What is Eddie Van Halen's greatest guitar riff?

**VH1986** · 11.11.24, 07:08 PM

Unchained
Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Amsterdam
Mean Street
I'm the One
Hot for Teacher
Panama

**MF5150** · 11.11.24, 07:13 PM

Stompin 8H

**Markstr1** · 11.11.24, 08:43 PM

DLR-era (and overall best): Aint Talkin' Bout Love
Sammy-era: Top of the World
Cherone-ummm, era? Riff at the end of Fire in the Hole

**CatchAsCatch** · 11.11.24, 08:54 PM

Runnin With the Devil is pretty iconic. Little Guitars has like three great riffs. But yeah, Unchained & Mean Street… hard to top those two.

**Little Intruder** · 11.11.24, 09:12 PM

What about intro licks... do they count?

Women In Love
In A Simple Rhyme
Hear About It Later

**EJC** · 11.11.24, 09:47 PM

For me, it's always been ATBL. Not even close... First VH song I learned, as most of us did. And that sound... The echoplex and flanger. Every soundcheck I ever did before a show, without even thinking, my hands just went right to ATBL.

**Little Intruder** · 11.11.24, 09:51 PM

EJC, nice choice! It always blows me away hearing it. And I later read that EVH added a sitar to the solo. How cool was that?!

**I Coulda Hada VH** · 11.11.24, 10:51 PM

**Raldo** · 11.12.24, 02:29 AM

Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

**Simon Ribeiro** · 11.12.24, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by James in New York

Definitely all the riffs already mentioned, plus will never forget hearing the Hang 'Em High opening riff for the first time...unbridled intensity!

Oh, man! Too many to mention all of them, really!

And I love that tune! And the record, of course.

Sinner's Swing!, RWTD, ATBL, ITO, FYLT, Outta Love Again, LUTS, Romeo, Loss of Control, Unchained, Little Guitars, Drop Dead Legs, GGB!!

**salg** · 11.12.24, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by Brett

Yeah, there’s no way to answer this.

This !!

**Jamie M** · 11.12.24, 05:35 AM

BOBW 5150 plus many more!

**Al Van Bundy** · 11.12.24, 05:39 AM

I'm The One, for the sole fact that I've never seen anybody be able to correctly reproduce it.

Many are close, none are dead on.

The EVH "rhythm swing" was a once in a galaxy thing.

**fudd** · 11.12.24, 06:09 AM

Mean street. Covers all that is why he is the king.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**bsbll4** · 11.12.24, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Al Van Bundy

I'm The One, for the sole fact that I've never seen anybody be able to correctly reproduce it.

Many are close, none are dead on.

The EVH "rhythm swing" was a once in a galaxy thing.

I was going to write this exact same post. Go watch some Youtube videos of people playing it, even pro guitarists. No one has that feel that he pulled off so effortlessly. He's so locked in with Al during that song it's just unreal.