The Greatest Guitar Moment of All Time is a 1990 Song You've Played A Thousand Times

There's something comforting about cranking up a legendary hard rock song that still hits hard, every time it gets played over your loud speakers, phone or on the radio. Even though the decades go on, the basis of great rock music stays the same, and it's about great guitar riffs and rhythms.

One of the best bands for hard rock was, and is, AC/DC. The band got its start in the mid-1970s, which is so wild, and brothers Malcolm and Angus Young played pubs and clubs until they blew up big and brought their high-octane, blues-bard hard rock to the world.

Now, a 1990 song from AC/DC has been named among the best guitar moments of all time, and there's no question that it's one of the best in heavy metal music or any guitar music.

Popular 1990 AC/DC Song Named One of the Greatest Guitar Moments of All Time

That anthem is the 1990 hit "Thunderstruck." Who's not to love about that rock gem?

In a guitar-happy story for Forbes, Quentin Thane Singer names the best moments in guitar music ever. "Guitar music is a ubiquitous feature of popular music, seemingly growing louder and more influential with each passing decade," Singer notes in the piece.

"A guitar intro that echoes through the biggest sports stadiums across the globe is already self anointed as an all-time great," Singer adds. "In truth, it's nearly impossible to decide on the best Angus Young guitar riff or solo, as he's written so many all-timers."

But, that's not all. The real reason that "Thunderstruck" is one of the best is because it's "one of the only AC/DC songs featuring a guitar lead in the intro," Singer adds, "which happens to be one of the band's most iconic intros, too."

It's so true that "Thunderstruck" has that memorable guitar intro that's impossible to ignore. That itself makes it one of the greatest guitar moments in all of music, but the riff continues through this song, making it even better.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 1:00 AM.