Best guitar riff intro song

[LynneSin]

Kashmir, Whipping Post, Dream On - these are just a few songs that are memorable because of their opening guitar riff.

What are some of your favorite opening guitar riffs - what are some of the most memorable?

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. "Depression" - Black Flag.

Some sort of diminished or minor E chord. Very distinct.

[asthmaticeog]

20. Dude - "Rise Above!"

*skreeeeeeeee* Da na na, na na na, na na na, na na na / Da na na, na na na, na na na, na na na...

:headbang:

[Beware the Beast Man]

23. That's definitely up there.

There's something about that "Depression" chord, though. You just know what song it is when you hear it.

[DS1]

2. Not to nitpick

but isn't Kashmir the same riff all the way through?

[LynneSin]

4. All 3 of those songs use the same riff as the theme throughout the songs

I'm not looking for best guitar solo intro song, but best riff. And last time I checked, riffs are usually used throughtout the entire song, not just the intro

[meegbear]

3. Beatles - Day Tripper

Rush - A Passage To Bangkok / Limelight
Kinks - You Really Got Me
Heart - Barracuda / Magic Man

[Orsino]

66. You might be right about that.

Even Utopia's knock-off of "Day Tripper," "Take It Home" from Deface The Music, rocks fiercely.

I give high marks to "Paperback Writer," too. Also, "Aqualung."

[Squeech]

5. Where do I start?

"Kashmir" is good, but Zeppelin did boatloads-- everything from "Whole Lotta Love" to "Nobody's Fault but Mine." (And that's not even counting the ones where somebody else does the riff-- "Dazed and Confused" starts with the bass.) Conventional wisdom is that Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi was the all time champion of memorable riffs, but I prefer Zeppelin's.

Meegbear is right on all counts, and again, all the bands he cited have more. I've always loved the guitar on "Tired of Waiting," it was one of the first songs I could play along with as a beginner, and it was the prototype for the kind of circular unresolved riff that makes "Don't Fear the Reaper."

Let me also give another prop (like you haven't heard this before from me!) for "Aqualung."

[LynneSin]

6. I didn't want to make this some pro-LZ thread

there are some many great ones out there!!

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. 'Rebel Rebel'

and 'Ziggy Stardust' (Mick Ronson was one of the better rock guitarists of the '70's, IMO)

[Squeech]

8. Yeah, but

Ronson was no longer in the group when they did "Rebel Rebel." Bowie played that lick himself.

I always dug "Panic in Detroit."

And how cool it was of Nirvana to resurrect "The Man who Sold the World."

[Spider Jerusalem]

12. Yeah...

I wasn't as clear as I should've been (thought of 'Rebel Rebel' first, and the comment about Ronson was related to 'Ziggy Stardust').

And then there's Robert Fripp's work on 'Scary Monsters' (I'm a big fan of Bowie; can you tell?).

[maveric]

64. I always liked "Simple Sister" by Procol Harem.

Robin Trower at his best.

[tigereye]

50. the intros to Bowie songs are usually great

the most I listen to his stuff and the musician's tightness, the more impressed I am.

[El Fuego]

9. "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" - Hollies

My other fave: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" - Alice Cooper

[davsand]

10. The intro to Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith.

The Stones had some good ones too, if you think about it. Satisfaction is a classic intro, and I'm willing to bet that you will recognize Brown Sugar and Paint It Black within just a few notes.

"Uh, ...I can name that tune in three notes..."



Laura

[derby378]

11. RAINING BLOOD by Slayer

Hey, what can I say? Just grabs you with an icy hand and refuses to let go.

[no name no slogan]

13. I can't believe YOU (of all people) forgot "Heartbreaker"

that's one of the most memorable guitar riffs in history. You hear that, you instinctively crank it up to 11. Right up there with "Satisfaction" in my book!

:hi:

[LynneSin]

17. As I posted earlier - wasn't making this an LZ thread

I included what is my favorite intro riff, which is Kashmir

BTW, I bought all sorts of Steely Dan Vinyl this weekend - Gaucho, Katie Lied & Royal Scam to name a few

[no name no slogan]

22. and you would have to tell me about it, huh?

:rofl:
Fortunately for me, I just spent a very wonderful weekend with Sugar Smack, so not even Steely Dan can get me down today! :7

[DanCa]

14. Springsteen - but I can't choose just one.

Any suggestions?

[LynneSin]

16. I'd probably have to start with "Born to Run"

but we could expand greatly from there

[DanCa]

18. I was also thinking of Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell

Again so many great songs to choose from.

[bbernardini]

15. "Love In Action" - Utopia (Todd Rundgren) nt

[ProfessorGAC]

39. An Alternative By The Same Band

Hammer In My Heart! I love that riff.
The Professor

[taterguy]

19. The lack of diversity on this list disturbs me

Just a bunch of white guys. Three that stick out for me:
1) Chuck Berry's Carol
2) Los Lobos Don't Worry Baby, my absolute favorite opening ten seconds of any album
3) The Five Royalles Slummer the Slum. Lowman Pauling was a guitar god, at least according to that occasional guitar god Eric Clapton

[DanCa]

21. And no rmb and blues rifts...(nt)

[asthmaticeog]

27. Yes, as we all know,

white guys have done nothing for the advancement of rock guitar as an art.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

57. RUN-DMC - Walk This Way

Sucka

[progmom]

28. if this was The Definitive List of Guitar Gods published by Penguin or

...All Music Guide, I could see your point. But I don't see what's "disturbing" about Lynnesin posting a list of her favorite guitar riffs in the DU Lounge. :shrug:

[jpgray]

29. I notice no women are in your list, which is disturbing

:D

[taterguy]

37. That's because my favorite women musicians are bass players or drummers :)

[Richardo]

51. What about "The Wait" by Chrissie Hynde?

[driver8]

89. She may have written the song, but I doubt she was playing the riff! n/t

[kwassa]

60. "Don't Worry Baby" is a great, great song

They are great live, too. I saw them at a New Year's Eve show many years ago.

[ghostsofgiants]

24. Refused - "New Noise"

Alexisonfire - "44. Caliber Love Letter"

[asthmaticeog]

26. REFUSED - YES!

Good call, that's a killer tune. :thumbsup:

[ghostsofgiants]

31. "Refused Are Fucking Dead" has a pretty killer riff as well.

[MissMillie]

25. Most Memorable - Smoke on the Water

that's Deep Purple, right?

Of course, the Stones' "Satisfaction" is pretty recognizable too.


My favorites:

Blue Light - David Gilmore
Can't Stand the Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Mood for a Day - Yes (Steve Howe), but I guess that's more of an instrumental than a "guitar riff"

[rocktivity]

75. Legend has it that the Smoke on the Water riff

was written differently, except that in the studio, it was played incorrectly, and the band rightfully thought it sounded better!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Bossy Monkey]

30. Layla n/t

[jpgray]

32. Os Mutantes - Jogo De Calçada

The rest of the song is kind of crap, frankly, but that opening interplay between bass and guitar is very simple yet kicks all kinds of ass.

[Coventina]

33. "Rock Lobster" B-52's

RIP Ricky!

:cry:

[kay1864]

34. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"

"Wish You Were Here" album, Pink Floyd

[Ariana Celeste]

62. Agreed!

And agreed!

:loveya:

[SacredCow]

35. "How Soon is Now" by The Smiths comes to mind...

As does "Layla" (even though I'm not a big Clapton fan)

[driver8]

90. "How Soon is Now" -- great choice!!

Johnny Marr is one of my favorite guitar players.

[Felix Mala]

36. "Straight On" Heart

[Crazy Dave]

38. "Tomorrow's Dream" - by Black Sabbath and...

"Man On The Silver Mountain" (live) - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

[RedG1]

40. Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood & Destroyers and

a close second: Layla - Derek & The Dominos

[Initech]

41. Porcupine Tree - Hatesong

P Tree fans who own "Lightbulb Sun" know what I'm talking about!

[warrens]

42. Sweet Jane, of course....

[Burma Jones]

43. The Classic - Johnny B. Goode

I also like the intros to:

Revolution - The Beatles

Sugar Magnolia - Grateful Dead

Bertha - Grateful Dead

Street Fightin' Man - The Stones

Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly

Evangeline - Los Lobos

[Taverner]

44. "Roundabout" by Yes

Not a big Yes fan, but as far as intro's go...Steve Howe's is amazing.

[Beaverhausen]

45. Also by Yes, Siberian Khatru

that the heck is a Khatru anyway?

[tigereye]

52. I don't know

I always thought it was a bird, but is it a term from some sci fi story?

all i know is, now I want to hear some Yes!

[chaska]

86. It's how you spell 'sneeze' in Siberia. Hi Lisa!

[Shakespeare]

46. "Honky Tonk Woman"

Many more by the Stones, too, but that's the one I love.

[Dukkha]

47. Beatles - I Feel Fine

The first song to ever have guitar feedback intentionally recorded. Love that flanged riff too. Nice clean thick hollow Rickenbacker/Vox AC30 tone.

[devilgrrl]

48. How about the intro to "Panic in Detroit"?

Mick Ronson is king!

[Swede]

49. Jimi Hendrix doing All Along the Watchtower.

Pretty cool

[kwassa]

53. every Keith Richards intro to every Rolling Stones song

since almost every Stones song starts that way, with the memorable exception of Honky Tonk Woman, which starts with Charley Watts drums.

Rocks Off
Brown Sugar
Can't You Hear Me Knockin'
I Know It's Only Rock 'N Roll
Satisfaction


and countless others

[jmowreader]

54. My two favorites are...

The Spirit of Radio by Rush

and

Wasted Years by Iron Maiden.

[Oeditpus Rex]

55. Oh, come ON!

Every intro since "Roll Over Beethoven" has been a copycat of sorts — a search for the "new" one.

How many times has Berry's* riff been copied? It stands alone as the best ever.



*He said cautiously, knowing that Berry may well not have written it.

[Ron Mexico]

56. Favorite: "Absolution Blues" by Coverdale-Page. Most memorable?

Probably "Smoke on the Water," which is a shame. Deep Purple was a lot better than that.

[Bombero1956]

59. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Iron Butterfly and Tommy by The Who. Just 2 from my generation of rock.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

58. Purple Haze: Hendrix

[tonekat]

94. Elegant in it's simplicity.... n/t

[Gold Metal Flake]

61. Mudhoney "In & Out Of Grace"

[swag]

63. "Ditch" by the Blues Explosion

[democracyindanger]

65. What's the matter with you clowns? AC/DC.

The intros to You Shook Me, Back in Black, Hells Bells, Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, It's A Long Way To The Top, ad infinitum.

[swag]

70. You have a point.

And the intro to "Thunderstruck" is quite impressive, though the song itself sucks rubber donkey dicks.

[leftofthedial]

67. Reelin in the Years

Steely Dan

[KitchenWitch]

68. Hells Bells

But my favorite is Kashmir.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

69. Blue Orchid by The White Stripes

I love that riff.

[flvegan]

71. Since AC/DC was covered, I'll say "Sweet Child O Mine" by GnR

Yeah, I do love that crap. My next favorite might have been "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult, but thought it might be a little more obscure.

[opiate69]

72. "Supernaut" by Black Sabbath

[radwriter0555]

73. HELLO???? Boston's More Than A Feeling is the SEMINAL arena rock massive

intro song!!!!

Holy CRAP! That sustained single note plucked intro with the thudding heartbeat of a bass line that begins soooo deep in your chest... rising into a brilliiant, spot-lit crescendo is absolutely a pivotal arrangement in music history!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

74. voodoo child - hendrix

[ornotna]

76. I don't know about best, but one that I really like is

Mott the Hoople - Thunderbuck Ram

Simple, yet it's a nice intro to the song.

[ornotna]

78. And one with a little more kick to it

Ten years After - Going Home

[sendero]

77. Aqualung...

... Jethro Tull. Da da da da daaaa da

[Twillig]

79. Gimme Shelter.

All of you have been, and are, totally fucking wrong.

[Hotler]

80. Steve Hunter's Intro to Sweet Jane on

Lou Reed's Rock-n-Roll Animal, Recorded live 12/1973

[NNadir]

81. Jeff Beck's cries in "Because We Ended As Lovers."

[amerikat]

82. I'd have to go with The La's "There She Goes"

it's a powerful and very up riff.

[chaska]

83. 'Frankenstein', Edgar Winter.

[chaska]

84. 'Spanish Castle Magic', Jimi (of course)

[Floogeldy]

85. Up your's, Eagles haters. Hotel California, hands down!

The opening riff is WICKED!!!!!!!!!!!! }(

[Roon]

87. Young Lust...Pink Floyd eom

[Rabrrrrrr]

88. "Iron Man" is a classic. And the song "Black Sabbath" by Sabbath.

[Nailzberg]

91. "Smoke on the Water"

Simple. Powerful. Infamous.

:headbang:

That riff is just fucking raw.

[Zomby Woof]

92. Sweet Home Alabama

1...2...3...4...




"Turn it up."

[tonekat]

93. Woodstock (CSNY's version) n/t

[HeeBGBz]

95. Buick MacKane - T Rex

On The Slider album.

[darkstar]

96. For sheer 60's counteculture heaviness

I'd say "Sunshine of Your Love." That just says "guitar riff" to me...

Neil Young has some classics. "Powdefinger" and "Fuckin' Up" spring to mind as personal faves.

For stoner goodness, the Dead's "Birdsong" is pretty cool.

:headbang:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

97. Sweet Child of Mine (GNR) and Tell Me Something Good (Rufus)