5 guitar riffs so underrated that frankly, it’s criminal.

As a guitarist myself, I have attempted to extend my boundaries beyond the comforting realms of modern ballad rock and four-chord punk-pop, and along the way, I have stumbled upon some of the most trippy, awe-inspiring riffs and licks to come out of the instrument known as the electric guitar.
Your present day lists shown in the likes of publications such as New Musical Express, Q and Kerrang! will all be laden with clichéd selections along the lines of Metallica – Master of Puppets, Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child of Mine, and the ever-present Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit. Granted, I can’t take anything away from these masterpieces, and there is a reason why these songs are so recognisable nowadays; it is because of what their respective guitarists are capable of. They possess skills that put amateurs (not naming names) to shame, and inspire others (like me) to grab an instrument and make a racket.

Now, I’m going to take you into my world and show you five guitar riffs that, in my opinion, don’t get the recognition they demand, not deserve, DEMAND. These pieces of music are meant to be loved, not loved in the sense that you can have some mentally challenged dingbat refer to them as “ok”, or “meh”, or (God help us) “reem”. These riffs should be looked up to as a benchmark, a pedestal, call it what you will, they should just be respected, consarn it!

These selections don’t have to be particularly difficult to play on the guitar (they might be); they just have to be melodic or heavy enough to make people enjoy their lives a bit more, and give hope to those who may feel you have to be some sort of Merlin to be considered an inspiration on the guitar.

1) Radiohead - Just

Known nowadays more for their spasmodic, electronically-enhanced concoctions, people of the Noughties need to wake up and take a look into the past, when Radiohead were a driving force for British alt-rock. With albums like ‘The Bends’ and ‘OK Computer’ still influencing and changing the lives of many today, there is no doubting this bands genius. The riff in question would be the one that comes in straight after the C-Eb-D-F chord sequence at the start – an octave riff that progresses until the verse, and climaxes at the end of the song in a scratchy mess of guitar strings and broken fingernails. Jonny Greenwood, you are the man! You are a man aren’t you? I can’t see past your hair.

Album: The Bends

The song you usually find on modern day guitar lists: Creep


2) Rage Against The Machine - Bulls on Parade

Let me set the record straight: this band is not a one-trick pony. It’s not all about Killing In The Name y’know? Tom Morello goes down as my favourite guitarist of all time, no question. He did not particularly influence me to pick up the guitar, but he made me realise the endless possibilities that I could touch with the gadgets I had at my disposal. In Bulls on Parade we have a masterclass in diversity, from the punching, bouncing riff at the beginning, to the wow-wow-chikka-wow-wow-chikka-chikka-chikka, but why I picked this song, was for the DJ scratching implemented on the solo. Watch the video of them playing this live at Reading Festival 2000, one of the bands last gigs before they split temporarily, and marvel at the mans genius (he’s a Harvard graduate too – just sayin’).

Album: Evil Empire

The song you usually find on modern day guitar lists: Killing In The Name

3) Lostprophets - Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja

A band that a lot of metal fans love to hate, but whether you like it or not, Lostprophets used to be good, and this song proves that. As fantastic as Last Train Home is, THIS is the Lostprophets gem. A simple, yet effective, drop C riff that causes unrivalled carnage at gigs and festivals worldwide, this song has managed to set the record, albeit unofficially, for creating the biggest wall of death ever. See a video of that moment here now, and just look at all the people who couldn’t hack it, and have ultimately ended up on their arses in the middle of about 50,000 people. The performance of this song at Reading 2007 is just as good, if not better.

Album: The Fake Sound of Progress

The song you usually find on modern day guitar lists: Last Train Home

4) Foo Fighters - Stacked Actors

In the 16 years that this band has been around, I have failed to find one person that dislikes them. Whether this is because Dave Grohl is a breath of fresh air in this world of odious assholes, or because their music is generally likeable, not OTT and gets straight to the point, I don’t know, but I for one, LOVE them. Always a staple on their live shows, resulting in a 14 minute-long prog-metal freakout, this detuned slab of post-grunge has always had the heads banging of devoted fans. Clap along to the drums at the start of the song that accompany the riff if you will, but be prepared to manoeuvre your hands in such a way that it looks like your wielding your very own Gibson Firebird.

Album: Nothing Left To Lose

The song you usually find on modern day guitar lists: Monkey Wrench

5) Muse - Stockholm Syndrome

For those of you that don’t know me, I am a Muse-enthusiast, a Muser if you will. Picking up my music taste from my beloved older cousins, and thankfully not my Mum, I was able to see the light. There are SO many songs from this band that could have easily adorned this list, from the Prince-funk of Supermassive Black Coc- oops I mean Hole, to the speed abattoir riff of New Born, to the nu-metal of Dead Star and so on. Matt Bellamy is an inspiration, and in this song, he has created something that the word ‘masterpiece’ wouldn’t do justice to. With the main riff being inspired by System Of A Down, the song is a voyage through an array of techniques and melodies, all special in their own ways. Keep in mind that this song is less than 5 minutes long (extended to about 9 minutes when played live due to crazy, extended riffage), but this song is one of the reasons Muse are renowned for their gigs – because they can fit so many different factors into them, from intense light shows, to aerialists dangling from UFO’s, to ultra-heavy riffs that cause moshes so dangerous it would put Slayer to shame, but I digress. The riffs and licks throughout this song have caused me to say that this is my favourite song of all time, and it has a crushing outro that you can’t help but nod appreciatively to (that is, if you are a moron – you headbang like a motherfucker). Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some pants that need changing…     

Album: Absolution

The song you usually find on modern day guitar lists: Plug In Baby

This was my first ever blog post. Hope you enjoyed it. If you agree with it, share it, and if you disagree, share your opinion.