Creating a great guitar riff requires a certain finesse. Most guitarists need to be in the right moment with their instrument to craft a memorable riff. Once the drums kick in and a groove is established, it’s only a matter of time before the fingers find the right notes, and the room starts rocking to a bluesy lead. Joe Perry, one of the pioneers of the perfect guitar lick, believes that no riff tops what Aerosmith achieved with “Walk This Way.”
Although Aerosmith, the “Bad Boys from Boston,” crafted numerous memorable licks, they never claimed to have invented the style. Their sound was rooted in influences like The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. While Aerosmith has experimented with different genres over the years, their best work often comes when they lean into their bluesy roots.
Even after evolving into more mainstream pop over the years, one of Aerosmith’s most underrated albums is Honkin’ on Bobo. The project, consisting of blues covers, sees Perry returning to the band’s origins. Songs like “Back Back Train,” where Perry takes the lead on vocals, reconnect the band with the blues foundations they had long before their first album.
Interestingly, the iconic riff in “Walk This Way” wasn’t initially conceived as a blues tune. When Perry first played the riff with Steven Tyler on drums, he envisioned it resembling the funk style of bands like The Meters. Its rhythm has a horn-like feel, fitting more into a funk groove than traditional rock.
Though some have criticized Aerosmith for borrowing too much from The Rolling Stones, “Walk This Way” helped establish them as a force of their own. Even Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, as legendary as they are, never wrote anything quite as funky or provocative as what Tyler delivered with this song.
Reflecting on the track, Perry has acknowledged that “Walk This Way” stands out as the band’s defining riff. He once said, “I think ‘Walk This Way’ is probably the one that comes up the most. It’s not just a straight rock-and-roll song. It shows a lot of the influences that Aerosmith has. I think that’s the one that gets the gold star as being the riff people know us for.”
Despite all the brilliant licks in rock history, the magic of “Walk This Way” extends beyond its iconic break. For guitarists, the verse groove is immensely satisfying, blending a chopped-up shuffle rhythm that feels like a mix of funk and rockabilly.
“Walk This Way” has left an indelible mark on music culture, influencing everything from hair metal to rap-rock. Its significance grew even more after Aerosmith re-recorded it with Run-DMC in the 1980s. While tracks like “Same Old Song and Dance” and “Dream On” might be more complex, the riff in “Walk This Way” ensures its place in history alongside other iconic rock riffs like “Satisfaction” and “Stairway to Heaven.”
