Quintesential riffs of your generation

I was driving with my mom a few weeks ago, and “You can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones came on the radio.

You know that french horn bit at the beginning? Well, she was kind of humming along to it, and I asked, “so you like this song?” to which she replied, “everybody I grew up with knows that line.”

So I got to thinking. What riff do you think is so well known that everybody in your generation would recognise it, whether or not they actually listen to that type of music? What line, when it comes on the radio, will have everybody singing to it, and rememberin’ the times?

One rule, it’s got to be short. We’re not talking whole songs, but just one melodic section that’s universally known. Oh, and we’re talkin’ 'bout your generation. I was born in 1980, so I couldn’t suggest something from the '60s, for example.
I’ll start by suggesting the awesome guitar riff at the end of November Rain by Guns and Roses. I think some of their other stuff might qualify (the Paradise City riff, for example), but this one is just the greatest. I can’t imagine anybody my age hearing this and not recognising it.
Another would be the brief guitar intro to Jeremy by Pearl Jam.

Next?

And if a mod wants to fix my spelling of quintessential, that’d save me from some embarassment. :slight_smile:

The bassline to Fools Gold by the Stone Roses.

Well, I dunno if its “my” generation, but I suppose 20 years from now it will be considered one of those riffs that WE ALL KNOW… basically…

The “Waaaah Hooooo!” from Blur, Song 2 which has been used and abused in countless comercials and other medium.

In my homeroom, you had to be able to play the drum solo from Wipeouton your desk.

The guitar intro to Sweet Child O’ Mine

The guitar at the beginning of Smells Like Teen Spirit

Hmmm… what else? The beats at the beginning of Billie Jean probably define “80’s” for a lot of people.

The opening to Enter Sandman.

Virtually all of ZZ Top’s La Grange.

Free Bird!

To continue with the Gn’R theme, the opening to Welcome to the Jungle.

(I can’t get no) Satisfaction
Layla
Lola
(at least, I find that opening chord very distinctive)
Who Are You?
Pinball Wizard
All Right Now
(good enough for Steve Miller to blatantly rip it off).
A Whiter Shade of Pale (organ, not guitar, but everyone knows it).

I’m the first person to mention “Stairway to Heaven”?

I hate to say it, but I doubt that there’s anyone anymore who doesn’t recognize Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life right off the bat. I thought it was cool when it showed up in Trainspotting, but I think it’s been used in about 50% of the commercials to come out in the last year.

“No Stairway to Heaven” :wink:

Smoke on the Water.

The ones that jump out right off the top of my head would be:

Satisfaction - The Stones
You Really Got Me - The Kinks
My Generation - The Who
Fire - Jimi Hendrix
Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream

But there must be hundreds!

I’m a 29 year old Gen X’er. The first thing that came to mind was Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, and the next was GnR’s Welcome to the Jungle. (both previously mentioned)

And a couple of others are the openings of “What You Need” by INXS and “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction (that low bassline and the dogs barking).

Crimson and Clover

Jumpin’ Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
Pearl Jam - Alive
Alice in Chains - Man in the Box, Would?

Without doubt, the riff that gets the most people playing air guitar in my group is the opening blues shuffle of ZZ Top’s La Grange.

Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Tush – ZZ Top
Cocaine – Eric Clapton
Casey Jones – Grateful Dead
Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd – probably caused a huge jump in the sales of steel slides. Unfortunately did not cause a concomitant jump in the ability to use steel slides.

11811, formerly Chrome Spot

Another vote for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” here. Perhaps “Another One Bites the Dust”? I’m 17, FTR.

Tanaqui

Child of the Eighties here. The opening bit from “Don’t You Forget About Me”, by Simple Minds.