Makes you want to play it! Japanese rock with the coolest guitar riffs
For guitarists, the spotlight—the very face of a song—is the guitar riff.
Songs with riffs that symbolize the track really stick in your memory, and many classic hits in the rock scene come hand in hand with amazing riffs!
In this article, we’ve rounded up a bunch of songs with killer guitar riffs.
Just listening to cool riffs is enough to get your blood pumping, but if you’re a guitarist, why not pick up your guitar and try playing along?
There aren’t just single-note phrases—there are riffs built around power chords and octaves too, so try tackling all kinds of riffs from different songs!
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Makes You Want to Play It! Japanese Rock with the Coolest Guitar Riffs (31–40)
Get Off of My WayMAN WITH A MISSION
MAN WITH A MISSION is a mysterious band with wolf heads and human bodies.
They may look like that, but their performance is nothing but cool! Their sound is so grand and groovy it makes you wonder if there are overseas artists inside those wolves.
The Japanese lyrics are delivered with conviction, and the playing is cool as well.
Released in 2012.
Ready Steady GoL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
“READY STEADY GO” was released in 2004.
It’s a L’Arc~en~Ciel track that exudes youth and a sense of exhilarating speed.
At live shows, it’s a staple played just before the encore, sending both the band and the audience into a frenzy.
Flowers of EvilBUCK-TICK
Released in 1990, BUCK-TICK’s “Aku no Hana” is a signature song representing Japanese rock bands of that era.
Its look and lyrics are evocative of the time, while the sound has a sharpness that still holds up today.
The guitar distortion is supremely solid, and the riffs played with that tone surely sent many listeners into a frenzy back then.
It’s a track where you should pay close attention to the phrases coming from guitarist Hisashi Imai’s trademark, uniquely shaped guitar.
Stratocaster SeasideSuspended 4th
A guitar riff that captivates the audience with ultra-fast cutting and brushing explodes onto the scene! Hailing from Nagoya, rock band Suspended 4th packs their songs with edge-of-your-seat thrills and sheer coolness.
Kicking off with an ominous encounter at 3 a.m., the suspense-filled storyline is sure to trigger a rush of adrenaline.
With lyrics that brilliantly explore the theme of living in the present—where taking a single step sets the gears of fate in motion—this 2018 digital release is one you’ll want to etch into your heart.
How gasoline sloshesBLANKEY JET CITY
Blankey Jet City’s 1997 classic “Gasoline no Yureka-ta” (“How the Gasoline Sways”) is, above all, a track with incredibly cool guitar work—so cool that countless guitar kids must have tried to copy it out of admiration.
Amid the relentless call-and-response between vocals and guitar, a recurring refrain emerges.
Riding a tight beat from the bass and drums, Benji—Kenichi Asai—strums his guitar with such force that the song’s frenzy surges all at once.
It’s a track that once again makes you realize just how monumental an electric guitar phrase can be in a rock band.
Makes you want to play! Japanese rock with insanely cool guitar riffs (41–50)
POISON ~In a world like this where you can’t even say what you want~Sorimachi Takashi
When it comes to actor Takashi Sorimachi’s songs, it has to be “POISON ~ In a world where you can’t even say what you want to say ~.” The most memorable part is, of course, the chorus melody, but the intro also has a strong presence! The slide guitar technique in that intro not only feels great to play, but—believe it or not—it’s easy! It’s reassuring to have it in your back pocket as a little trick you can pull out, and it’s the kind of flashy phrase that’s well worth remembering.
Be sure to master it!
BE MY BABYCOMPLEX
“BE MY BABY” is a song whose repeatedly sung opening lyrics and the following guitar riff are incredibly striking.
Even those not well-versed in rock probably know it.
Complex was a duo consisting of Tomoyasu Hotei and Koji Kikkawa.
It was released in 1989.