From Jimi Hendrix to The Beatles: Slash’s top 10 favourite guitar riffs
Slash is the master of the riff. When you think about his guitar playing, your mind will likely head straight towards his magnificent work with Guns N’ Roses, which is understandable considering his achievements with the band. His ability to inject dosages of hard rock into every song they made, even on the Use Your Illusion albums when the group became much more experimental and operatic, can never be understated.
Throughout his time with the band, he was responsible for a series of excellent riffs, a lot of which are still as immediately recognisable today as they were upon release. The opening of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ makes everybody be ready to start singing, even after hearing the track countless times. The same goes for the chord arpeggios in ‘Paradise City’, the lick in ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ and the heavy intro for ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’.
If you ever needed proof that Slash knows his way around a riff more than any other guitarist, though, it’s imperative to explore beyond his work with Guns N’ Roses. With Velvet Revolver and throughout his solo career, Slash has proven to be one of the most versatile and intelligent musicians out there.
Regardless of whether he is working with Adam Levine, Iggy Pop, Ozzy Osbourne or Fergie, Slash can write in a way that complements their styles and brings out the best in their ability as vocalists, too. As such, if you need a set of iconic riffs, it would be in your best interest to listen to what Slash thinks is the best.
Below is a detailed list Slash’s ten favourite riffs, which he revealed to Paste Magazine in 2010, all of which have helped shape him as the guitarist he is today, which have been wrapped up in one high-octane playlist at the foot of the piece.
Slash’s 10 favourite guitar riffs
10. ‘Purple Haze’ – Jimi Hendrix
Picking the Jimi Hendrix song with the best guitar riff is like finding a pick in a bucket of bottle caps. The shredder from Seattle made the pentatonic scale his kin as he danced around a fret as easily as others picked their nails. His musical ability was second to none, and everything that made him great is displayed on ‘Purple Haze’.
“You take it for granted because you’ve heard it so many times,” said Slash, talking about the Hendrix track, “But this is just such a well-structured, almost perfect riff. It’s very unique, just in terms of structure and technique. Very original for a rock n roll riff.”
9. ‘Black Dog’ – Led Zeppelin
It’s no surprise that Slash turns to Led Zeppelin when talking about some of his favourite riffs. Though there are plenty of tracks to pick from, the chaotic nature of ‘Black Dog’ is infectious, one that shows Led Zeppelin at their best as a musical tour de force both individually and as a unit.
Slash appreciates the song so much that he has even covered it multiple times, once with Fergie, formally of the Black Eyed Peas. “This one seems obvious, I guess. This song is just fucking monstrous. Real, real heavy,” he remarked of the track.
8. ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ – The Beatles
The Beatles riffs often get overlooked in lists like this. The band were one of the most important to take to the stage, but they were also a unit. There isn’t always an individual element that shines in a Beatles song; the star is the band, each member complements one another, and the stand-out is the song as a whole. They were called the Fab Four for a reason.
That being said, the band has excellent musicianship; if you separate what they are playing from the rest of the song, you see how much talent they have. Slash does that with ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’. “It’s trippy, it’s bluesy, it’s light, and then it gets real heavy,” he said, “And it’s all because they had two separate recordings that weren’t going well, so they mashed em together. Classic.”
7. ‘Show Your Love (I’m the One)’ – Van Halen
If you want proper innovation in a guitar player, look no further than Eddie Van Halen. So many playing styles and techniques that are used frequently today are only popular because he dared to use them in his music. The tapping technique can be found throughout his work, and the aggressive tone of his music is second to none.
“Some bands come out with the perfect first album, and that first record is so indicative of the band’s unique sound. Van Halen’s one of those bands that had it down pat on their first record”, said Slash, “It’s raw and beautiful, and it’s got a real energy, like a fucking in-your-face guitar tour-de-force.”
6. ‘Superstition’ – Jeff Beck
The guitar world owes a lot to Jeff Beck, not only in how he plays but also because he brought the guitar player to the front of the stage. During his time with The Yardbirds, Beck thrust the instrument into the spotlight, and without that, a lot of the riffs that we now know as classics might have never come to fruition.
“The sound this group gets out of the wah-wah bar and the distortion pedal, it’s a little bit funky, but it still rocks real fucking hard,” he said, “One of the best rock guitar sounds of all time.”
5. ‘Disposable Heroes’ – Metallica
Metallica are the most famous metal band on the planet, and the guitar work of Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield massively contributes to this. Slash highlights how Master of Puppets is one of their best albums and picks this track as a particular highlight.
“This one’s off of Master of Puppets, which is the ultimate Metallica album of all time. I love the rhythm and timing on this one, and it’s got a real sinister drive to it, too,” he said, “Like you just know something bad’s about to happen.”
4. ‘Back in the Saddle’ – Aerosmith
In classic Aerosmith fashion, this track is laced with sexual innuendo and was met with a fair amount of controversy. It holds a place in Slash’s heart, though, as this is where his guitar journey began. He recalls that the riff was one of the first he ever heard and is still wildly significant.
“I was screwing around when I heard this riff. I think I was over at some girl’s house,” he said, “And then this came on the radio, and I realised that I had more important things to deal with. This was one of the sexiest, sleaziest guitar riffs to come along since ‘Whole Lotta Love’.”
3. ‘More of that Jazz’ – Queen
When you are playing alongside a frontman who has as much presence as Freddy Mercury and are still able to have your guitar playing stand out, it’s a clear sign that you’re doing something right. Brian May’s ability on the guitar was one of the driving factors behind Queen and his work on ‘More of that Jazz’ is a testament to his ability.
“Brian May wrote amazing fucking riffs all throughout Queen’s career,” agreed Slash, “When I first started playing guitar, Jazz had just come out, and this song blew me away. It’s almost completely overlooked too.”
2. ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ – Eagles
As the Eagles embark on their final tour, the band’s legacy is cemented as a plethora of hits is filling stadiums on what will be one final farewell. One track that particularly stands out for Slash is ‘Life in the Fast Lane’, which has a riff he describes as “Killer”.
“Killer riff, absolutely killer,” he said, “God, I must have first heard this song when I was in elementary school. Shit, was it really that long ago?”
1. ‘Over Under Sideways Down’ – The Yardbirds
Finally, it wouldn’t be fair for Jeff Beck and Led Zeppelin to make an appearance without the band that gave them their start creeping up. The Yardbirds were instrumental in the second wave of the British invasion as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all found their feet there.
The song that Slash focuses on in particular is ‘Over Under Sideways Down’. “You can’t not love the blues on this one,” he said, “How it kinda bops back and forth with the beat. But it’s also a little bit menacing too. I like that.”