The top 100 guitar songs of all time

The gift of being able to create an irresistible riff, a stunning solo or a pile-driving power chord that makes the world want to hit “play” again and again.

In the week that rock and blues icon Bo Diddley died aged 79, America’s Rolling Stone magazine has compiled a list of the 100 greatest guitar tracks of all time.

Critics, rock musicians and music industry professionals chose songs for “what’s inside the notes; hunger, fury, despair and joy, often all at once”.

Sadly, none of Diddley’s hits makes the list. Instead, the number one spot goes to Chuck Berry’s classic Johnny B. Goode, still as powerful as the day it was recorded at Chicago’s Chess Records studio in 1958.

Hendrix’s psychedelic masterpiece Purple Haze from 1967 takes second spot. British bands Cream and The Kinks blast into third and fourth places with Crossroads and You Really Got Me.

You may not agree with all the choices, but the list is sure to spark debate among guitar fans.

TOP 100: THE LIST IN FULL

1) Johnny B. Goode. Chuck Berry. 1958

“This was the first great record about the joys and rewards of playing rock and roll guitar,” say the judges, who add: “It also has the single greatest rock and roll intro; a thrilling blast of high twang driven by Berry’s spearing notes.” Keith Richards admits to being in awe of Berry, saying of the track: “It was beautiful, effortless and his timing was perfection. He is rhythm man supreme.”

2) Purple Haze. The Jimi Hendrix Experience. 1967

Hendrix “unveiled a new guitar language charged with spiritual hunger and the poetry possible in electricity and studio technology,” say the judges. “Hendrix opened a new age of expression on his instrument.”

 3) Crossroads. Cream. 1968

Clapton’s “high velocity” version of blues master Robert Johnson’s song drew this praise from Steven Van Zandt, a rocker with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an actor on television’s The Sopranos: “When Clapton soloed, he wrote wonderful symphonies from classic blues licks in that fantastic tone of his. You could sing his solos like songs in themselves.”

 4) You Really Got Me. The Kinks. 1964

Dave Davies’ solo, says Rolling Stone, “is a tangle of zig-zags and viciously bent notes that heralded the birth of Sixties garage and punk-rock guitar in one fell swoop.” He created his revolutionary sound by shredding his amp with a razor blade and brother Ray, who wrote it, admits: “I said I’d never write another song like it – and I haven’t.”

5) Brown Sugar. The Rolling Stones. 1971

The judges rave: “Satisfaction may be the Stones’ most recognisable riff, but this hit…..is the band’s raunchy guitar pinnacle.” Keith Richards’ secret weapon: He removed the lowest string from his guitar.

 6) Eruption. Van Halen. 1978

Eddie Van Halen’s 102 second “mission statement” solo was a piece of masterful tone and technique, notably the rush of notes he produced with his fretboard tapping,” says Rolling Stone, adding: “An army of teens would try to duplicate it, emerging years later in every metal bands of the Eighties.

 7) While My Guitar Gently Weeps. The Beatles. 1968

This song, say the judges, “is about two guitar giants at their empathetic peak; George Harrison, who wrote it on an acoustic guitar in India, and Eric Clapton,” (a guest artist on the track) who contributes “a waterfall of blues fills. It’s the finest example of his jagged, late-Sixties tone.”

8) Stairway to Heaven. Led Zeppelin. 1971

This song, according to Jimmy Page: “Crystallised the essence of the band.” The magazine says: “It’s a masterpiece of dramatic ascension; Page’s acoustic picking rising into chiming chords, which introduce the solo, a brilliant succession of phrases that steadily move toward rock & roll ecstasy.”

9) Statesboro Blues. The Allman Brothers Band. 1971

The “moaning and squealing opening licks” have, say the judges, “given fans chills at live shows,” before ace axeman Duane Allman launches into “burning” electric slide guitar.

10) Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana. 1991

“That riff,” declares Rolling Stone, “along with the band’s loud-quiet-loud dynamics, defined Nineties rock.”

11) Whole Lotta Love. Led Zeppelin. 1969

12) Voodoo Child (Slight Return). The Jimi Hendrix Experience. 1968

13) Layla. Derek and the Dominos. 1970

14) Born to Run. Bruce Springsteen. 1975

15) My Generation. The Who. 1965

16) Cowgirl in the Sand. Neil Young with Crazy Horse. 1969

17) Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath. 1970

18) Blitzkrieg Bop. Ramones. 1976

19) Purple Rain. Prince and the Revolution. 1984

20) People Get Ready. The Impressions. 1965

21) Seven Nation Army. The White Stripes. 2003

22) A Hard Day’s Night. The Beatles. 1964

23) Over Under Sideways Down. The Yardbirds. 1966

24) Killing in the Name. Rage Against the Machine. 1992

25) Can’t You Hear Me Knocking. The Rolling Stones. 1971.

26) How Blue Can You Get? B. B. King. 1965.

27) Look Over Yonders Wall. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. 1965.

28) Where the Streets Have No Name. U2. 1987.

29) Back in Black. AC/DC. 1980.

30) (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock. Bill Haley and His Comets. 1954.

31) Keep Yourself Alive. Queen. 1973.

32) Sultans of Swing. Dire Straits. 1978.

33) Master of Puppets. Metallica. 1986.

34) Walk This Way. Aerosmith. 1975.

35) 1969. The Stooges. 1969.

36) Interstellar Overdrive. Pink Floyd. 1967

37) That’s All Right. Elvis Presley. 1954. (Guitarist: Scotty Moore)

38) Stay With Me. The Faces. 1971

39) Black Magic Woman. Santana. 1970

40) I Can See For Miles. The Who. 1967

41) Marquee Moon. Television. 1977

42) Hideaway. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. 1966

43) Holidays in the Sun. The Sex Pistols. 1977

44) Dig Me Out. Sleater-Kinney. 1997

45) I Saw Her Standing There. The Beatles. 1963

46) Miserlou. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. 1962

47) Panama. Van Halen. 1984

48) London Calling. The Clash. 1980

49) Machine Gun. Jimi Hendrix. 1970

50) Debaser. Pixies. 1989

51) Crazy Train. Ozzy Osbourne. 1981

52) My Iron Lung. Radiohead. 1995

53) Born on the Bayou. Creedence Clearwater Revival. 1969

54) Little Wing. Stevie Ray Vaughan. 1991

55) White Room. Cream. 1968

56) Eight Miles High. The Byrds. 1966

57) Dark Star. Grateful Dead. 1969

58) Rumble. Link Wray. 1958

59) Freeway Jam. Jeff Beck. 1975

60) Maggot Brain. Funkadelic. 1971

61) Soul Man. Sam and Dave. 1967

62) Born Under a Bad Sign. Albert King. 1967

63) Sweet Child O’ Mine. Guns ’n’ Roses. 1987

64) Free Bird. Lynyrd Skynyrd. 1973

65) Message in a Bottle. The Police. 1979

66) Texas Flood. Stevie Ray Vaughan. 1983

67) Adam Raised a Cain. Bruce Springsteen. 1978

68) The Thrill is Gone. B.B. King. 1969

69) Money. Pink Floyd. 1973

70) Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Smashing Pumpkins. 1995

71) Take It or Leave It. The Strokes. 2001

72) Say It Ain’t So. Weezer. 1994

73) Summertime Blues. Blue Cheer. 1968

74) La Grange. ZZ Top. 1973

75) Willie the Pimp. Frank Zappa. 1969

76) American Girl. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 1976

77) Even Flow. Pearl Jam. 1991

78) Stone Crazy. Buddy Guy. 1970

79) Silver Rocket. Sonic Youth. 1988

80) Kid Charlemagne. Steely Dan. 1976

81 ) Beat It. Michael Jackson. 1982. (Guitar solo: Eddie Van Halen, rhythm guitars: Paul Jackson Jr and Steve Lukather).

82) Walk – Don’t Run. The Ventures. 1960

83) What I Got. Sublime. 1996

84) Gravity. John Mayer. 2006

85) You Enjoy Myself. Phish. 1988

86) I Ain’t Superstitious. Jeff Beck. 1968

87) Red. King Crimson. 1974

88) Mona. Quicksilver Messenger Service. 1969

89) I Love Rock N Roll. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. 1981

90) How Soon is Now? The Smiths. 1985

91) Drunkship of Lanterns. The Mars Volta. 2003

92) Memo From Turner. Mick Jagger. 1970. (Guitarist: Ry Cooder)

93) Only Shallow. My Bloody Valentine. 1991

94) Money for Nothing. Dire Straits. 1984

95) Omaha. Moby Grape. 1967

96) New Day Rising. Hüsker Dü. 1985

97) No One Knows. Queens of the Stone Age. 2002

98) Under the Bridge. Red Hot Chili Peppers. 1991

99) Run Thru. My Morning Jacket. 2003

100) Vicarious. Tool. 2006