The Top Ten Guitar Riffs of the 1960s

Find out the engine that propels the machinery, the fire that ignites the fuel. It is, quite simply, The Riff is a mystical combination fretted notes that can launch a song into the stratosphere. The ’50s certainly saw its share of classic riffs from the likes of Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy and Eddie Cochran, but it was during the ’60s when the riff exploded as an art form (and bludgeoning tool). With future legends like Keith Richards, Dave Davies and Pete Townshend leading the charge, a new generation of listeners were compelled to crank up their radios lest they miss the crucial opening, overdriven notes of a tune. After a few painful list trimmings (fare thee well, “How Many More Times”), I present to you the Top 10 Riffs of the decade of Jackie O, Neil Armstrong and Beatle Boots.

1. “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards claims he came up with what is, quite possibly, the greatest riff of all time in his sleep. Fellow guitarists have been trying to learn just what Keef had for dinner that night for decades. Like a musical razor blade glued to the back of the ultimate teenage frustration lyric sheet, it continues to send chills 45 years later

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The best heavy metal bands of all time

The grandfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath (rated first) spawned the genre four decades ago with their self-titled debut. Behind the revolutionary riffs of guitarist Tommy Iomi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and singer Ozzy Osbourne tapped into a new, angry sound. The dark lyrics were 180-degrees away from the "hippy music" of the late '60s from which the boys from Birmingham, England, emerged. Critics hated it; teenage boys loved it.

Even after heavy metal's most famous front man was kicked out of the band in 1979 - for doing even more drugs than the rest of the band - Sabbath rebounded with a creative rebirth, courtesy of new lead singer Ronnie James Dio.

Anthrax's Scott Ian put it best in an interview with Blabbermouth.net: "I always get the question in every interview I do, 'What are your top five metal albums?' I make it easy for myself and always say the first five Sabbath albums."

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