One of Iron Maiden’s ultimate classics, ‘The Trooper’ is an intense ride. The snaky riff that begins the song is not for the faint-hearted but is immediately recognizable to Maiden’s legions of fans. It doesn’t end there – later in the song a stop-start riff has audiences on the edges of their seats for the full duration.
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With the release of this track, Texas foursome Pantera notched their riffing career up a level. Featuring several great riffs and a chromatic figure rising up the neck in increments, ‘A New Level’ really showcased the band’s groove metal talent. For added variety, guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott plays the riff with a mixture of power chords and palm muting.
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Dubbed as the first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath truly lived up to their dangerous image in the 1960s. However not all of their songs were heavier metal than contemporary greats Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. The opening riff of ‘N.I.B’, (named after the shape of drummer Bill Ward’s goatee beard, a shape which the rest of the band thought resembled a pen nib) is a warm, downtuned tone that Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and other guitarists used in later years.
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By the 1980s Van Halen were recording hit after hit! The riff that opens ‘Panama’ is a delayed figure of sheer beauty, as is the entire midsection, over which Eddie Van Halen solos with his usual inventive brilliance and melodic awareness. A song about a car, Eddie’s Lamborghini can even be heard revving its engine halfway through – pure genius!
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Sometimes it is the meaning behind a song that can help its popularity. A tribute to the band’s deceased singer, Bon Scott, ‘Hells Bells’ begins with a sinister riff and was the first song of the Back in Black album. Interestingly the song was American baseball player Trevor Hoffmann’s entrance music for over a decade!
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When grunge band Soundgarden released their single ‘Outshined’ in 1992, they offered a more metallic sound than most members of the classic grunge wave. With a riff that is pure Black Sabbath circa 1972, Soundgarden clearly absorbed their metal influences directly into their sound.
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Inspired by George Orwell’s cult classic 1984, this song is a testimony to the statement that the best heavy metal music is based on fantasy literature. Tapping into their creative genius, Judas Priest transformed Big Brother paranoia into a great song with an almighty opening riff. Usually preceded by the instrumental introduction known as ‘The Hellion’, Electric Eye has become one of the 1980s most recognisable heavy tunes.
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This iconic song by Australian Hard Rockers AC/DC is immortalised for its arresting stop-start opening riff composed by lead guitarist Angus Young. Ahead of his time, Angus was acclaimed for his use of the palm-muting technique when performing the riff on his faithful Gibson SG. Reportedly inspired by the trials and tedium of life on a tour bus, the lyrics for this tune have secured it as an all time classic rock hit.
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‘Runnin’ With the Devil’ was carefully placed as the first song on Van Halen’s debut album, showcasing their talent and sky-rocketing them to fame. The track begins with a seemingly simplistic bass-line by Micheal Anthony, consisting of single notes being played in fourths. The intro then gives way to lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s series of impeccably-executed guitar riffs, complete with slides and harmonics. Quickly securing Eddie’s status a a guitar god, these are riffs that have to be heard to be believed!
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As one of their best known singles, ‘Breaking the Law’ confirmed Judas Priest as Britain’s first true heavy metal band. Its opening minor-key guitar riff, simple melody and air punching chorus produce such a mesmerizing combination that fans implore the song to be played at every Judas Priest gig. Featured repeatedly throughout, and especially towards the end, this song’s main riff has helped secure its reputation as a classic heavy metal song which has influenced hosts of other musicians.
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The Ultimate Rock Riffs