2014.09.03 - Triple M/Blabbermouth - Interview with Slash

Slash Says It's 'Impossible To Take Seriously' Poll Naming 'Sweet Child' Second Greatest Riff Of All Time

Slash told an Australian radio station in a new interview that it is "impossible to take seriously" a recent poll in which "Sweet Child O' Mine", the Guns N' Roses track from "Appetite For Destruction" that became the band's biggest hit single, was voted the second greatest guitar riff of all time by listeners of BBC Radio 2.

"I definitely don't sit there and go, 'Yeah, it's the greatest riff,'" Slash told Triple M (hear audio below). "But it's very surreal when somebody says something like that. It's almost, like... impossible to take it seriously. Do you know what I'm saying? It's not tangible. I mean, obviously, someone is walking around saying that and there's been some sort of a poll. But it's also nonexistent as far as… You know, it's really hard to really take seriously. You're not part of the effort of finding out that information and researching it; all of a sudden, it just appears. So it's something that you sort of take with… You're very appreciative about it and you sort of count your lucky stars that you got mentioned in that position, or even at all, and then you sort of take it with a grain of salt and try not to dwell on it and take it too seriously."

Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" topped the BBC Radio 2 poll, which included 100 riffs drawn up by a panel of Radio 2 and 6 Music DJs, critics and record producers. "Back In Black" (AC/DC) was third in the poll and "Smoke On The Water" (Deep Purple) the next most popular.

https://blabbermouth.net/news/slash-says-its-impossible-to-take-seriously-poll-naming-sweet-child-second-greatest-riff-of-all-time

The BBC article with the results of the poll, August 25, 2014:
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Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love voted best guitar riff

Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love has been voted the greatest guitar riff of all time by listeners of BBC Radio 2.

The rock classic came out top from a list of 100 riffs drawn up by a panel of Radio 2 and 6 Music DJs, critics and record producers.

Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N' Roses was second in the poll, with Back In Black (AC/DC) and Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple) the next most popular.

Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page said he was "knocked out" by winning the vote.

"I wanted a riff that really moved, that people would really get, and would bring a smile to their faces, but when I played it with the band, it really went into overdrive," he said.

"There was this intent to have this riff and the movement of it, so it was menacing as well as quite sort of caressing."

Other riffs in the list included Layla by Derek And The Dominoes, which was voted fifth best, Pretty Vacant by the Sex Pistols and Metallica's Enter Sandman.

"Whole Lotta Love is one of the most important guitar riffs of the 20th century," said record producer and panellist Steve Levine. "The moment you hear literally two notes of it, you know exactly what it is."

The Top 30 announcement came on Zoe Ball's bank holiday show.

Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, Daft Punk and Pink Floyd were among the acts jostling for favour. The vote closed on 25 July.

The BBC station has been celebrating the guitar in a special season featuring documentaries and live performances.

The countdown of the top 100 riffs began on Will Gompertz's midnight show and continued across the day on BBC shows hosted by Alex Lester, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine and Jo Whiley.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28929167