# your favourite opening guitar lick/riff/whatevs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521 "2018-05-20T20:01:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/61 "2018-05-22T04:18:30Z")
> [@digs](#): > > After dinner at an old friend’s house, we sat drinking wine and talked for hours… while her husband tried to master one acoustic guitar riff. So I’ve listened to the first lick from _Chuck E’s In Love_ at least a thousand times. Still love it (the Rickie Lee Jones version, not the “Trina’s husband’s version”). That song has a good bass part, played by Willie Weeks, very tasteful. Do bass parts count here? They should. I have too many favorites to mention, but The Attractions (you know, that band which Elvis Costello _was_ the singer of), always delivered in bass department because of badass Bruce Thomas, who’s a mate of mine and has been a fantastic source of musical knowledge. Anyone who wants to be a great rock bassist could just seriously do nothing but play along with the Attractions and that would be all the practice they’d need. The bass line of _Pump It Up_ is one of my favorite pieces of any kind of music played by any instrument, of all time. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/62 "2018-05-22T14:31:38Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > [Brother James](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgxevKwvbaQ) - Sonic Youth. God, the whole intro is my favorite SY intro. > > [The Most Exalted Potentate of Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8T45wL4eJs) -The Cramps. Odd scale, funky way to use it. > > [Hortense Buttermilk/Grumbler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9DovM3HxhU) (it’s been released under both names) By Ed Hall. Every amp I try out gets a test of that riff of that and… > > [20th Century Boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB6WZu8IAZg) by T. Rex. If the Amp doesn’t sound good doing those, bleah. > > [Roman Bird Dog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvg8hEhTmE4) - The Melvins. To quote the promo from Boner Records: “Like watching dough rise.” Admittedly, it’s hard to distinguish guitar intro from song in that one. I personally draw the line at 7:51 when the beat picks up, and the guitar gets simpler. > > And, of course, [Misirlou](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y3h9p_c5-M) by Dick Dale. Glissade into that open E like you fucking MEAN it, and then pepper the hell out of it (and I’m pretty sure the Cramps got that scale from here). A lot of nice picks but the intro to 20th Century Boy has always been a favorite of mine. So simple, yet so powerful. And yeah, you need the right amp tone to get those E’s to bark. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/63 "2018-05-22T14:51:19Z")
You need the right strings and setup, too. Dick Dale was Lebanese and started out on an instrument called an Oud, which is like a lute, and requires hard and fast picking. Gotta have the stoutest strings possible. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/64 "2018-05-22T14:58:12Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > The opening riff of Sweet Child of Mine. This is the answer. Can’t believe it’s not the first one! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/65 "2018-05-22T15:05:41Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > The opening riff of Sweet Child of Mine. I was going to say “Welcome to the Jungle” because the energy level goes from 0 to 60 in one riff. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/66 "2018-05-22T16:11:33Z")
Didn’t see any mention of Chuck Berry yet, among many of the things he did to help create rock’n’roll was trying to recreate the horn intros that many songs of the period had on his guitar. As well as being a singer, songwriter and lead guitarist playing solos. Here’s his (I think) first single, [Maybelene.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75RiHJGfyUE) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/67 "2018-05-22T16:23:20Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I am a solid fan of **Johnny B. Goode’s** opening lick, since it kinda transformed popular music. I can’t believe this thread was 41 posts old before someone nominated Johnny B. Goode. It’s the opening riff upon which all other opening riffs are based. Two more: “Stay with Me” – The Faces “Easy to Slip” – Little Feat ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/68 "2018-05-22T16:29:26Z")
**Won’t Get Fooled Again** , The Who ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/69 "2018-05-22T19:50:39Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > I can’t believe this thread was 41 posts old before someone nominated Johnny B. Goode. It’s the opening riff upon which all other opening riffs are based. Damn, I missed that :smack: ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/70 "2018-05-22T20:34:39Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Damn, I missed that :smack: Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mention **Chuck Berry** by name, just the song title. And yes, Johnny B. Goode is one of the more seismic guitar riffs in history. That’s not what this OP is asking for, but since it is a favorite of mine, I went ahead and included it. When it comes to historic guitar riffs - - **Duane Eddy, Rebel Rouser** : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPG\_Y-\_BZI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPG_Y-_BZI) - **Johnny Burnette and the Rock n’ Roll Trio, Honey Hush** : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byr8J0DEa4Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byr8J0DEa4Y) (this is the riff that the Yardbirds and Aerosmith applied to **Train Kept a Rollin’** - but in actuality, that was a _different_ Johnny Burnette song (a cover of an earlier original) that didn’t use the riff - why they applied it to Train vs. Honey Hush, I don’t know. - **Link Wray, Rumble** : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucTg6rZJCu4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucTg6rZJCu4) (if you don’t believe, watch Jimmy Page’s face when he plays his 45 of Rumble in the documentary It Might Get Loud. Could Pagey be any more chuffed over that song?!) - **Lonnie Mack, Wham** - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1isW4s7rWpc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1isW4s7rWpc) Stevie Ray does a cover of this. There’s plenty of others, but these are key. From there, you get British Invasion, so songs like **You Really Got Me** , **Satisfaction** , **Day Tripper** and **Sunshine of Your Love** were all HUGE in their influence and importance as guitar riffs. But for sheer power, gotta go with **Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters** - there’s blues harp melded to the guitar riff, but you don’t get any more primal. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSfqNEvykv0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSfqNEvykv0) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/71 "2018-05-22T20:51:07Z")
Pantera: “Cowboys From Hell” AIC: “Would?” (ALL of it, the bass, the guitar, the drums…into the vocals…always just **grabbed** me by the nards and doesn’t let go) Van Halen: “Unchained”, “Mean Streets”, “Hear About It Later”, “And The Cradle Will Rock” Guns And Roses: “Locomotive” (super glassy sounding Marshalls turned all the way up) AC/DC: “Back In Black” Iron Maiden: “Number Of The Beast” Metallica: “Seek And Destroy” Motorhead: “Ace Of Spades” Slayer: “South Of Heaven” Black Sabbath: “War Pigs” I guess that’s enough for now. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/72 "2018-05-22T22:06:07Z")
Jethro Tull had a couple songs with good opening licks: [Locomotive Breath](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSUdlUmtg3Q) [Aqualung](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0jMPI_pUec) (that flautist wasn’t too shabby either) And certainly Cream should have honorable mention: [Sunshine Of Your Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt51rITH3EA) If we can substitute keyboards for guitar, Beethoven had his share of kick-ass opening licks, too: [Emperor](https://youtu.be/hDXWK3W477w?t=29) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/73 "2018-05-23T00:49:49Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > [Hortense Buttermilk/Grumbler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9DovM3HxhU) (it’s been released under both names) By Ed Hall. Every amp I try out gets a test of that riff of that and… Ed Hall’s guitarist Gary Chester always comes up with tasty riffs: [Hearty Tom Foolery](https://youtu.be/CkOaVQ9W5VY?t=1384) [Car Talk](https://youtu.be/CkOaVQ9W5VY?t=1570) (rippin!) [Buddha](https://youtu.be/CkOaVQ9W5VY?t=1698) (cool! Indian raga?) (my fave) [Sam Jackson](https://youtu.be/CkOaVQ9W5VY?t=2123) [Ubermensch](https://youtu.be/YtOyPXl5Ifo?t=373) (coolest guitar/bass interplay kicks that off) [Ball Dirt Cookie](https://youtu.be/YtOyPXl5Ifo?t=2199) (another cool guitar/bass interplay thingie. Can’t remember if Ozzy’s “I Don’t Know” has been mentioned. (no half-decent Randy recording to be found) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/74 "2018-05-23T01:58:48Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Can’t remember if Ozzy’s “I Don’t Know” has been mentioned. (no half-decent Randy recording to be found) This will have to do… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q14VkRBIAdI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q14VkRBIAdI) I learned that intro, and I remember it being a finger-twister. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/75 "2018-05-23T06:24:53Z")
I’m the first to mention “Walk This Way?” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5UFFa1HbFfA/hqdefault.jpg "Aerosmith Walk This Way Lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UFFa1HbFfA) ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/76 "2018-05-23T11:01:18Z")
I like “Sweet Home Alabama” ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/77 "2018-05-23T11:27:54Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Pantera: “Cowboys From Hell” > > AIC: “Would?” (ALL of it, the bass, the guitar, the drums…into the vocals…always just **grabbed** me by the nards and doesn’t let go) > > Van Halen: “Unchained”, “Mean Streets”, “Hear About It Later”, “And The Cradle Will Rock” > > Guns And Roses: “Locomotive” (super glassy sounding Marshalls turned all the way up) > > AC/DC: “Back In Black” > > Iron Maiden: “Number Of The Beast” > > Metallica: “Seek And Destroy” > > Motorhead: “Ace Of Spades” > > Slayer: “South Of Heaven” > > Black Sabbath: “War Pigs” > > I guess that’s enough for now. I’ll add a couple… You could nominate almost every Van Halen song… but some of the other opening riffs that really get me are. Ain’t Talkin bout Love Running with the Devil Summer Nights Panama D.O.A Hot for Teacher Somebody Get Me a Doctor Little Guitars Good Enough Poundcake Top of the World Pantera - Walk Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes to Midnight Iron Maiden - Wasted Years ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/78 "2018-05-23T14:36:01Z")
Hate Eternal [Faceless One](https://youtu.be/sAQN0PySCKg?t=2274) (well, after the drum shit) Origin [Ubiquitous](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scfnnAslvb8&index=6&list=PL2Qt9Ttwtjny1YtKZMNVCar_GoRonpHH_) [the Beyond Within](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-H8hBah34&index=7&list=PL2Qt9Ttwtjny1YtKZMNVCar_GoRonpHH_) Cephalic Carnage [Molting](https://youtu.be/tqfOAutkg_8?t=512) [The Isle of California](https://youtu.be/jIzAf6SZe9E?t=1667) [The Will or the Way](https://youtu.be/xJb4H6SgIcg?t=1188) ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/79 "2018-05-23T14:48:37Z")
Say what you will about Smashing Pumpkins, but the opening of [Cherub Rock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-KE9lvU810) is the one of the best. (The whole song it pretty darn good, but MAN does that opening get things going.) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521/80 "2018-05-23T15:40:54Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > Say what you will about Smashing Pumpkins, but the opening of [Cherub Rock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-KE9lvU810) is the one of the best. (The whole song it pretty darn good, but MAN does that opening get things going.) My favorite song by them. Where they proved that the “My Bloody Valentine” sound could be incorporated into a more commercial song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-opening-guitar-lick-riff-whatevs/814521.md?page=5)