The modern rock station here in Edmonton (yes, the same one that plays the unfortunate “Furious Frank at Five”) recently “holed up behind impressive oak doors discussing the The 20 Greatest Riffs In Modern Rock History.” Just for fun, I thought I’d post the list. Any notable omissions?

20) Blind Melon - No Rain
19) Stone Temple Pilots - Plush
1 Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
17) Foo Figthers - Monkey Wrench
16) Sublime - What I Got
15) Blur - Song 2
14) Jane's Addiction - Stop
13) Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name
12) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
11) Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
10) Green Day - Brainstew/Jaded
9) Pearl Jam - Even Flow
The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go
7) Smashing Pumpkins - Today
6) Beastie Boys - Sabotage
5) White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
4) Nirvana - Come As You Are
3) Beastie Boys - You Gotta Fight For Your Right
2) Beck - Loser
1) Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Rofl what a terrible list, where's Smoke On The Water, Iron Man, Satisfaction...

probably on the list for greatest riffs of classic rock history.

king crimson - 21st century schizoid man

best riff ever

Layla? PURPLE HAZE? What a shit list - they've had a real shocker. Two Beastie Boys tracks? C'mon this is made by people who don't know any songs before 1980...

You folks really gotta read the title of the thread.

Well it makes modern rock look pretty shit if these are the best riffs...I believe Blitzkrieg Bop is 30 years old

so what is "modern" rock and when does it sart ?

I don't really get it. I think Under The Bridge and Today are great songs, but they don't seem to me to have a particular emphasis on their riffs. To me a great riff song would be like Iron Man or Brain Stew.

once i saw blitzkreig bop, i think i just forgot about modern... maybe we should hold a poll of the best riffs for each decade? anyone interested?

1. To answer nicolas, "modern rock" in this context means punk and its many, many offshoots (hence the Ramones). It's sometimes used (in my neck of the woods, anyway) to identify radio stations playing such music.

"Modern rock" is set--emphatically--in contradistinction to AOR or "classic" rock, which is why there's also no Metallica or Van Halen (let along Hendrix or King Crimson) on the list. 31 years after Never Mind the Bollocks, though, there's something kind of arbitrary about the distinction, which seems to derive ultimately from whether a band takes its fashion cues from Marc Bolan or Paul Simonon.

2. It's really more of a parade of the usual suspects than a list...although that doesn't mean it's not fun.

Perhaps they have a different idea of what constitutes a "riff" than I do, but I've always it believed it to be a memorable instrumental part. I would say "No Rain" while a decent tune doesn't have any particular musical moment that sticks out unlike say, the opening guitar signature to "Under the Bridge" which is immediately identifiable. I'd have to remove #20,16,15 (yes, lyrically the "WOO HOO!" is pretty undeniable but that's a vocal not instrumental hook),and #13 (like the song but more for the overall drive than any section that stands out).

If I had to pick 4 to replace those, I'd go with Beck's "E-Pro", Coldplay's "Speed of Sound", Modest Mouse's "Float On", and Weezer's "Hash Pipe" off the top of my head but I'm sure there are still better choices if I give it more thought.

19) Stone Temple Pilots - Plush
18) Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
17) Foo Figthers - Monkey Wrench
12) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
11) Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
10) Green Day - Brainstew/Jaded
9) Pearl Jam - Even Flow
8) The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go
7) Smashing Pumpkins - Today
6) Beastie Boys - Sabotage
5) White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
4) Nirvana - Come As You Are
3) Beastie Boys - You Gotta Fight For Your Right
2) Beck - Loser
1) Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

What about "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age?