[Western Music] A Compilation of the Coolest, Most Rocking Guitar Riffs [2025]

Tie Your Mother DownQueen

Queen – Tie Your Mother Down (Official Video)

This is a work by Queen, the rock band that represents the United Kingdom.

The guitar used by Queen’s guitarist, Brian May, is a one-of-a-kind instrument carved from wood that had been used in a fireplace, and the richly layered sound created through multitrack recording made the group an overnight sensation.

Are You Gonna Go My WayLenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way (Official Music Video)

Since it’s been used in Japanese commercials, I bet many of you will recognize it as soon as you hear the intro.

Lenny Kravitz’s signature song, Are You Gonna Go My Way—known in Japanese as “Shuttle Run to Freedom”—might just be the king of guitar riffs.

It’s incredibly catchy, the tone is killer, and above all, it just keeps repeating! How many times is that same phrase played in a single track? Kravitz is a master of cool guitar effects, so I recommend listening through his albums and hunting for other great guitar riffs beyond this song.

Future WorldHelloween

Helloween – Future World

In 2017, the members from their golden era made a surprise return, delighting fans around the world—Helloween, the seven-piece metal band.

The track Future World from Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 features a pop-leaning melody that sticks in your head, showcasing Michael Kiske’s high-register vocals.

The intro guitar riff, played with edgy bridge-muted picking, builds anticipation and exhilaration for the song.

It’s a classic of German metal, complete with a catchy twin-lead guitar solo you won’t want to miss.

Sunshine of Your LoveCream

Cream – Sunshine of Your Love

Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” is distinguished by its legendary guitar riff that colored the golden era of classic rock.

Back in 1967, the band wove then-innovative psychedelic elements into the blues, showcasing Eric Clapton’s powerful guitar work.

With its driving riff running throughout, the song has been cherished not only by rock fans but by countless guitarists.

From the artistic solo to the riff, its technically adept yet accessible melodies remain timeless even today.

It’s a masterpiece that underscores the importance of the guitar riff and will continue to be etched in our hearts.

LaylaDerek and the Dominos

Derek And The Dominos – Layla

That incredibly famous intro guitar riff is something almost everyone has heard at least once, right? Known in Japan by the title “Itoshi no Layla,” this historic masterpiece was released in 1971 by Derek and the Dominos, the band Eric Clapton was in.

It’s also familiar in Japan through its use in commercials and more.

The brilliance of the seven-note guitar riff hardly needs mentioning, but it incorporates fundamental guitar fingering techniques in a superb balance, and with practice it should help improve your technique as a guitarist.

By the way, the song is surrounded by many legends about its origins, and after the halfway point the arrangement shifts into a piano-centered ensemble, making it a work that runs over seven minutes—something that might surprise those who only know the intro.

SatisfactionThe Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Official Lyric Video)

When you think about the most famous guitar riff in the world, it has to be this song: The Rolling Stones’ signature track, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” You could even say that the intro phrase is synonymous with the Rolling Stones themselves.

Since its release in ’65, countless young guitar players have surely admired it and tried to play it.

The vocals riding over that refrain are sweet and beautiful, and the whole track is packed with the joy of electric guitar.

Whole Lotta LoveLed Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love (Official Music Video)

As the guitarist and mastermind of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page created a slew of riffs that each stand as a masterpiece in rock history.

Debates over which guitar riff is the greatest are endless among fans, and picking just one is nearly impossible.

That said, let’s spotlight the riff from Whole Lotta Love, released in 1969, which topped the “Greatest Riffs of All Time” lists compiled by American and British guitar magazines in 2021.

Known in Japan by its title Mune Ippai no Ai o, this iconic song opens with a main guitar riff that is remarkably short and compact, yet its heavy impact—achieved through clever use of the open sixth string—has been highly acclaimed as a pioneering hard rock riff that shaped the 1970s and beyond.

It’s the kind of riff every aspiring rock guitarist should try at least once—truly worthy of the title “greatest riff of all time.” Along with the tense, dynamic band interplay in the latter half that masterfully contrasts calm and intensity, it’s sure to stun today’s kids who are setting out to become rock guitarists in the 2020s.