1974 Rock Masterpiece Named Among Greatest Guitar Riffs of All Time

Lynyrd Skynyrd created its highest-charting single in 1974 with Sweet Home Alabama and produced one of the greatest guitar riffs in history in the process.

"Neil Young had challenged Alabama values in Southern Man, and since pistols at dawn were no longer acceptable, Skynyrd replied with this deathless radio-botherer. Even beginners can get their hands round the basic shapes, which has only helped its popularity," Guitar World said of the song it ranked No. 19 on the greatest guitar riffs of all time.

"The track opens with the distinctive sound of a Strat's bridge and middle pickups (with a non-hum-cancelling middle pickup, if you're being picky), played by Ed King on a 1973 model, running into a Fender Twin cranked almost to full blast."

Did Lynyrd Skynyrd Actually Have Beef With Neil Young?

The 1974 rock classic mentions Neil Young by name, coming after the iconic singer's Southern Man and Alabama took the South to task for its views on segregation and slavery.

"We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," Ronnie Van Zant said. "We're Southern rebels but, more than that, we know the difference between right and wrong."

He latest made it clear there was no feud between the artists.

"We wrote 'Sweet Home Alabama' as a joke," Van Zant clarified a few years following the release. "We didn't even think about it. The words just came out that way. We just laughed like hell and said, 'Ain't that funny.' We love Neil Young. We love his music."

For his place in the "feud," Young recalled in his autobiography that he "richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record."

He explained: "I don't like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue."

Sweet Home Alabama reached No. 8 on the Billboard charts.

Related: 1967 Rock Hit Named Among the Greatest Guitar Riffs of All Time - It Still Rocks

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 7, 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 June 6, 2026 at 9:23 PM.