3 Classic Rock Songs From 1968 That Are Defined by Their Iconic Guitar Riffs

On paper, writing a great guitar riff doesn’t appear to be difficult. Many classic riffs are simple to play. A few notes, a handful of chords, and the next thing you know, you’ve composed “Whole Lotta Love” or “Smoke On The Water”. But that’s where the simplicity ends. Relatively easy to play, incredibly difficult to write.

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With that in mind, here’s a sampling of three classic rock songs from 1968 defined by their iconic guitar riffs.

“Hush” by Deep Purple

Deep Purple’s psychedelic cover of Billy Joe Royal’s “Hush” is a straight-up banger. Together, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord play a heavy blues riff while echoing the original’s swampy groove. Blackmore’s band was still a few releases and a lineup change away from pioneering heavy metal alongside Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. But their debut offered hints of where they’d end up.

Half of Shades Of Deep Purple features covers, as if the virtuoso musicians were studying the art of songwriting. But what Blackmore and Lord already understood was the power of an iconic riff. Here they are supported by the drummer Ian Paice and the bassist Nick Simper. Great riffs typically fail without a great rhythm section.

“Gypsy Eyes” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

If you don’t know this one, you are in for a treat. I won’t say this is the best Jimi Hendrix riff, but it’s certainly one of his deepest and funkiest. Electric Ladyland may have marked the end of the road for the Experience, but the double album features many Hendrix standards, including “Crosstown Traffic”, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, and a definitive cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower”.

So it’s understandable when “Gypsy Eyes” gets overlooked on a track listing this stacked. Against some of the most ferocious blues ever committed to tape. But this groovy riff will be unforgettable once you finally experience it.

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles

George Harrison’s dirge-like, descending chords in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” remain one of the most recognizable chord progressions in rock history. Even John Mayer must admit that this despairing tune is sob rock. And who better to elevate the sobbing sentiment than Eric Clapton?

Harrison invited Clapton to play on the track. And in a full-circle moment between friends, Clapton recorded the guitar solo on a Gibson Les Paul he had given to Harrison in 1968. The guitar, nicknamed “Lucy”, was crucial to completing the arduous sessions for the song. Meanwhile, the flanging effect on Clapton’s solo—employed to mask Clapton’s signature style—reiterates the distraught mood of Harrison’s timeless riff.

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