Arctic Monkeys vs Deep Purple: Public to vote on greatest guitar riff of all time
Tracks from the days when the early days of electric guitar music include C'mon Everbody by Eddie Cochran, Holly's Words Of Love, Rumble by Link Wray and Apache by British guitar pioneers The Shadows
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The Arctic Monkeys are to be pitted against classic acts such as Guns N' Roses, Daft Punk and The Beatles in a vote for the greatest guitar riff of all time.
The public is being invited to vote for their favourites from a longlist of 100 top guitar riffs compiled by a panel of BBC Radio 2 experts.
Artists as diverse as Buddy Holly, Pink Floyd, and Metallica have also made the top 100. But organisers have insisted acts can be represented just once – so Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix and Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks are edged out in favour of Purple Haze and You Really Got Me respectively.
And there is no place for stadium-filling rock act Muse, despite their song Plug-In Baby being said to have replaced Stairway To Heaven as one of the prime choices for musicians testing out new gear in guitar shops.
The most recent release on the list is last year's Do I Really Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys, with No One Knows by Queens Of The Stone Age and Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes leading the charge for the 21st century.
Tracks from the days when the early days of electric guitar music include C'mon Everbody by Eddie Cochran, Holly's Words Of Love, Rumble by Link Wray and Apache by British guitar pioneers The Shadows.
The varied list - which also includes Hocus Pocus by Dutch prog rock band Focus, Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, Blur's Song 2 and A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins - was announced by Radio 2 presenter Simon Mayo.
Music lovers can vote for their favourites at bbc.co.uk/radio2. The top choices will be counted down and the winner announced on Bank Holiday Monday, August 25.
Jeff Smith, head of music at Radio 2, said: "We've all been brought up with the most amazing guitar riffs throughout the history of pop music, but our trusty panel have drawn up a strong and eclectic mix that we know our Radio 2 listeners are going to love."
20th Century Boy - T. Rex
A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen
Alive - Pearl Jam
All Right Now - Free
Apache - The Shadows
Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
Atomic - Blondie
Back In Black - AC/DC
Beat It - Michael Jackson
Block Buster! - Sweet
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
C'mon Everybody - Eddie Cochran
Cannonball - The Breeders
Cigarettes & Alcohol - Oasis
Day Tripper - The Beatles
Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys
Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Don't Believe A Word - Thin Lizzy
Down Down - Status Quo
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
Fools Gold - The Stone Roses
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
Good Times - Chic
Hocus Pocus - Focus
How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths
I Can't Explain - The Who
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
I Love Rock 'n' Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Killing in The Name - Rage Against The Machine
Layla - Derek And The Dominoes
Life In The Fast Lane - Eagles
Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll - Rainbow
Loser - Beck
Ma-Ma-Ma Belle - Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters
Marquee Moon - Television
Milk and Alcohol - Dr. Feelgood
Misirlou - Dick Dale
Money - Pink Floyd
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
Motorcycle Emptiness - Manic Street Preachers
Mr Tambourine Man - The Byrds
My Sharona - The Knack
Need You Tonight - INXS
No One Knows - Queens of The Stone Age
No Surprises - Radiohead
Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac
One Vision - Queen
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Peter Gunn - Duane Eddy
Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols
Pride (In The Name Of Love) - U2
Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Rocks - Primal Scream
Rumble - Link Wray
Run To You - Bryan Adams
Running Down A Dream - Tom Petty
September - Earth, Wind & Fire
Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
Song 2 - Blur
Spoonman - Soundgarden
Stay With Me - Faces
Sunshine of Your Love - Cream
Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
That Lady - The Isley Brothers
The One I Love - R.E.M.
The Riverboat Song - Ocean Colour Scene
The Spirit Of Radio - Rush
Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes
There She Goes - The La's
Unbelievable - EMF
Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Walk This Way - Aerosmith (and Aerosmith & Run DMC)
Wheels - Foo Fighters
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
Words of Love - Buddy Holly
You Really Got Me - The Kinks
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Additional reporting by PA
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