Slash Responds to BBC Poll Naming 'Sweet Child O' Mine' Second Greatest Guitar Riff of All Time

 

Recently BBC did a poll to determine what the greatest guitar riff of all time was. In second place was Guns N' Roses song Sweet Child O' Mine. Former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash has since addressed the honor in an interview with Australian radio station Triple M.

"Yeah, it’s the greatest riff. But it’s very surreal when somebody says something like that. It’s almost like … impossible to take seriously.” Slash continued, “It’s not tangible. I mean, obviously, someone is walking around saying that and there’s been some sort of poll. But it’s also nonexistent as far as … you know, it’s really hard to really take seriously.”

To be honest, I can't say I blame him for not being able to take it seriously. Internet polls are never a reliable way to gather information because no matter where you put it there will be some form of bias. Plus, there is the fact that any one person can vote several times over and over again. Furthermore, I can think of plenty of Guns N' Roses riffs that are far better than Sweet Child O' Mine like Estranged, Nightrain, Coma, etc.

Sweet Child O' Mine was beat out only by Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love and is followed by AC/DC's Back in Black, then Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water, and then Derek and the Dominoes' Layla. Personally, I'm a little surprised that Smoke on the Water wasn't number 1. I guess that's the way things go some times, though.