# Help me find all the rock songs with that Bo Diddley riff **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401 "2004-10-27T06:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/1 "2004-10-27T06:40:18Z")
Whether you think of it as the quintessntial Bo Diddley riff, or the basis for “Willie and the Hand Jive,” or the Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy,” that “Bum-badum-badum—badum-bum” riff was recycled by a lot of rock bands. I’m interested in creating a mashup of as many songs using that riff as I can find. Knowing the awesome resources of the SDMB, I’m hoping a few of the resident music mavens can help me fill out my list… ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/2 "2004-10-27T06:49:54Z")
Well, George Thorogood covered “Who Do You Love.” ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/3 "2004-10-27T06:51:50Z")
Steve Hillage makes good use of the “Bo Diddley Beat” on the song “Not Fade Away” (yes I know it’s a cover, I just like this version better) on the album “Motivation Radio”. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/4 "2004-10-27T07:33:47Z")
I’m not sure if it is _exactly_ that riff but Danzig uses its likeness in the decidely bluesy song “I’m the one”…Very uncharacteristic and stands apart from all of their other hellmetal. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/5 "2004-10-27T07:46:13Z")
The Doors “Love me two times”? I really am not sure. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/6 "2004-10-27T07:47:47Z")
or maybe it’s the Doors “Roadhouse”…?? ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/7 "2004-10-27T07:50:54Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I’m not sure if it is _exactly_ that riff but Danzig uses its likeness in the decidely bluesy song “I’m the one”…Very uncharacteristic and stands apart from all of their other hellmetal. Great song - actually, most of “lucifuge” has that stripped-down blues rock vibe (but some of it’s heavy instead of acoustic). Great record, great song. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/8 "2004-10-27T08:06:24Z")
From [42fish (aka Fish 42)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5368406&postcount=8) 10/14/04. > [@](#): > > Unofficial “Top6@6 Non-Bo Diddley Songs with the Bo Diddley Beat” > > 1. “How Soon Is Now?” The Smiths > 2. “Heartbeat” Gloria Jones > 3. “Not Fade Away” Buddy Holly & the Crickets (also The Rolling Stones) > 4. “I Want Candy” The Strangeloves (also Bow Wow Wow) > 5. “Willie and the Hand Jive” The Johnny Otis Show > 6. “Hey Little Girl” Dee Clark I’ll see those **6** and raise…[ul] [li]George Michael’s **Faith** [/li][li]U2’s **Desire** [/li][li]The Who’s **Magic Bus** [/li][li]The Boss’s **She’s the One** [/li][li]John Kay’s **Magic Carpet Ride** [/li]Iggy’s **1969** [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/9 "2004-10-27T12:03:01Z")
The Moody Blues’ “Veteran Cosmic Rocker” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/10 "2004-10-27T12:04:14Z")
Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” (The Stones’ version made the Diddley sound more explicit.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/11 "2004-10-27T13:42:02Z")
A lot of Buddy Holly songs have a Bo Diddley riff. Holly idolized Bo Diddley. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/12 "2004-10-27T14:04:03Z")
No One to Run With, the Allman Brothers Band. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/13 "2004-10-27T14:35:14Z")
Another song by Bo Diddley himself and also covered by the Stones: _Mona_. _Mona, Mona, watcha gonna do bah buh dah buh dah - Dah Dah_ Haj ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/14 "2004-10-27T15:59:59Z")
Panic In Detroit by David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/15 "2004-10-27T16:47:11Z")
I’d just like to point out what a musical dunce I am. I never noticed the similarity in all these songs. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/16 "2004-10-27T17:09:38Z")
“How Soon is Now?” is a great song, but it’s not a Bo Diddly riff. I think that stuttering guitar is caused by an old-fashioned tremelo with the “depth” turned all the way up. It is not caused by the characteristic Bo Diddly strumming pattern. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/17 "2004-10-27T17:30:40Z")
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Mona \*\*\* - Great song! Great guitar!\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/18 "2004-10-27T17:44:29Z")
Billy Bones and the White Bird by Elton John Get Up and Go by the Go-Go’s ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/19 "2004-10-27T19:03:12Z")
Wow! Thanks to everyone. I didn’t know more than a third of those songs (predicatably, as an aging Boomer, the newer stuff was unfamiliar.) Any more out there? ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401/20 "2004-10-27T19:17:44Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > I’d just like to point out what a musical dunce I am. I never noticed the similarity in all these songs. Ditto. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-all-the-rock-songs-with-that-bo-diddley-riff/271401.md?page=2)