# What's Your Favorite Guitar Riff? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2001, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780 "2001-10-11T13:27:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diesel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Diesel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diesel)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/21 "2001-10-12T03:42:11Z")
Any part of “Judith” (by A Perfect Circle) where Maynard James Keenan isn’t singing-- not that he has a bad voice, but Billy Howerdel (the guitarist) ownz the song. Plus I’m not too fond of the lyrics. Still, great song. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/22 "2001-10-12T03:52:40Z")
**Sister Ray** and **Sweet Jane** by The Velvet Underground are two of the most imitated, and two of my faves. Any of the **Urinals** riffs, because they’re so catchy, and so easy to play on guitar, even for a hack like myself. And there’s something about Iron Maiden’s **Alexander The Great** and **Phantom of The Opera** that always make me feel all nice and gooey inside. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/23 "2001-10-12T03:56:52Z")
Satisfaction. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Michele\_in\_SoCal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Michele\_in\_SoCal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michele_in_SoCal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/24 "2001-10-12T03:57:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Persephone \* > \*\*Dire Straits “Sultans of Swing.” > > Good Goddess, that one just sends me in to paroxysms of joy. 😃 \*\* I’m with you, Persephone. Mark Knopfler is my hero! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/25 "2001-10-12T09:48:01Z")
1. **Hellion** Judas Preist 2. **No More Mr. Nice Guy** Alice Cooper 3. **Big D Boogie Woogie** The Reverend Horton Heat. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/26 "2001-10-12T10:51:27Z")
Neil Young’s solo on Warren Zevon’s Sentimental Hygiene. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/27 "2001-10-12T14:16:05Z")
There is a great scene in the movie “Crossroads” where the Devil’s guitar player (it was either Joe Satriani or Stevie Vai) has a showdown with the Kid (acted by Ralph Macchio, guitar by ??? ) Outstanding riffs. And **Mudshark** , what about the Zappa riffs on “The Man From Utopia”? Oh, let’s just give the Lifetime Achievement Award in Guitar Riffs to Zappa and end it right there. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/28 "2001-10-12T14:44:49Z")
This is really mainstream and wimpy, but something about the weepy guitar on Bob Seger’s “Main Street” makes me feel sad and nostalgic all at once. Also, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”. Very melancholy. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/29 "2001-10-12T15:04:09Z")
The guitar intro to _Hotel California_ remains one of my favourites. ---
**Author:** ![Venkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ec9cab/32.png) [@Venkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venkman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/30 "2001-10-12T15:14:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > \*\*There is a great scene in the movie “Crossroads” where the Devil’s guitar player (it was either Joe Satriani or Stevie Vai) has a showdown with the Kid (acted by Ralph Macchio, guitar by ??? ) Outstanding riffs. > \*\* No cite for this so I’m not sure it’s true, but I’ve got an MP3 of this that claims it’s Steve Vai and Stevie Ray Vaughn. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/31 "2001-10-12T15:16:09Z")
Van Halen “Unchained” or Lenny Kravitz “My Momma Said” (just for the pure porn feel of it). (ModernRonin2, are you talkin about Metallica’s Seek and Destroy or is there a Search and Destroy out there I’m ignorant of?) ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/32 "2001-10-12T15:18:37Z")
Well, some of my first choices were already mentioned here, lets see what else I can come up with. Walk or Cowboys from Hell by Pantera have awesome riffs Thunderkiss '65 by White Zombie Iron Man by Black Sabbath Wild Side by Motley Crue ---
**Author:** ![VanLandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/eb9ed0/32.png) [@VanLandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanLandry)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/33 "2001-10-12T16:43:44Z")
There’s a tune from VH’s OU812 album called “A.F.U.(All Fired Up)” that I’ve always thought was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/34 "2001-10-12T16:49:49Z")
Clapton Unplugged - on “Old Love” and “Layla” Sniff and the Tears - opening of “Driver’s Seat” Cheap Trick - “I Want You To Want Me” (with what sounds like all of Budokan screaming in the background). Beatles - Opening of “Day Tripper” ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Big\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/35 "2001-10-12T16:56:52Z")
Blur hit the nail on the head with “Walk” by Pantera. I’m also fond of Neil Young. That guy can play any kind of music that uses a guitar. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherScrim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@BrotherScrim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherScrim)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/36 "2001-10-12T17:03:43Z")
the first half of Zombie Eaters on Faith No More’s Real Thing album ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/37 "2001-10-12T18:26:51Z")
Steve Vai plays the part (and the guitar) for the character who has sold his soul to the devil. Ralph Mcchio’s guitar parts were played by the film’s composer, Ry Cooder, I beleive. Steve Biodrowski [http://www.thescriptanalyst.com](http://www.thescriptanalyst.com) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Venkman \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > > \*\*There is a great scene in the movie “Crossroads” where the Devil’s guitar player (it was either Joe Satriani or Stevie Vai) has a showdown with the Kid (acted by Ralph Macchio, guitar by ??? ) Outstanding riffs. > > \*\* > > No cite for this so I’m not sure it’s true, but I’ve got an MP3 of this that claims it’s Steve Vai and Stevie Ray Vaughn. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/38 "2001-10-12T18:31:45Z")
Some good choices here, but I wanted to point out that Alice Cooper has admitted that the guitar riff for “No more Mr. Nice Guy” is basically a variation on The Who’s “Substitute” (written by Pete Townshend). Steve Biodrowski [http://www.thescriptanalyst.com](http://www.thescriptanalyst.com) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*1) **Hellion** Judas Preist > 2) **No More Mr. Nice Guy** Alice Cooper > 3) **Big D Boogie Woogie** The Reverend Horton Heat. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/39 "2001-10-12T18:40:05Z")
I believe the phrase is actually “The Devil’s Tritone,” referring to the interval otherwise known as a flattened (or diminished) fifth. There’s nothing devilish about an octave, which is actually an extremely pleasing and smooth interval, with no dissonance whatsoever. Even the so-called “Devil’s Tritone” doesn’t always make music sound evil. Listen to the opening riff of “Purple Haze,” and you’ll hear what I mean. By the way, I do think the guitar riff for “Black Sabbath” is way cool – and almost as important, anyone can play it at home, if they want. Steve Biodrowski [http://www.thescriptanalyst.com](http://www.thescriptanalyst.com) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*Black Sabbath “Black Sabbath” > > Heaviest riff ever written. The use of the “devil’s Octave”, which basically all evil music incorporates. Most recent use was limp bizkit’s “break stuff”. > > Not that limp bizkit holds a candle to sabbath \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780/40 "2001-10-12T18:43:13Z")
The Edge’s crecendo in U2’s “ALL I WANT IS YOU”. The song itself is magnificent, and Edge’s climax is heatrbreakingly glorious. (Could that be a new sig?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-guitar-riff/86780.md?page=3)