Great opening song riffs

[huskyrob1]

Greatest opening riff........

"Soldier Boy"

I'm flabbergasted that no one mentioned it. Until now.

 

[Dove]

When reading other boards like the old A.V. Club discussing favorite guitarists/; Eliot Easton gets a lot of love for his efficient style.

He had a solo album in mid 80s. Really good.

 

[Vuce]

Eagles:

Life in the Fast Lane
Hotel California

 

[boba]

Deadheads will roar at the first notes of:
Help on the Way
Dark Star
St. Stephen.

The Dead welcomed me to California with Help Slip Frank opener at Shoreline back in '90. Good time had by all.

 

[Rocktheworld]

i mean stairway to heaven is a trite answer but the first time listening to that baked changed a lot of lives

Over-rated.

Not that it's not a great riff or a great song, but relative to its reputation of ZOMG STAIRWAY

 

[Rocktheworld]

Wow what a great juxtaposition video; relatively technical vs super heavy

 

[storrsroars]

Deadheads will roar at the first notes of:
Help on the Way
Dark Star
St. Stephen.

The Dead welcomed me to California with Help Slip Frank opener at Shoreline back in '90. Good time had by all.

Well since you went there, I feel obligated to respond with this classic opening riff as our chief resident deadhead despises the leg kick...

 

[HobokenHusky]

This is an awesome thread. So interesting because everyone has a few songs that immediately pop in their head.

When I hear "opening riff" this is the first song that comes to mind:

Pixies - Here comes your man

 

[HobokenHusky]

Also, one of the more interesting ones:

Radiohead - Airbag

 

[Guapo]

Simple and old.

But, in my opinion, you can hear all these opening riffs posted in this thread in this one:

 

[HobokenHusky]

Wilco - I'm the man who loves you

 

[HobokenHusky]

I am not much of a Morrissey fan, but this thread has to include Johnny Marr.



I've heard tell that guitarists don't like covering this because it hurts.

The Smiths How Soon Is Now?

 

[huskyhockey]

Unchained - Van Halen

 

[The Viking]

Time to open the Tool box...although this one is more of a great bass riff with lead guitar coming in over it.

 

[Excalibur]

Beatles "Hard Day's Night" single opening chord.

.

Another great Beatles opening . . .

 

[The Viking]

Another Tool one with a great bass open - Forty Six & 2. Just figured I'd throw some bass in here. I'll look for Triangle riffs next.

 

[Excalibur]

Simple and old.

But, in my opinion, you can hear all these opening riffs posted in this thread in this one:

Everly Brothers Bye Bye Love

A bit of an overstatement, but it's interesting how the song experiments instrumentally in the beginning before falling into the typical formula for rock & roll songs of the era. The envelope didn't really get pushed until this:

 

[storrsroars]

Most folks know this classic riff from ELO. However some of us know it as the last hit from The Move before they became ELO. And for the greatest use of woodblock in rock and roll.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

He had a solo album in mid 80s. Really good.

Eliot Easton also notably produced and played on Amy Rigby's "Diary of a Mod Housewife"
Here, "20 Questions"

 

[TRest]

Another guy who can riff and is more about sonics then solos: blur Song 2.

 

[Gutter King]

The Guess Who - No Time
T. Rex - Get It On
The Men - Church of Logic Sin and Love (Does anyone remember this one? Everything was Aquamarine.....Aquamarine)
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

 

[storrsroars]

The mention of "church" brought Lords of the New Church "Russian Roulette" immediately to mind.

And in the strange way minds often put things together, the opening of Russian Roulette took me way back to this trippy thing. Every kid with a guitar in 1968 learned how to play those four notes and saved up their paper route money for a wah-wah pedal.



These guys never did diddly again in US but are still huge in Europe 50 years on.

 

[lonsharkin51]

Never post and could give a rat's patootie about Nugent, but I have to take exception to the guy who said "Stranglehold" is his only good song. "The Great White Buffalo" is one of the greatest pure rock songs ever.

 

[UConnNick]

 

[UConnNick]