5 Riffs Every Guitarist Must Know

Distilling must-know guitar riffs in a list of only five is difficult.

You’ll notice classics like “Smoke on the Water,” “Iron Man,” and “Enter Sandman” missing. And don’t forget the sweet ones: “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” and “Sweet Emotion.” One could easily fill this page with every missing, deserving riff. Still, if you master the legendary guitar riffs below, you’ll learn more than the individual songs that contain them.

As in anything rock and roll, there are no rules, except for one: No matter how poorly you play, no matter the skill level, play it loud!

Layla, darling, won’t you ease my worried mind?

“Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin from Led Zeppelin II (1969)

In Davis Guggenheim’s 2008 film It Might Get Loud, there’s a scene where Jimmy Page plays the riff to “Whole Lotta Love” in front of Jack White and The Edge, turning the two rock stars into smiling, giddy students. Naming the single greatest guitar riff of all time is ridiculous. However, a better one does not exist. “Whole Lotta Love” opens Led Zeppelin’s second album with a blues-rock masterpiece. When Robert Johnson cut his deal with the devil, generations of musicians reaped the benefits of the guitarist’s sold soul. And that mythical deal had generational consequences. “Whole Lotta Love” is an artifact of Johnson’s Delta deal. Positively sinister.

“20th Century Boy” by T. Rex (Single, 1973)

There isn’t much you can play that’ll sound better than an open E chord on a cranked electric guitar. Like most great riffs, “20th Century Boy” is a lesson in simplicity—no one’s looking to solve a math problem with rock and roll. It’s all about swagger and groove. If you’re rocking and you skip the roll, you’re doing it wrong. “20th Century Boy” is a glam-rock standard from Marc Bolan. This lone riff influenced generations of rock music, from glam and punk to Britpop and indie rock. Check out how beautifully Bolan bends the notes in and out of tune.

“La Grange” by ZZ Top from Tres Hombres (1973)

Billy Gibbons borrowed from John Lee Hooker to create ZZ Top’s signature boogie tune. Gibbons played a 1955 Fender Stratocaster on the track and used his pinky to reach up and pull the 5th fret C slightly out of tune. For the students, the bend raises C to C#—the major 3rd of the (tonic) A chord. Gibbons is also famous for his stellar guitar tone. But the real magic is in the fingers. The track is deeply influential and you don’t get to Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” without ZZ Top’s ode to a brothel.

“Back in Black” by AC/DC from Back in Black (1980)

AC/DC lead guitarist Angus Young said, “[Rhythm guitarist] Malcolm [Young]’s idea was that two of us were always a unit together. We worked as that one unit and tried to make it one big guitar.” A reminder that a group is only as good as its singular sound. AC/DC’s defining riff arrived from tragedy. Singer Bon Scott died in 1980 but the band pressed on with a new singer, Brian Johnson. The album turned AC/DC into an institution. The riff is the rock equivalent of Beethoven’s Fifth.

“Purple Haze” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from Are You Experienced (1967)

There are countless Jimi Hendrix guitar riffs to study: “Little Wing,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” or “Foxy Lady.” But the opening fuzz octave notes of “Purple Haze” are as recognizable as any rock intro. Also, Hendrix turned a jazz chord (E7#9) into one of rock’s most ubiquitous guitar moves. Many guitarists can play the song, but it’s rare to find someone who can mimic Hendrix’s funky right-hand groove. He also used his thumb to play the bass notes, leaving the other fingers free to explore more intervals typical to jazz. Hendrix was once a backing musician; it’s impossible to imagine now. He was such a force and in only a few years, changed the guitar forever.

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