Brain Killing Riffs

[rene7]

Been a Music nut since mid 60's, my preference is for RIff driven ditty's that make your brain reverberate & dance with joy whenever you hear 'em - here's some of my favs from my last 50 years of brain numbing enjoyment - in No particular order :-
Bachman Turner Overdirve - Not Fragile
Hawkwind - Golden Void - My favourite from this bands massive selection of brain benders
Dust - Suicide
Trapeze - Jury
Warrior Soul - Children of the Wasteland - a very underated band
Unida - You Wish - a Crushing effort 10/10
Pentagram - Burning Savior - Simply Awesome riff
Feeder - Descend
Budgie - Stranded [a mutating monster of a riff, decades before most others of this kind appeared]
Budgie - Guts
Black Sabbath - Electric Funeral - IMO the best from the greatest riffmeister ever
Therapy? - Moment of clarity
Smashing Pumpkins - Zero
Slayer - South of Heaven - So many Awesome Slayer riffs to choose from Nuff said
Montrose - Rock Candy - a sneaky killer of a riff
T2 - No more White Horses
Silverchair - Israel's Son
Neil Young - Rockin in Free world

---

Probably missed out some real killers that i'll remember as soon as this is posted - Oh well go on then remind me of 'em

[Rollin]

Wooden Shjips - Crossing
L7- Pretend we're Dead
Soundgargen - Spoonman

Edited by Rollin on Wednesday 25th December 16:25

[wombleh]

Great thread, already found a few new tunes!

Loving the choice of Therapy - great band, my choice would probably be disgracelands but pretty much anything would fit
Hendrix - killing floor
Lamb of God- as the palace burn
Feared - Caligula

Bonus bass riff - Alice in Chains - would?

Edited by wombleh on Wednesday 25th December 19:20

[anonymous-user]

Following on from the op I think he missed Budgie's finest in Breaking All The House Rules with that imfectious riff that goes with the song.
Another that springs to mind is Wishbone Ash's Blowin Free

[jet_noise]

Surely the mother of all riffs is Purple's Smoke on the Water.
Metallica: Enter Sandman.
The gurning one's Day of the Eagle is splendid.

[P5BNij]

The Stooges 'Down On The Street' from the 1970 LP 'Funhouse', play it loud...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgJ62mu4DqM

[Pastor Of Muppets]

So many incredible riifs have been written over the last 50 years or so, how could you narrow it down
to one or two, a task and a half that. Some that spring immediately to mind....Painkiller Judas Priest...Hells Bells AC/DC..
Angel of Death Slayer, Holy Wars Megadeth, Number of the Beast Maiden, Walk Pantera, it could go on a long time!.

If i had to choose one riff that just wants to be cranked louder and louder it would be this, the main riff
comes after the blistering single string doodle intro.... https://youtu.be/31705Jkjggw
How anyone could be into heavy stuff and not bang their head to that.

[gazza285]

Always loved the riff from Nomeansno's Rags And Bones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppR6LcGnkUY

Honerable mention to Led Zep for Heartbreaker and Black Dog, amongst others.

[popeyewhite]

Links please!

[Pastor Of Muppets]

She sells Sanctuary, The Cult . Holidays in the Sun, Sex Pistols. Gene Genie, Bowie. 3 Absolute belters there.

[popeyewhite]

Pastor Of Muppets said:

So many incredible riifs have been written over the last 50 years or so, how could you narrow it down
to one or two...

This.

Perhaps bands with any number of songs with great riffs? AC/DC? Deep Purple? How about almost seminal riffs? Motorhead? Budgie? Ted Nugent? How many times d'you think this riff/bits of this riff has been repeated over the last 45 years...?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiGhE6EVViw

[suthol]

Bloody younguns

10 Years After
https://youtu.be/05wFFAWW544

Wishbone Ash
https://youtu.be/L44iHlbemwo

Gentle Giant
https://youtu.be/Z6n8-b7uk9E

[Kinky]

I would think a few Thin Lizzy songs could apply

How about Don't believe a word: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EumZg0Gy0s

[ben5575]

Well I'm not as old as some of you fogies on here, but to be fair there were a few decent riffs from back in your day....

Uriah Heep - Gypsy (1m in for the less patient)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_5CgNbo0ns

Can't believe Iron Butterfly - In A Gadda Da Vida hasn't been mentioned yet...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCkHanF4v1w

Continuing the Serial Killer vibe... Death in Vegas - Aisha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzZzDbRp3z4

I am not a metalhead by any means, but this is a guilty pleasure - Annihilator - Phantasmagoria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZU6i8EUcxk&li...

I'll slow it down with Living Colour - Love Rears Its Naked Head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQcPB1WkISI

ACDC have so many, so I'll go left field with my favourite riff - Meanstreak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OltvJu0pwRc&li...

Edited to add my favourite blues riff Taj Mahal - Leaving Trunk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDg8Xqh-9UM

Edited by ben5575 on Friday 27th December 12:41

[Billsnemesis]

Simple but very effective

Samantha Fish B***h On The Run (in case of mods)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRukj2girM

[TiringHippo]

Some great songs listed already and plenty I've not heard before!

Three of my favourites

Joe Bonamassa - Story of a Quarryman

AC/DC (many to choose from, but love this one) - Down Payment Blues

UFO (again, many to choose from) - Rock Bottom

[Sticks.]

TiringHippo said:

UFO (again, many to choose from) - Rock Bottom

That takes me back to the 6th form common room, and reminds me of Doctor Doctor, and Rick Candy, by Montrose.

This would've been on the turntable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZXhZ6Wejqc Deep Purple,

which is nothing like this at all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSngzjqMF38 Ricky Nelson.

More recent YT wanderings took me to this. Not sure it quite counts, but an entertaining watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4dZw37i7s Messer Chups.

[bigpriest]

Bass riff? The Fall - Blindness (based on Roots Manuva / Doctor Who!)
https://youtu.be/eQPoVNrCZTk

[Pastor Of Muppets]

Here is 4 that stand out for me, not only great riffs but great songs they are contained within.

This one is so unusual a track, never heard anything quite like this, especially the chromatic
riff in the middle of the song, Main riff starts about 0.20. The video is also a bit far out.
Queensryche, I am I....... https://youtu.be/u6se8D4JQ1Y

This one is fairly easy to play but so effective, a great track too. Riff starts at 0,28
Stone Temple Pilots, Vaseline.... https://youtu.be/s19ZyLZYCYI

This is probably not so well known but a killer riff running right through a great rock track.
Badlands, Dancing on the Edge. (Guitarist is Jake E Lee, Ex Ozzy). https://youtu.be/171F09muWFM

And this, one of the best 'tingly neck hair' riffs I have ever heard in my life, the vocal wont be to everyones
taste, but how could you not like that guitar. If i ever want to inspire a young 'un to play this is the riff i teach
them, its so simple but the effect is just incredible. Drop D tuning and hammer on 4th and 5th fret on the A string.

Sepultura, Roots Bloody Roots.... https://youtu.be/noH3x6hMOvM

Edited by Pastor Of Muppets on Saturday 28th December 17:19

[YankeePorker]

Was not a huge fan back then, but this song has aged well...

Rainbow - Man on the silver mountain
https://youtu.be/ORnvO1VyYMk