Great opening song riffs

[TRest]

Clampdown- clash
Submission- Sex Pistols
Sweet jane

 

[CL82]

Another obvious one...

 

[JMick]

No One said Stairway to Heaven?\
Purple Haze?
Sweet Child of Mine?

basially all of the Jimmy Hendrix Experience can be posted here lol

 

[Bezzz]

Steve Hunters's classic guitar riff. Sweet Jane.

 

[JMick]

ok one more. possibly the most famous one of all time?

 

[Catsailor]

Maybe the most obvious of all inspired this mid summer post. Just heard it on WPLR. (Wish they would freshen the playlist but that is for a different rant.)

What are your songs where the first 8 or ten seconds grab you? Signature opening riffs?
I will just mention a couple and see who else plays along and adds.



3) You Really Got Me - Kinks

 

[DogBoy]

 

[storrsroars]

Brilliant call. My fave intro in the entire Zep catalog. I've been "air drumming" that for 40+ years.

 

[August_West]

Beatles "Hard Day's Night" single opening chord

55 years later and musicians are still fighting about that damn chord.

Bottom line is it can’t be played.

It’s not a single instrument it’s 4!

 

[DogBoy]

 

[Bezzz]

55 years later and musicians are still fighting about that damn chord.

Bottom line is it can’t be played.

It’s not a single instrument it’s 4!

What is it about that chord, Augie? My guess is that it's two Ricks (or more) played simultaneously.

Edit from Wiki: Looks like everyone played on that chord!

 

[storrsroars]

I love me some power chords, so I lean toward the obvious power pop classics:
Go All The Way - Raspberries
Baby Blue - Badfinger
Alex Chilton - Replacements

And then there's this which blew me away first time I heard the opening:


(but my fave opening riff of all time: the late, great Roddy Lorimer's trumpet opening on Don't Bang the Drum, Waterboys, which still opens their live shows to this day 40 years on)

 

[August_West]

What is it about that chord, Augie? My guess is that it's two Ricks (or more) played simultaneously.

Edit from Wiki: Looks like everyone played on that chord!

Best guess these days is Harrison 12 string Ric F add 9 , Lennon 6 string acoustic the same, Mac playing D on bass and George Martin playing a G on piano .

All on one track of a 4 track
Amazing.

 

[T-Squared]

 

[DogBoy]

What is it about that chord, Augie? My guess is that it's two Ricks (or more) played simultaneously.

Edit from Wiki: Looks like everyone played on that chord!

The best description ive heard is:

Paul plays D on Hoff bass
John plays D sus4 on Rickkenbacker 325
George plays F with added g note on both E strings on Rickenbacker 360/12 C63
George Martin played a chord of some D variation on piano

 

[Chin Diesel]

First thing that popped in my head....

Can you do Eruption in to You Really Got Me as a double dose of riffness?

 

[lne001]

So good that it was used twice.



Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby

 

[DogBoy]

 

[Chin Diesel]

Most of the good already mentioned.

In not particular order after #1.

1. Can't You Hear Me Knockin'. Stones were so good during the Mick Taylor years. Keith's opening riffs and then Taylor and Bobby Keys at the end. You could make this a double dip for songs with best ending codas.

2. Sweet Child O Mine
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit
4. Eruption/You Really Got Me
5. Black Dog
6. Layla
7. Purple Haze
8. Rebel Rebel
9. Whole Lotta Love
10. Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

 

[Guapo]

 

[Bezzz]

Gotta give a shout out to my opening riff to the song "Junk" (Shameless self promotion mode)
Soundcloud

 

[Chin Diesel]

Throw in Ziggy Stardust too.

 

[Hound11]

Obviously no one has saw the greatest football movie ever.
Best into is Thunderstruck AC/DC

 

[TRest]

Most of the good already mentioned.

In not particular order after #1.

1. Can't You Hear Me Knockin'. Stones were so good during the Mick Taylor years. Keith's opening riffs and then Taylor and Bobby Keys at the end. You could make this a double dip for songs with best ending codas.

2. Sweet Child O Mine
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit
4. Eruption/You Really Got Me
5. Black Dog
6. Layla
7. Purple Haze
8. Rebel Rebel
9. Whole Lotta Love
10. Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

Great song. Brown sugar is also an instant recognition if it hasn't been mentioned yet. Honky Talk Women, they have a ton of these.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Great song. Brown sugar is also an instant recognition if it hasn't been mentioned yet. Honky Talk Women, they have a ton of these.

Talking opening riffs, you can put the Stones up against the field and compete for the win.


It's like trying to compete against Motley Crue for strip club songs. Their bench strength wears you down.