50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock and Roll

[Bloodshot Scott]

According to AOL's Spinner site. Why do I feel like there are masterpiece compositions that are missing, or is just because it's "riffs"?

http://www.spinner.com/2011/01/13/rock-guitar-riffs-part-two/

 

[bahodeme]

Any list for riffs that has Smoke on the Water as 17th is fradulent at best. Life in the Fast Lane as 38th???? The Guess Who's American Women isn't on the list. While I like Nile Rodgers, I would have Issac Hayes Shaft on the list before Chic. IMO


http://www.spinner.com/2011/01/13/rock-guitar-riffs/

 

[americanpie]

7 Nation Army should never be on any list unless it is of the negative variety.

The list is good but not great.

 

[gunslingingbird]

The Trooper at #44?!? Are you serious?!? You're seriously gonna tell me that 20th Century Boy is 28 spots ahead of The Trooper?

Also, notably absent from the list is Pink Floyd. Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2 doesn't count as one of the top 50 riffs? What about Money? Wish You Were Here?

 

[pool_hustler]

OK granted "Satisfaction" is a gritty, iconic tune that deserves recognition, but it's not even Keith Richard's best riff. His best is on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking".

For Dickie Betts, "Jessica" is very good but the riff on "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" is far superior.

No complaints about Heartbreaker, Johnny B Goode, You Really Got Me, Sunshine Of Your Love & Walk This Way being top 25.

 

[ThatRedWing]

Of course any of these lists are subjective, but if you are only going to have one riff from Black Sabbath I would think Paranoid would rank higher than Iron Man. There's too many great riffs that aren't on the list to make it relevant.

 

[gunslingingbird]

Of course any of these lists are subjective, but if you are only going to have one riff from Black Sabbath I would think Paranoid would rank higher than Iron Man.

Nah. Even if we were just talking about Paranoid the album, I think Electric Funeral would rank higher than Paranoid.

 

[ThatRedWing]

Nah. Even if we were just talking about Paranoid the album, I think Electric Funeral would rank higher than Paranoid.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with that. Hell you do half of the list with nothing but Sabbath riffs.

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Notably absent from the list is One - Metallica, and, pretty much every other damn song on AJFA. People always try to say Master of Puppets or even Ride the Lightning (great albums), but AJFA is one of my favorite albums of all time. :2 cents:

 

[mokbel69]

I'm surprised how many songs on the list they consider to have a riff??!! I hook maybe but a riff? C'mon. Michael Jackson ain't rock and roll, so this list don't mean shit IMO.

 

[Patrick_S]

Some favourites not on the list:

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Some favourites not on the list:

[]

Eddie Cochran's 'Summertime Blues' is legendary as well. I could rock out to that anytime.



So simple yet so brilliant. That white boy had incredible soul. :bowdown:

 

[DKM86]

Try this list instead.

http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_guitarriff.html

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

Smells Like Teen Spirit is #33? It's probably the most well-known song of the past twenty years.

Fail.

 

[edirons22]

Why bother with all the "top 50" "top 100" "Greatest... Of All Time" and so on? :dunno:

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Smells Like Teen Spirit is #33? It's probably the most well-known song of the past twenty years.

Fail.

While that is probably correct, their greatest song (IMO) is 'all apologies.' :2 cents:

Why bother with all the "top 50" "top 100" "Greatest... Of All Time" and so on? :dunno:

'
Right, sort of, when RS rates some of my all-time favorite albums a 2.5 and then gives Springsteen a 5 on every friggin album he's released in the last decade, it's stupid. But lists are fun and it's fun to see what people think are the greats.

 

[xfire]

Not the greatest list. Where's Satriani? Where's CCR? Where's Mountain? Meh. Opinions are like wha?

 

[meesterperfect]

Any list for riffs that has Smoke on the Water as 17th is fradulent at best. Life in the Fast Lane as 38th???? The Guess Who's American Women isn't on the list. While I like Nile Rodgers, I would have Issac Hayes Shaft on the list before Chic. IMO


http://www.spinner.com/2011/01/13/rock-guitar-riffs/

I thought the same

OK granted "Satisfaction" is a gritty, iconic tune that deserves recognition, but it's not even Keith Richard's best riff. His best is on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking".

For Dickie Betts, "Jessica" is very good but the riff on "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" is far superior.

No complaints about Heartbreaker, Johnny B Goode, You Really Got Me, Sunshine Of Your Love & Walk This Way being top 25.

I thought the same

Nah. Even if we were just talking about Paranoid the album, I think Electric Funeral would rank higher than Paranoid.

I agree.

There's a lot of great ones on that list.
But, you can't really make a "best" list numbered by order.
There are a thousand, actually many more great ones so a top 50, or hundred just is not possible.
Lists shouldn't be taken seriously.

 

[gunslingingbird]

I'm surprised how many songs on the list they consider to have a riff??!! I hook maybe but a riff?

'Hook' is the common slang term for a riff. A riff is basically a motif, which gets repeated throughout the song or piece.

Michael Jackson ain't rock and roll, so this list don't mean shit IMO.

Riffs aren't exclusively found in rock 'n roll. Riffs, or motives, are the building blocks of music.

Smells Like Teen Spirit is #33? It's probably the most well-known song of the past twenty years.

It's also the song that killed hair metal.

While that is probably correct, their greatest song (IMO) is 'all apologies.'

They have many better songs than Smells Like Teen Spirit, but most average people wouldn't know them. Aneurysm, Opinion, School, Blew, those are better songs than Teen Spirit, but most people wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about if you mention those.

Where's Satriani?

Playing scales at the speed of light at a sausagefest in front of a bunch of teenage boys aspiring to be the next Eddie Van Halen.

 

[xfire]

Playing scales at the speed of light at a sausagefest in front of a bunch of teenage boys aspiring to be the next Eddie Van Halen.

Can't play, eh? Sorry about that.