HiDee Bro D!

Even with My BAAD Memory I still remember:

Jimi Hendrix: "Foxy Lady"..(& TONS of Others!)
Clapton's "Cocaine" already-Mentioned (& Who CAN Forget?)
Joe Walsh's (?) "All She Wants to Do is Dance"--Eagles
Keith Richard's in "Gimmie Shelter".."Satisfaction"..MANY More.."Paint It Black"..etc.
"(Gimmie) Money"..Beatles
I could listen to Brian Adams "Run to You" for 24 hrs Straight.

Thanks for De Trip Down Memory Lane, Amigo,
Big Guy-Hug,
Stan

A few PSes:
Keith Richards again.."The Last Time" (What a Killer!)
Jorgan Inngman's simple "Wheep-Wheep-Wheep" in "Apache"...
Joe Walsh.."Life's Been Good"

Tom

Tha's a Bass Riff that's gonna be another thread.

Hey Sub, they allowed bass OR guitar riffs in this thread
If you read up at the top...

I can tell the difference, really I can - lol

Linda

Right you are Linda. Bass or Guitar riffs are allowed.
Derek

Oh Cool....

Bass!

For The Love Of Money- (Temps)
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
I Want You Back - Jackson Five
Bad Luck - (Harold Melvin)
Barney Miller- (theme)
Money - (Pink Floyd)
Heart Of The Sunrise - Yes
Boogie Oogie Oogie - Taste Of Honey
Stomp - Bro Johnson
Dazed & Confused - Zep
Honey Please - Barry White

These are mainly songs starting with or having a play alone recongnized bass riff.

There are many many many great dominant Bass lines in so many songs it can never be listed.

The Beatles catalog for one....
The Motown catalog for two....

Some More Guitar/Bass Riffs

Shining Star - Earth Wind & Fire
Thank You - Sly Stone

I would feel I left out too many.
I like that guitar riff and sound to Dire Strait's "Money For Nothing" and Golden Earring's guitar and bass sound.
I kind of try to emulate that type of sound on guitar songs.
But any riff with that particliar guitar sound, as far as guitar dominant music goes.

Along side of Keith Richards, I should have listed ANYTHING by Jimmy Page as well. That Hendrix guy wasn't too shabby either {Voodoo Chile,Purple Haze, I Don't Live Today, Little Wing, Castles Made of Sand, awww hell, throw HIM into the "anything by" catagory too!

"Crosstown Traffic"
kills me: especially when put into-context.
Mitch Mitchell played some of the greatest drum fills ever put to tape. And Noel Redding knew exactly the spaces to fill and which to leave empty.
It's the ultimate lesson in playing with each other and giving every musician in the band their space.

OKAY Mike - you got me - but I always call it a bass guitar as opposed to just a bass so that people know I'm not messin' with a fish. So it's still a guitar. Sort of. A mutant thumpy guitar. I guess that's why Chris Squire wrote "The Fish" so you can tell the difference.

Hey Pop Tod

Living Colour did a version of Cross town Traffice for a Jimi Hendrix Tribute album (also had Eric Clapton doing Stone Free) Anyways you oughta listen to that Living Colour cover it's awesome!
Derek

Oh and duh, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

Freddie's one-and-only famous guitar riff.

Linda

What about Big Bottoms, by Spinal Tap? All bass (not a fish) all the time!

Talk about yer mudflaps...my baby's got 'em.

How could I leave that behind?

The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin', thats what I say! [The greatest movie EVER, period!]

Interesting how Bob's last comment spun off into another abandoned thread lol. Well then let's combine them Spinal tap comments and favorite guitar and bass riffs!

How bout that riff on the eagles "Those Shoes" ok maybe now I am trying to combine too much lol, but that talk box riff just has an awesome little sound!

How bout CCR's "Wrote a song for everyone"? Fairly simple little riff, but it gives the song that nice easy feeling and just keeps you moving right a long with the beat.

Unfortunatly I can't remember much about the movie Spinal Tap; however, I do remember an episode of the Simpsons with Spinal Tap. My favorite line in the whole episode was "That was the cue to turn up the house lights so we can tell the audience they are the sixth friggin member of the group" and "yes we were trying to add some excitment to their dull little lives" . One of my other favorite lines from the episode was " we salute you our half inflated dark lord" Oh and "goodnight springton their will be no encores"

That's all from me for the moment but I'll be back (maybe I'll go watch spinal tap the movie!)
Derek

One of the coolest riffs ever wasn't done on a guitar or bass - Stevie Wonder's "Superstition"

Great thread

You have Bernie Edwards of Chic to thank for that, originally from Chic’s Good Times. I love all those Chic bass riffs, they are often plundered and why not?

Great riff. Always in our live set

Most definitely!

Some of my favourite riffs:

What Difference Does It Make – The Smiths
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Come Together (bass) – The Beatles
Now I’m Here – Queen
Enter Sandman – Metallica
Love Spreads – The Stone Roses
Don’t Believe a Word – Thin Lizzy

Hey Nigel

Thanks! and thanks for chipping in a couple more. Excellent ones for sure. You're mentioning of Thin Lizzy reminded me of one of my favorite riffs of all time

Thin Lizzy "The boys are back in town" nice harmony guitars!

I also like the bass riff on Toto's "Africa" very trippy stuff going on there.

There is also a cool little riff at the beginning of The Guess Who's "No Time Left For you"

Also even though it's a simple little riff I like The Alan Parson Project bass line riff for "The Eye in The Sky"

There are so many more I'm sure just need some time to think of them lol.
Derek

I love that song. The riff was written by Randy Rhodes.

Some that come to mind:

Girl's Got Rhythm - Angus Young (AC/DC)
Highway to Hell - Angus Young (AC/DC)

Ain't Talkin' Bout Love - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
Unchained - Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)

Heaven and Hell - Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
Iron Man - Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
Paranoid - Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

Rainbow in the Dark - Vivian Campbell (Dio)
Holy Diver - Vivian Campbell (Dio)

One Hit To The Body - Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)
Richards is one of the kings of guitar riffs

Houses Of The Holy - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
Heartbreaker - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
Whole Lotta Love - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
This is one of the all time GREAT guitar riffs. I am surprised no one has listed it yet.
Communication Breakdown - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
Dancing Days - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
Over The Hills And Far Away - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) - acoustic riff
Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) - acoustic riff

Sweet Child O' Mine - Slash (Guns 'N Roses)
Welcome to the Jungle - Slash (Guns 'N Roses)

Derek, you can be my street team any time. That was great--just the right soupcon of sincerity. Morgan Fairchild, huh?

I agree, by the way, with just about all of the Famous Riffs mentioned. I believe Keith Richards' riff on "Satisfaction" is what won the song an award as "the most memorable rock 'n' roll song of all time."

My candidate that nobody's mentioned is Don Rich's riff on Buck Owens' "They're Gonna Put Me in the Movies."

Joe

Hey Joe

Not problem friend! If you ever make it to Brooklyn I got a bridge I'll sell ya cheap!

Funny you should mention Buck Owens cause it brought to mind a couple other riff makers from the time period.

The Everly Brothers! Arguably two of the best guitar players for their time. Wake up little suzy, Bye Bye love and Dream Dream Dream.

Great old music and come to think of it didn't ole Dion and the belmonts musta had some good guitar riffs to aye?
Derek

Just a few off the top of my head....

Mike Campbell-Boys of Summer (one of my favorite songs ever....)
SRV-Pride and Joy
White Stripes-Icky Thump
Jeff Beck-Where Were You
Eric Clapton-Wonderful Tonight
Clapton-Badge
Uncle Tupelo-Acuff Rose


Now you have me thinking...

How 'bout:

Jumping Jack Flash (Stones)
How Many More Times (Zeppelin)
Bird Song (Garcia/Dead)
Peter Gunn (Duane Eddy)
Walk This Way (Aerosmith)
Come Together (Beatles)

And of course, every guitar player's first riff:
Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple)

Eric

Oooh JMSocia

You mentioned Uncle Tupelo--I love those guys. I'd love to see a reunion, but I doubt that will happen. I don't think Farrar and Tweedy get along very well.

Eric

Gotta love Uncle Tupelo and every offshoot that came from that band. Anondyne is one hell of a record. Huge, huge, Tweedy and Farrar fan.

As far as another guitar riff that makes the song in that style.

Passenger Side-Wilco (instantly makes that song. )


One that just came in my head. (That I now won't be able to get out for a long while lol )
The Cure-Just Like Heaven (pretty much most anything by The Cure has cool guitar lines in it
and
The Cult-She Sells Sanctuary
and now thinking of The Cult
Anything off of the album Electric. Most notably Love Removal Machine

Baby let me follow you down....Bob Dylan
Purple Haze.... Jimi Hendrix
Hey Hey My My or is it My My Hey Hey...Neil Young
I want you...The Beatles

I also wanted to bump this thread up for more exposure

Well, I was gonna say "Black Dog" by Zeppelin, but Sub embellished on the whole Page thing, so I have agree with his entire post!

Not an easy one to answer there's just so many. I would not be playing guitar if it wasn't for all the riffs that have already been mentioned. I wish I'd written just one of them and I could die a happy man.

But if I had to pick one, it would have to be the riff that made me want to pick up a guitar and play. That riff would be Chuck Berry's Jonny B Good. That did it for me and it still dose.

I first heard it as a kid watching back to the future in the cinema and it just blew me away. I was hooked from that day on !

Rgds
Andy

I'm not even sure what instrument(s) it was played on originally but the first riff that made an impression on me as a wee lad -- and still a fave -- would be the Peter Gunn theme. I do love the Dick Dale version I have on CD.

But then I tend to love about anything Dick plays. Some pretty decent riffs to be found there too (or in surf music in general).

The riffs that got me started playing guitar:

1969 Terry Kath using a Gibson SG on Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4"

1970 Henry McCullough using a Gibson 335 on Jesus Christ Superstar LP "Heaven on their Minds".

and then everything else.

The lick Robert Johnson punctuated "Come on in my kitchen" with.

My fave's would be:

Bad Love - Eric Clapton
The Healer - Carlos Santana & JL Hooker
Play - Mike Stern
Pride & Joy - SRV
Born to Run - Springsteen
Way aye man - Marc Knopfler
King Creole - Scotty Moore
Cose Della Vita - Michael Landau on Eros Ramazotti
Ceremony - Joe Satriani
On Broadway - George Benson
See the light - Jeff Healey
Belief - John Mayer
Fingerprints - Larry Charlton
4 on 6 - Wes Montgomery
Westchester Lady - Bob James (technically a keayboard riff, but Lee Ritenour plays it in a live version)
Nashville Blues - Earl Scruggs
Move a mountain - Robert Cray
So What - Miles, but Ronny Jordan does a killer version
I can tell by the way you smell - Ry Cooder
Dolemite - Scott Henderson
Pride (in the name of love) - The Edge for U2
My Head's in Missisippi - Billy Gibbons in ZZ Top

.. well, no shortage of great guitarists in this world. This is at best a fragmented list, even of my favourites..

The lead-in to "Honky Tonk Women" and the lead-in to "Don't be cruel."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deeBQZ8Aklc

enough said

ANYTHING LYDIAN!!!!!!!

The Messiah, Roy Buchanan is conspicuous in its absence here

Speaking of UT:
"Graveyard Shift"


And, more great riffs:
The Kinks...
since I think that "You Really Got Me" was already mentioned:
"All Day and All of the Night"
"Tired of Waiting"
"Waterloo Sunset"
"Till the End of the Day"
"Superman"

And many more.
The Kinks probably had more great riffs than any band not named Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones.

Another that you may not consider:
Beastie Boys - "Gratitude"

Again, technically a bass riff. Still, it's pretty killer.
A lot of you didn't know that thy played instruments, did you?

wasnt the name of that "Act Naturally"?????

i had alreday been playing a few years and was already listening to everything...BUT WHEN I HEARD!!!! Joe Satriani's SURFING WITH THE ALIEN in 1986!!!!....that is when i started taking guitar very seriously

Wow nice to see this thread survived a little while I was absentee.

Hmm so many good riffs mentioned and yet so many good ones out there, should we expand it to keyboard and other instruments? If so I nominate Michael Mcdonald for what a fool believes and Boston for the beginning keyboards in Foreplay (longtime). Crazy stuff going on there in those songs keyboard wise. Thanks everyone for keeping this one going

Derek
aKa
tHaT
gUy

Welcome to the Jungle- GnR
Ace of Spades- Motorhead
No More Mr Nice Guy- Alice Cooper
Die with your boots on/Run to the Hills- Iron Maiden
Runnin with the Devil- Van Halen
You Got Another Thing Comin- Judas Priest
Anything from BOSTON

Ahh yes bluesriff

Judas Priest, handn't even thought of them, and of course (of beavis and butthead fame) breakin the law lol. Thanks for pointing them out. Oh also just thought of the hollies Long cool woman and Blue oyster cults Don't fear the reaper!

Yes act naturally, that was the name kelmaur, very catchy tune

yeah, I would Say nobody mastered the riff more than Led Zep. They almost didnt even write songs, they wrote riffs with a little song in between.

However, cant forget the great Angus Young of AC/DC, Back in black and shook me all night long still hold up as two of the best.

Must mention Van Halen as well.

Beatles-Day Tripper
Dire Straits-Money for Nothing
Chuck- Johnny B Goode, which started it all
Eagles-life in the fast lane
Ozzy-Crazy Train
The Clash-Should I stay or Should I go, Rock The Casbah, Train in Vain, damn they were good!
The Doors-Love me Two Times, Roadhouse Blues

Might seem a bit out there, and trivial, but this pop riff is still one of the most exciting riffs ever recorded.

And funny thing most bands cover it and they never play the riff right! think it's all in the voicings

oops wrong link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnw5IfbZOU