Riff top 100

[Rev Jones]

Belgian online radio station Willy (yes lol) is doing their annual countdown of the greatest riffs in history, as voted for by the public

https://www.willy.radio/hitlijsten/riff-top-100-2023

some unexpected surprises so far ('Tie your mother down' by Queen?)

they're playing the godly 'Barracuda' by Heart as I'm typing this

I suppose they're going to keep the (play)list online after the countdown ends, so you can go check it out

[b-dolo]

Good list. I would include voodoo child and white wedding. Maybe they will be included.

[noel411]

I clicked the link but couldn't see the list.

[Rev Jones]

I clicked the link but couldn't see the list.

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like they made a new page once the list was complete. This one is up now, includes Spotify playlist too

https://www.willy.radio/herbeluister...p-100-van-2023

[Rev Jones]

Good list. I would include voodoo child and white wedding. Maybe they will be included.

I see Voodoo Child made it to #15. Jimi's got 2 more entries.

White Wedding didn't make the cut


The songs you won't recognize in the list are by Belgian artists, sung in English. The highest one reached the number 5 spot. A band called Red Zebra. Not great English, the lyrics are on a haha level (but catchy to our ears) ... but a killer riff indeed, even if it's not a rock song really. (I guess you could call it Belgian new wave.)



Practically all of the other Belgian entries are real rock songs.

But probably 80% of the list is American + British + Australian (AC/DC)

[The Hound]

I thought this was going to be about Riff, sadly not.

I am surprised that Sunshine of your love doesn't get voted in to a guitar riff list. I know it's specifically about riffs so no comment there but as overall songs go that would make one dire playlist

[Rev Jones]

^^true. it's incomprehensible that it didn't make the cut


they should do a guitar solo top 100 as well. I'd like to see and hear the result

[noel411]

Lololoolol, my initial reply when i saw this thread was gonna b to say how horrible the money for nothing n to a lesser degree, smoke on the water riffs r, cos i knew they'd b in there. Now i c they're 10 and 11. Lololol.

Both great bands n legendary guitarists (knopfler is my #3 fave guitarist). But i fucking hate that riff. N smoke on the water is a very similar style of riff which is also pretty shitty.

[ShaDynasty]

The Boys Are Back In Town was the first thing I thought of.

[ShaDynasty]

Pink Floyd - Money

Its actually hard to think of songs in terms of riffs, maybe if you're a guitarist thats your first thought about a rock song.

[noel411]

Money is really more about the bassline. I'd have thought Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 would've been more likely to get voted in. It's by no means one of my favourite Floyd songs (well maybe by some means... it's one of my favourite guitar solos), but it really is a pretty cool guitar riff.

[The Hound]

I am surprised that Rush, Van Halen and some more blues icons like BB King, Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Howlin Wolf etc didn't get a mention but it's nice to see some songs that rarely get mentions in these discussions like Blitzkreig Bop, Song 2 etc

[noel411]

How about Elmore James' Dust My Broom riff? He used the same riff in just about all his songs, haha. Just about the most famous blues riff of them all.

[noel411]

SRV - Pride and Joy
Albert King - Born under a bad sign

Hound's post has got me thinking about the most famous blues riffs.

[b-dolo]

Lololoolol, my initial reply when i saw this thread was gonna b to say how horrible the money for nothing n to a lesser degree, smoke on the water riffs r, cos i knew they'd b in there. Now i c they're 10 and 11. Lololol.

Both great bands n legendary guitarists (knopfler is my #3 fave guitarist). But i fucking hate that riff. N smoke on the water is a very similar style of riff which is also pretty shitty.

Wasn't money for nothing guitar riff written by or at least heavily influenced by ZZ Top. I'm sure I read that somewhere.