What is the most recent classic riff?

[Outcrier]

State side, I don't know if Song 2 or Pixies would be well known enough.

Yeah, Pixies i cited because it's a cool riff and all but not really popular.

But i think Song 2 is pretty well know. It's that kind of song/riff you know even if you don't know who made it.

[Sacul]

Is it bad that I've never heard the Enter Sandman riff nor the song until a few minutes ago?

Jesus wtf is wrong with you Lucas.

Looks like you want to be sigged, again  . Also, they almost ripped off the Peruvian Skies riff



On a serious note, I've never cared about Metallica nor I ever will.

[PuffyPat]

seven nation army is what immediately came to mind. maybe the intro riff from the black keys' lonely boy?

[SoundscapeMN]

The Nile Rodgers riff in Daft Punk's "Get Lucky."

Popular, Highly Memorable, and more recent than pretty much everything mentioned in this topic.

[Outcrier]

The Nile Rodgers riff in Daft Punk's "Get Lucky."

For me, it's some chord progressions been played rather than a riff. Yeah, i know there is riffs that use them (like Song 2) but... well, it's kinda hard to explain 

[PuffyPat]

def a riff in get lucky. sure it's a chord progression, but they way he's accenting certain notes in the chords, and the strumming pattern in general are more riff like than just playing some chords. he's essentially playing the riff and the chords at the same time.

[Calvin6s]

It appears riff means different things to different people.  Surprise surprise.

Riff, lick, vamp ......

[sneakyblueberry]

I assumed he was talking about the 'clipping' guitar part in the song.  i.e the first part of this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVsVgmgmf_g

It's the riff played over the main chord progression.

[Train of Naught]

This is probaby not as well known as the others mentioned, but I've heard the main riff of Joker & the Thief by Wolfmother on the tv I believe, and I think it's a soundtrack on various videogames aswell.

[Outcrier]

Two more:

Under the Bridge by the Chilli Peppers
Vertigo by U2

Two popular songs by some very popular bands 

[Kotowboy]

Definitely Under The Bridge. I learned that song recently for an open mic night. It's a bizarre song.

It starts in D Major then it shifts to E Major and never goes back to that D major intro. Then the finale is in A minor with an A major thrown in too.

Weirdly it doesn't all sound disjointed.

[Outcrier]

There is Snow Hey Oh too, if you want some more recent RHCP.

[Nekov]

Seven Nation Army is the first thing that came to mind but SoundscapeNM makes a good point with Get Lucky. I think maybe some Foo Fighters one might also make the list but I'm not sure if they have that 1 song everyone knows.

[PixelDream]

Muse - Psycho, maybe?

[Kotowboy]

Seven Nation Army is the first thing that came to mind but SoundscapeNM makes a good point with Get Lucky. I think maybe some Foo Fighters one might also make the list but I'm not sure if they have that 1 song everyone knows.

That " All My Life " intro maybe.

[Big Hath]

Seven Nation Army is the first thing that came to mind but SoundscapeNM makes a good point with Get Lucky. I think maybe some Foo Fighters one might also make the list but I'm not sure if they have that 1 song everyone knows.

Learn To Fly maybe?

[Zydar]

Yeah, Learn To Fly or Monkey Wrench perhaps.

[Train of Naught]

The intro riff from Slash's Anastasia is very recent, 2010 I believe? And pretty well known, wouldn't call it classic, though.

[Stadler]

Slither, by Velvet Revolver?

[Anguyen92]

^^ Yeah, maybe.  I usually like it builds in the intro.

[Outcrier]

There's Cochise by Audioslave too. Not sure if that one is that popular though.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Crazy Train

[Outcrier]

Crazy Train

That one is very recent indeed 

[King Postwhore]

It's not huge as in famous but I love "The Red" from Chevelle.

[Metro]

Muse comes to mind. Specifically Hysteria, Starlight, and Uprising. To a lesser extent: Knights of Cydonia, Psycho, and Panic Station.
Basically any of their hits.

Also Schism - Tool

[Dr. DTVT]

Under the Bridge is almost as old as Enter Sandman, just a few months older.  I'd say it is pretty recognizable.

It does seem that the number of famous riffs has fell off the ledge since the early 90s though.

[Outcrier]

Well, the entire Rock genre isn't popular as it used to be if only looking at what appears in the Billboard Top 100 nowadays.
Even Seven Nation Army, which is massively popular, only charted at 76º at the Billboard Hot 100.

Also:

My drifting away from mainstream probably hurts my knowledge base on this, and I really don't want to believe nothing more memorable has been made in the 24 years since (as a commentary on the state of music, not the riff.  I love that riff).

I don't think there's anything wrong with the state of music. There still is plenty memorable riffs being written. Rock not being popular as it used to be, it's only natural people aren't exposed to them like during the 90's and before.

[425]

On a serious note, I've never cared about Metallica nor I ever will.

Looks like someone has never listened to a Metallica instrumental.

[PuffyPat]

this may be a reach, but the bass riff from schism is pretty well known. i remember hearing that song on the radio all the time.

[Sacul]

On a serious note, I've never cared about Metallica nor I ever will.

Looks like someone has never listened to a Metallica instrumental.

I used to like Orion and The Call of Cthulhu some years ago, but never returned to them after discovering DT and prog.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Is it bad that I've never heard the Enter Sandman riff nor the song until a few minutes ago?

How is that even possible? It's the most popular song written by the most successful metal band of all time. I truly can't believe that you have never heard it until today.

[Kotowboy]

On a serious note, I've never cared about Metallica nor I ever will.

Looks like someone has never listened to a Metallica instrumental.

Oh Boy.

Orion
Ktulu


Suicide & Redemption


To Live Is To Die.

[RuRoRul]

https://uproxx.com/music/2013/07/seven-nation-guitar-army-the-8-most-recognizable-guitar-riffs-of-the-2000s/

Found this list searching for best known of the 2000s; the first two were Seven Nation Army (which definitely counts) and No One Knows by QOTS which I thought was a pretty good contender. So maybe some of the other riffs there might be good options (though it also has Miley Cyrus - Party In The USA in there, so I don't know..)

We all have our idea of things that we think are well known because lots of people seem to know them in our own experience... until we find out loads of people have never even heard of them. So I'm not sure if some of these are as famous as I might guess, but a few more ideas:

Foo Fighters - The Pretender or All My Life
The Strokes - Reptillia
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - By The Way or Can't Stop
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name (not that much more recent)
Green Day - American Idiot

The Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chilli Peppers I think are pretty well known... All My Life and Can't Stop are the ones that have the more memorable "classic riff"-style riffs imo but maybe other more well known songs will actually have the better known riffs. Linkin Park had some very well known songs but I'm not sure what would be the most recognisable riff from them - In The End or Numb I'd guess would be the most recognisable songs but it would probably be the choruses or piano / electronic riff people recognise most rather than a guitar riff so I'm not sure if they would count for this discussion. Something like Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare comes to mind too, but I'm not sure how well known outside of rock / metal circles it would be.

As for why it's more difficult to pick out "classic riffs" that everyone knows from more recent times, I don't think it's because bands aren't producing good or memorable riffs, it is just because of the change in the music industry and pop culture in general. Rock is not as big in the mainstream as it once was, and the way people listen to music means that there are perhaps less things that "everyone has heard" because it is much easier to find ways to listen to the music that suits your own taste instead of only getting to hear "whatever's popular".

[425]

I used to like Orion and The Call of Cthulhu some years ago, but never returned to them after discovering DT and prog.

Hmm. And even having heard those you have no interest in Metallica. I guess I can't help you, then.

Oh Boy.

Orion
Ktulu


Suicide & Redemption


To Live Is To Die.

Ranking time?!

To Live Is To Die
The Call of Ktulu
Orion
Suicide & Redemption

[Stadler]

I think time is a factor, though.   We're at the point that bands like Kiss and Def Leppard use "riffs" (they're not always "riffs") of other famous songs to end their own songs.   You've got DT incorporating "Enter Sandman" into it's own songs as a teaser... it's too soon for some of these.    You'll get that in the next generation, when the next hot band ("Barnyard Mating Ritual") goes on tour and as a teaser before the encore of it's big hit ("My Brain is on Fire") they break into a riff of today and the audience notices.  That will be the sign it has achieved "classic" status.