# Most widely copied riffs in popular music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750 "2014-03-03T13:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/1 "2014-03-03T13:59:03Z")
I seek out and listen to a lot of music in different styles. The other day I was introducing myself to Booker T and the M.G.'s and heard something familiar in “[Comin’ Home Baby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z93ReX0S_hI)”, one of the songs from their 1962 debut album. This is a song written by Ben Tucker the previous year and covered by many other artists at the time, including Mel Tormé and Herbie Mann. Anyway, I recognized the main descending riff from two other, completely different songs in my collection: the 1967 “[I’m A Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POCUgBSVENQ)” by the Spencer Davis Group (also famously covered by [Chicago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvmeEyVd5w8)), and Vik Sharma’s “[Wacky Racers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhYFPZB3EqM)” from the soundtrack of the 2010 TV series _An Idiot Abroad_. Both Spencer Davis and Vik Sharma used the riff in completely different songs (and, from what I can tell, without crediting the source). I was wondering what other original riffs from popular music have been widely reused, and thought the SDMB would be a good place to collect and discuss examples. Note that I’m not talking about covers of entire songs, nor about medleys, nor about sampling of existing recordings, but rather taking a riff or snippet of a melody from one song and _rerecording_ it in a completely _different_ song. Since I’m sure this isn’t an entirely uncommon occurrence I thought we might restrict the discussion to cases where a riff has been copied at least twice, as in the “Comin’ Home Baby” example above. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/2 "2014-03-03T15:25:12Z")
The winner - hands down - in the Bo Diddley riff. It’s a sort of shuffle beat with two strong down beats at the end. Most famous as the backbone of George Thorogood’s “Who Do You Love” (a Bo Diddley song) and U2’s “Desire”. There are hundreds of songs that use the basic riff. It’s primitive, driving and raw if done right. > **[Bo Diddley beat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley_Beat)** > > The Bo Diddley beat is a syncopated musical rhythm that is widely used in rock and roll and pop music. The beat is named after rhythm and blues musician Bo Diddley, who introduced and popularized the beat with his self-titled debut single, "Bo Diddley", in 1955. The beat has been described as essentially the Afro-Cuban clave rhythm or based on the clave or a variation thereof. > Music educator and author Michael Campbell explains that it "shows the relationship between Afro-Cuban music, Americaniz... ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/3 "2014-03-03T16:09:31Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > The winner - hands down - in the Bo Diddley riff. It’s a sort of shuffle beat with two strong down beats at the end. Most famous as the backbone of George Thorogood’s “Who Do You Love” (a Bo Diddley song) and U2’s “Desire”. That was the first one that came to mind. I was about to write about how it’s basically an Afro-Carribean beat known as the son clave shifted over from percussion to guitar, but it looks like that’s covered in the Wikipedia article linked to. The Mannish Boy riff is another popular one. [Here it is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5IOou6qN1o&feature=kp), wait for the harmonica to come in at about 20 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/4 "2014-03-03T16:14:43Z")
If you want to expand it beyond melodic/harmonic riffs into percussive riffs, you’ve got the break beat from [James Brown’s “Funky Drummer”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dNP8tbDMZNE#t=337), which, outside of sampling (which is disallowed in the OP), has been copied and spun off in probably thousands of rock songs. At one point, it seemed like half the music coming out of Manchester in the 80s and early 90s was employing some variant of the “Funky Drummer” beat. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/5 "2014-03-03T16:17:36Z")
I’m sure there are also a ton of basic blues licks that have been used over and over in and out of the straight blues. The simplest possible one might be Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon/Muddy Waters). Meanwhile, [look at the songs that “borrowed” or took inspiration from the riff in Bobby Parker’s Watch Your Step:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch_Your_Step_%28Bobby_Parker_song%29) > [@](#): > > its main riff served as the inspiration for several songs by The Beatles, most notably “I Feel Fine” but also others such as “Day Tripper”. In The Beatles Anthology, John Lennon said:“‘Watch Your Step’ is one of my favorite records. The Beatles have used the lick in various forms. The Allman Brothers used the lick straight as it was.” > > Led Zeppelin also used the riff as the basis for their instrumental “Moby Dick.” Also, Ritchie Blackmore, from Deep Purple was inspired by this song to compose “Rat Bat Blue”'s riff in Who Do We Think We Are. [Here’s the original song.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvtabNAb_wE) I’d say Parker’s riff falls halfway between Moby Dick and the Allman Brothers song Lennon refers to (their cover of Sonny Boy Williamson II’s One Way Out). ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/6 "2014-03-03T16:19:11Z")
The John Lee Hooker “Boogie Chillun” riff seems to turn up quite often; off hand I can think of La Grange" and “Hot for Teacher”. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/7 "2014-03-03T16:22:04Z")
Elmore James’ signature riff would have to be up there, too. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/8 "2014-03-03T17:09:48Z")
The I, IV, V progression is the foundation on which blues is built and if that’s the case, then it’s the foundation for rock and pop as well. If we’re looking at identical strum patterns the **Louie Louie** riff is the basis for **Wild Thing** (the Troggs), the Rolling Stones **Get Off of My Cloud** , **Hang on Sloopy** (the McCoys) and you can hear it in the background on the chorus of Boston’s **More Than a Feeling**. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/9 "2014-03-03T18:50:42Z")
So far almost all the examples cited have originated in jazz, blues, and R&B. Are there any further ones which started in rock and roll? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/10 "2014-03-03T19:15:46Z")
What about the Dick Dale style surf tremolo picking, particularly the slide, which finds itself worked into a lot of guitar solos? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/11 "2014-03-03T19:31:25Z")
[Pachelbel’s Canon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/12 "2014-03-03T22:31:19Z")
Every time [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfZWp-hGCdA) starts I’m expecting [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeXOm49kE0). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/13 "2014-03-03T23:15:25Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Every time [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfZWp-hGCdA) starts I’m expecting [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeXOm49kE0). Sure–and that’s a pretty clear nod to that song. Can you think of a third (as per the OP’s restrictions) though? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/14 "2014-03-04T02:44:47Z")
This [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac) is a little long but it is a thorough description of the Amen Break, possibly one of the most used drum beats in music. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/15 "2014-03-04T04:13:48Z")
Well, there’s 8, 12, and 16 bar blues forms. And stop beat blues. Oh, and Buddy Holly used that Bo Diddly riff in “Not Fade Away”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/16 "2014-03-04T04:55:11Z")
n/m ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/17 "2014-03-07T17:27:07Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Elmore James’ signature riff would have to be up there, too. That’s the first riff that I thought of, too. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/18 "2014-03-07T17:31:49Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Elmore James’ signature riff would have to be up there, too. > [@kirk1168](#): > > That’s the first riff that I thought of, too. Fleetwood Mac copied it like four times on one album. That probably wasn’t a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/19 "2014-03-07T17:35:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Fleetwood Mac copied it like four times on one album. That probably wasn’t a good idea. You mean first generation FM - Jeremy Spencer? Yeah, but that was, like, the only thing he could do! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750/20 "2014-03-07T17:55:22Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > You mean first generation FM - Jeremy Spencer? Yeah, but that was, like, the only thing he could do! Yes, on “Mr. Wonderful.” It’s enough to make you think you’ve put one song on repeat by mistake. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-widely-copied-riffs-in-popular-music/682750.md?page=2)