Instantly recognizeable riffs and phrases

[on1ne]

I'm looking for very short instrumental riffs (most likely guitar riffs but other instruments; bass, sax, keys etc. are perfectly OK ) that when heard, you immediately know the tune they are from.

Examples
Stones "Satisfaction"
Beatles "Day Tripper"
Chuck Berry "Johnny B Goode"

Usually these riffs are in the intros to the songs but they don't have to be. Mainly looking for riffs that are very short and very well known.

Any more titles appreciated!

Thanks

 

[JTE]

"Sunshine of Your Love" Cream
"Purple Haze" Mr. Hendrix
"Smoke On The Water" Deep Purple
"Sweet Home, Alabama" Lynyrd Skynyrd (I can recognize it and change radio stations before I hear the second note!)
"Whole Lotta Love" Led Zeppelin
"Dazed and Confused" Led Zeppelin
"Pinball Wizard" The Who
"My Girl" The Temptations
"I Was Made To Love Her" Stevie Wonder
"Get Ready" The Temps
"Layla" Derek & The Dominoes
"Iron Man" Black Sabbath
"In A Gadda Da Vida" Iron Butterfly
"Break On Through" The Doors
"Folsom Prison Blues" Johnny Cash


John

 

[Yngwie 4String]

Ironman-Black Sabbath:




...

I could literally do this all day long. Hit me up [email protected] and Ill do live chat on this with ya. Riffs are kind of my passion. So I can tlak on this FOR A LONG TIME and would be happy to do it.

 

[20db pad]

The intro bass riff to "Under Pressure" by Queen w/David Bowie. 99.9% of those who hear this will recognize it as "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, but it was sampled from the original Queen/Bowie tune.

 

[BassChuck]

ah... some older ones.

Love Will Keep Us Together
My Girl
So What (Miles Davis)
And... In the 9th symphony, Beethoven lets the basses play the "Joy" theme first.

 

[Pilgrim]

"I'm a Man"...Spencer Davis (One of the best bass lines EVER)

 

[sarcastro83]

Seven posts in, and no mention of Stairway to Heaven?

Also, the opening to "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is pretty much in the spirit of this thread.

 

[TraceGroove77]

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper
Allman Brothers - Jessica/Whipping Post
ACDC - ThunderStruck/Back In Black/Highway To Hell
Rush - Limelight
Metallica - Enter Sandman/Master Of Puppets

 

[Din Of Win]

Blue Oyster Cult - "Godzilla"
Rolling Stones - "Paint it Black"
Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Freebird"
Earth Crisis - "Firestorm"
Minor Threat - "I don't Wanna Hear it" "Minor Threat"

 

[illmusician]

Great songs so far this could make a great Cover band set list. Sir Duke but the Run to be more specific, Signed Sealed Deliver, Higher Ground, Superstition (that one is identifiable just by the drum sounds in the first second) all by Stevie Wonder
Bulls on Parade - RATM, that B-7 chord slap Power - Marcus Miller, Tear Down the Sucka _ Flashlight - Parliment Funkadelic, Thriller (yes the entire album) - Michael Jackson, Strawberry Letter 23 - Brothers Johnson, Jump Around - House of Pain, Hiphop Horray- Naughty by Nature, Insane in the membrane - Cypress Hill, Whats My Name - Snoop Dogg, Nothin but a G thang - Dr.Dre, Good times - Chic / Gangsters paradise - Sugerhill Gang, closely related Another One Bites the Dust_ We are the Champions, We will Rock you - Queen, Santeria - Sublime, Sweet Little Angel - BB King. Panama - Van Halen, Still Dre - Dr. Dre

 

[Richland123]

I will add a few more to this list.

Down On The Corner - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Time is Tight - Booker T. & The M.G.'s
Abracadabra - The Steve Miller Band
Cars - Gary Numan
Dirty Water - The Standells
I Got A Line On You - Spirit
Rock & Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Takin' Care Of Business - Bachman Turner Overdrive
American Woman - The Guess Who
Come Together - The Beatles
Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

 

[JTE]

OH! How could we forget "Green Onions"!!!

And that out of tune ugly Farfisa organ stuff on The Kingsmen's recording of "Louie, Louie".

 

[JTE]

Also-

There's a recording I've heard on the radio (the local NPR station, not a commercial one) of Bill Kirchen (formerly the hot-rod Tele player for Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen), where he plays the main riff to a whole bunch of songs. That might give you some more ideas too.

jte

 

[TheVoiceless]

The McDonalds theme song, Da da da da daaa I'm lovin it

 

[rob2966]

Forgive if already posted...

Carry on my Wayward Son - Kansas
Crazy Train - Ozzy
Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
Iron Man - Sabbath
Money - Pink Floyd
Master of Puppets - Metallica

i could go on...

 

[Jazzdogg]

And don't forget:
Them Changes - Buddy Miles
Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock
Low Rider - War

 

[Drewbacca]

Sir Psyco Sexy- RHCP
Californication- RHCP
Freewill- Rush
The Spirit of Radio- Rush
The Joker- Steve Miller Band
One Way or Another- Blondie