I think we’ve had polls on just about every kind of song, but I don’t recall seeing one about rhythm guitar riffs.
I’ll start. Feel free to mix and match acoustic and electric:
“Riding the Rocket” - Shonen Knife
“Mr. Jones” - Counting Crows
“The Name of the Game” - ABBA
“I Fought the Law” - The Bobby Fuller Four
“Long Time” - Boston
“Semi-Charmed Life” - Third Eye Blind
“Sister Golden Hair” - America
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” - Nirvana
“Queen Bitch” - David Bowie
“Suffragette City” - David Bowie
“Across the Border” - Electric Light Orchestra
“Heart of Gold” - Neil Young
This is what I play when I pick up my guitar, since I only play lead if forced.
First, the be-all-and-end-all of all rhythm guitar parts: Pinball Wizard by The Who
Also (in order of most popular to more obscure) House of the Rising Sun by The Animals Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 Foxy Lady by Hendrix White Room by Cream Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel Born Under a Bad Sign by Albert King Boogie Chillin and Boom Boom by John Lee Hooker China Cat Sunflower by the Grateful Dead Pink Moon by Nick Drake Title and Registration by Death Cab for Cutie Dalliance by The Wedding Present
And Mr. Blue Sky, my favorite Ronson lick from David Bowie is Andy Warhol off of Hunky Dory. Which shares striking similarities to IIRC Master of Puppets by Metallica.
Good calls, I’ll go by what’s fun to play rather than by any value judgement:
Let’s start with The Who Bargain (tune down a semitone) Won’t Get Fooled Again Listen carefully there’s more to it than you might think. Behind Blue Eyes The loud bit with all the power chords.
Moving on. . .
Golden Years Bowie/Alomar(sp?) Let’s Dance Bowie/SRV? Need a delay unit for this one.
Modern Love Peter Gabriel
Any Major Dude Steely Dan Kid Charlamane (spelled wrongly) also Dan
Anything off Never Mind the Bollocks Sex Pistols
Park Life Blur. Not really a fan but I love dumb effective riffs.
Run Like Hell Pink Floyd, another one you need an echo box for.
The outro from Sheep Floyd again
Sing it Back Moloko. I don’t actually know the chords for this one, any help?
A bunch of tracks off Permission to Land The Darkness - the rythm parts are a hoot, you need to get all the little grace-notes not just knock out the chords.
I’ll stop now or I’ll be here all day, thanks for the thread Blue
Nah, though I like the little chromatic hook that George plays under ‘He-e-elp’. Im going for A Hard Day’s Night
CHANG!
I always had my suspicions about that chord, 'coz you can’t really get it to sound right. Turns out there are (at least) two guitars and a piano in there.
Going to the title of the OP, I love pretty much any of the rhythm parts on Dire Straits and Communique. Wonderful chord voicings throughout, and it was before Mark Knopfler became quite so Springsteen-y, so it goes down quite a bit better.
Also, the rhythm parts on Van Morrison’s Moondance-era songs, especially “Into The Mystic.”
I’ll limit myself to five, or I’ll be here all night.
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (Rolling Stones, Richards/ Taylor)
Jailbreak (AC/DC, Malcolm Young)
To Bring You My Love (PJ Harvey)
Dirty Blvd (Lou Reed/ Mike Rathke)
I Want You (Elvis Costello)
New Day Rising (Husker Du)
What I Like About You (Romantics)
Under the Milky Way, Almost With You (The Church)
Dogs (intro) (Pink Floyd)
Killing Floor (Howling Wolf)
All Along The Watchtower - Hendryx
Bicycle - Queen
My Sharona - The Knack
Black Magic Woman - Santana
Foxy Lady - Hendryx
Hey Joe - Hendryx
My Girl - The Temptations (guitar riff courtesy of The Funk Brothers)
