Posted June 9, 200817 yr Jimi Hendrix had it, Eric Clapton has been called king of it, and guitar legends like B.B. King, Carlos Santana and Pete Townshend all have it at their fingertips... The gift of being able to create an irresistible riff, a stunning solo or a pile-driving power chord that makes the world want to hit “play” again and again. In the week that rock and blues icon Bo Diddley died aged 79, America’s Rolling Stone magazine has compiled a list of the 100 greatest guitar tracks of all time. Critics, rock musicians and music industry professionals chose songs for “what’s inside the notes; hunger, fury, despair and joy, often all at once”. Sadly, none of Diddley’s hits makes the list. Instead, the number one spot goes to Chuck Berry’s classic Johnny B. Goode, still as powerful as the day it was recorded at Chicago’s Chess Records studio in 1958. Hendrix’s psychedelic masterpiece Purple Haze from 1967 takes second spot. British bands Cream and The Kinks blast into third and fourth places with Crossroads and You Really Got Me. You may not agree with all the choices, but the list is sure to spark debate among guitar fans. TOP 100: THE LIST IN FULL 1) Johnny B. Goode. Chuck Berry. 1958 “This was the first great record about the joys and rewards of playing rock and roll guitar,” say the judges, who add: “It also has the single greatest rock and roll intro; a thrilling blast of high twang driven by Berry’s spearing notes.” Keith Richards admits to being in awe of Berry, saying of the track: “It was beautiful, effortless and his timing was perfection. He is rhythm man supreme.” 2) Purple Haze. The Jimi Hendrix Experience. 1967 Hendrix “unveiled a new guitar language charged with spiritual hunger and the poetry possible in electricity and studio technology,” say the judges. “Hendrix opened a new age of expression on his instrument.” 3) Crossroads. Cream. 1968 Clapton’s “high velocity” version of blues master Robert Johnson’s song drew this praise from Steven Van Zandt, a rocker with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an actor on television’s The Sopranos: “When Clapton soloed, he wrote wonderful symphonies from classic blues licks in that fantastic tone of his. You could sing his solos like songs in themselves.” 4) You Really Got Me. The Kinks. 1964 Dave Davies’ solo, says Rolling Stone, “is a tangle of zig-zags and viciously bent notes that heralded the birth of Sixties garage and punk-rock guitar in one fell swoop.” He created his revolutionary sound by shredding his amp with a razor blade and brother Ray, who wrote it, admits: “I said I’d never write another song like it – and I haven’t.” 5) Brown Sugar. The Rolling Stones. 1971 The judges rave: “Satisfaction may be the Stones’ most recognisable riff, but this hit…..is the band’s raunchy guitar pinnacle.” Keith Richards’ secret weapon: He removed the lowest string from his guitar. 6) Eruption. Van Halen. 1978 Eddie Van Halen’s 102 second “mission statement” solo was a piece of masterful tone and technique, notably the rush of notes he produced with his fretboard tapping,” says Rolling Stone, adding: “An army of teens would try to duplicate it, emerging years later in every metal bands of the Eighties. 7) While My Guitar Gently Weeps. The Beatles. 1968 This song, say the judges, “is about two guitar giants at their empathetic peak; George Harrison, who wrote it on an acoustic guitar in India, and Eric Clapton,” (a guest artist on the track) who contributes “a waterfall of blues fills. It’s the finest example of his jagged, late-Sixties tone.” 8) Stairway to Heaven. Led Zeppelin. 1971 This song, according to Jimmy Page: “Crystallised the essence of the band.” The magazine says: “It’s a masterpiece of dramatic ascension; Page’s acoustic picking rising into chiming chords, which introduce the solo, a brilliant succession of phrases that steadily move toward rock & roll ecstasy.” 9) Statesboro Blues. The Allman Brothers Band. 1971 The “moaning and squealing opening licks” have, say the judges, “given fans chills at live shows,” before ace axeman Duane Allman launches into “burning” electric slide guitar. 10) Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana. 1991 “That riff,” declares Rolling Stone, “along with the band’s loud-quiet-loud dynamics, defined Nineties rock.” 11) Whole Lotta Love. Led Zeppelin. 1969 12) Voodoo Child (Slight Return). The Jimi Hendrix Experience. 1968 13) Layla. Derek and the Dominos. 1970 14) Born to Run. Bruce Springsteen. 1975 15) My Generation. The Who. 1965 16) Cowgirl in the Sand. Neil Young with Crazy Horse. 1969 17) Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath. 1970 18) Blitzkrieg Bop. Ramones. 1976 19) Purple Rain. Prince and the Revolution. 1984 20) People Get Ready. The Impressions. 1965 21) Seven Nation Army. The White Stripes. 2003 22) A Hard Day’s Night. The Beatles. 1964 23) Over Under Sideways Down. The Yardbirds. 1966 24) Killing in the Name. Rage Against the Machine. 1992 25) Can’t You Hear Me Knocking. The Rolling Stones. 1971. 26) How Blue Can You Get? B. B. King. 1965. 27) Look Over Yonders Wall. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. 1965. 28) Where the Streets Have No Name. U2. 1987. 29) Back in Black. AC/DC. 1980. 30) (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock. Bill Haley and His Comets. 1954. 31) Keep Yourself Alive. Queen. 1973. 32) Sultans of Swing. Dire Straits. 1978. 33) Master of Puppets. Metallica. 1986. 34) Walk This Way. Aerosmith. 1975. 35) 1969. The Stooges. 1969. 36) Interstellar Overdrive. Pink Floyd. 1967 37) That’s All Right. Elvis Presley. 1954. (Guitarist: Scotty Moore) 38) Stay With Me. The Faces. 1971 39) Black Magic Woman. Santana. 1970 40) I Can See For Miles. The Who. 1967 41) Marquee Moon. Television. 1977 42) Hideaway. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. 1966 43) Holidays in the Sun. The Sex Pistols. 1977 44) Dig Me Out. Sleater-Kinney. 1997 45) I Saw Her Standing There. The Beatles. 1963 46) Miserlou. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. 1962 47) Panama. Van Halen. 1984 48) London Calling. The Clash. 1980 49) Machine Gun. Jimi Hendrix. 1970 50) Debaser. Pixies. 1989 51) Crazy Train. Ozzy Osbourne. 1981 52) My Iron Lung. Radiohead. 1995 53) Born on the Bayou. Creedence Clearwater Revival. 1969 54) Little Wing. Stevie Ray Vaughan. 1991 55) White Room. Cream. 1968 56) Eight Miles High. The Byrds. 1966 57) Dark Star. Grateful Dead. 1969 58) Rumble. Link Wray. 1958 59) Freeway Jam. Jeff Beck. 1975 60) Maggot Brain. Funkadelic. 1971 61) Soul Man. Sam and Dave. 1967 62) Born Under a Bad Sign. Albert King. 1967 63) Sweet Child O’ Mine. Guns ’n’ Roses. 1987 64) Free Bird. Lynyrd Skynyrd. 1973 65) Message in a Bottle. The Police. 1979 66) Texas Flood. Stevie Ray Vaughan. 1983 67) Adam Raised a Cain. Bruce Springsteen. 1978 68) The Thrill is Gone. B.B. King. 1969 69) Money. Pink Floyd. 1973 70) Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Smashing Pumpkins. 1995 71) Take It or Leave It. The Strokes. 2001 72) Say It Ain’t So. Weezer. 1994 73) Summertime Blues. Blue Cheer. 1968 74) La Grange. ZZ Top. 1973 75) Willie the Pimp. Frank Zappa. 1969 76) American Girl. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 1976 77) Even Flow. Pearl Jam. 1991 78) Stone Crazy. Buddy Guy. 1970 79) Silver Rocket. Sonic Youth. 1988 80) Kid Charlemagne. Steely Dan. 1976 81 ) Beat It. Michael Jackson. 1982. (Guitar solo: Eddie Van Halen, rhythm guitars: Paul Jackson Jr and Steve Lukather). 82) Walk – Don’t Run. The Ventures. 1960 83) What I Got. Sublime. 1996 84) Gravity. John Mayer. 2006 85) You Enjoy Myself. Phish. 1988 86) I Ain’t Superstitious. Jeff Beck. 1968 87) Red. King Crimson. 1974 88) Mona. Quicksilver Messenger Service. 1969 89) I Love Rock N Roll. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. 1981 90) How Soon is Now? The Smiths. 1985 91) Drunkship of Lanterns. The Mars Volta. 2003 92) Memo From Turner. Mick Jagger. 1970. (Guitarist: Ry Cooder) 93) Only Shallow. My Bloody Valentine. 1991 94) Money for Nothing. Dire Straits. 1984 95) Omaha. Moby Grape. 1967 96) New Day Rising. Hüsker Dü. 1985 97) No One Knows. Queens of the Stone Age. 2002 98) Under the Bridge. Red Hot Chili Peppers. 1991 99) Run Thru. My Morning Jacket. 2003 100) Vicarious. Tool. 2006 Source: Sunday Express
June 10, 200817 yr 10) Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana. 1991 “That riff,” declares Rolling Stone, “along with the band’s loud-quiet-loud dynamics, defined Nineties rock.” Shame the Pixies defined late eighties rock with the same loud-quiet-loud dynamics. I guess they just never perfected the riff - simple yet so bloody effective.
June 10, 200817 yr I agree with the list, 'Johnny B Goode' definatly deserves number 1, and i think 'Killing in the Name' should be there but should be a bit lower, i also think they could of put in 'Only in Dreams' by Weezer instead of 'Say It Aint So'. 'Blitzkreig Bop' and 'Holidays In The Sun' shouldnt be there and 'Master of Puppets' and 'I Can See For Miles' should be higher.
June 10, 200817 yr Erm, maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but just how the fukk do you miss out "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath...? :mellow: Other Modern serious Riffage tracks they somehow managed to exclude are - Pantera - "Walk", Fear Factory - "Replica", Korn - "Freak On A Leash", Marilyn Manson - "Beautiful People", Ministry - "NWO", Stone Roses - "Waterfall", Sex Pistols - well, take your pick from "God Save The Queen", "Pretty Vacant" or "Anarchy in the UK", songs with immediately identifiable riffs surely..... Some curious choices for bands they did include as well - Tool "Vicarious", instead of, say, "Stinkfist" or "Prison Sex".....
June 10, 200817 yr Can't see it on the list but one of my faves is Sabre Dance by Love Sculpture - guitarist was Dave Edmunds
June 10, 200817 yr 'Blitzkreig Bop' and 'Holidays In The Sun' shouldnt be there and songs by Weezer should be? What nonsense.
June 10, 200817 yr and songs by Weezer should be? What nonsense. He's right Chris... Weezer are nothings compared to The Ramones and Sex Pistols.. You're talking about bands who created an epoch - Punk, which led to Goth and Indie/Indie Rock, and some Thrash/Hardcore Metal such as Anthrax, DRI, Bad Brains, which led to Alternative Rock, Grunge, Nu Metal, etc, Weezer are responsible for nothing but whiny Emo bollocks which says and means nothing... In fact, they should jettison Weezer and replace it with Dead Kennedys - "Too Drunk To Fukk" I just think they chose the wrong Sex Pistols track tbh.... -_-
June 10, 200817 yr 10) Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana. 1991 “That riff,” declares Rolling Stone, “along with the band’s loud-quiet-loud dynamics, defined Nineties rock.” That riff, is slightly "borrowed" from "Wild Thing"..... :lol: Which, funnily enough, isn't actually in Rolling Stone's Top 100...... I thought Rolling Stone was supposed to be some sort of authority on modern music..... :P The days of Lester Bangs truly have deserted them haven't they....?
June 10, 200817 yr this threads demonstrating my earlier comment. these lists are interesting, but ultimately useless, theres glareing omissions, wrong tracks, or overhyped nonsense.. interesting reading though, nice to see the yardbirds up there :)
June 11, 200817 yr My eyes must be deceiving me, but where is Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water. Gawd, that's another one..... :wacko:
June 11, 200817 yr 2) Purple Haze. The Jimi Hendrix Experience. 1967 17) Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath. 1970 18) Blitzkrieg Bop. Ramones. 1976 23) Over Under Sideways Down. The Yardbirds. 1966 24) Killing in the Name. Rage Against the Machine. 1992 33) Master of Puppets. Metallica. 1986. 48) London Calling. The Clash. 1980 51) Crazy Train. Ozzy Osbourne. 1981 55) White Room. Cream. 1968 97) No One Knows. Queens of the Stone Age. 2002 Yay for these ones. No Sepultura? :(
June 11, 200817 yr 97) No One Knows. Queens of the Stone Age. 2002 21) Seven Nation Army. The White Stripes. 2003 these 'non retro' tracks are imho as good as rock gets and is easily on a par with the greats.
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