Best Guitar Riff - EVER

The title says it all.

So very many to chose from; so very many wonderful guitar pluckers out there. BUT - My favourite is 'Samba Pa Ti' by the great Carlos Santana.

Sorry, I've lost the link.

How about you guys.what's your choice of Riff and can you link to it on the web?

Its got to be Fits Like Glove by KISS




not

It is without any doubt that rocking doo bub a do, bub a doo doo, doo do da di da do etc etc - Now I'm Here by Queen

The riff after the intro lead of Slayer's: Dead Skin Mask. It's not that complicated but it has a cool rhythm and the drums fit it perfectly.

Are you allowed to post links on here?

[edit on 4/9/2006 by malganis]

Without out a doubt it's LaGrange By ZZ-Top

Err. no it's Walk this Way by Aerosmith

Ummm nope it's pretty much anything AC/DC did

Wait a min it's Cold Gin by Kiss

Naaaaa It's the opening riff to Johnny B Good by Chuck Berry

Well how about Cat Scratch Fever By Ted Nugent

Or War Pigs err... Paranoid by Black Sabbath

Or Miserlou by Dick Dale

or Rebel Rouser or Peter Gunn Theme by Duane Eddy

I could go on for days.. there is no best ever riff.

Purple Haze ~ Jimi Hendrix

Guitar magazines run polls on this subject from time to time. I understand the big winner in the last ten years or so has been Sweet Child of Mine by you-know-who.

If you were to ask me, I'd say the following have the weight of history behind them:

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones

A Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin

Layla by Derek & the Dominoes

Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

The 'correct' musical term for a riff is an ostinato, a repeating figure that is sustained during a passage or piece. In this sense, the ultimate (and original) rock guitar riff is the chunka-chunka-chunka rhythm figure invented by Jimmy Reed and given unto mankind by the evil genius Chuck Berry in Johnny B. Goode. I'm not talking about the incendiary guitar figure that kicks off the song but the rhythm part that runs all the way through it.

To the poster who nominated Purple Haze, I sympathize but the figure you're referring (rifferring?) to is a lick, not a riff. Incidentally, it's based on a tritone, the so-called diabolus in musica or 'Devil's chord'. The same four-note phrase is currently riding the charts again, kicking off the guitar solo on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Dani California.

The greatest riffmeisters are Jimmy Page and Keith Richards. Most of the heaviest Led Zeppelin songs (as well as quite a few of the lighter ones) are based on a riff of some sort (the main dulcimer figure in The Battle of Evermore qualifies as a riff). In their later years, Page began to create riffs of almost Beethovenesque simplicity and power: compare the riffs underpinning Dancing Days and Achilles' Last Stand with the main motif of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and you'll see what I mean.

As for Richards, he enjoys the distinction of being known to music lovers as the Human Riff.

i dunno if it's the best EVER, but this one was one of the first to pop into my mind...

IRON MAIDEN - Phantom of the Opera

that song just ownz!

(agree with Cug, there is no best riff ever! hehe...)



HFS i can't believe i forgot... METALLICA - Seek and Destroy

that has to be one of my favorites... i just rebooted and the intro is my start up sound, and the outro is my shut down sound, DUH! lol...

[edit on 29 9Sep 06 by m3rlz]

Like a few of the other posters above me, I have, well, many favorite guitar riffs by an assortment of artists;

anything by Jimi Hendrix -- who could possibly dispute this one?

But I must add mention to Eddie Van Halen's incredible guitar virtuosity. Just listen to almost any guitar solo that the man has done. I've heard some amazing acoustic guitar by Eddie but, unfortunately, I can't find anything on line that I can link to.

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of work by Joe Satriani and by Steve Vai. Both of these "guitar masters" can only be described as breath-taking. Here's a link to Joe Satriani's new album "Super Colossal". You can listen to the entire album! As for Steve Vai, anyone who has heard his guitar duel fromthe movie "Crossroad" (not the movie with Brittany Spears) will recognize his Steve Vai's musical genius. Incidentally, Scott Baio is "Crossroad" but his guitar is actually being played by Ry Cooder.

Another artist who I have been listening to a lot is Zack Wylde. Former Ozzy lead guitar, Zack has been demonstrating his brilliance with his band "Black label Society".
My favorite piece by Zack is an acoustic version of "Stillborn" but I haven't been able to find a link on the net to this "masterpiece". Nevertheless, you can get a taste of his mastery on the guitar by listening and viewing a cut from Black label Society's new release, Shot To Hell (from Black Label Society's new CD "Concrete Jungle"

Damn, there really is too much music, too many artists to mention but, at least, I can share a few of my own personal notalble favorites.

[edit on 9/29/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

[edit on 9/29/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

Lots of good rifs out there..

But I have always, always loved the intro to Steely Dan's
"reelin' in the years"

Satch is one of my favorites too BT...nice link!

well, I thought it was a nice link..I get a redirect now..dang

BT, it's a good link..just too many http's in it..got it now..

[edit on 29-9-2006 by spacedoubt]

[edit on 29-9-2006 by spacedoubt]

Originally posted by spacedoubt
Satch is one of my favorites too BT...nice link!
well, I thought it was a nice link..I get a redirect now..dang
BT, it's a good link..just too many http's in it..got it now..

Thanks for pointing out out my defective link.....I fixed it. You should be able to access the Joe Satriani link without any trouble now.

Originally posted by benevolent tyrant
Incidentally, Scott Baio is "Crossroad" but his guitar is actually being played by Ry Cooder.

Another artist who I have been listening to a lot is Zack Wylde.

if you're referring to the movie Crossroads, that would be Ralph Macchio... that is one kick ass movie...

and yee, Zakk definitely rocks as well...

Originally posted by m3rlz

Originally posted by benevolent tyrant
Incidentally, Scott Baio is "Crossroad" but his guitar is actually being played by Ry Cooder.

Another artist who I have been listening to a lot is Zack Wylde.

if you're referring to the movie Crossroads, that would be Ralph Macchio

Ooops....you're right....I'm wrong and I stand corrected......thanks for pointing this out. Crossroads was, indeed, a great film (musically). I'd hate to think that I deprived "the Karate Kid" of his one decent acting credit.

That's tough....


Maybe the opening riff from Heathen's song "Breaking The Silence". Or possibly Agent Steel's "Illuminati Is Machine".

Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana

Joe Satriani: Surfin' With The Alien. Why, best ever? Listen to it...

Victor K.

41'

x2 on Satriani, but I think my favorite ever is Crossroads by Cream.

Here's one of my faves:


The Stone Roses - 'Love Spreads'

Guitarist : John Squire

(also check out The Stone Roses - 'Waterfall' )

Enjoy!!

aint talking bout love - van halen
the glass prison - dream theater
mindstorm - joe satriani
november rain - guns n roses (last solo)
guitars suck - bumblefoot

Workin for MCA, Freebird- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Jessica- The Allman Brothers Band
Whole Lotta Love- Led Zeppelin


Just a few off the top of my head