Sky Arts discovers the nation's greatest guitar riff of all time

[jarmo]

https://www.skygroup.sky/en-gb/article/sky-arts-discovers-the-nation-s-greatest-guitar-riff-of-all-time

Sky polls UK music aficionados to reveal the nation’s favourite 6-string riff of all time to celebrate launch of Greatest Guitar Riff’s on Sky Arts

Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns n’ Roses is the best guitar riff of all time – more than 35 years after it was released.

A poll of 2,000 music fans saw Prince’s Purple Rain voted in second place, with Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits taking third.

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GREATEST GUITAR RIFFS OF ALL TIME

1.    "Sweet Child o' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
2.    “Purple Rain” - Prince
3.    "Sultans of Swing" - Dire Straits
4.    "Smoke on the Water" - Deep Purple
5.    "Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits
6.    "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
7.    "Beat It" - Michael Jackson (Eddie Van Halen)
8.    "Every Breath You Take" - The Police
9.    "Walk This Way" - Aerosmith
10.    "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
11.    “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – Rolling Stones
12.    "Born to Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
13.    "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin
14.    "Purple Haze" - Jimi Hendrix
15.    "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
16.    "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie
17.    "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
18.    "Day Tripper" - The Beatles
19.    "Back in Black" - AC/DC
20.    "Thunderstruck" – AC/DC
21.    "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
22.    "Enter Sandman" – Metallica


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/jarmo

[GnRScouse]

Dire Straits twice in the top 5 is a bit of a stretch!

[cineater]

Congrats to Slash.     How do you like it now? 

[AdZ]

What the fuck is the riff in Purple Rain? The repeated bit in the solo?!

[PermissionToLand]

What the fuck is the riff in Purple Rain? The repeated bit in the solo?!

My question as well.

AC/DC being so far down the list is a joke. They are the kings of riffing, only remotely challenged by Slash.

[cineater]

I'm wondering where Eric Clapton is in all this?  Many famous guitar players missing but then again, fans age, songs don't make it into the top ten, stuff like that.

[Mysteron]

I'm wondering where Eric Clapton is in all this?  Many famous guitar players missing but then again, fans age, songs don't make it into the top ten, stuff like that.

The same program listed Eric Clapton as the third best guitarist of all time, if that helps

[ITARocker]

Too many riffs out there, can t really say which is the best one. This list is very banal tbh

[The Wight Gunner]

They've just started a series on the Riff, the first episode was with Tommi Iommi of Black Sabbath, I look forward to seeing who else pops .

[Mysteron]

They've just started a series on the Riff, the first episode was with Tommi Iommi of Black Sabbath, I look forward to seeing who else pops .

Episode Two

Legendary guitarist Andy Summers reflects on his favourite riffs of all time and tells the stories of the riffs that brought fame and fortune to The Police, including the opening bars of Grammy Award-winning hit Every Breath You Take. Andy also pays a visit to one of the best jazz guitar players of all time, George Benson.

Episode Three

Heart’s Nancy Wilson takes us on a very personal journey through the music and the riffs that influenced her, tracing a through-line from the music of Heart into the grunge scene of the 1990s. She’s joined by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil.

[Mysteron]

Dire Straits twice in the top 5 is a bit of a stretch!

They interviewed 2000 people, so I guess it's just about who those 2000 people are. Dire Straits were the biggest band for a while, they were everywhere, but it didn't last long. I'm sure if it was different 2000 people, then you would get a vastly different list. I think the Prince song was revived by X Factor a few year back, so that's probably why it is in the list even though it's not 'riffy'. The program itself looks rather random, episode 3, the journey from Heart, the band, through to grunge. Not the band I'd pick as a starting point.

[cineater]

They've just started a series on the Riff, the first episode was with Tommi Iommi of Black Sabbath, I look forward to seeing who else pops .

There ya go, ask the guitar players.  Don't ask some random 2000 people who don't study music.