The greatest guitar riff of all time

Readers of Music Radar have compiled a list of the 100 greatest guitar riffs ever. Guess what topped the poll? I’m standing at the edge of a mountain and I cut it down with the edge of my hand. That’s right; it’s Jimmy Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile. And why not - listening to it again I was obliged to play surreptitious air guitar beneath my desk.

Like all lists, this one is painfully predictable, narrow-minded and completely irresistible. Some of the captions accompanying entries are good value. One hack opines: ‘Surely one of the wildest riffs here, it flirts with the neo-classical without being over-indulgent.” Hmmm…

Everyone who’s anyone gets a mention. Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Guns ‘n’ Roses, AC/DC, Muse, The Stones, The White Stripes, The Beatles, The Kinks and a lot of Jimmy Page, and I mean a lot: Led Zeppelin account for a fifth of entries - so yes, very narrow. There are no acoustic riffs in this list, despite the virtuoso Jonny Cash and Waylon Jennings – Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? would make my list. Also, on a separate note, I was struck dumb by the absence of Pink Floyd’s Money? Waters’ bass and Gilour’s lead provide two of the greatest guitar lines ever composed. See for yourself if you don’t believe me.