4 Pairs of Iconic Rock Songs That Share Similar Riffs and Provide Twice the Listening Enjoyment

Have you ever fallen in love with a specific song’s guitar riff or groove so much that you wish you could listen to it all the time (without burning yourself out on the song entirely)? A decent solution is to find two songs that share similar grooves without being exactly the same. The tracks scratch the same itch while keeping things just fresh enough to avoid growing stale, like these four pairs of iconic rock songs that share similar riffs and feels with one another.

“Edge Of Seventeen” and “Barracuda”

One of the best parts about Stevie Nicks’ “Edge Of Seventeen” is the intense, chugging guitar that opens the track. The song then explodes into a cacophony of vocals, harmonies, and instrumental backing, creating a dynamic, goosebump-inducing listen.

If you’re in the mood to listen to this classic by Nicks but have reached your limit on how many times you want to hear “Edge Of Seventeen” in a day, we’d recommend switching over to Heart’s “Barracuda”. This song has all the same chugging guitar, incredible vocals, and female-led grit that made you fall in love with Nicks’ track in the first place.

“Rocky Mountain Way” and “The Stake”

Joe Walsh’s 1973 solo hit “Rocky Mountain Way” has a laid-back, easygoing groove that makes you want to dive right down to the bottom of the band’s airtight pocket. The shuffling beat takes its time getting from one measure to the next, which only adds to the song’s appeal. The way this groove sits on the furthest-back part of the beat keeps listeners on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next downbeat.

“The Stake” by Steve Miller Band does exactly the same thing, following a triplet-heavy groove that sounds surprisingly similar to Walsh’s hit single from The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get.

“La Grange” and “Saving Grace”

ZZ Top’s “La Grange” is the epitome of Southern blues rock. The opening guitar riff, paired with the mischievous “uh-huh, huh, huh, huh”s from Billy Gibbons, makes this an exciting listen from the first few seconds. If you’re in the mood to hear that guitar riff but feel like listening to something other than ZZ Top, try putting on “Saving Grace” by Tom Petty.

The Highway Companion opening track follows a similar groove, with a sizzling drum feature and Mike Campbell holding it down on the bluesy, repetitive riff. “Saving Grace” is a bit cleaner and less gritty than ZZ Top’s “La Grange”, but it’s no less infectious.

“More Than A Feeling” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Do you love the chord progression to “More Than A Feeling”, but your friends and family are nearing an intervention to get you to stop listening to the same Boston track ad nauseum? Get your guitar riff fix without driving your loved ones to insanity by switching on Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Although the two songs seem vastly different at face value, they’re actually incredibly similar, harmonically speaking. So, you can get the same satisfaction of hearing how this chord progression resolves without getting totally burnt out on it altogether.

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