Greatest rock riffs ever?

I touched on this with somebody in another thread, I searched and nobody's tossed this out here since 2014, so instead of reviving the dead, I'll toss it out again.

What are some great, iconic riffs in rock music history?

I touched on this in the Beatles/Stones thread where I said just off the top of my head I thought "Day Tripper" and "Tumbling Dice" were the two greatest riffs ever. Although don't hold me to that now.

But they certainly are contenders, as are:

* Satisfaction
* You Really Got Me
* Smoke on the Water
* Don Everly's acoustic opening to Bye Bye Love
* Townshend's acoustic opening to Substitute
* Walk This Way
* Johnny Marr in This Charming Man

Others?

 

Layla.
Whole Lotta Love.
Superstition

 

I know this won’t get much attention but I have always loved the riff to Black Sabbath Supernaut from Vol 4

 

"Seven Nation Army"

 

Black dog

 

You Really Got Me - Kinks

 

Two that come to mind immediately:
"Day Tripper"
"Rebel Rebel"

 

ZZ: La Grange
Cream: of Your Love
Zeppelin: Heartbreaker

 

Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers

Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

I Feel Fine.
Though John readily admitted that he 'borrowed' the riff from Bobby Parker's 'Watch Your Step'.

 

Purple Haze

 

Dear Prudence

 

Stones: Brown Sugar
Guess Who: American Woman
AC/DC: Back in Black

 

Jumpin' Jack Flash
Brown Sugar (by Mick)
Monkey Man
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Flip the Switch
Street Fighting Man
Respectable
Tumbling Dice
Happy
Slave

= 10 Stones riffs I prefer to "Satisfaction." I am a complete Keef diehard, but I never really got why Satisfaction is considered the band's crowning achievement. It wouldn't even be in my top 50 Stones songs. Just my two cents.

(Bonus: "The Rover" by Led Zeppelin)

 

"Psychotic Reaction" - Count Five

 

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

 

From another perspective, a few iconic licks/riffs that came to mind that I still thoroughly enjoy playing on guitar (a good test of longevity):


Led Zeppelin - HeartBreaker main lick.

Van Halen - the Am lick in Ain't talking about love

Blackfoot - Train, Train - just a damn fun lick to play on guitar in E.

Boston - Smokin. The quick A/C/C# lick is another enjoyable guitar lick to play.

Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train. The F#m riff just makes you squint your eyes and crank your amp up!

Styx - Miss America the main lick is killer to play!

(there's many more I could list)

 

"Shake Some Action"
"You Shook Me All Night Long"
"Shakin' All Over"

 

Mr Tambourine Man
If I Needed Someone
7 Chinese Brothers
Like A Hurricane
Powderfinger

 

Iron Man
Sweet Leaf
Communication Breakdown
the intro to In My Time of Dying
Cigarettes & Alcohol

 

Back in Black is up there...

Smoke on the water...
Whole lotta love..

 

When it comes to Neil Young, “Cinnamon Girl” is #1 for me.

 

Crazy on You by Heart.

 

Do Ya - ELO

 

Cinnamon Girl
Southern Man

 

Hey, hey, my my (into the black) by Neil Young.
Ma-Ma-Belle by ELO