What's Your Favorite Guitar Riff

Thinking about songs I would like to play in GH4, or whatever, got me to thinking about songs that I don't really want to play the whole thing, but the main intro or riff would be great. GH1 showed, to those who didn't already know, how boring the song Smoke on the Water is. Sure the opening riff and subequent replayings of it throughout the song are great, but the music during the main verses of the song are boring as hell. So what songs would you love to play, not necessarily for the whole song (but hey, even better if the whole song is great) just for the main guitar riff in them? Try not to do a list, pick ONE that you would want to play more than any other.

For me it is Crazy Train.

There are a lot of favourites for me, but the very best has to be Sad but True by Metallica. Absolutely fantastic and even better if heard live.

They already did mine. Ace of Spades baby.

Sunshine of Your Love by Cream (Eric Clapton baby!)

Agemmon wrote:

There are a lot of favourites for me, but the very best has to be Sad but True by Metallica. Absolutely fantastic and even better if heard live.

Definitely, such a great song, crushing riffs throughout. I still consider Metallica to be the riff-masters of the universe. They totally have the power.

EDIT: Forgot to add my riff, I'm going to go with Hit the Lights, by Metallica.

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.

I hope they have a bow attachment for GH4.

I like this song so much that if I ever have a daughter I am naming her Kashmir. I already have wifely approval for this too.

I could see how playing this for the whole 8 minutes of the song would perhaps get dull, but in short bursts I bet it would rock quite a lot.

Heartbreaker by Led Zeppelin. The main riff is great, and the solo is crazy.

Player Hater wrote:

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.

Bit OT:
Have you picked up the CD of Zep covers done by the London Philharmonic? They do Kashmir, and I like it better than the original. (the CD is, appropriately, titled Kashmir: The Symphonic Led Zeppelin)

I have not...but any good recommendation is enough to get me to buy more Zeppelin related music.

Thank you.

Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin

The very definition of a great guitar riff.

People, come on.

Day Tripper. The answer to this questions is always Day Tripper. Not the only good one by far, but by far the best.

I also really like Eat the Rich by Aerosmith and Paint it Black by the Stones. I'll probably think of a hundred later.

Running Down a Dream by Tom Petty.

Ok, submitting this now.

Here Comes the Rain by The Cult. Ok, I'm done.

Backwater by the Meat Puppets.

Tie Your Mother Down by Queen

Judy is a Punk by the Ramones

She's Calling You-Bad Brains.

This one: roowwwrrr wah waha wah rrrrrkthkth

So many from so many different genres.

In Flames - Swim
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
Beatles - Helter Skelter
Dick Dale - Miserlou
Guns & Roses - November Rain
Tool - Fourty - Six and Two
Soundgarden - Spoonman
No Use For A Name - Saddest Song
etc.

Funny how we already have 3 Zepplin Choices, almost deserves it's own category, but I've always had a soft spot for the riff in Black Dog. Overdone, yes, but what Zepplin song isn't?

Player Hater wrote:

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.

I hope they have a bow attachment for GH4.

I like this song so much that if I ever have a daughter I am naming her Kashmir. I already have wifely approval for this too.

I could see how playing this for the whole 8 minutes of the song would perhaps get dull, but in short bursts I bet it would rock quite a lot.

The Puff Daddy Song that used that loop totally and absolutely ruined that song for me. I still can't believe Page let him have that....

I've always loved the opening to Circles by Joe Satriani and I think that would make a pretty compelling tune to play in GH. However, later on into the song, it goes absolutely crazy (I'm talking 'Jordan' level insane), so I imagine it would be quite the challenge.

Parabola - Tool

Guitar riffs are like Pringles. Some of my faves:

Rush - "Spirit of Radio" - instantly cheers me up whenever I hear it
Rush - "Dreamline" - My favorite song ever, my favorite opener ever and it's the first song (okay, fine, first ten notes) I learned to play on a guitar
Ozzy Osborne - "Perry Mason" - So badass, especially for a song referencing a TV lawyer
Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper" - Not particularly complex, but pretty darn catchy
Dire Straits - "Money For Nothing" - I like "Sultans of Swing" better, but this song has a better main melody
Led Zeppelin - "Rock and Roll" - that car commercial almost ruined this song for me, but not quite; always makes me think of summertime; speaking of which -
Tom Petty - "American Girl" - Triggers a Pavlovian reflex to change into something tiny, crack open a beer, and lounge on my balcony for hours. Perfect summer song.

Derek & the Dominoes: "Layla"

There. Close the thread. We're done.

Deftones - My Own Summer (Shove It)

I have a few ones from Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil: Too Young to Fall in Love and the song with a big sound that nobody remembers from that album Knock Em Dead Kid

If we are going for riff plus drum combo, or best rockin intro, I submit Wild Side - Motley Crue

Whole Lotta Love previously mentioned is a classic

Metallica - Am I Evil, Creeping Death, Leper Messiah, Frayed Ends of Sanity, Shortest Straw, well sh*t just about every song on And Justice for All... I just listened to the samples on Amazon and how anyone can not think that it is Metallica's best album is beyond me. One is probably the most famous and my least favorite song on that CD.

fangblackbone wrote:

One is probably the most famous and my least favorite song on that CD.

You go to Hell, you go to hell and you DIE!
I mean... I respect your opinion.

One of my faves is Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart

Metallica - Frantic

Man, there are some really great ones mentioned already.

Here are some of my all time faves:

Rush - Limelight, Natural Science, A Passage to Bangkok, Show Don't Tell
Metallica - Master of Puppets, Sad But True (already mentioned, but it bears repeating)
Led Zeppelin - The Ocean
Megadeth - Holy Wars, Symphony of Destruction, Train of Consequences
King's X - Dogman, Over My Head
Meshuggah - Rational Gaze
Devin Townsend - Seventh Wave
Queensryche - Damaged
Joe Satriani - Satch Boogie
Steve Vai - Bad Horsie
Dream Theater - Under a Glass Moon
Helmet - Unsung
Prong - Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
Korn - Blind
Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane

And the king of all crushing rock riffs:
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water

edit: also this.

edit x2: That link makes me miss Spleen. What a badass. May he RIP.

There are a lot of good ones in here. I mean I don't think any of these so far isn't awesome. Good stuff.

For my part, I have a peculiar weakness for the riff in U2's "In a Little While."

Van Morrison - "Baby Please Don't Go" - it's such a deliciously nasty guitar riff. Does that make sense?

Chiggie Von Richthofen wrote:

Eat the Rich by Aerosmith

Awesome choice!

A few suggestions:
Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way
Lenny Kravitz - Rock & Roll Is Dead
Tool - Stinkfist
Rush - Stick It Out
Led Zeppelin - The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair

Elysia wrote:

Van Morrison - "Baby Please Don't Go" - it's such a deliciously nasty guitar riff. Does that make sense?

Is this the same song that is performed by John Lennon (that also has a great live version with Frank Zappa and his band)?