What are the most iconic guitar riffs of all time? That was the question put to the UK as part of BBC’s celebration of the instrument in a week-long series of special broadcasts, documentaries, and live performances – culminating in a listener poll of the 100 greatest riffs ever.

Spanning over half-a-century of memorable licks, from Chuck Berry’s 1958 classic ‘Johnny B. Goode to as recently as Arctic Monkeys ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ and Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’, the selections were made by a panel including BBC Radio DJs, music critics, industry experts, and record producers, before being voted on by the BBC Radio 2 listeners.

Emerging victorious on the list was Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’, with a “knocked out” Jimmy Page remarking of claiming the #1 spot: “I wanted a riff that really moved, that people would really get, and would bring a smile to their faces. but when I played it with the band, it really went into overdrive. There was this intent to have this riff and the movement of it, so it was menacing as well as quite sort of caressing.”

Following Zeppelin were equally classic cuts, including Guns ‘N Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine (#2), Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water’ (#4), Eric ‘Slowhand’ Clapton’s Derek & The Dominoes (‘Layla’ #5), and ‘Back In Black’ by AC/DC (#4) – the first of three Aussies to make the grade. Trailing towards the end of the list were INXS’s ‘Need You Tonight’ (#65) and Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ (#97).

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One caveat of the poll is that each artist can only appear once to ensure no one band dominates the list, but it does lead to some rather head-scratching selections (Foo Fighters’ lame Tom Petty rip-off ‘Wheels’ over, oh, anything else in their catalogue?). As is always the case with these kinds of polls, there’s plenty to argue over as well.

There’s plenty of obvious dues paid (‘Enter Sandman’? Check. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’? Check.) but also a preference for bands popular in the UK over more wider-respected riffs (Manic Street Preachers over White Stripes, while Ocean Colour Scene pips Pearl Jam, Oasis, Van Halen, QOTSA – you name it), and aside from cuts from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Breeders, there’s also a distinct lack of female guitar heroes in the list.

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Take a look at the full 100 below, just be prepared to get more confused the further down you go.

The Top 100 Guitar Riffs Of All Time

As voted for by BBC Radio 2

  1. Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
  2. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns ‘N’ Roses
  3. Back In Black – AC/DC
  4. Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple
  5. Layla – Derek And The Dominoes
  6. How Soon Is Now? – The Smiths
  7. Down Down – Status Quo
  8. Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
  9. You Really Got Me – The Kinks
  10. Money – Pink Floyd
  11. Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
  12. Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
  13. Motorcycle Emptiness – Manic Street Preachers
  14. 20th Century Boy – T. Rex
  15. Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys
  16. Enter Sandman – Metallica
  17. Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
  18. The Spirit Of Radio – Rush
  19. Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
  20. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
  21. All Right Now – Free
  22. Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
  23. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
  24. Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream
  25. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
  26. Paranoid – Black Sabbath
  27. I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction) – The Rolling Stones
  28. Day Tripper – The Beatles
  29. The Riverboat Song – Ocean Colour Scene
  30. Alive – Pearl Jam
  31. One Vision – Queen
  32. She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult
  33. Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
  34. Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
  35. No Surprises – Radiohead
  36. Hocus Pocus – Focus
  37. Cigarettes & Alcohol – Oasis
  38. No One Knows – Queens of The Stone Age
  39. I Can’t Explain – The Who
  40. Under The Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers
  41. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love – Van Halen
  42. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
  43. Fools Gold – The Stone Roses
  44. Apache – The Shadows
  45. Run To You – Bryan Adams
  46. Stay With Me – Faces
  47. Atomic – Blondie
  48. Life In The Fast Lane – Eagles
  49. Milk & Alcohol – Dr. Feelgood
  50. Spoonman – Soundgarden
  51. Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash
  52. Killing in The Name – Rage Against The Machine
  53. Beat It – Michael Jackson
  54. Don’t Believe A Word – Thin Lizzy
  55. Walk This Way – Aerosmith / Aerosmith & RUN-D.M.C.
  56. Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
  57. Mannish Boy – Muddy Waters
  58. Peter Gunn – Duane Eddy
  59. Good Times – Chic
  60. Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
  61. Misirlou – Dick Dale
  62. Song 2 – Blur
  63. Marquee Moon – Television
  64. Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
  65. Need You Tonight – INXS
  66. Pride (In The Name Of Love) – U2
  67. Shakin’ All Over – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
  68. Theme From Shaft – Isaac Hayes
  69. There She Goes – The La’s
  70. Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
  71. Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
  72. Every Breath You Take – The Police
  73. Rumble Link – Wray
  74. Block Buster! – Sweet
  75. My Sharona – The Knack
  76. A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins
  77. Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty
  78. Cannonball – The Breeders
  79. Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
  80. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
  81. Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker
  82. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll – Rainbow
  83. Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
  84. Words of Love – Buddy Holly
  85. Mr Tambourine Man – The Byrds
  86. That Lady – The Isley Brothers
  87. Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
  88. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle – Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
  89. C’mon Everybody – Eddie Cochran
  90. Wheels – Foo Fighters
  91. The One I Love – R.E.M.
  92. September – Earth, Wind & Fire
  93. Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
  94. Jack & Diane – John Mellencamp
  95. Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols
  96. Rocks – Primal Scream
  97. Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
  98. Loser – Beck
  99. Unbelievable – EMF
  100. Get Lucky – Daft Punk

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