Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About Us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist
  • Guitar Techniques
  • Total Guitar
  • Bass Player
More
  • Take our survey to win a £300/$350 Ticketmaster gift card
  • Type beats
  • 86000+ free music samples
  • How to make an AI cover song
  • Three-chord trick

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

  1. News

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

By Claire Davies
published 13 May 2014

From Lynyrd Skynyrd to ZZ Top

Introduction
Black Stone Cherry, with Ben Wells (pictured left)

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
Band: Lynyrd Skynyrd
(Image credit: Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS)

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
Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival
(Image credit: Scott Moore/Retna Ltd./Corbis)

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
Band: ZZ Top
(Image credit: Denis O'Regan/CORBIS)

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
Band: The Allman Brothers Band
(Image credit: Peter Tarnoff /Retna Ltd./Corbis)

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
Band: Mountain
(Image credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Corbis)

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
Band: Blackfoot
(Image credit: Chris Schwegler/Retna Ltd./Corbis)

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
Band: Marshall Tucker Band
(Image credit: Amy Harris/Corbis)

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
Band: Molly Hatchet
(Image credit: Splash News/Corbis)

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
Band: Lynyrd Skynyrd
(Image credit: Henry Ruggeri/Corbis)

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
Social Links Navigation
More about guitars
Neural DSP Quad Cortex update

Neural is going to bring its first Quad Cortex-compatible plugin out soon with Archetype: Plini X

Harley Benton Fusion-T 25th Firemist

Harley Benton Fusion-T 25th review

Latest
AIAIAI UNIT-4

AIAIAI launches 'first ever' wireless pro studio monitors (the 'first' being ultra-low latency)

See more latest ►
Most Popular
“When I finished the solo to this one, Mustaine came into the studio, listened to it once, turned around and, without saying a word, shook my hand" – the story of Megadeth's Tornado Of Souls

By Rob Laing27 September 2023

Venus Theory sampled $50k of gear at a synth convention to make this free plugin

By Matt Mullen27 September 2023

"Everybody around me kept saying, 'Norm, you can't carry on like this'": Fatboy Slim's career in gear, from tape to Atari to Ableton

By Andy Jones27 September 2023

Zildjian is celebrating its 400th anniversary in London this October, and you won’t want to miss it!

By Stuart Williams27 September 2023

The missing piece for your ultimate pedalboard rig? Universal Audio announces the OX Stomp Dynamic Speaker Emulator pedal

By Rob Laing26 September 2023

“It can totally do the hyper-authentic ‘60s thing, but it can do a bunch of other stuff that makes it much more versatile”: Strymon puts “gooey wobble” on the menu with the UltraViolet Vintage Vibe

By Jonathan Horsley26 September 2023

The new Pigtronix Cosmosis ambient reverb pedal has an intriguing Morphing feature

By Rob Laing26 September 2023

Bitwig and PreSonus’s new open file format enables you to save projects in one DAW and open them in another, but will other developers support it?

By Ben Rogerson26 September 2023

PreSonus Studio One 6.5 adds Dolby Atmos integration, but the real big news could be a new DAW file-swapping format

By Simon Arblaster26 September 2023

The Gibson Les Paul Supreme is officially back – and the most expensive non-Custom LP is as luxurious, lightweight and versatile as ever

By Jonathan Horsley26 September 2023

“I didn’t want to have anything to do with the song. To me, it was like: ‘Are we turning into Depeche Mode?’”: Europe’s John Norum says he thought The Final Countdown was “dreadful” at first

By Jonathan Horsley26 September 2023

  1. Gibson Les Paul Supreme
    1
    The Gibson Les Paul Supreme is officially back – and the most expensive non-Custom LP is as luxurious, lightweight and versatile as ever
  2. 2
    Bitwig and PreSonus’s new open file format enables you to save projects in one DAW and open them in another, but will other developers support it?
  3. 3
    7 effects pedals that synth players need to try
  4. 4
    The missing piece for your ultimate pedalboard rig? Universal Audio announces the OX Stomp Dynamic Speaker Emulator pedal
  5. 5
    The Vaporizer 2 wavetable synth plugin is now free and open-source: a commercial-quality instrument you can download for nothing?
  1. DAWproject
    1
    Bitwig and PreSonus’s new open file format enables you to save projects in one DAW and open them in another, but will other developers support it?
  2. 2
    7 effects pedals that synth players need to try
  3. 3
    The missing piece for your ultimate pedalboard rig? Universal Audio announces the OX Stomp Dynamic Speaker Emulator pedal
  4. 4
    Keith Richards calls pop music “rubbish”, dismisses “synthesized muzak” and doesn’t get rap: “I don’t really like to hear people yelling at me”
  5. 5
    Roland’s Juno-60 synth plugin hits version 2: a new GUI, a better browser and control over the ‘analogue’ circuits

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
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

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