A Best Riffs List

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I don't know if this has been done, but the "Bittersweet Symphony" thread has got me thinkin. I downloaded the Stones' song and Oldham's and have come to the conclusion that this is a beautiful, catchy, timeless riff.

Others?

― Adm Michel (adam michel), Monday, 19 January 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

In the city, the Jam

just cause I'm listening to it now...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 19 January 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"Black Dog", Zep's, has one tail-shaking, gear-shifting, heavy-breathing magnificent mutha of a riff.
As has (minus 'gear-shifting', maybe) their "Heartbreaker", surely.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 19 January 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"godzilla" -- b.o.c.

― notfazed (notfazed), Monday, 19 January 2004 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

"black blade" -- b.o.c.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The one from the beginning of Yes's "Yours Is No Disgrace" that showed up again in Belle & Sebastian's "You're Just a Baby."

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

"Dirty Water" by the Standells

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Flavor".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions "Rattlesnakes"

― Adm Michel (adam michel), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The riff before the chorus on Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion".

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Link Wray "Rumble"

Alex otm with The Standells.

― Adm Michel (adam michel), Monday, 19 January 2004 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Back in Black - AC/DC

Walk this Way - Aerosmith

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"Stay With Me" - the Faces

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I was just thinking this morning about how the two main riffs from Sonic Youth's "Teenage Riot" are among the best I've ever heard.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 19 January 2004 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Agreed on Teenage Riot. Also, Kool Thing.

Making Time - The Creation

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Monday, 19 January 2004 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Yes but I've always found "Yours Is No Disgrace" a little embarrassing. The middle part of it, with the guitar solo, is beautiful but that riff is such a cheese monster.

Obvious answers: "Sunshine of Your Love", "Layla". dleone OTM too. If you can go outside of rock: Beethoven's 5th, Ornette Coleman - "Theme from a Symphony"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 19 January 2004 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

what's the difference between a riff and a hook? cuz "bittersweet symphony" seems much more like a hook to me than a riff.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 19 January 2004 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Soundgarden - "Keep it Off My Wave"

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 19 January 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"satisfaction" by the rolling stones

― chris besinger (chris besinger), Monday, 19 January 2004 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I was reading a piece about "Satisfaction" last night and I realized I couldn't call up the riff in my head. Every time I tried I wound up with the opening to "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Which leads me to believe that JJF has the superior riff.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 19 January 2004 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The riff from "Bo Diddley" -- Bo Diddley

The second riff from "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", where the guitar drops in pitch and doubles the bass -- Black Sabbath

"I Wanna Be Your Dog" -- Stooges

"The Man-Machine" -- Kraftwerk

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Monday, 19 January 2004 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

oh I can't believe I forgot "be yr dog",

actually I think my all-time favorite riff is "wild thing" by the troggs

― chris besinger (chris besinger), Monday, 19 January 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

You Really Got Me - The Kinks
Panic in Detroit - David Bowie
Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 19 January 2004 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy...hands down one of the best riffs of all time.

― KDR, Monday, 19 January 2004 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Woah, "Ballroom Blitz". Dead mad good 'un.

"The Last Time", R'ing Stones
"Fool's Gold"'s bass riff, Stone R'ses

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 19 January 2004 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Turn, Turn, Turn - The Byrds
Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 19 January 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll take "Hell's Bells" over "Back in Black"

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Monday, 19 January 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Whole Lotta Love"----actually, Jimmy Page owns this thread

― oops (Oops), Monday, 19 January 2004 20:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, yes, I see no one's mentioned "Kashmir".

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Monday, 19 January 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"Angel of Death", or pretty much any other riff from Reign in Blood.

Also, "Passing Complexion" by Big Black has one of my favorite riffs ever, even though it sounds like a saw grinding against sheet metal.
Actually, that's probably why I like it.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 19 January 2004 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Mekons: "Where Were You?"

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 19 January 2004 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

it would be an injustice not to mention CKY's "96 Quite Bitter Beings" so i'll be the one to bite the bullet and cite it - what a KILLER riff

Fudge Tunnel's "Hate Song" - actually that whole album rules

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 19 January 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

[i]Oh Well[/i] - Fleetwood Mac
[i]Here Comes Your Man[/i] and [i]Monkey Gone To Heaven[/i] - The Pixies
[i]Marquee Moon[/i] - Television
[i]Voodoo Chile[/i] and [i]The Wind Cries Mary[/i] - Jimi Hendrix
[i]When the Levee Breaks[/i] - tha Zep
[i]Le Freak[/i] - Chic

― Palomino (Palomino), Monday, 19 January 2004 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Whoops. Scuse mi HTML.

― Palomino (Palomino), Monday, 19 January 2004 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac
Here Comes Your Man and Monkey Gone To Heaven - The Pixies
Marquee Moon - Television
Voodoo Chile and The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix
When the Levee Breaks - tha Zep
Le Freak - Chic

― Palomino (Palomino), Monday, 19 January 2004 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"She Sells Sanctuary" by the Cult
"Eighties" by Killing Joke
"Cruiser's Creek" by the Fall
"Bomber" by Motorhead
"To Hell with Poverty" by Gang of Four

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 19 January 2004 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex, do you mean that bass line or the grating guitar part that introduces the verses in "To Hell with Poverty"?

― Adm Michel (adam michel), Monday, 19 January 2004 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean the grating guitar line. The three staccato bursts, followed by the descending whine. The bass line is ace as well, but this thread isn't about bass lines.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 19 January 2004 22:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Soundgarden - "Jesus Christ Pose"
Nirvana - "Come As You Are"
Thurston Moore - "Ono Soul"
Led Zeppelin - "Moby Dick"
David Bowie - "Ziggy Stardust"
Gary Numan - "Cars"
Scorpions - "Rock You Like a Hurricane"
Philip Glass - "Music In Similar Motion"
Luke Vibert - "Liptones"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 19 January 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

White Stripes - "Seven Nation Army"
Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
Led Zeppelin - "The Wanton Song" has a bunch but my favourite is the dancey organ thing that substitutes for a chorus
Heart - "Crazy On You"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 19 January 2004 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't "Come As You Are'" the one that ripped of a Killing Joke song? -- Alex in NYC, is this true?

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 19 January 2004 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

C'mon, kids, it's 2004. Don't we all know that story by now?

"Come As You Are" was ripped from Killing Joke's "Eighties" (which, in turn, was ripped off of The Damned's "Life Goes On"). Killing Joke were in the process of bringing a lawsuit against Nirvana, until Kurt decided that it was be a swell idea to put a bullet in his head. Supposedly "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters was Dave Grohl's way of excorcising the demons that plagued him about Kurt's appropriation of such things, but I'll leave that to the Foo Fighter Freaks to debate. Grohl apologized to Jaz Coleman and played on the last Killing Joke album in penance. Oh, and Kurt's still dead.

Actually, legend has it that the rip-off was further extnded on Puddle of Mudd's Come Clean, which features a song which is basically a crap rewrite of "Come as You Are." Can't remember the title.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Keith Richard to thread!

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"20th Century Fox"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

(because although it is THEE SHIT he never plays it exactly the same as he does right at the beginning of the song so by the middle you're just kind of aching for that slow lazy looping drawly riff to come back around the way it was before, but it never does, it never does)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"Friction," and it's been over five years so I might as well type the letters spelling "Driver 8"

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Keith Richard to grave!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't care for Metallica, and I'm not a big fan of the rest of the song, but the main riff of "Enter Sandman" simply kicks ass.
Living Colour's "Cult Of Personality" is major in so many ways.
The intro of Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" and the whole of"Suffragette City". His beginning of "Modern Love", up until his vocals kick in. Blondie's "I Know But I Don't Know," King Crimson's "Red", I could go on and on and on..

― Jim D, Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"South of Heaven" and "Raining Blood' by Slayer.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never heard Killing Joke = they don't exist = ["Come As You Are" = classic riff]

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never met Sundar = his opinion is moot.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Blind Roosevelt Graves & Brother, "Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind on Jesus)"
"D" Train, "You're the One for Me"

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"MY PAL" by god!!!

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The Loft - "Up the Hill and Down the Slope"
Mansun - "Take It Easy Chicken"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 02:02 (twenty-two years ago)

The Loft - "Up the Hill and Down the Slope"

AAHHH!!!! Great, great, great single. I salute thee, Mr.Snrub!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)

'spirit of radio'

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Yer all high. "Sweet Jane" by a million miles.

― Salmon Pink (Salmon Pink), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

The Fall - Barmy. I'm Not sure if this is a bass line or not.

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 03:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sweet Jane" by a million miles

I hope you're referring to the psychedelic trippy-as-fuck beginning, because I for one find that about 50,000 times cooler than the rest of the song. You?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 05:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"Baby Let Me Take You" - Detroit Emeralds

― briania, Tuesday, 20 January 2004 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

"Have Not Been The Same" - Slow
Nice to see Fudge Tunnel on this list. They're pretty much the only Earache band I still listen to mostly because they wrote the best riffs.

― Bryan (Bryan), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Stooges, "Search and Destroy" (chorus riff - the one just after "Baby, penetrate my mind" that continues through "And I am the world's forgotten boy" etc)

― Snnap Dragon (snnap dragon), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:19 (twenty-two years ago)

It isn't easy to say this, but I really dig that riff in Scene Creamers' "Elfin Orphan"

― Adm Michel (adam michel), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

"Soul Man"
"Here Comes the Sun" - the part that sounds like triplets followed by duplets
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - though there is probably a better Slash riff I'm not thinking of

― skreddy57 (skreddy57), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones
"My Sharona" - the Knack
"How Soon Is Now?" - the Smiths
"the Fly" - U2
"a Minha Menina" - Os Mutantes
"Making Time" - the Creation
"Ask" - the Go-Betweens
"Kick Out The Jams" - MC5

― David Nolan (David N.), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"Walk" - Pantera
"The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The best riff of 2003: "Champagne" by Millionaire

― Iam Anonentity, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 06:19 (twenty-two years ago)

bowie's riff moment is 'rebel rebel.'

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 06:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Well that's Mick Ronson's best riff moment, isn't it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Christ I'm an irritating pedant.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

six years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwan7FdbENc

― charlie h, Friday, 24 September 2010 03:50 (fifteen years ago)

From the "great riffs, shit song" thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FNhhulxe2o

― Fartbritz Sootzveti (Steve Shasta), Friday, 24 September 2010 04:17 (fifteen years ago)

main riff to Candlemass's "Solitude" is pure doom weight yo.

― Remedial Thug Motivation (San Te), Saturday, 25 September 2010 13:46 (fifteen years ago)

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