From “Johnny B. Goode” to “Whole Lotta Love” to “Seven Nation Army”, there isn’t a shortage of classic rock guitar riffs to keep kids forever hooked on the guitar. But once you’ve moved past the “Iron Man”, “Back In Black”, or “Smoke On The Water” phase, you might want to dig deeper into a guitar legend’s catalog. This list of riffs is for the deep divers. Happy shredding.
“Spanish Castle Magic” by Jimi Hendrix
It’s still mind-blowing how Jimi Hendrix rewrote the electric guitar book in only a few years. “Little Wing”, “Purple Haze”, “Foxey Lady”, and “Hey Joe” gave birth to future guitar legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince, and Slash. But one of the best Hendrix riffs doesn’t even make it into his Spotify Top 10. “Spanish Castle Magic” shouldn’t be missed. Also, check out his advice: “Little bit of daydreaming, here and there.”
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“The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)” by Fleetwood Mac
An epic piece of psychedelia from Peter Green, this is a good one to introduce those unaware of Fleetwood Mac’s first chapter. For all the timeless hits that came from the Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham era, this track distills the experimental spirit of late-period British blues revival. Meanwhile, listen to Green’s high falsetto near the song’s end. Who knows what the Manalishi is or was—money or nightmare dog—but the groovy riff here helped make Green a legend.
“Rock ’N’ Roll Rebel” by Ozzy Osbourne
It’s understandable how Jake E. Lee often gets overlooked sandwiched between dual geniuses: Randy Rhoads and Zack Wylde. But Lee is responsible for “Bark At The Moon”, Osbourne’s second-best riff behind “Crazy Train”. Good luck trying to play it. “Rock ’N’ Roll Rebel” is another Lee masterpiece many outside of Ozzy Osbourne diehards may have missed. It’s still astonishing to remember the run of guitar legends in Osbourne’s career, beginning with Tony Iommi in Black Sabbath. Few artists can live up to the title of “Rock ’N’ Roll Rebel” like the man they call the Prince of Darkness.
Photo by George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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Phil Collins (born in 1951), British actor and singer-songwriter, during a concert at Bercy. Paris (12th arrondissement), March 5, 1985. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet via Getty Images)
