Good choice, which is more than you can say for the wardrobe decisions these guys made that morning…!
Considering that Edgar’s big hit was called Frankenstein I guess it’s fitting that his drummer looks like Igor.
Utterly glorious. Iommi’s riff making superb, not only the classic/obvious stuff, but also my favourite era, 74-75. A National Acrobat, Sabbra Cadabra, Thrill of it All, Spiral Architect. I could (and often do) go on.
Oh, I’ve no arguments with Jimmy’s place in the riffage hall of fame, but he has more strings to his bow (no pun intended) that Acker Dacker whose main strength is bludgeoning riffs.
Absolutely anything by AC/DC (they’re all pretty much the same).
High Voltage
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Let There Be Rock
Highway To Hell
Touch Too Much
Plenty to choose from, but the (obvious?) pick would be Whole Lotta Rosie
And from the world of Punk/New Wave:
Undertones – Teenage Kicks
Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant
Damned – New Rose
Clash – Clash City Rockers
Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster
Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love
And from later years:
REM – Whats The Frequency Kenneth
Blur – Song 2
Primal Scream – Jailbird / Rocks / Country Girl (I like Primal Scream when they “do” The Stones)
XTC – Stupidly Happy. One riff, repeated all the way through the song, instruments coming in one at a time. Simple melody, but by the end, the voices are doing the cyclical? thing they do in ‘Rivers Of Orchids’ on Apple Venus.
Nevertheless, Chuck Berry didn’t fully appreciate this and asked him to ‘roll over’ – though he almost apologises for it in the spoken intro here! – creating another decent riff in the process:
Leicester Bangs says
Mine’s this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w211KOQ5BMI
Twang says
Oh I dunno, “Whole lotta love” or “Sunshine of your love”.
Twang says
Changed my mind. It’s “Rock n roll hoochie coo” by Rick Derringer, here playing it with the Edgar Winter Group and a fine noise they make too.
https://youtu.be/XdHnGyU1yJQ
Locust says
Good choice, which is more than you can say for the wardrobe decisions these guys made that morning…!
Considering that Edgar’s big hit was called Frankenstein I guess it’s fitting that his drummer looks like Igor.
Twang says
Oh I don’t know, I always thought he was a handsome chap in a 70s kinda way.
http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i449/charlieboy14/A-673728-1410195923-9913.jpeg_zpsxuqay86b.jpg
Kid Dynamite says
great opening bass riff, then a great fuzzy guitar riff
minibreakfast says
This has been floating my boat today. When You Walk In The Room.
https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=4XWQCLqab4o
Kid Dynamite says
Of course, the undisputed king of the riff is Tony Iommi. So many greats to choose from, but I reckon this one is the winner
DogFacedBoy says
Bartleby says
Utterly glorious. Iommi’s riff making superb, not only the classic/obvious stuff, but also my favourite era, 74-75. A National Acrobat, Sabbra Cadabra, Thrill of it All, Spiral Architect. I could (and often do) go on.
Gatz says
The Stones and AC/DC are the kings of the riff – if I picked one it would be Back in Black.
Mousey says
Er – is not Jimmy Page a contender for KOTR (King Of The Riff)? Kashmir being the greatest of them all followed closely by Immigrant Song…
Gatz says
Oh, I’ve no arguments with Jimmy’s place in the riffage hall of fame, but he has more strings to his bow (no pun intended) that Acker Dacker whose main strength is bludgeoning riffs.
Rigid Digit says
Absolutely anything by AC/DC (they’re all pretty much the same).
High Voltage
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Let There Be Rock
Highway To Hell
Touch Too Much
Plenty to choose from, but the (obvious?) pick would be Whole Lotta Rosie
De-ner-ner-ner-ner-ner-ner-ner (Angus!)
LordTed says
Agreed, it can only be Malcolm and Angus. All of the above plus
Riff Raff
Highway to Hell
If you want blood
Shoot to Thrill
Rock n Roll Train
And pretty much every other song they ever wrote.
Rigid Digit says
As a 4 chord repeating riff, Boris The Spider is sheer brain worm material
(and makes my wrist hurts when I try and play (often too fast))
Moose the Mooche says
I tell who I always go to for major league riffage: Pere Ubu, that’s who.
What??
pencilsqueezer says
Whenevers I feel short of riffage I eats nuts.
Rigid Digit says
And from the world of Punk/New Wave:
Undertones – Teenage Kicks
Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant
Damned – New Rose
Clash – Clash City Rockers
Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster
Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love
And from later years:
REM – Whats The Frequency Kenneth
Blur – Song 2
Primal Scream – Jailbird / Rocks / Country Girl (I like Primal Scream when they “do” The Stones)
minibreakfast says
Time for this again (I still haven’t flattened it).
Uncle Wheaty says
This.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-PwSwIRtGQ
Never bettered in the NWOBHM era.
Bartleby says
At the risk of an NWOBHM fisticuffs, I think this is a riff symphony:
Bartleby says
Not to mention Wheels of Steel…
Getthenet says
747 Strangers In The Night, surely ?
Bartleby says
Ha! Nice try. And a strong #3 for me!
Uncle Mick says
I always come back to this….
Simple/Effective
newpathstohelicolin says
Yes! Troublegum is a bloody fantastic album.
Gary says
Stone Roses ‘Waterfall’. Great solo too.
newpathstohelicolin says
Leicester Bangs says
Shamelessly pillaged…
ganglesprocket says
John Brown- Masters Of Reality
Also favorite lyric “Holiday! Holiday! I declare a holiday!”
fitterstoke says
This one…..
fitterstoke says
….or this one…..
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q-PJDim8CsY
Rigid Digit says
Chicken!
fitterstoke says
Chicken? Have this…
…with knobs on…..
ruff-diamond says
Steinbergers!?!?!?! GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Billybob Dylan says
Today it’s this:
‘Barbecutie’ by Sparks, B side of ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough.’
Kaisfatdad says
It’s got to be Smoke on the water. Such a versatile riff.
It can get heads banging and sweaty, denimed youth moshing like mad things.
It can slip into something comfortable and be smooth jazz for smooching. Niiice!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVlTOpN5sUQ
And last but not least, it’s a superb Latino floorfiller.
What more can you ask of a riff?
Billybob Dylan says
That Senor Coconut version should be filed under “cover versions that surpass the original.” It was smoke-tastic!
Kaisfatdad says
You are a man of taste and distinction, Billybob. That song never fails at a party. But part of the effect of course is that people know the orginal.
But Senor C has certainly re-invented it magnificently. A witty chap, worthy of further investigation. Fancy Kraftwerk done Latino style…..?
Uncle Wheaty says
That was excellent off to investigate further.
Beezer says
Day made! Thanks KFD.
Kaisfatdad says
Glad to have brought Senor Coconut to your attention.
Here he is doing Kraftverk’a Autobahn as a cumbia
And there are not many artists who have done a whole album of Yellow Magic Orchestra covers Latino style. Respect! Here he is live in Tokyo.
Beezer says
Always been fond of these two from my wobbly voiced youth.
Thin Lizzy – Leave This Town
UFO – The Writer
DogFacedBoy says
When I was 14 – this
Wayfarer says
Thin Lizzy were rifftastic – this is my favourite:
Beezer says
‘Donchaa!’
bang em in bingham says
Purple Haze, Alright Now, Do Ya, Baba O-Riley, Pretty Vacant. I Want You. Louie Louie
Declan says
Always been this…
goodfella says
Oh Well – Fleetwood Mac
Love Me Two Times – The Doors
Chinatown- Thin Lizzy
Plush – Stone Temple Pilots
Back on the Chain Gang – Pretenders
goodfella says
https://youtu.be/gYF8sO1BPeI
And this!
GCU Grey Area says
XTC – Stupidly Happy. One riff, repeated all the way through the song, instruments coming in one at a time. Simple melody, but by the end, the voices are doing the cyclical? thing they do in ‘Rivers Of Orchids’ on Apple Venus.
BigJimBob says
This at the moment:
retropath2 says
I think this counts as a riff, from the Argent.
Later lifted for good effect by Pretenders
Colin H says
My fave piano-based rock riff: ‘Breakthrough’, Atomic Rooster. Let’s rock!
(PS The studio version involves tension-building layers of piano; the live versions make do with hammond organ.)
Kaisfatdad says
The word riff, I’ve just learnt, dates from the 1920s when it was used by jazz musicians.
What then of its use in classical music? Valkyrie Hitmaker, Richard “Riffmeister” Wagnet and Gustav “Mars” Holst must deserve a mention?
In that world the term “ostinato” is used. They don’t want any riff raff!
Colin H says
Beethoven had a couple of good riffs…
Nevertheless, Chuck Berry didn’t fully appreciate this and asked him to ‘roll over’ – though he almost apologises for it in the spoken intro here! – creating another decent riff in the process:
Colin H says
Here’s a real monster riff, Leaf Hound’s ‘Freelance Fiend’… there may even be a cowbell involved…
Dave Ross says
I know I won’t be thanked for this but Lenny Kravitz “Are You Gonna Go My Way” is a hell of a thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LhCd1W2V0Q
Colin H says
And quite similar in feel to Leaf Hound’s (above)…
Dave Ross says
Ha! So it is, it’s all just music after all………..
Leicester Bangs says
Twang says
That rare thing, a non guitar riff based track. I looooved this as a nip when it was a chart hit!
fortuneight says
The Montrose album is chock full of them. This is just one
Tiggerlion says
Ashton, Gardner & Dyke – Resurrection Shuffle
fortuneight says
And here’s the riff from Guns n Roses “Mr Brownstone” sans Axl
Moose the Mooche says
The first side of Living Colour’s Vivid has a few monsters. Here’s one:
fortuneight says
Sometimes simple is better
retropath2 says
Done.
Dusted.