The 50 Greatest Riffs in Rock

RVCA · 01-19-2011, 03:24 AM

It's time for.... another list thread!!! I found an article about the "50 Greatest Riffs in Rock" and decided it might make a nice discussion. While #1 was a pretty predictable choice, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of others such as "Plug In Baby" and "This Charming Man".

50-26
25-1
(The article has nifty links to the riffs if you don't immediately recognize them all, s'worth checking out)

50. Alive - Pearl Jam
49. Devo - Girl U Want
48. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
47. The Temptations - My Girl
46. Muse - Plug In Baby
45. Dinosaur Jr - Feel The Pain
44. Iron Maiden - The Trooper
43. Iron Butterfly - In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida
42. Michael Jackson - Beat It
41. Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
40. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
39. Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
38. The Eagles - Life In The Fast Lane
37. Roy Orbinson - Oh, Pretty Woman
36. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
35. ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man
34. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
33. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
32. Slayer - Raining Blood
31. Chic - Le Freak
30. Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name
29. The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
28. White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
27. Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
26. Van Halen - Aint Talking Bout Love
25. Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a Simple Song
24. Aerosmith - Walk This Way
23. The Allman Brothers Band - Jessica
22. John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom
21. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
20. James Gang - Funk 49
19. The Meters - Look-ka Py Py
18. Derek and the Dominoes - Layla
17. Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
16. T Rex - 20th Century Boy
15. The Smiths - This Charming Man
14. Funkadelic - Hit It and Quit It
13. David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
12. Cream - Sunshine of Your Love
11. Day Tripper - The Beatles
10. Metallica - Enter Sandman
9. Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
8. ACDC - Back In Black
7. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine
6. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
5. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode
4. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
3. Black Sabbath - Iron Man
2. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
1. The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction

Agree? Disagree? Got a list of your own?

OccultHawk · 01-19-2011, 06:14 AM

Am I going blind or is Sweet Leaf not on this list?

Dotoar · 01-19-2011, 08:49 AM

The wonders one can work with a huge database and a randomizer.

Insane Guest · 01-19-2011, 09:13 AM

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!!!

RVCA · 01-19-2011, 11:11 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!!!

Waaaa- House of the Rising sun should be in the top 10 in my opinion.

The Batlord · 01-19-2011, 12:21 PM

Zero by the Smashing Pumpkins and Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 01-19-2011, 12:53 PM

Zero for sure!

This list is ok. Pretty obvious choices, but it's a pretty obvious topic.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 01-19-2011, 01:34 PM

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.

Violent & Funky · 01-19-2011, 01:41 PM

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. A couple of my own choice selections would have been 'Thickfreakness' by The Black Keys, 'Dammit' by blink 182, and 'Slack Motherfucker' by Superchunk...

Screen13 · 01-19-2011, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVCA

1. The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction

Agree? Disagree? Got a list of your own?

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!

01-19-2011, 03:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
RVCA （￣ー￣） Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3,270	The 50 Greatest Riffs in Rock It's time for.... another list thread!!! I found an article about the "50 Greatest Riffs in Rock" and decided it might make a nice discussion. While #1 was a pretty predictable choice, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of others such as "Plug In Baby" and "This Charming Man". 50-26 25-1 (The article has nifty links to the riffs if you don't immediately recognize them all, s'worth checking out) 50. Alive - Pearl Jam 49. Devo - Girl U Want 48. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out 47. The Temptations - My Girl 46. Muse - Plug In Baby 45. Dinosaur Jr - Feel The Pain 44. Iron Maiden - The Trooper 43. Iron Butterfly - In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida 42. Michael Jackson - Beat It 41. Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl 40. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama 39. Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot 38. The Eagles - Life In The Fast Lane 37. Roy Orbinson - Oh, Pretty Woman 36. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades 35. ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man 34. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man 33. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit 32. Slayer - Raining Blood 31. Chic - Le Freak 30. Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name 29. The Animals - House of the Rising Sun 28. White Stripes - Seven Nation Army 27. Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train 26. Van Halen - Aint Talking Bout Love 25. Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a Simple Song 24. Aerosmith - Walk This Way 23. The Allman Brothers Band - Jessica 22. John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom 21. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog 20. James Gang - Funk 49 19. The Meters - Look-ka Py Py 18. Derek and the Dominoes - Layla 17. Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water 16. T Rex - 20th Century Boy 15. The Smiths - This Charming Man 14. Funkadelic - Hit It and Quit It 13. David Bowie - Rebel Rebel 12. Cream - Sunshine of Your Love 11. Day Tripper - The Beatles 10. Metallica - Enter Sandman 9. Dire Straits - Money for Nothing 8. ACDC - Back In Black 7. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine 6. The Kinks - You Really Got Me 5. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode 4. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker 3. Black Sabbath - Iron Man 2. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child 1. The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction Agree? Disagree? Got a list of your own?

01-19-2011, 08:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
Dotoar Supernatural anaesthetist Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Örebro, Sweden Posts: 436	The wonders one can work with a huge database and a randomizer. __________________ - More is more -

01-19-2011, 01:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	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. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

01-19-2011, 01:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
Violent & Funky FUNky Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 2,482	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. A couple of my own choice selections would have been 'Thickfreakness' by The Black Keys, 'Dammit' by blink 182, and 'Slack Motherfucker' by Superchunk... __________________ http://www.last.fm/user/ohio0808 sometimes I don't thrill you sometimes I think I'll kill you just don't let me fuck up will you 'cause when I need a friend it's still you

01-19-2011, 06:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,006	Am I going blind or is Sweet Leaf not on this list?

01-19-2011, 09:13 AM	#4 (permalink)
Insane Guest Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: CA Posts: 1,322	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!!!

01-19-2011, 12:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	Zero for sure! This list is ok. Pretty obvious choices, but it's a pretty obvious topic.