Riff Energy

Most 5 years olds wouldn't recognize either of those riffs. But for us forty-somethings, well I guess we fall into two categories. Those who like music for entertainment but for whom music is not particularly a central part of their lives, and those who are musical wire heads who start to panic unless they are jacked into some kind of hi-fi experience 24x7. For the former I would suggest the more approachable Rolling Stones would be the first choice but for the more hardcore musical officianado I would think Deep Purple would be claimed to be more "instantly recognizable" (however it is getting rather tired now! - I am reminded of the "ABSOLUTELY NO Stairway To Heaven" sign from Wayne's World).

Now there is also an interesting question, was the opening to "Stairway to Heaven" a riff?

When does a riff become something else, like a melody. There have been some great Beatles riffs - "I Feel Fine" (Lennon), "Day Tripper" (Lennon), "Paperback Writer" (McCartney) and many others. They are all riffs, but is the one from "Norwegian Wood" a riff or a melody? Interesting.

The Launch-Jack-Black-into-hyperspace movie "School of Rock" had a nice section for riffs, they covered "Smoke on the Water", "Iron Man" and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" if I recall correctly, all marvellous riffs. And Led Zeppelin's "The Immigrant Song" also (a nice hammer on riff in F#m, surprisingly easy to play).

But for me, technically and musically the two greatest riffs of all time are the ones from "Plug In Baby" by Muse (you have to hear this, it's classical music for the guitar neck - mental) and "Whole Lotta Love" by a British Band :-)

Hmm there is no entry for Plug-in Baby in Wikipedia but they are waiting for one, linked off of the albums reference page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_Symmetry

So what's your favourite riff(s) sir?

PS. Sooo many others I like too. "Come As You Are" from Nirvana for instance, sounds great with that chorus pedal.

PPS. I think it was Clapton who said "Why play a riff on one string when you can hit two together?"

PPPS. Off to my parents house, guitar in hand, only a 300 mile round trip.