The first one that came to mind was Smoke on the Water.
But the guitar part that I'm gay for is the beginning of Led Zep's Over The Hills and Far Away. I don't play so I don't know what qualifies as a "riff" but when I hear that guitar part I just get in a great mood. Other guitar parts I really like are Eruption by Van Halen, most of the riffs on Dinosaur Jr.s' Green Mind (especially The Wagon and on Bug's Freak Scene) and the one in the song In Her Mouth A Desert by Pavement which is replicated note for note in Silkworm's Raised By Tigers. Also the guitar on the song That Lady by the Isley Brothers.
"Smoke On The Water": the first riff guitarists learn.
Ah yes... how could I have forgotten that one?!
Also, nowadays I somehow STILL hear the young 'uns showing off with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" every time I go to the music store. You can set your watch by it.
Fez 4 Prez!!
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"That guy flew to drum of his own whistle... ya know... or whatever." -E.S. David Mac
-Metallica - Disposable Heroes
-Exodus - Verbal Razors
-Dark Angel - Never To Rise Again
-Black Sabbath - ENTIRE Master of Reality album ( I hold this album personally responsible for the speed and thrash metal movement)
-Exhorder - Desecrator
-Anthrax - Among The Living
You know, FUCK THIS because there are too many and I don't want to be here all night. These just come to mind first because I always associated riff along with metal. Just like mosh, hesh and slam. I have yet to touch on Indie, Hardcore, Punk and the AC/DC becasue they got great riffs all over the place.
Ten years gone -- Zeppelin
Can you hear me knocking -- Stones
Beating Round the bush - AC/DC
Since Ive been loving you - Zeppelin
All along the watchtower - Hendrix
Thank you Ron and Fez for finally being live in DC again.
Ok let's get the boys back live in NY. Don't give up the fight.
Just to be different:
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Workin' Man Blues -Roy Nichols (Merle Haggard)
I feel Fine- Beatles
Whole Lotta Love- Led Zep
Fortunate Son - Creedence
Purple Haze-Jimi Hendrix
in the 12 string category
Mr. Tamborine Man-Byrds
A Hard Days Night-Beatles
Kicks- Paul Revere and the Raiders
When You Walk in the Room"- The Searchers
I just had to add the 12 strings for the Rickenbacker fans
This message was edited by golfcourseguy on 3-17-03 @ 1:17 PM
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"If it happens in your lifetime it isn't ancient history"
BINGO! I must've had another brain-fart, because I can't believe I forgot that one! Those first notes before the drums come in is the very defintion of "classic".
"Photograph" by Def Lep is a pretty timeless riff. That used to be an air-guitar staple until DL became a bit of a joke. Still... when I hear it on some wacky "80ies weekend", I definitely turn it up.
Fez 4 Prez!!
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"That guy flew to drum of his own whistle... ya know... or whatever." -E.S. David Mac
One of my favorites is Van Halen's "Top of the World"...that's the song I use to test a new stereo system. If a set of speakers can handle that intro without buzzing, it can handle anything I'm going to play through it. The rif is so good, it is part of the outro to "Jump" from 1984, and it was so memorable that Eddie dug it up & rewrote a whole song around it in 1991.
The best pure rif I can think of, though, has to be Randy's slide rif from "Suicide Solution"...it was so good as a warm-up exercise that it inspired a whole song.
Another one of my favorites, but far from being a famous one, is from "All Your Love I Miss Lovin" by Stevie Ray Vaughan. But, I'm not sure he wrote that song, so I don't know if I can credit SRV with the rif.
SigPic thanks to TenbatsuZen ...silent, but violent.
[center](Miles)[center]
KISS - Detroit Rock City
The WHO - Young Man Blues
RUSH - The Analog Kid
Black Sabbath - Sabbra Cadabra
Iron Maiden - The Trooper
Judas Priest - Exiter
AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
Van Halen - Loss Of Control
ANTHRAX - Belly Of The Beast
QUEENSRYCHE - I Don't Believe In Love
There's a TON more, but these were the ones that I thought of right of the bat
Logic goes out the window when passions cloud our judgment.
I have a raging hard on right now.
My balls sit way up firm and high.
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I'm absolutely loony for "Riff Rock" - something that just pounds into your head and body and hypnotizes you. Damn near any song by the Stones, AC/DC, or Zeppelin will do the trick for me.
If I had to pick a favorite of each, I'd probably say "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" by the Stones, "If You Want Blood" by AC/DC, and "Houses of the Holy" by Zep.
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Quote:
something that just pounds into your body and hypnotizes you.
"No, NO!!! Eeeesss TOO SEXY!!!"
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