Guitar Domination

  • Best Of
  • Products
  • Tuition
  • Podcasts
  • YouTube
  • About Me
  • Free eBooks

Struggling with the guitar and like classic fingerpicking and strumming songs from the 60`s and 70`s? If yes, then click HERE to get two of my eBooks today - for free!

Top Ten greatest grunge guitar riffs of all time

2 Comments

Soundgarden grunge guitar

What are the top ten greatest grunge guitar riffs of all time? Well, that`s a hard question to answer but below are my 10 favourites with their videos so you can listen and enjoy the grungy, heavy, groovy, awesomeness of these fine riffs written by some of the best guitarists coming out of Seattle in the early 90`s.

I love grunge music, not that grunge is a particular sound. Grunge is more of a time and place (Seattle – early 1990s) with the main constants being the place and overall miserable feel to the music, (although for me grunge wasn`t that miserable) and lot of band members who happened to be friends with each other and often played in each others bands – especially in ther early days. Oh, how those were the days. Many so called `scenes` could learn a lot from the likes of the `big 4` of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains as well as the others who happened to be killer bands in their own right – the likes of The Melvins, Screaming Trees, Tad, and Mudhoney.

Without further ado, it`s time to grow your hair and get it greasy, put on your worst flannel shirt, crank up the overdrive, play some mean, dirty riffs, and feel free to add you own cliches. Grunge often gets knocked these days for being a mere marketing ploy, but I don`t care, the music and the songs were freakin` awesome!

 

Top Ten greatest grunge guitar riffs of all time

 

Soundgarden – Jesus Christ Pose

Soundgarden have always had a way of writing off time, unconventional riffs while still making them sound heavy and melodic as hell. `Jesus Christ Pose` contains multiple sledgehammer type riffs that many metal bands could only dream of being able to muster up.

Pearl Jam – Animal

For some reason, maybe it`s the people I know but Pearl Jam seem to not be as well loved these days as the other grunge bands. Maybe it`s do with them performing `Let it go` from Frozen recently or their association with Bono, but who cares – Mike McCready and Stone Gossard could write a heavy in your face belter of a riff. Animal is one of those. Check out the live version below.

Nirvana – Milk It

For me `In Utero` is the best album of the era (closely followed by `Dirt` and `Badmotorfinger`), and the best riff and song of the record is `Milk it`. When I first heard it, it blew me away and some years later from that day it still knocks my socks off. The way the discordant intro blasts into the huge riff is distinctive as it is powerful.

Alice In Chains – Dirt

`Dirt` is just one of those riffs that is so memorable, you only need to hear it once and you`ll never forget it. The way the wah sounds of those higher strings is reminiscent of a certain Black Sabbath that just got blacker. Dirt is such an emotionally charged dark beast of a song, and it has a riff to match.

The Melvins – Honey Bucket

Most people overlook The Melvins when talking about grunge, but for me they were the most underappreciated, (at least now they are). I just love its stop start and schizophrenic riff. You can hear some of the madness in The Dillinger Escape Plan in here. Brutal and effortless at the same time. Give Honey Bucket a watch – just for Buzz Osborne`s awesome hair. Nearly as good as the riff, King Buzzo!

Soundgarden – Pretty Noose

At a time when Soundgarden were nearing their point of departure for the music loving world (for 12 years or so anyway) they wrote this beauty of a song. The lyrics and vocals are flawless in my opinion and the riff just seals the deal for me. The intro is a great bit of tension but as soon as the vocals starts, the awesome verse riff kicks in and only adds to Chris Cornell`s power. Just listen to Kim Thayil`s messed up lead during the second verse to hear the whole thing in full swing. Discordant yet beautiful.

Alice In Chains – Man In The Box

Everyone loves Man In The Box. It`s off the Facelift album which has some amazing songs (Sunshine, Love, Hate, Love, Bleed The Freak) but was a bit hit or miss, at least compared to the other Layne Stayley materal they recorded. This tune though, just has one of those super distinctive grooves you just can`t get away from and why would you want to? It`s a great rock club dancefloor filler.

 

Mudhoney – Touch Me, I`m Sick

What a riff and what a band. I remember seeing Mudhoney at The Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, UK, about 7 years ago, and they tore the place down. The energy they had and passion after all these years was awe inspiring and the music still sounded great. `Touch Me, I`m Sick` is their staple song that they will always be known for. With a riff that has been ripped of a thousand times, I`m sure you`ll agree it had to be in the list.

 

Pearl Jam – Alive

Alive is the song that got me into Pearl Jam, like many of you I guess. I think I first heard it in the late nineties on MTV2 or something and just loved it straight away. The uber cool laid back riff that sets the song off just grabbed me by the balls, and boy was I to realize how good could the song get (Vedder`s vocal and the amazing outro, anyone?). The Alive intro is where my love for Pearl Jam all began.

Nirvana – School

I`m putting School in here as not only is it an awesome riff off one of the greatest albums ever in `Bleach` it was also the first guitar riff I ever learned to play properly. It`s a great tune, and it`s where my guitar playing all began. There`s nothing like a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Have fun listening to these amazing grunge guitar riffs. I recommend you learn how to  play them all. Hopefully, you`ll love playing them as much as me!

Other notable classic grunge riffs

  • Nirvana -Mexican Seafood
  • Silverchair – Roses
  • Melvins – Hooch
  • Soundgarden – Outshined
  • Pearl Jam – Even Flow
  • Dinosaur Jr – Sludgefeast
  • Screaming Tress – Nearly Lost You
  • TAD – Delinquent
Enter your name and email and get two eBooks completely free!
Grab “How to Travis Pick” AND "The 8 Step Beginners Guide"
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
(Visited 8,618 time, 55 visit today)

Filed Under: Top Tens Tagged With: Grunge, Guitar riffs

Comments

  1. Chris Graham says

    August 18, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    The fact that you have Roses by Silverchair and Sludgefeast by Dinosaur Jr on here makes it all worth it. I thought that I was the only one that thought Roses was the best Silverchair song of all time.

    Reply
  2. Hans says

    September 20, 2017 at 8:23 pm

    Alice in Chains is my favourite

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

guitar domination freebies

free guitar eBooks

Most Popular Posts

  • 50 legendary guitar riffs to take you from being a…
  • 10 best simple yet beautiful fingerpicking songs…
  • 8 Ways to Play the Feared F Chord on Guitar from…
  • 3 simple strum patterns on to how to strum a guitar…
  • 10 of the best simple yet stunning strumming songs…
  • Killer 3 string chords (part 1) – How to add…

About Me

Dan Thorpe of Guitar Domination

"Hi guitarist! I`m Dan Thorpe, I specialise in teaching the over 40`s and those learning guitar later on in life…

...how to play the beautiful fingerpicking and strumming songs they have always dreamed of.

More enjoyment and less frustration is the Guitar Domination way!"

Learn more about me and how I can help you as I have helped 1000`s of others...

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BARRE CHORDS… OUT NOW!

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BARRE CHORDS

…The most practical, detailed and fun course on playing barre chords you will find anywhere!

Copyright © 2019 · About · Website Terms and Conditions · Privacy Policy

Enter your name and email and get two eBooks completely free!
Grab “How to Travis Pick” AND "The 8 Step Beginners Guide" both for FREE
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Enter your name and email and get two eBooks completely free!
Grab “How to Travis Pick” AND "The 8 Step Beginners Guide"
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.