top 5 most recognizible guitar riffs

[annie]

I don't know about recognizable, but a guitar magazine chose the following ans the greatest.

The UK's Total Guitar (http://www.futurenet.com/totalguitar/) magazine recently published its list of the "Top 100 Greatest Riffs." You might be surprised.

Guns N' Roses' anthem Sweet Child O' Mine took top honors, followed by Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love, and Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water.

From BBC News (2004) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3677965.stm), the rest of the top 25 are:

5. Enter Sandman - Metallica
6. Layla - Derek & The Dominoes/Eric Clapton
7. Master Of Puppets - Metallica
8. Back In Black - AC/DC
9. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
10. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
11. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
12. All Right Now - Free
13. Plug In Baby - Muse
14. Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
15. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen
16. Walk This Way - Aerosmith w Run DMC
17. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
18. No-One Knows - Queens Of The Stone Age
19. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses
20. Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine

 

[METALPRIEST]

Those are all pretty memorable ^^^^

 

[Andwar]

Smoke On the Water - Deep Purple
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
I Feel Fine - The Beatles
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
Black Dog - Led Zeppelin

and many others just missing the top 5 are listed by other people.

 

[taha]

Uh, Strangehold and Cat Scratch Fever are easily noticed and for some Metal, DA TROOPER !!!

 

[snakes&ladders]

oNE FOR ALL....THERE ARE FEW IMMEDIATE RIFFS OUT THERE THAT CAN TOP THIS ONE

 

[snakes&ladders]

 

[Odysseus]

Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh
Funk 49 - James Gang
Walk Away - James Gang
Life in the Fast Lane - Eagles
Hotel California - Eagles
... gee, I see a pattern emerging here. We love you Joe.

Other possible inclusions:

Venus - Shocking Blue
Pinball Wizard - The Who
Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood
Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny (#1 on the charts in '59) - great tune
Wipeout - Surfaris

 

[Odysseus]

Maybe not top 5 but no question as to their distinction:

Dirty Water - Standells
Kicks - Paul Revere and the Raiders
The Core - Eric Clapton
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - BTO
Over Under Sideways Down - Yardbirds
Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer solo (but first recorded with Johnny Winter off the excellent "Johnny Winter And" album)
Jessica - Allman Bros

 

[Hepcat]

How about Roy Orbison's opening riff on "Pretty Woman"....

That's a great one! It's immediately recognizable.

 

[Magic]

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.

B.O.L.O.G.N.A. Classic is only a presumptive definition...and we are not talking "classic" but recognizable and signature for that song.

Ask any kid or adult...they will recognize Sweet Home Alabama in an instant.