Throughout rock n roll history there have been many iconic guitar intros. Below I will list 10 of the 20 best in my opinion.
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This list is constructed based on my personal opinions. You may choose to disagree with them. For this list, I will stick to mainly Rock N Roll songs. Not venturing too much into Metal or other genres. I will also try to only put one or two songs by an artist on this list as if there wasn’t a limit this list could just be two people.
20. Photograph, Def Leppard
This is one of the first guitar intros I ever heard, so it holds a special place in my heart. It probably isn’t the best or most popular Def Leppard riff ever. Nonetheless, it is still an amazing one. It’s simple, hooks the listener and builds perfectly into the song. There isn’t much more you could ask from a guitar intro.
19. Mama Kin, Aerosmith
One of two Aerosmith riffs on this list. One of my personal favourite Aerosmith riffs and the second Aerosmith guitar intro I ever heard, with the first being Walk This Way. The intro itself builds itself into the first set of Steven Tyler vocals perfectly. The first bit of the intro repeats itself twice, which yes makes it a bit longer, but makes it just that much better. There are points where the guitar of Joe Perry kinda gets lost between the horns and other instruments. Nonetheless, it is still a good riff on its own.
18. Schools Out, Alice Cooper
If it isn’t the song that every kid loves to sing on the last day of school. Sure this song isn’t popular because of the intro, and the intro often gets forgotten behind the previously mentioned fact that the song is known for being a song about school being out. The intro itself is still a good one. It has an almost rolling feel with the chord progression. It’s simple and hooks the listener. It also builds up to the first set of Alice Cooper vocals beautifully. With the riff continuing throughout most of the song besides mainly the chorus and pre-chorus.
17. Times Like These, Foo Fighters
The non-popular yet superior Foo Fighters intro. I could’ve easily put Everlong on this list and it is the more popular song, but Times Like These takes the cake for me. The intro starts off with seemingly random guitar strumming. Then transfers into the main section of the intro. The riff itself has an almost rolling chord progression to it. It’s a riff that has similarities to other popular riffs but finds its own way to be unique. It’s a hard riff to describe because there’s so much going on but nothing seems out of place in any way. Everything works in perfect harmony.
16. Smoke On The Water, Deep Purple
Yes, this is stereotypical and the easy answer to put on this list. Nonetheless, it is one of the most well-known riffs out there. The chord progression is simple and easy to understand. Which makes it simple to remember and which therefore makes it an easy riff to get stuck in your head. I mean I remember sitting in math class a while back and just humming out the riff to myself randomly. It’s easy to get stuck in your head I had only heard it maybe twice in my life and had the progression memorized to perfection. If you’re a beginner, this is your song if you want to get comfortable with the guitar, the chords are simple and super easy to find online. Sure it’ll probably get you some not-so-friendly looks in guitar stores, so I wouldn’t recommend playing it in guitar stores. But if you’re a true Rock N Roller you don’t care what others think about you.
15. So Far Away, Dire Straits
One of two Dire Straits songs on this list. The intro starts off with an almost Genesis-like guitar sound. Transferring into an almost bursting riff. It’s calming, simple and easily gains the attention of a listener. The riff itself isn’t the most memorable, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad riff. It’s a riff that stands out because of the unique tone compared to any other Knopfler riff.
14. Walk This Way, Aerosmith
It’s hard to think of a guitar riff that is more simple yet iconic than the one in Aerosmith’s Walk This Way. This song isn’t popular or known for its sweet intro, however. As Aerosmith’s mashup with Run DMC would make the song both popular and help Aerosmith make their way back into the spotlight after one of their many split-ups. Nonetheless, the guitar intro itself is pretty good for a band that isn’t generally known for their guitar work or very guitar-heavy. Walk This Way is probably one of the most known Aerosmith intros of all time. With the intro being instantaneously recognizable.
13. Back In Black, AC/DC
Thunderstruck or Back In Black, which is better? Both are good, but to me Back In Black showcased the start of the new era of AC/DC. The riff instantly hooked you to the song and gained your interest. Which is what a good intro should do. Angus Young would be able to carry that guitar style thought out the entire song, but we’re only here to talk about the intro. The opening riff is simple but it does what it’s intended to do, get the listener hooked.
12. Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne
Although this is technically metal, I couldn’t leave this one off. This is probably one of the most iconic Randy Rhodes riffs. It suits the song and Ozzy’s style perfectly. The riff fits the song, as the song kinda sits on the line between metal and hard rock. Rhodes was able to hook the listener perfectly and build into the first set of vocals perfectly and quickly.
11. Highway To Hell, AC/DC
You know the riff. Highway to Hell is probably one of the most known and recognizable guitar riffs ever. You’ve probably blasted the song driving down the highway at some point. Jamming out to the sweet intro or the easy-to-remember lyrics. Nonetheless, Highway To Hell is a song universally known. The riff itself is simple and builds perfectly into Bon Scott’s sweet vocals.
My name is Joe Moore. I am a writer for Belly Up Hockey, Belly Up Racing, and Belly Up Sports. You can find me on Twitter.
