3 Guitar Riffs That Built Blues Rock Between 1967 and 1971

The fusion subgenre known as blues rock came together in the early 1960s in the US and UK. It didn’t really kick off in a massive way until the late 1960s and early 1970s, during which some of the best music of the genre was released. Let’s look at just a few songs from that period that boast otherworldly and influential guitar riffs. These genre-defining riffs really made blues rock as amazing as it was back in the day.

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“Sunshine Of Your Love” by Cream (1967)

I couldn’t put together a list of iconic blues rock licks and riffs without mentioning at least one Cream song. This legendary supergroup composed of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce might be the most well-known blues rock group of the era. And their time together was surprisingly brief. “Sunshine Of Your Love” was released in 1967 on their second album Disraeli Gears and was a No. 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. And those bluesy bass and guitar riffs just can’t be beat.

“Going Up The Country” by Canned Heat (1968)

Canned Heat, like Cream, was a shoo-in for this list. “Going Up The Country” might just be one of the greatest blues rock songs of all time. Released during a particularly turbulent era, both politically and culturally, Canned Heat saw the writing on the wall and recognized that the youths involved in counterculture wanted an escape. “Going Up The Country” was definitely a response to that yearning, and the result was one of the band’s biggest successes. And that light, rhythmic guitar is an absolute delight.

“Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin (1971)

Blues rock wasn’t slowing down in the early 1970s. And Led Zeppelin was one of many big bands who jumped on the blues rock bandwagon with great success. Blues rock guitar riffs don’t get better than this, folks. Not only is “Black Dog” one of the most recognizable blues rock songs of all time, but it’s also one of the most instantly recognizable Led Zeppelin songs out there. It also boasts all the core elements of a solid blues song, including lyrical themes of lust and betrayal. And that classic riff is totally legendary, even today.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns