Jimi Hendrix tops guitar riffs list
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The 1970 track beat Guns N' Roses classic Sweet Child O'Mine - which topped the poll five years ago - to the top spot in the poll by website MusicRadar,com, with Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin coming third.
Just two songs from the past decade made the list; Muse's 2001 hit Plug In Baby at 11 and The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, which was released in 2003, at 15.
MusicRadar.com's editor-in-chief Mike Goldsmith said: "Nearly 40 years after his untimely death, Jimi Hendrix is still the undisputed heavyweight champion of rock guitar.
"Of the current generation of six-string stars, only Jack White of The White Stripes and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy feature in the higher echelons of our list. No surprise given both Bellamy and White share - or have inherited - Hendrix's unique blend of experimental instincts and white-knuckle showmanship.
"Above all though, our poll seems to indicate one thing - in 2009, classic rock still rules."
Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water and Derek and the Dominos' Layla - which features Eric Clapton on guitar - made up the rest of the top five, with AC/DC, Metallica, The Beatles, Nirvana and The Rolling Stones also featuring in the top ten.
More than 5000 MusicRadar.com users took part in the poll.
Greatest Guitar Riffs of All Time according to MusicRadar.com top 20:
1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
2. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
3. Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
4. Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
5. Derek and the Dominos - Layla
6. AC/DC - Back In Black
7. Metallica - Enter Sandman
8. The Beatles - Day Tripper
9. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
10. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
11. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
12. Muse - Plug In Baby
13. Eddie Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
14. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
15. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
16. AC/DC - Highway to Hell
17. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
18. Black Sabbath - Iron Man
19. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
20. Michael Jackson - Beat It
* What do you think the best guitar riff is? Post your comments below.
- Bang! Showbiz
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Van Halen - Unchained
What about Goldern Earing's, Radar Love
These lists are insane. The greatest riff of all time? Its a matter of personal taste making it a popularity contest. I bet those who voted can't even play a guitar. Ask them what key any of those songs are in, now that would be a list to see what key the voters think the songs they voted for are in.
Lists like this are so retarded. I mean come on, Enter Sandman the best Metallica riff? Hahahaha
What is a riff?!? I'm glad you asked http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riff
Cocaine - JJ Cale
The fact that Enter Sandman represents Metallica's contribution to the list shows what ignorant muppets must have voted in this poll
Who cares, all that matters is the songs you, the individual like. I like Pali Gap by Jimi way more than Voodoo
@ billy #73: Becauase it sparks interesting conversation about a subject which people are very passionate about. Dork.
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pali gap(hendrix)is incredible.. its a song about the freedom one feels for a brief moment while standing on a mountain side(pali gap) where the wind is strong enough to hold you up for a second when you jump.... hendrix is the greatest....