Keith Richards recently said that solos last for minutes but riffs are memorable for ever (paraphrased). What are your most memorable riffs. Sweet Jane (Lou Reed/Velvet Underground) for a starter.
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My guitar project has been working on the Bowie riff for Rebel Rebel. Looks easy but requires a lot of concentration to nail it.
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Count Basie. Every Tub 1938. Thatās riffinā.
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Wellā¦ Guitar riffsā¦ where to startā¦? How about Led Zeppelinā¦?
Black Dog, Kashmir, Houses of the Holy, Dancing Days, Immigrant Song, Four Sticks, The Ocean, Trampled Underfoot, Communication Breakdown, Heartbreaker andā¦ Whole Lotta Loveā¦?
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Well. Keefās āAngryā aināt āarf bad, and one has to always remember Brown Sugarā¦ā¦
But Ianās really nailed it!
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One of the most memorable must be the opening of Deep Purpleās Smoke on the water
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Absolutely!!
SotW vies with WLL for riff of the century
But then thereās Tony Iommi, who was no stranger to a good riff (too many to list them all)
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Blindness - The Fall. As a live set opener it was pretty much unbeatable.
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The first three tracks from The Stooges, Funhouse album. Down on the street, Loose and TV eye.
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Angus, Angus, Angus, ā¦ say no more.
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Who?
OK, just kidding.
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No really me, its Jimmy Pageā¦ 
I could list moreā¦ (The Rover, Custard Pie, The Wanton Song, In The Evening, Ten Years Goneā¦)
But how about these, from other groupsā¦?
Free - All Right Now, Wishing Well; Queen - Keep Yourself Alive, Son & Daughter, Another One Bites The Dust, Under Pressure; King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man, Red, Starless; Focus - Hocus Pocus, Sylvia; Rush - Passage to Bangkok, Working Man, Bastille Day; Deep Purple - Pictures of Home, Space Trucking, Burn, Into The Fire, Black Night, Speed King, Highway Star; Jethro Tull - Aqualung; The Bangles/Simon & Garfunkel - Hazy Shade of Winter; Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak; Ozzy - Crazy Train; Rainbow - Since Youāve Been Gone; Alice Cooper - Schools Out; Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze, All Along the Watchtower; Black Sabbath - Paranoid; Blue Oyster Cult - Donāt Fear the Reaper; Derek & the Dominos - Layla; The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make; The Beatles - Day Tripper; Pink Floyd - Run Like Hell; Cream/Robert Johnson - Crossroads; Eric Clapton/JJ Cale - Cocaine; The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter.
It does help being a still learning guitaristā¦ 
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Paul Simon: Late in the Evening.
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Ronnie Montrose did some great riffs on this album.
This track is extremely riffy.
So is this one.
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Another Ronnie Montrose riff.
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Sorry FC. Listened to those three, but ānopeā, the Yanks never could riff like the Brits.
(Runs and hidesā¦. :laughing : )
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Betty Wright Clean Up Woman - Willie āLittle Beaverā Hale. Stone classic.
Almost any riff by Nile Rodgers.
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The start of āSweet Child of Mineā by Guns n Roses.
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Two from jazz:
John Mclaughlin at the start of Right Off:
The bass riff in Ummh, played by John Williams:
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Queen Bitch - David Bowie
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