“Absolutely, under no circumstances at all are customers allowed to play “Stairway to Heaven,” “Sweet Child Of Mine,” or “Smoke on the Water” while trying out guitars.” Sign in the window of a music store on Denmark St, in England.

It’s imperative that anyone in the market for a new guitar have a grab-bag of great licks at his or her disposal. Ask any sampling of store clerks which riffs are played most often by potential buyers, and chances are you’ll get a fairly wide range of selections. Still, when a shopper takes a seat and cradles that Les Paul or SG, some licks just beg to be played. Below are ten songs that boast riffs likely to be heard on a daily basis in guitar stores throughout the world.