even lissen to the people who make pols
the have no f***ing clue what they are doing
have to say i would vote for master or battery or chemical warfare

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 4:24 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

12. Rubyred writes:

Yeah, I quess the songs so mentioned above have some pretty amazing Classic riffs but I must say & agree with #2 about "The Master of Puppets" now that's a throw down in your face riff! That's an incredible masterpiece by METALLICA that song should be #1 very complex & groovin heavy riff. Peace!

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 8:03 PM ET | IP Logged

Supporter

13. BoltThrower writes:

What? GnR best riff? Over the likes of:
Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water
Iron Maiden's Wasted Years
Black Sabbath's Paranoid
Black Sabbath's Heaven and Hell
Motorhead's Ace of Spades
Styx's Ms. America
Bob Welch's Ebony Eyes
Blondie's Call Me
Heart's Baracuda

No...F'in...Way....

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 8:24 PM ET | IP Logged

Supporter

14. BoltThrower writes:

I think we need to come up with a definitive METAL UNDERGROUND Greatest Hits. It would be a double album with the first disc being a classic rock leadup to modern metal and the second disc being a definitive museum-worthy piece of TOTAL METAL-slab.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 8:40 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

15. utoad9 writes:

Helmet- In the Meantime
Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade
Megadeth - Wake Up Dead (middle of tune riff)
Tool - Stinkfist
Slayer - South of Heaven
Etc.
Etc.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 8:45 PM ET | IP Logged

Supporter

16. BoltThrower writes:

Helmet: I would agree. That non-stop no rest riff had such a short life. I got that album and still like it.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 8:50 PM ET | IP Logged

Writer, Reviewer

17. psythe writes:

How about Meshuggah's Catch 33 riff - ie the entire album lol

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 9:03 PM ET | IP Logged

Senior News Correspondent

18. Diamond Oz writes:

Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff

I am moar metal than you all!

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 9:05 PM ET | IP Logged

Supporter

19. BoltThrower writes:

I got RUSH riffs filling my head now too. Working Man, Tom Sawyer is a keyboard riff but I can't erase it from my mind, Distant Early Warning isn't a riff as much as a melody but it won't go away....Gaahhhh!!!

Noooo! Now it's Saint Vitus' drums on the Saint Vitus title track. The production is so bad that I can't even distinguish bass and guitar, but that drumming in the interlude sinks hooks deep into my psyche!

Ahhhh! I had to!! I F'ing had to!! The outro of High On Fire's Commeth Down Hessian just told me what the heaviest riff ever was...4:40 into the song you'll witness the heaviest riff ever. Unfortunately you'll only get to hear it 4 times unless you rewind it over and over like I do...There has been the most ultimate 30 seconds of metal ever recorded! The crunchy mosh sections are just a prelude to get you roused. The finish simply leaves you drained of all your once procreation urge! Let it fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 9:08 PM ET | IP Logged

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20. Rychemn writes:

#14 got it right......We need to do our own poll with all of us real metal heads........G-N-R's riff is damn good but I know many others that are way better.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 9:10 PM ET | IP Logged

Supporter

21. BoltThrower writes:

Deathbringer would need to sponsor it.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 9:17 PM ET | IP Logged

Member

22. Jenny writes:

Funny...I as soon as I read the title "Sweet Child O' Mine" I forgot what the riff sounded like for a few seconds. HAHAA! I got it now though, but MAAANN, a no brainer: where IS "Smoke On The Water"? Ah well. Btw, "Walk This Way" shouldn't even by on there! Jeezus. I dig the song "Layla" though, that's a good one. "Best simple radio friendly riffs" as post 6 called it, would be an appropriate name for this; at least for us. We can argue about this forever but the masses can't help it if all they're familiar with is the mainstream. Basically, polls get answers if they include things that everyone has heard of.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 11:00 PM ET | IP Logged

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23. Jenny writes:

*Average polls. That's more like it.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 11:00 PM ET | IP Logged

24. RTB writes:

^ bolt thrower beat me to it with deep purple,...yo bolt, sweet bob welch reference,....that brings back memories..nice

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 11:07 PM ET | IP Logged

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25. Jenny writes:

I GOT ONE! "Symphony Of Destruction" -Megadeth. That riff is catchy as fukk.

# Aug 12, 2009 @ 11:13 PM ET | IP Logged

Reviewer

26. Terminator writes:

sweet child and layla are more licks than riffs

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 12:13 AM ET | IP Logged

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27. Necrovomit writes:

honestly maiden and bodom could pwn anything GNR ever wrote, sh** even dethklok had some good riffs. but master of puppets would take the cake. orion was good too.

-f*** THE MAINSTREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 12:35 AM ET | IP Logged

Writer, Reviewer

28. psythe writes:

Cocaine is a far better than Layla.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 1:14 AM ET | IP Logged

Writer, Reviewer

29. psythe writes:

*a far better song

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 1:14 AM ET | IP Logged

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30. Jamez writes:

Clapton´s best riffs are on all his work with Cream. My favorite riff of all time is actually "Mein teil" by Rammstein

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 8:50 AM ET | IP Logged

31. Becker writes:

Nothing beats powerslave. Another top of my fav riffs are: creeping death, jotun, who I really am intro, travel in Stygian, into the pit, electric head part 1, and cob has some kick a$$ riffs too

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 10:59 AM ET | IP Logged

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32. That_One_Guy writes:

''Mad Butcher'' by Destruction has a killer riff too.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 11:30 AM ET | IP Logged

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33. Blindgreed1 writes:

Utoad: Unsung is also a bad a$$ riff from Helmet. Simple, yet catchy and tricky to do start to finish.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 11:38 AM ET | IP Logged

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34. Jamez writes:

Ok, its not exactly A riff, but there´s something awesome about Meshuggah´s "Bleed". I´m totally TOTALLY hooked to that track. The guitars are just awesome on that one

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 12:58 PM ET | IP Logged

35. haha writes:

Crazy Train, Master of Puppets, Iron Man, I Just Wanna Have Somethin to Do.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 1:02 PM ET | IP Logged

36. jimmy j. writes:

Crazy train and Master of puppets are killer rifts but how about Lamb of God laid to rest and you got something to die for

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 1:47 PM ET | IP Logged

37. nathan from prattville writes:

ok. seriously ever noob on guitar that trys to play these "riffs" is enough but saying they are the best hell no. they over 1,000 better riffs than these. check out some Death songs or Nevermore. every song you hear by those is a f***in masterpiece. f*** mainstream. one riff that could own these 5 is the intro to Walk With Me in Hell by Lamb of God. i hate mainstream.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 3:32 PM ET | IP Logged

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38. Nihilist writes:

Autopsy's ''Hole in The Head'' - that's some a$$hole ripping riff!

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 3:50 PM ET | IP Logged

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39. SHREDDER13 writes:

This poll is pathetic. Everyone go drop your favorite riff(s) in the "RIFFER MADNESS" thread in the forum.

"La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens has the greatest riff of all time.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 4:59 PM ET | IP Logged

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40. utoad9 writes:

Blindgreed...right you are about Unsung. I was in a band a few years back, and we covered that tune. Fun as hell to play, and a crowd pleaser to boot!

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 7:52 PM ET | IP Logged

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41. utoad9 writes:

How could we forget just about every riff that Dimebag wrote?

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 8:23 PM ET | IP Logged

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42. FocusShift writes:

Well, it is only a poll of 5000. I'm guessing it wasn't 5000 people who'd call themselves metalheads, let alone fans of extreme metal; of course it's gonna fail.

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 11:00 PM ET | IP Logged

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43. brettTHEjett writes:

WALK

# Aug 13, 2009 @ 11:52 PM ET | IP Logged

44. Yaw writes:

Where is Ride the lightning? Such a killer riff

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 5:02 AM ET | IP Logged

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45. fourzerotwo writes:

"where is the dimebag on this forum?" I think some one said, I agree. What about Cemetery Gates, of I'm Broken also Dio has got some killers like Holy Diver itself

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 6:13 AM ET | IP Logged

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46. fourzerotwo writes:

and FUKK MAINSTREAM sh**T

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 6:15 AM ET | IP Logged

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47. weasel321 writes:

I really don't think sweet child should be #1 but, that's just me. I agree with almost everybody. What about "hot for teacher", or almost any Van Halen. A good riff should be something that as soon as you hear it you know the song, artist, lyrics, etc. Damn, now I just can't think of any good riffs. BTW, I agree with Helmet "unsung" Sweet song. "American Jesus" by bad religion or "anarchy in the UK" Sex Pistols

# Aug 14, 2009 @ 7:15 AM ET | IP Logged

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48. Spider writes:

Revolution is my name. The opening riff is complex and badass!

# Aug 15, 2009 @ 12:27 AM ET | IP Logged

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49. Spider writes:

Its hard to think.... "Best riff of ALL TIME". Theres a lot of stuff out there to consider. As metalheads we can all think of riffs that are better than SCOM. We should just break it down as:

Best Pantera Riff?
Best Classic Riff?
Best Thrash Riff?
Best 80's Riff?
Best Metallica Riff?
Best Underground Riff?

ALL TIME????

Thats never gonna happen!!

# Aug 15, 2009 @ 12:36 AM ET | IP Logged

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50. Rychemn writes:

^^^^That's the way you do it....you play your guitar riff on the "Mighty MU"......(Sing to the tune of "I Want My MTV).....Hee, hee.......One thing is for sure, if it weren't for Mr. Les Paul, we wouldn't be having this discussion!!!.....R.I.P.

# Aug 26, 2009 @ 3:36 AM ET | IP Logged

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Guns N Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine" Voted Best Guitar Riff Of All Time

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