Muse Top 21st Century Riff Poll

A new poll of the best riffs of the past ten years has been topped by Muse.

The poll, conducted by Total Guitar, looks at the best riffs since the year 2000 and Muse managed to get two songs into the top ten.

Total Guitar editor Stephen Lawson said: "I think Muse won because Matt Bellamy is a guitar hero for the 21st century. He’s genuinely innovative, a real creative type who comes up with unique guitar parts. I’m sure it helps that his riffs are catchy too. This poll proves that modern rock is just as exciting, as chock full of brilliant riffs as classic rock was. Is ‘Plug In Baby’ as great a riff as (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction? You bet it is!”

The Top 50, which includes riffs by Green Day, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, Elbow, AC/DC, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers, is listed in full in the latest issue of Total Guitar.

Here’s the top ten:

1. Muse - ‘Plug In Baby’
2. Velvet Revolver - ‘Slither’
3. Avenged Sevenfold - ‘Afterlife’
4. Dream Theater - ‘The Dark Eternal Night’
5. Muse - ‘Knights of Cydonia’
6. Queens of the Stone Age - ‘No One Knows’
7. White Stripes - ‘Seven Nation Army’
8. Machine Head - ‘Halo’
9. The Killers - ‘Mr Brightside’
10. Avenged Sevenfold - ‘Beast And The Harlot’