Songs built on ONE riff or chord?

[UncleFluffy]

An couple of extreme cases of "built around a single riff" -

Motorhead - Orgasmatron

Hawkwind - Brainstorm

[Rumbledom]

?????????????? A LOT of those songs have more than one chord!!!

I can say unequivocally that the greatest TWO chord song is "Paperback Writer."

[Stone Soup]

Achy Breaky Heart (I know it's two chords, but still...)

http://youtu.be/IouG22RzOmg

[blipndub]

Most of the songs on Talking Heads' "Remain In Light". Houses in Motion comes to mind. I swear there are only one or two chord changes on that whole record and it's solid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4k1netwWr0

[plankspanker13]

White Discussion - Live
Alcoholiday - Teenage Fanclub


I guess that I don't really listen to a lot of 1-riff tunes. I expect more out of music.

[CrewsControl]

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

A couple of great Harry Nilsson tunes come to mind

Coconut, Bang on the Drum - great stuff!

If There's Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go by Curtis Mayfield (Lucky Scott, probably)
Who Do You Love by Bo Diddley
I'm A Man by Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley
The Story of Bo Diddley by Eric Burdon and The Animals
The Beat Goes On by Sonny & Cher
88 Lines About 44 Women by The Nails


By the way, this thread is the first result from a Google search for "one riff songs."

[Hues]

Can't believe no one has mentioned the ultimate one.... Peter Gunn.

[Riverhead]

I've been listening to Crosseyed And Painless by Talking Heads (from their Remain In Light album) for the past couple of weeks, and I haven't found any deviations from the one riff, or chord throughout the entire song.

However, I'm no musician.

[Gasman]

Summertime Rolls- Jane's Addiction

[AuntieBeeb]

Wang Dang Doodle was mentioned in the OP, but a lot of other Howlin' Wolf stuff fits the bill - Smokestack Lightning and Spoonful being the obvious ones.

[hrodbert696]

Originally Posted by Rumbledom

?????????????? A LOT of those songs have more than one chord!!!

+1. A constantly repeating chord progression like in Viva la Vida or With or Without You is not the same thing as a one-chord song.

My mind gets drawn to pop and hip-hop on this one - Sexyback/Justin Timberlake and Lose Yourself/Eminem come to mind. Though I think even Sexyback is technically two chords.

[banikek]

Don't confuse one "chord" with one "riff".

When I think of a one riff repeating song "Roadrunner" by the Modern Lovers always comes to mind. Although I believe there is a break/bridge when it goes to one other note/chord. Close enough to be one riff in my book!

[Mugre]

Originally Posted by OldDog52

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Run Through The Jungle

EDIT: I think Graveyard Train - CCR also qualifies.

You can add "Keep on Chooglin'" for CCR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB8CMN-jX_g

"Graveyard Train" is badass and more of a song tha "Keep on Chooglin'" which is more of a jam.

[Smokin' Toaster]

73 posts and no one has mentioned "Feelin' Allright" by Dave Mason??? Definitely 2 chords, definitely one riff, at least in most arrangements, but it's been covered dozens (maybe hundreds) of times, so someone may have stuck their own break in a version.

[BenBL]

Excursions by A Tribe Called Quest

[evenintheshower]

"Brain Stew" by Green Day.

"Beverly Hills" by Weezer.

[Chrisk-K]

Originally Posted by Flabass

With or Without You -U2

The song has several chords and no riff.

[mcm]

The best one chord man ever is James brown

[lokikallas]

Originally Posted by mcm

The best one chord man ever is James brown

Except when he asks if your ready for the bridge! Then he the best 2 cord man.

[NG51]

Ravel's Bolero