Friday, April 11, 2008

Top 25 Gutar Riffs

Top 25 riffs: modern rockers 'can't make great guitar riffs' - Telegraph: "When it comes to rock classics, it seems they just don't make them like they used to.

Just seven songs penned in the last two decades have made it on to a list of the greatest guitar riffs of all time."

Click here for the story of the "Smoke on the Water" riff.

Link via Mike McGruff.

17 comments:

Todd Mason said...

Of course, these folks have apparently never heard so very much...Stephen King might agree with me that, among rock grs, the Lyres' "Help You Ann" would need to be here (1985?), and then there's Jawbox's "Twister" (1989) or Fugazi's "Bed for the Scraping" (1994?), speaking as an aging arguable hipster...and Richard Bach's JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL has as much reason to be on this list as on the Perfect Library list...it makes a useful coaster.

Anonymous said...

These people certainly have not heard much. Here are a few that should have made it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apEctKwiD8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKgyjw478B8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo2HIUE404M

Btw, doesn't that last lot seem like they just stepped out of a Ted Lewis novel?

mybillcrider said...

Ah, the Standells. Those were the days.

Anonymous said...

Besides, why only GUITAR riffs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEh5pWjcWCg

Yeah I know it's a cover, but it's better than the original (which you can find in the "related videos" menu) and the video is so over the top suggestive you wonder how they ever got away with it even back then.

And this one is rock'n'roll. Sort of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1woMEExMZXg

Anonymous said...

...and two oldies from even earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2UYRoti-tY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGD0XQ4-7kk

(sorry for all these links, but when I get on a youtube roll...)

mybillcrider said...

Those are all great!

Anonymous said...

Ok, gotta stop now. It's past midnight over here and finally here are some Swedish riffs that you likely have not heard. Alas, what you've made me do! Keep in mind I entered my teens in 1976. This is all some sort of punk or new wave or whatever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hklPZ71B_wU

(based on Petro di Donati's short story CHRIST IN CONCRETE, of which I suspect you are aware)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En3qAkp1NPw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NssQL_2rvZY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcNWe8A4Y2k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA7gT3nhj6o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkfdKzXoRX8

mybillcrider said...

You whippersnappers always like the newer stuff.

Anonymous said...

To quote Frankie, you make me feel so young.

A few oldie riffs to wrap it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qakhVYsRSn0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV3JD9eniKE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASoYTu4FDWg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saSWh6PXoug

mybillcrider said...

Well, when you get back to the Kinks and Johnny Kidd, you're getting to stuff I know about.

Anonymous said...

Ha,I just knew you'd dig that sixties stuff. But how could I forget the following glorious seventies racket? Oh, you beautiful dolls! Riffs galore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Kz3D2OgAE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2-iwHbnXXo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBY35TFJxSc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhwSHw5kpec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIYBue8AwmQ

mybillcrider said...

Not just riffs. Great hair and clothes, too.

Rusty said...

I'm sorry, but this is just unacceptable. Any list of "guitar riffs" that includes crap like "Walk This Way" and "Eye of the Tiger" but doesn't include "Layla" or anything by Duane Allman or Eric Clapton or George Harrison is just too idiotic to even pay attention to. Keep these kids off my damn lawn.

Cap'n Bob said...

I'm with Rusty. And what about The Allman Brothers? Rolling Stones? Les Paul?

mybillcrider said...

And the Moops! What about the Moops?

Anonymous said...

The comments on the link indicate that everyone thinks the list is utter nonsense. I think its only purpose was to make me search Youtube for counterexamples. Like these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-cZWnz0UgQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4HIgqFnvik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHd9OZDwfZM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXzgMQM0B-8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYeUZJdrTwQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT6ZJlmVuV0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJvchUhJl4A

mybillcrider said...

Okay, when you get to Larry Williams, you're REALLY getting into my era.