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2014/07/18 20:53:42
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
An impossible task, of course. AC/DC alone provided at least three tip top riffs of which only one has been picked for the top 100 candidates, but there you are, it's just a bit of fun.
I am still considering my vote but I strongly lean towards Smoke On The Water, which many years ago I heard picked out in an O-Level Physics lesson on a magnetic harmonic wave experiment apparatus. It's got to be a great riff to achieve that.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014/07/18 20:58:54
An impossible task, of course. AC/DC alone provided at least three tip top riffs of which only one has been picked for the top 100 candidates, but there you are, it's just a bit of fun.
I am still considering my vote but I strongly lean towards Smoke On The Water, which many years ago I heard picked out in an O-Level Physics lesson on a magnetic harmonic wave experiment apparatus. It's got to be a great riff to achieve that.
AAArgh, so many great choices. Any of these are absolute classics!
Back in Black
Don't Fear The Reaper (possibly my favourite intro of any song ever)
All Right Now
Born To Run
I Can't Get No
Livin' on a Prayer
Eye of the Tiger
Smoke on the Water
Life in the Fast Lane
Money
7 Nation Army
Sharp Dressed Man
Don't Believe a Word
Sweet Child O' Mine
Spirit of Radio
Sweet Home Alabama
Whole Lotta Love
I could almost make my ultimate playlist from songs on that list. I think it has to be Layla, though.
Ones that shoud have made the list:
Baba O'Riely
2112
The middle bit of Bohemian Rhapsody
In My Time of Dying
2014/07/19 06:40:00
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the "main" riff from this song done on a bass??
It is to start off with, but after a verse or two he goes into a guitar riff of the same tune, just in a higher key. So I think it counts, and as a guitarist, I can say the riff most definitely works on guitar as well.
2014/07/19 09:46:20
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
For some bands there are a couple of weird choices, though. If I had to pick only one solo/riff from Queen, Pink Floyd or AC/DC, it wouldn't be the ones on this list.
Although as OP said, AC/DC has so many awesome riffs, it's a tough choice regardless. For Pink Floyd though, it's hard (I'd say impossible) to top the haunting, so incredibly melancholy closing solo on Comfortably Numb.
Or am I conflating riffs and solos here? The two are pretty much indistinguishable in my mind, but actual music experts may differ on that one.
2014/07/19 10:01:07
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
For some bands there are a couple of weird choices, though. If I had to pick only one solo/riff from Queen, Pink Floyd or AC/DC, it wouldn't be the ones on this list.
Although as OP said, AC/DC has so many awesome riffs, it's a tough choice regardless. For Pink Floyd though, it's hard (I'd say impossible) to top the haunting, so incredibly melancholy closing solo on Comfortably Numb.
Or am I conflating riffs and solos here? The two are pretty much indistinguishable in my mind, but actual music experts may differ on that one.
I agree, some choices were odd. For AC/DC, I'd pick either the intro to Thunderstruck or Shoot to Thrill, Queen I'd pick Another One Bites The Dust or Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Floyd I'd stick with Money or the intro (all 7 minutes of it) to Shine on you Crazy Diamond.
To my mind, a solo is something that fills in between the vocals and is rather variable, a riff is something repeated throughout the song or forms the basis of an intro. Riffs can occur in solos, but solos are rarely riffs (in fact, the point of the solo is often to break away from the riff)
2014/07/19 15:51:06
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
Paradigm wrote: AAArgh, so many great choices. Any of these are absolute classics!
Back in Black
Don't Fear The Reaper (possibly my favourite intro of any song ever)
All Right Now
Born To Run
I Can't Get No
Livin' on a Prayer
Eye of the Tiger
Smoke on the Water
Life in the Fast Lane
Money
7 Nation Army
Sharp Dressed Man
Don't Believe a Word
Sweet Child O' Mine
Spirit of Radio
Sweet Home Alabama
Whole Lotta Love
I could almost make my ultimate playlist from songs on that list. I think it has to be Layla, though.
Ones that shoud have made the list:
Baba O'Riely
2112
The middle bit of Bohemian Rhapsody
In My Time of Dying
That list is pretty much brilliant. Take out Eye Of The Tiger and Livin' On A Prayer (Bon Jovi makes me want eat my own socks), throw in Harvester Of Sorrow by the mighty 'Tallica and possibly Cygnus X1 instead of 2112 (both epic tunes though), and that's going on my IPod right now. In My Time Of Dying is an interesting choice btw... I prefer Black Dog myself. Or possibly The Battle Of Evermore.
2014/07/19 17:10:57
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
Riff: Duh duh, DAA! Duh duh DAA DAA! Basically the bits that Beavis and Butthead "sing".
I haven't checked the list but it is already clearly flawed: Down's "Bury Me in Smoke" is Best Riff in Show. Always.
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2014/07/19 19:40:52
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
To my mind, a solo is something that fills in between the vocals and is rather variable, a riff is something repeated throughout the song or forms the basis of an intro. Riffs can occur in solos, but solos are rarely riffs (in fact, the point of the solo is often to break away from the riff)
A riff is a basic theme that is repeated during the track. A solo is a one off that emerges from the base track and is an elaboration of the themes contained therein.
Not sure I would have picked One Vision out of the entire Queen catalog.
And, no B.B. King? One of the greatest guitarists of all time?
"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see.
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2014/07/19 21:16:37
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
Tough list! To my mind, AC/DC should have 'Whole Lotta Rosie' (although the choice they go with is rather good too). The omission of 'Phantom of the Opera' by Iron Maiden's a sad one.
2112 is a great riff, however Rush have never really had any mainstream success in the UK. I don't think they've ever had any airplay on any mainstream radio stations or any best selling albums. They where never going to be recognized by a BBC vote.
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2014/07/19 21:22:26
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
To my mind, a solo is something that fills in between the vocals and is rather variable, a riff is something repeated throughout the song or forms the basis of an intro. Riffs can occur in solos, but solos are rarely riffs (in fact, the point of the solo is often to break away from the riff)
A riff is a basic theme that is repeated during the track. A solo is a one off that emerges from the base track and is an elaboration of the themes contained therein.
Not neccesarily, but yes, pretty much this. Ninja'd! Damn you, Music degree, will you ever come in useful?
OK, I can see the distinction. Sometimes. Thanks guys! In that case, awesome though it is, Floyd's Comfortable Numb solo doesn't belong. I'm gonna have to go with Hey You then, I think.
One thing that confuses me though, is why only one riff per band/artist?
If a band has such awesome riffs that 3 are better than all but at most 97 others, that band should have 3 riffs in a list called "100 greatest riffs of all time".
Even if that means half the list becomes occupied by 5 bands or something.
2014/07/23 20:56:49
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
Bran Dawri wrote: OK, I can see the distinction. Sometimes. Thanks guys! In that case, awesome though it is, Floyd's Comfortable Numb solo doesn't belong. I'm gonna have to go with Hey You then, I think.
Good choice! I think I'd go for Another Brick in the Wall, though, but largely because of how it works as part of the album.
One thing that confuses me though, is why only one riff per band/artist?
If a band has such awesome riffs that 3 are better than all but at most 97 others, that band should have 3 riffs in a list called "100 greatest riffs of all time".
Even if that means half the list becomes occupied by 5 bands or something.
I think it's just to cover a good spread. Whenever I make a Top 10/50/100 playlist, I do much the same just to make sure it's a nice mix. Otherwise, this list would pretty much be AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zepp and Sabbath, maybe with a bit of Queen and some one-offs thrown in.
2014/07/23 21:01:00
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
An impossible task, of course. AC/DC alone provided at least three tip top riffs of which only one has been picked for the top 100 candidates, but there you are, it's just a bit of fun.
I am still considering my vote but I strongly lean towards Smoke On The Water, which many years ago I heard picked out in an O-Level Physics lesson on a magnetic harmonic wave experiment apparatus. It's got to be a great riff to achieve that.
Any man who knows Smoke on the Water is man worthy of his muse.
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2014/07/23 21:11:27
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
KommissarKarl wrote: ...The 100 greatest guitar riffs of a certain generation, sure. A good chunk of this stuff is from the 70s/80s
That's because the 70s and 80s were the golden age of guitar-led rock music, so riffs feature heavily. Since then, the guitars have taken a back seat to more synthetic sounds, at least in mainstream music and newer bands (as opposed to the likes of AC/DC or Quo, who have done the same thing for 40 years). There's simply more riffs from that era compared to later or earlier periods.
2014/07/24 15:16:34
Subject: Re:BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
KommissarKarl wrote: ...The 100 greatest guitar riffs of a certain generation, sure. A good chunk of this stuff is from the 70s/80s
That's because the 70s and 80s were the golden age of guitar-led rock music, so riffs feature heavily. Since then, the guitars have taken a back seat to more synthetic sounds, at least in mainstream music and newer bands (as opposed to the likes of AC/DC or Quo, who have done the same thing for 40 years). There's simply more riffs from that era compared to later or earlier periods.
Not really... I mean, Nu Metal is founded on the very idea of a single, catchy riff being played over and over again in a song... Look at Pantera (who are fething awesome, btw!) and the number of famous songs they have.... You've got "Walk", "Cowboys from Hell", and "Cemetary Gates" and all three of those definitely have a strong, catchy riff as a sort of centerpiece.
It's just a shame that, outside of a very select few great bands, Nu Metal sucks
2014/08/28 11:14:48
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
The results were announced on Monday. Here are the top 5:
5: Layla (Derek and the Dominos)
4: Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple)
3: Back in Black (AC/DC)
2: Sweet Child of Mine (Guns 'n' Roses)
1: Whole Lotta Love (Led Zep)
A fairly uninspired top 5, but they are all great songs.
2014/08/28 17:10:20
Subject: BBC Radio 2 : The 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs vote
