A great song without FX is still a great song, but sometimes a humble stompbox can enliven the most ordinary guitar part and turn it into something special.

In this no-way-definitive list, and in no particular order, we reach for our nine-volt batteries to bring you 51 great FX moments. In the main, the list comprises choice recordings, but certain guitarists are just so synonymous with effects that we had to present you with a selection of tracks from their back catalogue.

First up, here's an, ahem, Sweet moment in guitar history...

Guitarist: Andy Scott

Effect used: Shin-Ei Siren/Hurricane

Featuring a main riff nearly identical to David Bowie’s Jean Genie and released via the same label just weeks earlier, The Sweet’s 1973 track was the band's most enduring moment. This is partly due to Scott’s ‘siren’ intro riff created on, yes, a Shin-Ei Siren/Hurricane pedal.