Chords for Top 10 Hard Rock Guitar Riffs

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_ _ _ [Ab] Hard rock wouldn't be as energetic or exciting [Bb] without them. _ _ _ _ _
[Eb] _ Welcome to [Bb] WatchMojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the top [Eb] 10 hard rock guitar riffs. _
[A] _ _ [E] _ _ _ For this list, we've chosen one song per artist and [C] stuck to what we felt were their most signature guitar riffs.
[Cm] We've also excluded instrumentals.
[E] Number _ _ _ _ _ 10.
Walk This Way by Aerosmith. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] Mere seconds after the drums lure you in, [G] the sounds of Joe Perry's guitar grab you and hold you tight.
[B] So it's [E] no wonder Aerosmith's second single from Toys in the Attic took the masses by [Bm] storm in the 70s. _
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After the band hit a brief snag, the song brought the bad boys from Boston back into the spotlight when they collaborated with hip-hopper [A] Run DMC in _ [E] 1986. _ _
_ _ _ _ [Em] _ Number 9.
[C] Rocky Like a Hurricane by Scorpions.
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_ _ The sound of 80s hard rock [E] wouldn't be the same without [D] this top 40 hit.
[E] Thanks to a catchy riff [C] and anthemic [D] chorus, the tune turned these Germans into the ambassadors of [E] rock.
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[Em] Whether it's at sporting events, in [A] movies, TV shows or video games, [C] the song's pervasiveness in [E] pop culture [G] demonstrates the Scorpions [A] really do know how to rock us like a [E] hurricane.
Number [Em] _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Ab] 8.
Photograph by Def Leppard.
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_ This song's big bad guitar sound fuses Pete Willis' rhythm playing with the solo and [B] lead guitar work of Phil Collin [Db] and Steve Clark.
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_ _ _ After the riff ensnares [E] you, the track's lyrics and Joe Elliott's loud vocals put a [Gb] hold on us. _
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Alongside the songs off Def Leppard's Pyromania, Photograph set the blueprint for 80s hard [B] rock and paved the way for the popularity of pop metal.
Number _ _ _ _ _ _
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7.
Still of the Night by Whitesnake.
[Gb] These Brits sure know how to grab your attention.
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_ [Am] Starting off with an epic [Gb] opening riff, Whitesnake [B] adds intrigue and aura [E] by slowly building up towards the guitar solo.
_ _ _ _ _ Powered by a distorted blues-influenced [C] sound and David Coverdale's wails, this became a hard rock classic.
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_ _ _ _ [D] _ [E] The track also earned crossover success when [Em] its self-titled parent album [D] reached Billboard's [A] Top 2.
Number [E] _ _ _ _
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_ [Gm] _ _ [C] _ _ [A] 6.
Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.
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You'd be hard-pressed to find any [C] hard rock enthusiast who doesn't [Ab] recognize this iconic Richie [Gm] Blackmore riff.
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[Gm] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _
[C] _ _ [G] _ Backed by John Lord's fuzzy Hammond organ, Ian Pace's smooth drumming and Roger Glover's electric [Abm] bass, [Gm] he helped drive Smoke on the Water forward with his Fender Stratocaster electric [C] guitar.
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_ [Gm] _ _ _ [C] _ [G] Add Ian [C] Gillan's vocals to the mix [Gm] and you've got one of the most popular and successful songs [G] in Deep Purple's repertoire. _ _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ Number 5.
[A] Back in Black by ACDC.
[E] _ _ [D] This Aussie band [Ab] wouldn't be the same without Von Scott. _ _ _
_ After his death, ACDC celebrated their former singer [A] with this hard-hitting in-your-face track.
[E] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ [B] Opening with an unforgettable riff, the tune is driven by the dual guitar [D] sound of brothers Angus and Malcolm Young.
[E] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [A] _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ [E] The screeching [D] vocals of the recently hired [A] Brian Johnson completed the [B] package and assisted Back [Am] in Black in becoming one of history's best [A]-selling albums. _ _
_ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Dbm] _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ [Am] Number 4.
[G] Ain't Talkin' Bout Love [Am] by Van Halen. _ _
[G] _ _ [F] Before topping charts with [A] Sammy Hagar in the [C] mid [Am]-80s, Van Halen changed [G] rock and roll with the [Eb] groundbreaking sound of their 1978 self-titled debut. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gb] _ [Abm] While the album spawned several classics, [Db] it's Ain't Talkin' Bout Love that [Ab] stands out.
After being hooked by the opening riff, [Ab] you're immediately transfixed by Eddie Van [Gb] Halen's raw guitar and [Eb] entranced by David Lee Roth's hard [Eb]-rocking vocals.
[Ab] Number _ [Gb] _ _ _
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_ _ _ [Eb] 3.
Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses.
_ _ _ _ With mercurial frontman Axl Rose and Slash on guitar, Guns N' Roses exploded [Db] onto the scene with _ 1987's fierce and dirty Appetite for Destruction. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [B] While Welcome to the Jungle and Night Train can't be ignored, it's Sweet [Db] Child O' Mine that makes this list. _
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Though its original and brilliant riff was conceived as a joke, the [Eb] song's chart-topping success was anything but.
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Appetite for Destruction also became the best-selling debut in American history.
Number _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ 2.
Whole Lotta Love by Led [D] Zeppelin.
_ [E] _ _ _ [D] _ _
[E] _ _ Mix Jimmy Page's incomparable guitar, Robert Plant's emotional vocals, [B] John Bonham's thunderous drums and John Paul Jones' timeless [E] bass,
and you get an innovative and unmatched sound that blends blues, [Bm] folk and hard rock.
Though Whole [E] Lotta _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _
Love is filled with guitar goodness, [D] it's Page's [E] blues-influenced power riffing during the intro that remains implanted [D] in our brains.
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The song also became Led Zeppelin's first American top-five hit. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [N] Number 1.
Voodoo Child's slight return by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ Purple Haze gave us the Hendrix chord, [G] but it's the last song on Electric Ladyland that captured Jimi [D] at his finest. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ With a killer opening riff, his signature wah-wah pedal and one of the [A] greatest solos ever, Voodoo Child's slight return showcases Jimi's [D] electric guitar talents to a T. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ In _ concert, the original Seattle rocker could even be found jamming to an 18-minute version.
_ [G] Musical innovator indeed.
_ _ _ _ [Gb] _ Do [Em] you agree with our list?
What's your favorite hard rock riff? _ _
_ [Ab] If you didn't [E] find the one you're looking for, make sure to subscribe to WatchMojo [Eb].com for our top 10 heavy metal guitar riffs.
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