Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Guitars
  • Synths
  • Controllers
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Drums
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Prime Day music deals still live
  • Todd Rundgren's top 5 productions
  • Steve Porcaro
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Ozzy mix wisdom
Don't miss these
Laney Lionheart Foundry Super60
Guitar Amps "There’s something incredibly satisfying about playing through this amp": Laney Lionheart Foundry Super 60 112 review
Jimi and Billy in 1968
Artists “I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song
Derek Trucks takes a slide solo on his Gibson SG as Tedeschi Trucks Band performs live at Madison Square Garden.
Artists Derek Trucks is one of the greatest slide players of all time – here’s how he decides when to use it
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Artists “The record company said, ‘It’s too long.’ But we said, ‘We don’t care!’”: How Lynyrd Skynyrd created a legendary epic
Zach Myers of Shinedown plays a hunter green PRS NF53 live onstage at Download Festival 2025.
Artists Zach Myers on Shinedown’s secret weapon, the limits of shred guitar, and getting schooled by BB King
Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde tear it up onstage in 1989. Ozzy is shirtless. Wylde his shirtless, too – and he plays his bullseye graphic Les Paul.
Artists How a Mike Inez bassline kick-started Ozzy classic No More Tears – but he wasn't there to record it
Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde onstage in 1989. Both shirtless, Wylde takes a drink as he holds his bulleseye Les Paul Custom.
Artists “We were doing that riff and cracking up laughing the whole time”: Zakk Wylde on how a “joke” riff won Ozzy Osbourne his first ever Grammy
Drummers Listen to 11 isolated drum tracks from rock's drumming legends
Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde tear it up onstage in 1989. Ozzy is shirtless. Wylde his shirtless, too – and he plays his bullseye graphic Les Paul.
Keyboards & Pianos “That actually came from me and Oz jamming on the piano in my apartment in North Hollywood”: From Ozzy Osbourne to Papa Roach, Fleetwood Mac to George Harrison, here's 5 career-defining songs you didn’t know were written on the piano
Side profile of a person playing a drum kit
Drum Lessons & Tutorials 13 easy drum songs every beginner should learn
Jackson American Series Rhoads: the Rhoads is now officially being made in the USA again, and is offered with a choice of a hardtail or Floyd Rose, with the hardtail finished in Satin Black and Snow White, and the Floyd in Satin Black, Matte Army Drab and Snow White. Note the reverse headstock.
Guitars All Rhoads lead to California as Jackson brings one of its most-iconic metal guitars home for a high-end upgrade
The Rolling Stone The Last Time cover
Singles And Albums “It gave us a pathway of how to do it”: Sixty years of The Last Time – the Stones’ big breakthrough
Warren Haynes takes a solo live onstage with his Gibson Les Paul Standard. He wears a black shirt.
Artists Warren Haynes on the Allman Brothers, Woodstock ’94, and finishing what Gregg Allman started with Derek Trucks’ help
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
Artists “"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
Billy Gibbons on stage in 2012
Artists “We got it on tape three hours ago – we just like hearing you guys play!”: ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons on producer Rick Rubin
  1. Artists

Black Stone Cherry's 9 best Southern rock riffs and solos

News
By Claire Davies published 13 May 2014

From Lynyrd Skynyrd to ZZ Top

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

If there's one modern band who know their Southern rock onions, it has to be Black Stone Cherry. Purveyors of hard rock with a delectable Southern twang, this hard hitting four-piece have been converting minor crowds into masses with their infectious aural brew since releasing their debut in 2006.

Here, guitarist Ben Wells runs us through a sizzlin' selection of Southern rock riffs and solos, choosing nine of his favourites that embody the power, spirit and vibe of this great genre.

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Song: Freebird

Song: Freebird

"As cliché as it may sound, this is the granddaddy of all southern rock songs, especially the solos. You just can't beat the three guitar attack, the lyrics, the melody... There's a reason why everyone requests this song at every show!"

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Song: Born On The Bayou

Song: Born On The Bayou

"I love this band, I love John Fogerty. Although from California, Creedence Clearwater Revival is an excellent southern rock band. The lyrical content mixed with the swampy guitar riffs is something that never gets old."

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Song: Tush

Song: Tush

“This excellent riff is by one of the South's greatest boogie bands. They showcase the classic southern Texas swing with rock 'n' roll. Gibbons is an insane player and his feel is untouchable.”

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Song: Midnight Rider

Song: Midnight Rider

“The riff in this song is very catchy and the melody is infectious. The harmonies are great and the solo is just perfect. It just puts you in a certain vibe.”

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Song: Mississippi Queen

Song: Mississippi Queen

"Another band that wasn't from the South but truly had that Southern spirit. Leslie West's voice and guitar are undeniable. The cowbell, the riff... It's the whole package."

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Song: Train, Train

Song: Train, Train

"This is a classic hard rock Southern rock riff. I would love for us to jam this sometime. Rickey Medlocke is awesome (one of my faves) and his voice is top notch on this song."

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Song: Can't You See

Song: Can't You See

"Everyone knows and loves this song - it's a staple in Southern rock music. We covered it on our third album because it showcases the southern influence in our band. Great harmonies, too."

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Song: Flirtin' With Disaster

Song: Flirtin' With Disaster

"If you've ever heard a southern rock song, you've heard this one. Another band with an undeniable voice, this tune is perfect for redneck living!"

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Song: Sweet Home Alabama

Song: Sweet Home Alabama

"The only reason this is number 9 is because any Southern rock list show starts and ends with Lynyrd Skynyrd! No matter what type of music you listen to, you've all heard that Stratocaster riff."

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Claire Davies
Read more
Jimi and Billy in 1968
“I was playing the Fender Strat that Jimi Hendrix gave me”: Billy Gibbons on the making of ZZ Top's greatest blues song
 
 
Derek Trucks takes a slide solo on his Gibson SG as Tedeschi Trucks Band performs live at Madison Square Garden.
Derek Trucks is one of the greatest slide players of all time – here’s how he decides when to use it
 
 
Lynyrd Skynyrd
“The record company said, ‘It’s too long.’ But we said, ‘We don’t care!’”: How Lynyrd Skynyrd created a legendary epic
 
 
Zach Myers of Shinedown plays a hunter green PRS NF53 live onstage at Download Festival 2025.
Zach Myers on Shinedown’s secret weapon, the limits of shred guitar, and getting schooled by BB King
 
 
Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde tear it up onstage in 1989. Ozzy is shirtless. Wylde his shirtless, too – and he plays his bullseye graphic Les Paul.
How a Mike Inez bassline kick-started Ozzy classic No More Tears – but he wasn't there to record it
 
 
Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde onstage in 1989. Both shirtless, Wylde takes a drink as he holds his bulleseye Les Paul Custom.
“We were doing that riff and cracking up laughing the whole time”: Zakk Wylde on how a “joke” riff won Ozzy Osbourne his first ever Grammy
 
 
Latest in Artists
Freddie Mercury in 1975
“Oh, we're Number One again! It almost got boring after a while”: Brian May and Roger Taylor on Queen’s masterpiece
 
 
kid harpoon
“There’s a reason that the Juno-106 is still the greatest”: Kid Harpoon on vintage synths and studio secrets
 
 
Joan Osborne
“I asked if there was another way of expressing whether God was ‘just a slob like one of us’”: Inside a ’90s classic
 
 
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 2196 -- Pictured: (l-r) Musical guests Rei Ami, Ejae, and Audrey Nuna of "KPop Demon Hunters" perform on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 -- (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
EJAE on the making of the KPop Demon Hunters "banger" that's taken over the world
 
 
Zach Bryan performs at MetLife Stadium on July 20, 2025
“We all say things that are misconstrued sometimes": Zach Bryan attempts to calm furore over Bad News
 
 
Guns N' Roses
“There’s so much material at this point”: Slash says a new Guns N’ Roses album is coming
 
 
Latest in News
hisong
Hisong's AirStudio S1 is a pocket-sized all-in-one recording solution for musicians on the move
 
 
yamaha
Steinberg rebrands hardware products under Yamaha and shifts focus exclusively to software
 
 
allen heath
Allen & Heath's Xone:K3 brings RGB backlighting, improved hardware and USB-C to its portable performance-oriented MIDI controller
 
 
Warm Audio's Tube Squealer is a greatest-hits of Tube Screamer circuits, three-in one, while the Throne Of Tone, the new dual-overdrive twofer from the Texan pedal company channels not one but two classic pedals, which in a way were both inspired by the classic Marshall "Bluesbreaker" amps used by Clapton back in his John Mayall days.
Warm Audio channels the greatest hits of classic overdrive with the regal Throne Of Tone dual-drive and the 3-in-1 Tone Squealer
 
 
A pair of Sennheiser HD 600 studio headphones on a yellow and orange background
With some astonishing discounts of up to $3,500 off, the Sweetwater Recording Sale is the place to pick up studio gear for less this Prime Day
 
 
Native Instruments
“Everything you need at your fingertips”: Native Instruments launches its new generation of Traktor controllers with the MX2
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...