The 50 Greatest Riffs in Rock

RVCA · 01-19-2011, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Violent & Funky

Yeah, I'm in agreement with others from the thread. Rather than being about the riffs, this list looks like more of a compilation of famous rock songs.

I don't think the two are unrelated; famous rock songs usually have memorable riffs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screen13

The compiler listed this over-played riff as #1? Great tune and all, fine story to put in a list, influential as well, but Stones '68-'72 tops this and more.

Jumping Jack Flash
Monkey Man
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Happy

...and that's five for you there!

Yeah... but I think the author tried to limit himself to one riff per artist.

RVCA · 01-19-2011, 01:36 PM

It'd be cool to see a forumer make their own list...

Bulldog · 01-19-2011, 01:46 PM

AC/DC - Riff Raff
Slayer - Blood Red
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
Metallica - Ain't My Bitch
Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

^ Five from some of the bunch of artists they picked that should really have made that list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVCA

It'd be cool to see a forumer make their own list...

I'll work on it

clutnuckle · 01-19-2011, 02:28 PM

Meh, typical canon list. I prefer lists which address common ground yet also give something a bit less obvious - perhaps something you'd like to look into. Nothing much here stretches beyond classic rock radio. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but "Greatest" is a bit of an over-embellishment.

Screen13 · 01-19-2011, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVCA

Yeah... but I think the author tried to limit himself to one riff per artist.

True. What I meant was that any one of them would have been a better choice.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra · 01-19-2011, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

They should have saved time & just listed the songs off the first 5 Sabbath albums.

Better than most of the stuff on that list too.

That's not too big of an insult. I mean Tommy Iommi was the all time God of riffs in his heyday. Never the most technically skilled guitarist, but he certainly had a knack for the simple, insanely catchy guitar riffs.

But as for:

Quote:

Michael Jackson - Beat It

****ing seriously? This isn't even my typical jab at Michael Jackson, but I don't really think anything he's ever done should be known for it's guitar work. I'm wondering if this is only on here because of Van Halen's guest guitar random solo.

Still though, a few on the list I agree with (The trooper, Raining Blood) Others I'm confused with (Voodoo child instead of purple Haze, Iron Man instead of Paranoid or Symptom of the Universe?) The list seems mainly a commercial rock wank-off for people who lightly get into classic rock. It's a big audience, easy to sell to. So, I don't see it as that big of a shock.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 01-19-2011, 04:22 PM

I respectfully disagree. Beat it contains a great guitar riff and it would be on my list any day.

OccultHawk · 01-20-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xEMGx

It's an okay list, but there is nothing new. A of of those songs are also on the best guitar solos list as well. There are a couple terrible ones I would never put on a list. Seven Nation Army, House of The Rising Sun, I Want To Be Your Dog, Alive and Beat It? These are good songs, just nothing special. There are some that I am just sick of the being on these lists like Back In Black, Iron Man, and Satisfaction. They aren't so great!!!

You're out of your mind about 'I Wanna Be Your Dog'. That riff paralyzes and hypnotizes.

Howard the Duck · 01-20-2011, 08:07 AM

Supernaut

jackhammer · 01-21-2011, 06:19 PM

What a crap list. Sweet Child O' mine? It's barely a riff at all. Where are Thin Lizzy with Chinatown? Dio with Holy Diver? Led Zeppelin with Trampled Underfoot? The Kinks with You Really Got Me? The Beatles with Paperback Writer? New Order with Sunrise? Megadeth with Symphony Of Destruction? The Smiths with How Soon Is Now?, The Sonics Have Love Will Travel?

Chic? I like Chic but c'mon. That's barely a riff and if they are to be included, then the bassline from Good Times is far better.

01-21-2011, 06:19 PM	#20 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	What a crap list. Sweet Child O' mine? It's barely a riff at all. Where are Thin Lizzy with Chinatown? Dio with Holy Diver? Led Zeppelin with Trampled Underfoot? The Kinks with You Really Got Me? The Beatles with Paperback Writer? New Order with Sunrise? Megadeth with Symphony Of Destruction? The Smiths with How Soon Is Now?, The Sonics Have Love Will Travel? Chic? I like Chic but c'mon. That's barely a riff and if they are to be included, then the bassline from Good Times is far better. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

01-19-2011, 01:36 PM	#12 (permalink)
RVCA （￣ー￣） Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3,270	It'd be cool to see a forumer make their own list...

01-19-2011, 02:28 PM	#14 (permalink)
clutnuckle Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: -_-_-_-_~__~-~_-`_`-~_-`-~-~ Posts: 1,276	Meh, typical canon list. I prefer lists which address common ground yet also give something a bit less obvious - perhaps something you'd like to look into. Nothing much here stretches beyond classic rock radio. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but "Greatest" is a bit of an over-embellishment.

01-19-2011, 04:22 PM	#17 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	I respectfully disagree. Beat it contains a great guitar riff and it would be on my list any day.

01-20-2011, 08:07 AM	#19 (permalink)
Howard the Duck Live by the Sword Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 9,075	Supernaut