100 Best Songs With Great Guitar Riffs
Songs That Start With Killer Guitar Hooks or Riffs
There’s a thing that happens when a riff hits right. Not the kind that floats in the background or waits its turn. The kind that shows up in the first few seconds and swings the door open like it owns the place. You hear it and your face scrunches a little. Shoulders move. Maybe your foot’s already tapping before the drums even show up. These aren’t songs that ease in. They slap first, ask questions later. It’s the kind of energy that makes a track unforgettable before the lyrics even land. Doesn't matter if it's a cheap amp in a garage or a headline slot at a stadium. That riff shows up and everything else gets quieter.
They sneak into every genre. You’ve heard them in pop, rock, country, and R&B songs, sometimes where you don’t expect them. That quick punch of distorted guitar in a heartbreak anthem. A weird little twang in a breakup track that somehow feels like confidence. A loop that feels like it’s been circling your brain since middle school. These riffs don’t have to be complex. A few notes, played with the right attitude, can carry a whole song on their back. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s too clean. Sometimes it hits like it got lost from another track entirely. But when it lands, it sticks.
Nobody breaks into a guitar riff like they're tiptoeing. It’s a bold move, an instant vibe check. It tells you the song knows exactly what it's doing, even if the rest of it goes completely off the rails. And maybe that’s the best part. These songs feel lived-in before the first verse even shows up. They kick the door off the hinges and drag you into their world. Here are the best songs with great riffs that don’t wait for permission.
Top 10 Guitar Driven Songs
1. 'Whole Lotta Love'—Led Zeppelin
2. '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'—The Rolling Stones
3. 'Sweet Child O' Mine'—Guns N' Roses
4. 'Smoke on the Water'—Deep Purple
5. 'Back in Black'—AC/DC
6. 'Purple Haze'—Jimi Hendrix
7. 'Johnny B. Goode'—Chuck Berry
8. 'Iron Man'—Black Sabbath
9. 'Seven Nation Army'—The White Stripes
10. 'Sunshine of Your Love'—Cream
Memorable Guitar Riff Tracks #11—30
11. 'Crazy Train'—Ozzy Osbourne
12. 'Walk This Way'—Aerosmith
13. 'Enter Sandman'—Metallica
14. 'Layla'—Derek and the Dominos
15. 'You Really Got Me'—The Kinks
16. 'Sweet Home Alabama'—Lynyrd Skynyrd
17. 'All Right Now'—Free
18. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'—Nirvana
19. 'Money for Nothing'—Dire Straits
20. 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love'—Van Halen
21. 'Day Tripper'—The Beatles
22. 'Rebel Rebel'—David Bowie
23. 'Paranoid'—Black Sabbath
24. 'Thunderstruck'—AC/DC
25. 'Hells Bells'—AC/DC
26. 'Born to Be Wild'—Steppenwolf
27. 'Barracuda'—Heart
28. 'American Woman'—The Guess Who
29. 'Highway to Hell'—AC/DC
30. 'La Grange'—ZZ Top
Classic Guitar Riff Selections #31—50
31. 'Message In A Bottle'—The Police
32. 'Should I Stay or Should I Go'—The Clash
33. 'Tush'—ZZ Top
34. 'Money'—Pink Floyd
35. 'The Trooper'—Iron Maiden
36. 'Breaking the Law'—Judas Priest
37. 'Beat It'—Michael Jackson
38. 'Runnin' Down A Dream'—Tom Petty
39. 'Living On a Prayer'—Bon Jovi
40. 'Stairway To Heaven'—Led Zeppelin
41. 'Don't Fear (The Reaper)'—Blue öyster Cult
42. 'Panama'—Van Halen
43. 'Jump'—Van Halen
44. 'You Shook Me All Night Long'—AC/DC
45. 'Still Loving You'—Scorpions
46. 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'—Yes
47. 'The Spirit of Radio'—Rush
48. 'Carry On Wayward Son'—Kansas
49. 'Smokestack Lightning'—Howlin' Wolf
50. 'Mannish Boy'—Muddy Waters
Top Guitar Riff Hits #51—75
51. 'Cocaine'—Eric Clapton
52. 'Wonderful Tonight'—Eric Clapton
53. 'Alive'—Pearl Jam
54. 'Holy Diver'—Dio
55. 'Symphony Of Destruction'—Megadeth
56. 'The House of the Rising Sun'—The Animals
57. 'Hey Joe'—Jimi Hendrix
58. 'Black Magic Woman'—Santana
59. 'Oye Como Va'—Santana
60. 'Raining Blood'—Slayer
61. 'Master Of Puppets'—Metallica
62. 'Seek and Destroy'—Metallica
63. 'Nothing Else Matters'—Metallica
64. 'Fade to Black'—Metallica
65. 'Ace of Spades'—Motörhead
66. 'Rock You Like a Hurricane'—Scorpions
67. 'Zombie'—The Cranberries
68. 'I Can't Explain'—The Who
69. 'The Seeker'—The Who
70. 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)'—Marilyn Manson
71. 'Killing In The Name Of'—Rage Against The Machine
72. 'Bulls on Parade'—Rage Against The Machine
73. 'No One Knows'—Queens of the Stone Age
74. 'Spoonman'—Soundgarden
75. 'Rusty Cage'—Soundgarden
Iconic Guitar Riff Performances #76—100
76. 'Learn to Fly'—Foo Fighters
77. 'My Sharona'—The Knack
78. 'Come as You Are'—Nirvana
79. 'Do I Wanna Know?'—Arctic Monkeys
80. 'Californication'—Red Hot Chili Peppers
81. 'Scar Tissue'—Red Hot Chili Peppers
82. 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'—Jet
83. 'Black Night'—Deep Purple
84. 'Smoke on the Water'—Deep Purple
85. 'Detroit Rock City'—Kiss
86. 'God Save the Queen'—Sex Pistols
87. 'Pretty Vacant'—Sex Pistols
88. 'Blitzkrieg Bop'—Ramones
89. 'Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress'—The Hollies
90. 'Bad to the Bone'—George Thorogood & The Destroyers
91. 'Green Onions'—Booker T. & the M.G.'s
92. 'Rumble'—Link Wray
93. 'Peter Gunn'—Duane Eddy
94. 'Apache'—The Shadows
95. 'Misirlou'—Dick Dale
96. 'The Cradle'—Electric Light Orchestra
97. 'Do Ya'—Electric Light Orchestra
98. 'Roundabout'—Yes
99. 'Sweet Jane'—The Velvet Underground
100. 'Song 2'—Blur
© 2025 Carson McQueen
