Was watching some top 100 Hard Rock Songs countdown recently, and like all countdowns there were the great, the obscure, and the sublimely ridiculous. However, in lots of them there were just some fantastic riffs. Three or four Chords, that as soon as you hear them you know immediately what song it is, and by whom.

So, it got me to thinking, and please try and limit it to just one....and it has to be a riff, not a solo.... what are some of the most noticeable, greatest guitar riffs of all time?

For me, and yes there are so many, but I'm sure many of the ones I am thinking of will be mentioned hereafter by other posters, it has to be Sunshine of Your Love by Cream. Great song, great power, and just simple blues rock.

Yours?

SCott

Layla

Love Johnny Marr's guitar riff on 'Heaven knows im miserable now '

Muse - Plug in Baby.

bon jovi - dry county (ritchie sambora on the 12 string)

steve vai, anything he ever did.

David Bowie - Rebel Rebel

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Well, that was the first that came to mind...

The Troggs - Wild Thing

Thin Lizzy.....Whiskey InThe Jar

The Stones "Bitch"

Back in Black - AC DC

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

Edited March 9, 200917 yr by The Moos

Driving South by The Stones Roses. The riffs are just mad on that record.

I want you (she's so heavy) by John Lennon (supported by The Beatles).

I want you (she's so heavy) by John Lennon (supported by The Beatles).

Never heard of that song

is it a rip off of Big Girls You are Beautiful by Mika?

There's a riff about half way through Tie My Rope - Children Of Bodom that's pretty awesome...

And Whiskey In The Jar is right up there with the best.

And Money - Pink Floyd.

Driving South by The Stones Roses. The riffs are just mad on that record.

ooohhh, i want to use this one. can we share?

Is How Soon Is Now a riff ? Im never really sure...

Anyway, other nominations...

Roadhouse Blues - The Doors

Debaser - Pixes

More Than A Feeling - Boston

Love Removal Machine - The Cult

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin

Supersonic - Oasis

No Fun - The Stooges

and er, Shout At The Devil - Motley Crue

and no riff thread is complete without these bad boys...

dire straits...money for nothing

dire straits...money for nothing

Surprisingly, motorhead didn't put a song by Motorhead...:lol:

Scorpions - Sails of Charon

That's a hefty riff if I ever heard one.

A lot of you are spot on, but I have to reiterate: It's not really about parts of songs that are "cool" or a continuing solo (Stairway to Heaven really has no Riff until the main solo where it is backed by the A-G-F backing chords), it's more about a selection of Chords or continuing "jungle", at the begining of a song, that usually continues the whole way through, that you immediately recognize a song by.

Another example... Smoke on the Water

Scott

Edited March 9, 200917 yr by mad_mac

Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream.

If the criteria is 'a song where you know the song as soon as you hear the guitar riff' then 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes certainly has to be a modern day contender in amongst the rock 'classics'

If the criteria is 'a song where you know the song as soon as you hear the guitar riff' then 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes certainly has to be a modern day contender in amongst the rock 'classics'

I think "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age is another one that fits that description.