The Ultimate Riff

[Slowy]

Been cramming a setlist from ages past. Forgot I'd agreed to cover the guitar role at a gig this weekend so the pressure's on.

Working through this stuff got me thinking about great riffs and what makes them. For this exercise, simplicity is the essential element. Black Dog and Sweet Child of Mine are great riffs, but for this purpose, they don't rate as simple. (So now that we've established my skill level...)

Anyway, I nominate Whole Lotta Love. Braindead simple, hits the ground at full throttle, grabs the audience by the throat and doesn't let go.

Got anything better?

[sopachrga]

Well, whether you'd want to classify it as classic or not... You can't deny it's fame:
Enter Sandman.

[Kev77]

Pacifier, sihad.

[higainer]

Simplicity is sometimes pure genius.

Take any AC/DC song.
Jailbreak
Whole Lotta Rosie
Girls Got Rhythm

Great fun to play & gets toes tapping

[jeremyb]

Home again, shihad.

*fixed*

[Molly]

Home again, shihad.

*fixed*

That track gets my vote as the greatest ever Kiwi band / song thing. Reminds me a lot of Swervedriver as it 'appens.

Anyway, riff question:

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Crazy Train, Judas Priest's Electric Eye.

[sizzlingbadger]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfqL6zuUHKU[/youtube]

[Sustainz]

Cream - "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Politician".
Black Sabbath - "Iron Man"
And, cliche as it may be, Deep Purple - "Smoke on the Water."

Classic, simple.

[hamo]

Simplicity is sometimes pure genius.

Take any AC/DC song.
Jailbreak
Whole Lotta Rosie
Girls Got Rhythm

Great fun to play & gets toes tapping

Yeah, it's hard to deny Highway To Hell or Back In Black too.

Or Black Sabbath, they had some pretty simple yet effective ways to crush your skull. Iron Man? Sabbath Bloody Sabbath?

[hamo]

Ooh ooh, or Motorhead - Ace Of Spades. Full throttle for sure.

For some reason I feel like chucking in Sunshine Of Your Love.

And what about Smoke On The Water?

[Danger Mouse]

I think, before this continues, we need to define what a riff is. To me, it's the big open or power chord progressions, the big fat riffs of Highway to Hell, or Back in Black, Smoke on the Water, that power and aggression and simplicity that immediately tell you what song it is. To me, the Sweet Child 'o' Mine "riff" is more of a lick or fill, that is repeated a few times, but the song itself is just 3 open chords for the most part and don't stand out as a riff as such. I know others see Slash's intro on Sweet Child as a riff, seems to be the older generation of guitarists, where as younger guitarists (although in my case far from actually being young), don't. In terms of being instantly recognisable, it certainly is, however.

For me (many have already been posted):
Highway to Hell
Back in Black
Smoke on the Water
Paranoid
Iron Man
Ace of Spades
Warp Pigs
Lil' Devil
Wild Flower
Killing in the Name
Pretty much all of Led Zepp's back catalogue...

I don't know if I can stop, but I have noticed that "riff rock" has died out somewhat over the years, now it's largely some simple chord progression with lots of layering and fills to make it sound interesting, but unlike that smack it out of the ballpark start to Highway to Hell, or Ace of Spades, nothing really has that killer riff anymore.

[Sustainz]

I don't think any listing of riffs would be complete without mentioning the Stones. Love 'em or hate 'em, for better or for worse, they kinda started the whole "riff rock" thang or were at the very least on the ground floor. And they meet the "simple" criterion for the most part (on the surface, anyway; getting the Keef's nuances is often underestimated).

Satisfaction
Brown Sugar
Honkey Tonk Women
Can't You Hear Me Knockin
etc.

[Doc Murray]

Pretty Woman. Roy Orbison
Day Tripper. The Beatles.

[sizzlingbadger]

I don't think any listing of riffs would be complete without mentioning the Stones. Love 'em or hate 'em, for better or for worse, they kinda started the whole "riff rock" thang or were at the very least on the ground floor. And they meet the "simple" criterion for the most part (on the surface, anyway; getting the Keef's nuances is often underestimated).

Satisfaction
Brown Sugar
Honkey Tonk Women
Can't You Hear Me Knockin
etc.

yeah, Satisfaction is probably most recognised riff across all generations and genres.

[hamo]

I don't think any listing of riffs would be complete without mentioning the Stones. Love 'em or hate 'em, for better or for worse, they kinda started the whole "riff rock" thang or were at the very least on the ground floor. And they meet the "simple" criterion for the most part (on the surface, anyway; getting the Keef's nuances is often underestimated).

Satisfaction
Brown Sugar
Honkey Tonk Women
Can't You Hear Me Knockin
etc.

yeah, Satisfaction is probably most recognised riff across all generations and genres.

And yet sitting here I can't call the riff to mind at all, I can only hear Mick singing the opening lines.

Reading DM's post above about knocking it out of the park in the first few bars made me think of Motley Crue's Live Wire.