The greatest guitar riff of all time is from the Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, according to a list compiled by Spinner.
Rumour has it that the world’s best guitar riff was the result of a dream. Keith Richards woke to jot down the lyric contained in the song’s title and the memorable chords, before going back to sleep.
Defining a riff as "a short, repeating musical theme that forms a song’s framework," Spinner compiled the list of the 50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Spanning the rock ‘n’ roll era from the 1950s to the present day, it includes the likes of AC/DC, The Beatles, Cream, David Bowie and Guns N’ Roses.
In second is Jimi Hendrix with Voodoo Child, a song that the band threw together when a visiting TV crew asked them to look busy. Following in third is Iron Man by Black Sabbath, and fourth place went to Led Zeppelin’s Heartbreaker. Rounding out the top five is oldies rock legend Chuck Berry with Johnny B. Goode.
The full list of songs along with audio samples can be found on Spinner‘s website.