Greatest Rock Guitar Riffs


A British guitar magazine recently polled it readers to compile a list of the greatest guitar riffs. Guns 'N Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" came in at the number spot. Here's a link to the poll results. As you can see the list is entirely metal oriented.

My list would include:

The Chuck Berry intro
The Chuck Berry rhythm
The Bo Diddley beat
Temptations - My Girl
Kinks - You Really Got Me
Steely Dan - Reelin' In the Years
Sam & Dave (Steve Cropper) - Soul Man
Stone Temple Pilots - Plish
Beatles - I Feel Fine intro
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze intro

Is it my fault that nearly all the great riffs are pre-1980?

What's on your list?
128x128onhwy61
Polythene Pam" - Beatles; "What Is Life?" - George Harrison; "It's Late" - Queen; "Livin' Lovin' Maid" - Led Zeplin; "Birthday" - Beatles; "Daytripper" - Beatles; "Pretty Woman" - Roy Orbison; "Venus" - Shocking Blue; "Gloria" - Them;
Paul Westerberg "My Little Problem"
Todd Rundgren "Hammer in My Heart"
Clash "Clampdown"
Yardbirds "Train Kept A Runnin'"
Talking Heads "Crosseyed and Painless"
Patti Smith "Pumping (My Heart)"
Jefferson Airplane "Volunteers"
Outsiders "Time Won't Let Me" (later appropriated by Pretenders for "Time The Avenger")
Deep Purple "Smoke On The Water"
Allmans "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"
etc,etc,etc