Guns N’ Roses – ‘Welcome to the Jungle’

I’m a big Guns N’ Roses fan, so when they were getting stick in 2023 when it was announced they were headlining Glastonbury, I was running to the band’s defence. I knew they would shut up all the naysayers on the night, given that they have what is probably the greatest opening song of all time in their discography. Anyway, the lights go up, the crowd falls silent, and they decide to open with ‘It’s So Easy’. I was in shock.

Naturally, the greatest opening song of all time is ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. With that opening guitar line and Axl Rose’s screeching vocals, there is no other song that can catch your attention better than this. The rest of the track is pretty good, but it doesn’t get any better than those opening moments, as Guns N’ Roses really outdid themselves.

Jimi Hendrix – ‘Little Wing’

When we think of the guitar playing ability of Jimi Hendrix, we think of the exciting nature of his solos, which involved a lot of improvising and often borderline animalistic musicianship. These were the pieces of music that won over crowds far and wide; however, his guitar went far beyond just the flamboyant solos, and you can hear the extent of the same on ‘Little Wing’.

This may be one of the most beautiful introductions to a song ever written. Hendrix hits the 12th fret and then moves down into an open E, two notes, and that’s enough to set up what will become one of the greatest segways into a song ever written. It’s incredibly emotive and takes up 45 seconds in what is only a two-minute song, but it’s an introduction that the rest of those two minutes simply couldn’t live up to.

AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’

Angus Young once said that this is the hardest opening riff he has to play: “When we perform it live, I have to sit down for an hour and make sure I’ve got my fingers warmed up to take on that track. It’s got an unrelenting intricacy. I have to be confident whenever I play it.”

It might be tricky to play, but that difficulty is well worth it, given it’s one of the most exciting AC/DC riffs out there, which is really saying something, given they’re a band famous for their riffs. The combination of heavy chords paired with that running guitar line makes for an introduction which is still celebrated as one of their very best.

Eagles – ‘Life In The Fast Lane’

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, this should have been the opening song on the Eagles’ Hotel California album. When you have an opening riff that’s as good as this, it needs to go at the beginning of the record, as it really sucks the listener in and lets them know they’re about to experience one hell of a rock album.

The song itself is all about people who put material possessions before anything else, and the message is something the band were very passionate about; however, it all gets drowned out over that great opening riff. The song is a good one, don’t get me wrong, but it’s never able to outshine this stunning instrumental.

Black Sabbath – ‘Iron Man’

Tony Iommi is called the riffmaster for a reason; no matter what kind of tone the band were going for, he was always able to come up with some kind of instrumental which perfectly set up the rest of the track. Usually, his riffs would lead into a song which would only get bigger and better from there, but controversially, I don’t think that happens with ‘Iron Man’.

That iconic riff sets the tone for the track, but it feels as though the song doesn’t know how to move on from it. The vocal pattern mirrors it completely, and it’s as though we would have been fine simply listening to the riff over and over again. I’m sure plenty of people will disagree with me on this one, but that guitar line, paired with the angry-sounding “I am Iron Man!” means that this song peaks at its introduction.