# Top Guitar Riff of the 60's



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

10 choices on this poll. Lets see where we go with this one


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Before even seeing the list "Satisfaction" was the first to jump into my head so I had to go with it although there are some pretty iconic ones there!


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

in the immortal words of Jack Bruce (or was it clapton who said it - I don't recall now) ...Sunshine of your Love was such a simple - yet powerful riff - it was there - waiting to be written!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

i was torn between satisfaction and sunshine. i love the stones, but the cream riff is monstrous, so i went with that.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Depends what you call a "riff". "I Can't Explain" is not so much a riff as a chord progression. "Paperback Writer" and "Last Train to Clarkesville" are both chord-like fills, rather than riffs which establish the song. If you're gonna stick "Last Train" in there, then youhave to make room for "House of the Rising Sun" - something which was the very first riff-based song learned for thousands upon thousands. I would also put "Kicks" by Paul Revere and the Raiders in there. "Purple Haze" certainly has *A* riff which makes it immediately identifiable, but there is no repetitive riff throughout the song, like some of the others. "You Really Got Me" isn't as riff-based as "All Day and All of the Night"

Of those which you have listed, though, I would classify as riff-based:

Satisfaction
Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida
Sunshine of Your Love
james Bond Theme

And of those, I guess I'd have to say "Satisfaction" was probably THE riff that propelled riff-based rock to centre-stage. Basically, because it was the benchmark for having a song defined by a riff.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

In-A-Godda-Da-Vida is one of those 60's "anthems" I just can't take seriously. That drum solo, properly applied, could be used to ferret sensitive information from a varied group of suspects/detainees. I'm going to go with the Stones on this one. 

Shawn.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Rugburn said:


> In-A-Godda-Da-Vida is one of those 60's "anthems" I just can't take seriously. That drum solo, properly applied, could be used to ferret sensitive information from a varied group of suspects/detainees. I'm going to go with the Stones on this one.
> 
> Shawn.


One of the most surreal things I have ever seen in my life was a televised college bowl football game, where the half-time show consisted of one of those immense U.S. college marching bands, complete with tall hats and tassled epaulettes, twirling majorettes, high-stepping tuba and trombone players, and legions of glockenspiel players, marching up and down the field playing the *entirety* of Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida, WITH drum solo. All 17 minutes of the damn thing. I wish my dad were still alive, because he's the only other person I know who watched it.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

mhammer said:


> One of the most surreal things I have ever seen in my life was a televised college bowl football game, where the half-time show consisted of one of those immense U.S. college marching bands, complete with tall hats and tassled epaulettes, twirling majorettes, high-stepping tuba and trombone players, and legions of glockenspiel players, marching up and down the field playing the *entirety* of Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida, WITH drum solo. All 17 minutes of the damn thing. I wish my dad were still alive, because he's the only other person I know who watched it.


Ask and you shall recieve Mr.Hammer. It's funny when I read your post I immediately recalled hearing/seeeing the same thing.

[video=youtube;EKAJdA9B6Wg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKAJdA9B6Wg[/video]

Shawn


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Wow great poll and great riffs


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## eric_b (Dec 6, 2008)

Seeing as you ignored everything from the second Led Zeppelin album, (which contains _all_ the best guitar riffs from the '60's, 9kkhhd), I'll have to vote "None of the above".


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Day Tripper, Green-eyed Lady, Dirty Water, Peter Gunn Theme, Wipeout, ....................


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## Bobby (May 27, 2010)

i voted for "sunshine of your love" ,along with the majority,apparently. 

i wasnt around at the time it was released(im 31) . but it was one of those riffs that really got me excited about playing the guitar,before i even picked up the instrument. it was simple,heavy,bluesy,and sort of ominous. it just gave me that burning feeling in my gut that cried out to something primeval deep within my reptilian brain.

or something like that........ at least thats how Ted Nugent would describe it,probably.

Bobby


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

"I cant explain"?
What an awful choice from the Who. There was nothing great about it at all. A child could have written it (insert Pete Townshend pedo joke here).

Pinball Wizard would have been better, for one.

Born to be wild and Little Wing would also be my picks.

Never heard of "Paperback writer" or the last 2 on the list either. But I wasnt born until '70.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

Diablo said:


> "I cant explain"?
> What an awful choice from the Who. There was nothing great about it at all. A child could have written it (insert Pete Townshend pedo joke here).
> 
> Pinball Wizard would have been better, for one.
> ...



born in '70 and never heard of "Paperback Writer?"....where'd you grow up?


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

lbrown1 said:


> born in '70 and never heard of "Paperback Writer?"....where'd you grow up?


Hogtown, bro 

I just checked it out on Youtube, it seems vagueley familiar, but I'd still say its gotta be one of their more obscure "hits".
I might not be alone, in fact according to this voters site, it didnt even crack their Beatles top 78 : Best Beatles Songs - Top Ten List


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Of those choices I went with the Yardbirds. Something about that tune just sounds real cool.

Although if I were to play one of the riffs listed it would most likely be Sunshine of Your Love--but I always seem to mess it up somehow.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Though I'm not a huge fan of the Beatles, "Day Tripper" has what I think might be the greatest guitar riff ever. It is also the most popular riff among my students (except for "Smoke on the Water" - and we won't even go there) - and many of my student have parents who weren't born yet when Day Tripper was released.


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

bw66 said:


> Though I'm not a huge fan of the Beatles, "Day Tripper" has what I think might be the greatest guitar riff ever. It is also the most popular riff among my students (except for "Smoke on the Water" - and we won't even go there) - and many of my student have parents who weren't born yet when Day Tripper was released.


I can understand some of the forumites knowing Day Tripper but not Paperback Writer. Even though PW got a lot of airplay at the time, it was the days of AM radio so singles were pushed, not album cuts. Day Tripper and Paperback Writer were on the same single with DT as the A side.


A quick question, the topic is called Top Guitar Riff of the 60s. Is this the top riff in the eyes of guitar players or the non-playing general public? There would likely be two totally different answers.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Not necessarily a *guitar* riff, though it was done as such sometimes, a truly Canadian riff would be the I/I/IV/IV/bIII *Hockey Night In Canada Theme*. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

[youtube]0PyBWLALFLQ[/youtube]


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Mooh said:


> Not necessarily a *guitar* riff, though it was done as such sometimes, a truly Canadian riff would be the I/I/IV/IV/bIII *Hockey Night In Canada Theme*.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Not exactly guitars and not exactly HNIC--but close.
(And an excuse to post this again.)

[video=youtube;RERXiliJfdI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERXiliJfdI&a=-XqHXUdkRNQ&playnext_from=ML[/video]


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## Bobby (May 27, 2010)

that was awesomeness,who knew you could rock out on a koto like that? 

im glad you found an excuse to post it  

Bobby


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Chubba (Aug 23, 2009)

i think i voted for purple haze...but i voted yesterday...lol - it's just representative of that era to me...strangely, it reminds me of high school...lol (born in 75 - but for some reason that whole hippy/psychedelic/60s/early 70s thing was a big deal when I was in high school, right before boy bands ruined everything lol - mostly because of the Led Zep box set and the Doors movie i think)

since we're talking about beatles riffs - my fave is I Feel Fine (though Day Tripper was one of the first I really wanted to learn...it's so good!)


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## Bobby (May 27, 2010)

i just realised,i dont think anyone mentionned the kinks. "you really got me" and "all day and all of the night" were 2 pretty big 60's riffs. 

i just realised "you really got me" was on the poll......ok,ill post this anyway,just to show im not afraid to be laughed at

did anyone mention "wont get fooled again"? i played alot of air guitar to that one.still do,when CSI comes on the tv.

Bobby

EDIT:i just realised wont get fooled again was released in '71 . i gots to do my reasearch before posting. this is not my day,damn.


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## gurianguy (Nov 20, 2007)

I voted for Sunshine Of Your Love. It is my favorite out of the ones in the poll. It amazes me that "Shakin All Over" was not included, since it was essentially Canadian and probably covered by more bands than any of those listed.


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