top 5 most recognizible guitar riffs

[Hepcat]

If you want a "scientific" perspective on "most recognizable", check this list:

Radio's Most Played Artists

***:

 

[Dave78]

Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

Layla - Derek & the Dominos

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

Baba O'Riley - The Who

Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young

 

[rtbuck]

I also agree on Satisfacaction by the stones Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple & Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry
& would also add
"You Really Got Me" by the Kinks
"Heartbreaker" by Zeppelin

 

[Mr. Shadow]

 

[Magic]

my top 5 most recognizable guitar riffs

1) Smoke on the Water ~ Deep Purple
2) Iron Man ~ Black Sabbath
3) Sunshine of Your Love ~ Cream
4) Sweet Home Alabama ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd
5) Frankenstein ~ Edgar Winter

These songs are recognizable after the first 5 seconds of the song start

 

[runtfan]

Baba O'Riley - The Who

I disagree with this choice. The whole song is built on the sequenced synthesizer part with the same three chords over the top of it. The guitar part is just those three chords - it could be played by any instruments. If I'm not mistaken, on the studio version the guitar doesn't even come in until after the drums. The piano and bass come in first. The Who has gobs of songs that are led and dominated by the guitar - mostly Townsend's excellent (often acoustic) rhythm playing, not rffs necessarily - Baba O'Riley isn't one of them.

 

[Foxhound]

Rtbuck:

Yes, "You Really Got Me" is a great one!

Magic:

) Smoke on the Water ~ Deep Purple
2) Iron Man ~ Black Sabbath
3) Sunshine of Your Love ~ Cream
4) Sweet Home Alabama ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd
5) Frankenstein ~ Edgar Winter

These songs are recognizable after the first 5 seconds of the song start

Five seconds is way too long. "Satisfaction" and "You Really Got Me" are recognizable in a second.

Secondly, I don't think your last two pics are classic enough to make any list of the five most recognizable guitar riffs.

 

[Dave78]

I disagree with this choice. The whole song is built on the sequenced synthesizer part with the same three chords over the top of it. The guitar part is just those three chords - it could be played by any instruments. If I'm not mistaken, on the studio version the guitar doesn't even come in until after the drums. The piano and bass come in first. The Who has gobs of songs that are led and dominated by the guitar - mostly Townsend's excellent (often acoustic) rhythm playing, not rffs necessarily - Baba O'Riley isn't one of them.

I repect your opinion, runtfan, (and somewhat agree) but even though the synthesizer is prominently featured in Baba O'Riley the song still has a distinct, recognizable three-chord guitar riff that almost everyone instantly knows as being from the song "Teenage Wasteland".

 

[annie]

This is a subjective question. Recognizable by whom? different age groups probably are familiar with different types of music.

How about Roy Orbison's opening riff on "Pretty Woman" or Angus Young's on "Back In Black"

 

[METALPRIEST]

These are all great...hey how about CRAZY TRAIN??