# Greatest Opening Riffs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 14, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661 "2003-04-14T16:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/21 "2003-04-14T18:31:53Z")
I do have a personal favorite as well: The Sting arrangement of **Shadows In The Rain** from The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Drivin’! It’s also a beautiful illustration of how much difference an arrangement makes. The Police did Shadows in the Rain once–it was boring. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/22 "2003-04-14T19:02:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CaptMurdock \* > \*\*“All Along The Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix > > Possibly the greatest riff ever. \*\* Yes. More memorable ones - Sunday, Bloody Sunday - U2, and Break on Through - The Doors. ---
**Author:** ![pcarney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@pcarney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pcarney)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/23 "2003-04-14T19:08:56Z")
\Voodoo Chile\ by Hendrix ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/24 "2003-04-14T19:55:41Z")
_Where the Streets Have No Name_ by U2 - great build-up to the vocals, it gets more exciting as more elements come into the song - the keyboard chords with the guitar fading in, the bass and drums starting on the same dramatic downbeat, and as it all reaches its peak, the vocals take over. Yeah. _Who Do You Love_ by Bo Diddley (later by George Thorogood and the Destroyers) - the great bouncy Bo Diddley beat careens into and through the song raising ho-hum lyrics to “classic” status… Perhaps the greatest opening “riff” - if you can call mariachi horns a riff - _Ring of Fire_ by Johnny Cash - genius, pure genius throwing mariachi horns into a rockabilly/country love song. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/25 "2003-04-14T19:58:03Z")
_Heartbreaker_ by Led Zeppelin _Money for Nothing_ by Dire Straits ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/26 "2003-04-14T19:59:01Z")
First thing I thought of was “Paranoid” by Sabbath…no takers yet…wow! “Heartbreaker” by Zep also springs to mind, although the “Opening riff”, as it were, seems to have been flubbed by an extraneous note…anyone else here notice that? ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/27 "2003-04-14T20:00:54Z")
**Paranoid** by Black Sabbath (and the Dickies) **Stretcher Case Baby** by the Damned **Godzilla** by Blue Oyster Cult **Got The Time** by Joe Jackson (and Anthrax) ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/28 "2003-04-14T20:13:07Z")
I shoulda put **Paranoid** I feel ashamed ! :o One of the greatest **opening** riffs of all. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/29 "2003-04-14T20:15:56Z")
“Aqualung” by Jethro Tull. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoCoolUserName \* > **Satisfaction** by The Rolling Stones Have you heard the Otis Redding cover? The opening riff is arranged for Tower of Power style horns, and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/30 "2003-04-14T21:03:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Velma \* > **More memorable ones - Sunday, Bloody Sunday - U2,** And yet, this is so simple it is the only thing I ever learned to play on the guitar. I would also like to note that a good many of these songs go downhill very fast after the opeing bit. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/31 "2003-04-14T21:10:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*“Aqualung” by Jethro Tull. > > ## \*\*quote: > > Originally posted by NoCoolUserName > Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones\*\* > > Have you heard the Otis Redding cover? The opening riff is arranged for Tower of Power style horns, and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. \*\* The offset on the quote led my eye astray. I thought, for just a second, that you were saying that Otis Redding had covered Aqualung. Eeeeeeek!!! I have to agree, the horns (which I would describe as “James Brown Style”) are pretty darn funny. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/32 "2003-04-14T21:44:50Z")
I agree with **pcarney**. Those first few seconds of Voodoo Chile (the original one, not the Slight Return) are very cool. Other cool riffs by Hendrix: “Wait Til Tomorrow” and “Ain’t No Telling.” ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/33 "2003-04-14T21:49:31Z")
Oh yeah, and regarding “Roll Over Beethoven,” That is a cool riff. So cool that Chuck Berry also used it to start “Jonny B Good” “Back in the USA” “Carol” “Let It Rock” and “Reelin and Rockin” and probably some others that I dont know of. Almost all of his songs start in one of about 3 ways (with slight variations.) ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/34 "2003-04-14T22:03:37Z")
**Back in Black** - AC/DC 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/35 "2003-04-14T22:09:07Z")
IIRC: The opening few seconds of Good Golly Miss Molly (Little Richard) and Rock & Roll (Led Zep) are almost identical. Nice to see some Tull fans here. 🙂 Aqualung definately seconded (thirded - whatever). The start of **Fat Man** is pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![doverpro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@doverpro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doverpro)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/36 "2003-04-14T22:09:12Z")
**Louie Louie** - The Kingsmen **Wild Thing** - The Troggs **Gloria** - Them **Journey To The Center Of The Mind** - The Amboy Dukes ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/37 "2003-04-14T22:12:04Z")
“96 Tears”- ? & the Mysterions “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” - The Rolling Stones “Evil Woman” - The Electric Light Orchestra ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/38 "2003-04-14T22:24:46Z")
Kid Rock - “MY … NAME … IS … KIIIIIIIIIID!!!” Also, the Specials - Ghost Town ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/39 "2003-04-14T22:41:07Z")
Day Tripper - The Beatles Hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Swagman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Swagman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swagman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661/40 "2003-04-14T22:47:42Z")
Sex pistols - Pretty vacant! And not just the guitar - listen to the drum beat after the initial riff. Powerful stuff - shame the song goes downhill after that 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-opening-riffs/168661.md?page=3)