Music, Technology, Learning Converge: 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs Visualized

This is just so cool in so many ways. Let's start at the beginning and work our way to the end...

1. Somebody identified what he considers to be the 100 most essential riffs of all time -- spanning seven decades of rock history

2. This person can play every single one in a convincing manner

3. He has created a video of himself playing each of them in chronological sequence, one at a time, recorded in a single take (over twelve minutes of riffage)

4. The video was recorded in Chicago at the legendary Chicago Music Exchange

5. The guitar used is a 1958 Fender Stratocaster Three Tone Sunburst, which can be purchased from CME for just a smidge under $33,000

6. Adrian Hovolaty and PJ Macklin have invented Soundslice, a web-based software that allows users to sync guitar tablature with YouTube videos and view the mashup using only a browser (even on an iPad)

7. The 100 Riffs video has been uploaded to the service, allowing you to view tabs for all 100 riffs as they are being played, plus notes and comments (such as tuning and decade).

8. You can also play select videos (unfortunately not this one) at half speed (without altering the pitch) or create looped sections nail down a specific riff.  The service even has the ability to display both chords and solo simultaneously, like this  gypsy jazz version of the Super Mario Brothers 2 Theme Song

Click the chart below to be directed to the interactive Soundslice page for this amazing work.  A list of all 100 riffs included is below...

Learn To Play The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs Of All Time

1 Mr. Sandman - Chet Atkins

2 Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

3 Words of Love - Buddy Holly

4 Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry

5 Rumble - Link Wray

6 Summertime Blues - Eddie Cochran

7 Pipeline - The Chantays

8 Miserlou - Dick Dale

9 Wipeout - Surfaris

10 Daytripper - The Beatles

11 Can't Explain - The Who

12 Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

13 Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix

14 Black Magic Woman - Santana

15 Helter Skelter - The Beatles

16 Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac

17 Crossroads - Cream

18 Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin

19 Paranoid - Black Sabbath

20 Fortunate Sun - Creedence Clearwater Revival

21 Funk 49 - James Gang

22 Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin

23 Bitch - Rolling Stones

24 Layla - Derek and the Dominos

25 School's Out - Alice Cooper

26 Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

27 Money - Pink Floyd

28 Jessica - Allman Brothers

29 La Grange - ZZ Top

30 20th Century Boy - T. Rex

31 Scarlet Begonias - Grateful Dead

32 Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

33 Walk This Way - Aerosmith

34 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

35 Stranglehold - Ted Nugent

36 Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy

37 Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

38 Carry on My Wayward Son - Kansas

39 Blitzkreig Bop - The Ramones

40 Barracuda - Heart

41 Runnin' with the Devil - Van Halen

42 Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

43 Message in a Bottle - The Police

44 Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) - Neil Young

45 Back in Black - AC/DC

46 Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

47 Spirit of Radio - Rush

48 Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan

49 Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes

50 Holy Diver - Dio

51 Beat It - Michael Jackson

52 Hot For Teacher - Van Halen

53 What Difference Does It Make - The Smiths

54 Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen

55 Money For Nothing - Dire Straits

56 You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi

57 The One I Love - REM

58 Where the Streets Have No Name - U2

59 Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses

60 Sweet Child 'O Mine - Guns N' Roses

61 Girls, Girls, Girls - Motley Crue

62 Cult of Personality -Living Colour

63 Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue

64 Running Down a Dream - Tom Petty

65 Pictures of Matchstick Men - Camper Van Beethoven

66 Thunderstruck - AC/DC

67 Twice as Hard - Black Crowes

68 Cliffs of Dover - Eric Johnson

69 Enter Sandman - Metallica

70 Man in the Box - Alice in Chains

71 Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

72 Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

73 Even Flow - Pearl Jam

74 Outshined - Soundgarden

75 Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine

76 Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots

77 Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz

78 Welcome to Paradise - Green Day

79 Possum Kingdom - Toadies

80 Say it Ain't So - Weezer

81 Zero - Smashing Pumpkins

82 Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters

83 Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground

84 Smooth - Santana

85 Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers

86 Short Skirt, Long Jacket - Cake

87 Turn a Square - The Shins

88 Seven Nation Army - White Stripes

89 Hysteria - Muse

90 I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness

91 Blood and Thunder - Mastadon

92 Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

93 Reptilia - The Strokes

94 Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

95 Float On - Modest Mouse

96 Blue Orchid - White Stripes

97 Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day

98 Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs

99 I Got Mine - Black Keys

100 Cruel - St. Vincent