CLASSIC 'GUITAR RIFF' ROCK SONGS (Thanks Rich!)

 

For the last couple of days, Rich Horton and I have been having a conversation about classic rock songs that were based on a single guitar riff repeated over and over throughout a song, a practice not used so much in today's music it seems, and it's interesting because these are also a lot of my favorite songs of all time that were hits.

I'd have to write a book to cover all the bases on this topic, so here's a handful of examples.

Probably the most famous of riff based rock songs is this one from 1965, and for good reason!

THE ROLLING STONES - "Satisfaction" 

 

This 1964 hit by The Kinks is another awesome example.

THE KINKS - "You Really Got Me" 

 

The concept was still working in 1968.

CREAM - "Sunshine Of Your Love"

 

Maybe even more well known than "Satisfaction, and that's hard to do, is this 1973 hit by Deep Purple.

DEEP PURPLE - "Smoke On The Water"

A few other titles you can search out for yourself are songs like "Mr. Soul" by Buffalo Springfield, "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix, "Day Tripper" by The Beatles, "Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young, "Dirty Water" by The Standells, and "Fresh Garbage" by Spirit. 

That's just barely the tip of the iceberg, but seek those all out and I guarantee that you will have a Helluva good rockin' time!

Last but not least, from 1979, here's

THE KNACK - "My Sharona"