These famous guitar riffs built up blues rock as a genre during its formative years, and they still inspire guitarists today.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Quentin Singer is music journalist who covers rock and heavy music. Guitar music is a ubiquitous feature of popular music, ...

The guitar riff is synonymous with rock music. And these iconic riffs by Tom Petty, Nirvana, and The Call continued the tradition in 1989.