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! Japanese rock with insanely cool guitar riffs (41–50)
InfernoMrs. GREEN APPLE
How about lifting your spirits with some energetic guitar rock? This track is by the five-member co-ed rock band Mrs.
GREEN APPLE.
Through the metaphor of light and shadow, it powerfully portrays the complexities of life and the hope found within them.
The dynamic sound woven by inventive guitar work shakes listeners to the core.
Released digitally in July 2019, it was chosen as the opening theme for Season 1 of the anime Fire Force.
It’s also included on the albums Attitude and 5.
A song that gives you the courage to face life’s hardships.
cobalt blueThe Back Horn
Songs with captivating guitar riffs stir the heart every time you listen.
Among them, “Cobalt Blue” stands out as a memorable track, its powerful yet wistful melody lingering in your ears.
THE BACK HORN’s uncompromising sound is sure to electrify you.
This song, which exquisitely transforms a unique worldview into sound, doesn’t just invite passive listening—it makes you want to deepen the experience by playing the guitar riff yourself.
Try recreating that forward-surging distortion sound with your own hands.
Song of the Depressingly/Beautiful PeopleMakishimamu Za Horumon
An all-out, high-energy track that cranks the tension to the max and makes you want to jump around.
One of Maximum the Hormone’s signature songs, it’s included on their 2013 album Yoshu Fukushu.
The lyrics tackle a deep, heavy theme that seems to give voice to the cries of those struggling with depression, riding on a hyper-charged sound.
The fiercely dynamic guitar riffs are sure to drive listeners’ excitement to the limit.
It’s a song for anyone confronting the darkness within yet still determined to keep looking forward.
CRAZY NIGHTSLOUDNESS
LOUDNESS is a Japanese hard rock band that achieved global success.
This work is sung entirely in English, and both the vocals and the performances are on par with hard rock bands from abroad.
The song was included on the 1985 album “THUNDER IN THE EAST.” With this album, they made a full-fledged breakthrough in the United States.
ShuraDOES
Shura, which lets you fully savor the appeal of the guitar, is distinguished by riffs that seize the listener’s heart.
It opens with powerful drums, and as the ensemble joins in, the tension rapidly intensifies.
Yet the playing itself is simple, making it a great recommendation for beginners.
The sense of speed and energy that runs through the track offers a thrilling experience even when you’re playing it.
DOES’s Shura never ceases to captivate listeners from all angles.
SmokyChar
From the dawn of rock music in Japan during the 1970s, Char distinguished himself as a guitarist while still in his teens.
His contributions to the development of Japanese rock guitar are immeasurable, and his signature song is Smoky.
The off-beat stabs that appear right from the intro—and are deployed effectively throughout the track—serve as the song’s defining riff.
Featured on his 1976 solo album Char, it has long been a centerpiece of his live performances.
In the night sky after the rainRC sakuseshon
RC Succession, the legendary band that the late Kiyoshiro Imawano—who sadly passed away in 2009—was a member of.
This work is one of their early hit songs, released in 1980.
The opening guitar riff still sounds fresh even today.
The image of Kiyoshiro in full makeup brings back memories.