Guitar Center surveyed store leadership nationwide to identify the most overplayed songs, creating an official list of riffs customers attempt most frequently. CEO Gabe Dalporto said the results were “really consistent” across locations and regions. Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” topped the ranking, followed by Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Both Metallica and Nirvana placed two songs each, with “Enter Sandman” and “Come As You Are” also making the cut. Surprising entries included Tool’s “Schism” and John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” which Dalporto noted stands out on a list that “leans towards harder rock.” Notable absences were Jimi Hendrix songs and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” despite the latter’s reputation as the quintessential overplayed guitar shop song
