50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock 'n' Roll

[Richland123]

50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock 'n' Roll

50 Greatest Guitar Riffs in Rock 'n' Roll - Spinner

[Muddslide]

Well, these kinds of lists are always so subjective and there can never be a consensus on something like this. Everyone who reads the list will say "Oh yeah!" to some things and totally disagree with others.

For my money, there's a lot I disagree with on this list, but the real glaring omission to me is--no Bo Diddley?!?!?!

That's a truckload of F-A-I-L.

[Pilgrim]

Some of their 50-40 numbers are pretty weak. Alive, Girl U Want, Dig Me Out and The Trooper are all weak..they don't belong. Anything CCR ever did tops any of them.

And where's Misirlou?? It's better than any of the numbers listed above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJmI6...eature=related Listen to the master!

[chuck3]

I knew "Satisfaction" would be #1. The rest seem pretty random.

[s_mcsleazy]

i agree with some but personally i think these lists are stupid. there just made to cause controversy

[BKBassDude]

IMO, Smiths is WAYYYYY too high, I've never even heard that song.

Devo and Sleater Kinney are also questionable.

I agree with PJ and the Trooper, although if I were to pick a PJ riff, I'd have picked Yellow Ledbetter or Dissident.

I like the inclusion of the funk guitarists. Those tunes might not be household names, but their influences are felt far and wide.

As with any lists, it's got flaws, but theres nothing that leaps out at me as HAVING to have been included.

I might include Grateful Dead "Fire on the Mountain", STP "Interstate Love Song", Soundgarden "Black Hole Sun" or "Outshined".

[jmattbassplaya]

I never understood why Enter Sandman gets ranked so high on these lists. Sure it's recognizable, but it's nothing groundbreaking or amazing.

[cableguy]

Some of the groups were right although I might pick different songs. For ZZ Top I definately would pick a different riff. Some people missing in my mind, Queen, Ted Nugent, Heart, Thin Lizzy just to name a few.

[bassplayer8953]

No Stairway? The most played/abused guitar riff (except for Smoke...) in the history of GC???

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by bassplayer8953

No Stairway? The most played/abused guitar riff (except for Smoke...) in the history of GC???

Honestly, I've never heard Stairway played in a music store before in my life. I think the bassline to Higher Ground is the modern equivalent to Stairway.

[bassplayer8953]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Honestly, I've never heard Stairway played in a music store before in my life. I think the bassline to Higher Ground is the modern equivalent to Stairway.

They aren't talking basslines, they're listing guitar riffs...

[NineSpine]

I think a few people here aren't considering that this list is "greatest guitar riffs", not "greatest rock songs" or "greatest guitar songs".

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by bassplayer8953

They aren't talking basslines, they're listing guitar riffs...

Um, duh?

When you said Stairway is the most abused riff in the history of GC I just made a comment stating that I had never heard Stairway even once in a music store. By comparison, I think I hear Higher Ground's bassline almost every time I walk into a music shop. I wasn't even talking about the list when I commented on your post.

Chill out a little, will ya?

[bassplayer8953]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Um, duh?

When you said Stairway is the most abused riff in the history of GC I just made a comment stating that I had never heard Stairway even once in a music store. By comparison, I think I hear Higher Ground's bassline almost every time I walk into a music shop. I wasn't even talking about the list when I commented on your post.

Chill out a little, will ya?

Well, the original thread is about guitar riffs; I commented having that in mind.

Higher Ground doesn't really impress me much as a song, or a bass line. If I heard some bass-playing-person wanking away on the HG bassline in a music store I probably wouldn't pay attention. Just me, but Stairway, as well as many others on the list, are unmistakeable when played. Which is/was my point...

...and don't get nervous I'm not attacking you. Just my POV, & experience...

[Reaper Man]

I like how they attached samples to the list-

other than that, I have nothing to add that hasn't been said already

[bassic.science]

My favorite of all time: Rusty Cage by Soundgarden

[stratovani]

Isn't Spinner that magazine that called Neil Peart on of the worst lyric writers in history? It figures that they wouldn't have a single Rush song on the list, not even "Working Man"!

[JimK]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Honestly, I've never heard Stairway played in a music store before in my life. I think the bassline to Higher Ground is the modern equivalent to Stairway.

Where you shopping in music stores during the '70s? I never played "Stairway"...my friends did.
One of the Wayne's World movies had a sign saying "No Stairway".

I will admit to playing "Smoke On The Water" a few times...of course I playing the guitar part & I was in Em.

[foq1978]

I'll pretend I don't think these lists are a complete waste of time, by saying:

- whooooa, no Song 2 by Blur?

[Richland123]

As with any list, it all depends on the favorites of those compiling the list.

A few songs that come to mind before some listed are:

American Woman - The Guess Who
No Time - The Guess Who
Takin' Care Of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
Barracuda - Heart
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd
La Grange - ZZ Top
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Slow Ride - Foghat
Roundabout - Yes
Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas