You Really Got Me - Kinks
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Conquistador - Procol Harem
'Young Man Blues": The Who/Live at Leeds
“Smoke on The Water”: good choice, but how about “Woman From Tokyo”?
“Revolution”: Beatles
“Rock Bottom”: UFO
“Detroit Rock City”: Kiss
“Achille’s Last Stand”: LZ
“Moby Dick” by Lewd Zeppelin
Happy
Boy, talk about your Freudian typos.
The Smiths - This Charming Man
I sort of felt the metalheads were taking over.
world peace the cromags
crucified agnostic front
flame still burns youth of today
anything by coheed and cambria
just a few…
Baby Please Don’t Go - Van Morrison
Ziggy Stardust!
I can’t believe that no one’s mentioned Iron Man.
Also:
Metallica; For Whom the Bell Tolls
AC/DC: Back in Black
Judas Priest: Breaking the Law
Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit (I know it was overplayed but do you remember how cool it was the first time you heard it?)
I got a chill on Smells Like Teen Spirit. I hadn’t heard it in ages, then the GF was watching Moulin Rouge a couple nights ago and the sound was up…and that guitar started. Man, that was good stuff.
I gotta second Guns ‘n Roses "Sweet Child O’ Mine". That is, overall, the greatest guitar song ever written.
“Paradise City” also has to have a vote.
Actually, anything by Guns n’ Roses deserves a vote…but those two songs especially.
Also, two Pearl Jam songs deserve recognition (I haven’t seen them yet): “Alive” and “Yellow Ledbetter”. Throw in a half-vote for “Red Mosquito”.
Yes, I’ll allow a vote for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. That riff took the rock world by storm…and even though it’s all power chords, it is actually an intermediately difficult rhythm to master.
But the little intro ditty for Mad Season’s “River of Deceit” is much more powerful, even if it is more mellow.
Something has to be said for Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” even though I think the rest of the song sucks.
Several mentions of AC/DC here…my favorites by them are the first four tracks from Blow Up Your Video: “Heatseeker”, “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock and Roll”, “Mean Streak”, and “Go Zone”. I also have to give credit for “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”.
I also love a few Clapton greats: “Let it Rain”, “Layla” (Derek and the Dominos), “Presence of the Lord” (Blind Faith…a rather tough chord progression).
Another favorite is from the Stone Temple Pilots: “Interstate Love Song”.
Finally, though it’s a band I cannot stand, I gotta give my kudos to Metallica for coming up with “Nothing Else Matters”.
And throw in a second for Lynard Skynard’s “Sweet Home Alabama”…and a second for Pink Floyd’s “Money” as well as a first vote for “Have a Cigar”.
Man…I could go on and on…
Does the harmonica intro for Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” count?
How about Bob Dylan’s version of “All Around the Watchtower”?
Or the train whistle…the whistle again…the sudden rumble of the steel wheels on the tracks…the whistle again…the sudden rumble of guitar…the train gets louder…and louder…
You know what I’m talking about…it’s Aerosmith’s version of “Train Kep’ a Rollin’”. Another example of a near-perfect guitar tune.
“Werewolves of London” - Warren Zevon
“Sweet Home Alabama” - Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Hotel California” - The Eagles
But #1, hands-down, has to be “Satisfaction”, by the Stones.
I would have voted for “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, but it just doesn’t have enough cowbell.
Soundgarden
from Superunknown:
Let Me Drown
Fell on Black Days
Superunknown
Spoonman
Fresh Tendrils
4th of July
from Badmotorfinger:
Rusty Cage
Outshined
Jesus Christ Pose
More to come later, when it’s not the middle of the night…
Ahh…a vote has not yet been cast for “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison.
And since we got a few Soundgarden votes already, let me just point out that I think the best intro (and all around) riff from any Soundgarden tune is from “Big Dumb Sex” off the Louder than Love CD. Most hard rockers know the song…
Walk This Way
Same Old Song and Dance
Back in the Saddle
by Aerosmith
One Way Out
Statesboro Blues
You Don’t Love Me
by The Allman Brothers Band
Come Together
Day Tripper
Paperback Writer
Taxman
Revolution
by The Beatles
Satisfaction
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Honky Tonk Women
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’
Beast of Burden
Shattered
by The Rolling Stones
Pride and Joy
Love Struck Baby
Couldn’t Stand the Weather
The House is Rockin’
Tightrope
Wall of Denial
by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stay With Me
Ms. Judy’s Farm
by The Faces
Tears of Rage
by The Band
Subterrean Homesick Blues
Like a Rolling Stone
It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding
Highway 61 Revisited
I Want You
Gotta Serve Somebody
by Bob Dylan
Just some of my faves!
Personal favorites:
Green Day - Longview (try and play that bass line, you’ll appreciate the speed of it)
Marshall Tucker Band - This Ol’ Cowboy
Beatles - Let It Be
Bob Seger - Old Time Rock and Roll (oh yeah, the classics)
CCR - Fortunate Son
Elvis Costello - Allison
Marvin Gaye - Let’s Get It On (Instantly recognizable)
Operation Ivy - Sound System (if you know that one, bless you a thousand times)
Rancid - Dope Sick Girl
AC/DC - Back in Black
Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster
Weezer - Say It Ain’t So
Let’s hear it for the lesser-known bands and their killer openers!
roling stones - gimme shelter
Since you’ve been gone - Rainbow
Pride(In the name of love) - U2
She’s not there - Santana
Papa was a rolling stone - Temptations, one of the best intros ever.
Thriller - Micheal Jackson
This old heart of mine - Isley Brothers
Cigarettes and alchohol - Oasis
Pictures of Matchstick men - Status Quo , crap really but very distinctive.
Oh well! - Fleetwood Mac
Squeeze box - The Who.
I can’t believe that song about going blind is not in here. Y’know. “I can’t see I can’t see I’m going blind” That’s Korn, right? I’m not a Korn fan AT ALL. That first few seconds of the song are stuck in my head for eternity, though.
Well, a couple of songs that haven’t been mentioned spring to mind:
Chameleon by Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters - the best opening. Ever. And this groove goes on for 16 minutes without getting boring! (well, almost)
also Birdland by Weather Report.
Kalamazoo by Primus if I have to name one in particular. (if you’re into that check out knee by Düreforsög for a great opening, too)
Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy by mr. Bungle. The sound of their pianist getting wound up (quite literally)
Come to Daddy by Aphex Twin - doesn’t get much more direct than that.
Radioactivity and it’s intro-track Geiger-Counter by Kraftwerk. Not really what you’d call riffs but still a great opening.
And while it may be a little cheesy I like the way the Dire Straits kick off their songs in general. Seems I have a weird taste in music.