Favorite guitar riff

[Gator]

Doesn't necessarily have to be your favorite song, but the opening riff ... Many have put out lists, including this one from Gibson.

http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/top-50-riffs-0211-2011.aspx

For me, the Rolling Stones have many, but this one is just the best.

http://youtu.be/3fa4HUiFJ6c

Other favorites include:
Pearl Jam -- Alive
Jimi Hendrix -- Little Wing
Chuck Berry -- Johnny B. Goode
Ozzy Osbourne -- Crazy Train
Lynyrd Skynyrd -- Sweet Home Alabama
Led Zeppelin -- The Girls I love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair
Deep Purple -- Smoke on the Water
Pink Floyd -- Money
White Stripes -- Seven Nation Army
ZZ Top -- La Grange
Rush -- Limelight
Aerosmith -- Walk This Way
Ted Nugent -- Stranglehold
Dire Straits -- Sultans of Swing
ACDC -- Thunderstruck
Yes -- Owner of a Lonely Heart
Michael Jackson -- Beat It
Metallica -- Enter Sandman
Van Haley -- Hot For Teacher
Guns N Roses -- Welcome to the Jungle
Living Colour -- Cult of Personality
Motley Crue -- Kickstart My Heart
RHCP -- Scar Tissue
White Stripes -- Blue Orchid
Eric Clapton -- Layla

 

[Versatile]

"Manic Depression" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience isn't so much a great song as a really great riff, maybe my favorite. "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones is both a great song and a great riff.

 

[Double J]

I've always had a soft spot for the classic descending riff in "I Can Help" by Billy Swan. The riff was played by producer Chip Young.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

'Rocks Off' would be my Stones choice. First tune that popped in my head when I saw the thread title.

"Whole Lotta Love" would be Zep representative, against some stiff competition.

'Sweet Child O Mine', GNR. Maybe more of a great one minute intro than an opening riff.

In a similar vein, 'Eruption' from Van Halen. Not really an opening riff, but I always saw it as the intro to 'You Really Got Me', and it was like nothing else I'd ever heard on the guitar when I first experienced that VH album in the late 70s.

 

[oxfordcrowe]

"CYHMK" was the song I immediately thought of when I read the thread title.

"Sway," also on "Sticky Fingers," is a good one too. (There's really no wrong answer when Keith is involved)

Others:
"Remedy" — The Black Crowes
"Aftermath USA" — Drive-By Truckers
"One Big Holiday" — My Morning Jacket
"Too Far Apart" — Wilco
"Maker's Mound" & "Naked Ground" — Dexateens (YouTube these guys if you are unfamiliar. Kick all kinds of ass)

I'm sure there's others I will think of later.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

'Sweet Child O Mine', GNR. Maybe more of a great one minute intro than an opening riff.

Slash hates it and originally played it for Axl as a joke.

 

[dprince57]

"Manic Depression" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience isn't so much a great song as a really great riff, maybe my favorite. "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones is both a great song and a great riff.

Paint it Black is a sitar, not a gitar, though right?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

'Sweet Child O Mine', GNR. Maybe more of a great one minute intro than an opening riff.

Slash hates it and originally played it for Axl as a joke.

Also, the "Where do we go now" portion of the song came when Izzy Stradlin wrote those words on a piece of paper because he didn't know what to do with the next part of the song.

 

[User 1019]

No love for Money For Nothing? That's my favorite.

 

[Boom_70]

My all time favs
Gimme Shelter
LaGrange
Crazy On You ( Heart)

 

[nmmetsfan]

Sunshine of Your Love, Cream

 

[Boom_70]

Gibson site only shows the top 10. The links for the other 40 are no longer active.
Upon further investigation story was from 2/11/11 which might explain why.

To show you the state of RnR there likely have not been any new riffs that should be added
though.

 

[Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzell]

The Yardbirds - "Stroll On"


Pink Floyd - "Interstellar Overdrive"


MC5 - "Looking at You"


The Stooges - "Down on the Street"


The Groundhogs - "Cherry Red"


Flamin' Groovies - "Teenage Head"


Amon Düül II - "Archangel's Thunderbird"


Selda Bacgan - "Ince Ince"

 

[User 1019]

Here's another good one.

Paint it Black
://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InRDF_0lfHk

 

[terrier]

Being partial to '90s Britpop riffs:

Catherine Wheel, "Texture" (beginning):


Or, if you like dense and melodic (and a girl who can play!), Lush, "Desire Lines" (2:23 to 4:53):

 

[Double J]

"Manic Depression" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience isn't so much a great song as a really great riff, maybe my favorite. "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones is both a great song and a great riff.

Paint it Black is a sitar, not a gitar, though right?

Correct.

 

[micropolitan guy]

"Badge," by Cream.

"Blue Sky" by the Allman Brothers.

 

[Huggy]

"Paranoid" and "Iron Man" by Sabbath.

 

[93Devil]

Old school alternative...

The La's - There She Goes


The Smiths - This Charming Man


The Cure - Boys Don't Cry


Pixies - Here Comes Your Man


Pixies - Wave of Mutiliation


Bass division
Pixies - Gigantic


Breeders - Cannonball


New Order - Age of Consent

 

[dooley_womack1]

--Ain't Talking About Love, Van Halen
--Day Tripper, Beatles
--The Core, Eric Clapton
--Tough Guys, REO Speedwagon
--The One I Love, REM