Gibson's Top 10 guitar riffs of the 80's

... And of course they drop the ball... again.

Michael Jackson beats out Maiden!?! These guys are on something...

http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/Top-10-Riffs-of-the-80s.aspx?fb=GibsonGuitar

Ouch...... just wrong! We could all come up with a much better list (as usual when it comes to this list!)

And no Maiden????? 11:58 should be SOMEWHERE on that list!!!!

thejokeriv wrote:

Ouch...... just wrong! We could all come up with a much better list (as usual when it comes to this list!)

And no Maiden????? 11:58 should be SOMEWHERE on that list!!!!

At the very least, they could have gone with "Run to the Hills." That intro is epic to the point where people who are not even Maiden fans recognize it!!

Just going with popular tunes, here are a few that they missed (IMO):

Quiet Riot - Bang Your Head, Cum on Feel the Noise
Poison - Fallen Angel, Talk Dirty To Me
Ratt - Way Cool Jr, Round and Round
Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
Metallica - Seek and Destroy
Megadeth - Peace Sells
Alice Cooper - Trash, Poison
Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine, You Give Love a Bad Name
Cinderella - Gypsy Road, Fallen Apart at the Seams
Slaughter - Up All Night, Burnin Bridges (I don't remember the year this was released tho, might have been '90)
and the plethora of Kiss albums to choose from.

It is all subjective anyway, it's just too bad they didn't give some credit to the less popular axe slingers. I do like that they topped the list with AC/DC.

I think that list is a joke I agree with a few but thats it

I like Jettafiend's list better

Addy wrote:

I think that list is a joke I agree with a few but thats it

I like Jettafiend's list better

I just realized that I forgot to add Stryper!! Pick any tune off the first 3 albums, sans the ballads, and the song has a monster riff.

I don't think it's a terrible list. As subjective as this is it has some songs with good riffs so for once I don't think it's ridiculous.

I usually hate when people say this, but that list sucks.

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think it's a terrible list. As subjective as this is it has some songs with good riffs so for once I don't think it's ridiculous.

Agreed. It might not be my personal choices, but the ones they picked are all pretty memorable and recognizable, even by non-music fans.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think it's a terrible list. As subjective as this is it has some songs with good riffs so for once I don't think it's ridiculous.

Agreed. It might not be my personal choices, but the ones they picked are all pretty memorable and recognizable, even by non-music fans.

The sad thing is, when 9 out of 10 of those songs come on the radio, I feel compelled to make my way down the dial.

metalinmyveins wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think it's a terrible list. As subjective as this is it has some songs with good riffs so for once I don't think it's ridiculous.

Agreed. It might not be my personal choices, but the ones they picked are all pretty memorable and recognizable, even by non-music fans.

The sad thing is, when 9 out of 10 of those songs come on the radio, I feel compelled to make my way down the dial.

Well, that will have to wait until someone assembles "The Top 10 Songs That Radio Ruined Forever By Playing the Ever Loving Sh*t Out Of Them".

Hey Rolling Stone, where's that list?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

metalinmyveins wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think it's a terrible list. As subjective as this is it has some songs with good riffs so for once I don't think it's ridiculous.

Agreed. It might not be my personal choices, but the ones they picked are all pretty memorable and recognizable, even by non-music fans.

The sad thing is, when 9 out of 10 of those songs come on the radio, I feel compelled to make my way down the dial.

Well, that will have to wait until someone assembles "The Top 10 Songs That Radio Ruined Forever By Playing the Ever Loving Sh*t Out Of Them".

Hey Rolling Stone, where's that list?

...and the #1 song on that list is You Shook Me All Night Long!

You have to play a Gibson guitar to get on that list....

kmorg wrote:

You have to play a Gibson guitar to get on that list....

Quiet Riot
Poison (Not every tune, granted)
Cinderella
Aerosmith
Randy Rhodes
Zak Wylde

All play Gibsons

There really isn't anything wrong with the list, all those songs are insanely catchy. Most of them are overplayed and there are a couple tracks in there that I really don't like (Photograph, Sweet Child)...yet I still remember EXACTLY what they sound like so they are memorable.

I would probably replace the Clash tune with Joan Jett's "I Love Rock N Roll" simply because I think more people remember that song.

There was more going on in the 80s than hair metal.

S.D. wrote:

There really isn't anything wrong with the list, all those songs are insanely catchy. Most of them are overplayed and there are a couple tracks in there that I really don't like (Photograph, Sweet Child)...yet I still remember EXACTLY what they sound like so they are memorable.

I would probably replace the Clash tune with Joan Jett's "I Love Rock N Roll" simply because I think more people remember that song.

There was more going on in the 80s than hair metal.

True, and the Joan Jett is a good call. I didn't even think about that one.

If I had to put a list like this together "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Yes would definitely be on it.

Even a goofy little riff like "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squier is quite indicative of the era it came out.

S.D. wrote:

If I had to put a list like this together "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Yes would definitely be on it.

Even a goofy little riff like "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squier is quite indicative of the era it came out.

I would add Dire Straits - Money For Nothing. That dang riff gets stuck in my head quite a bit.

Also The Kinks - Destroyer has a fantastic riff.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dark Horseman wrote:

I don't think it's a terrible list. As subjective as this is it has some songs with good riffs so for once I don't think it's ridiculous.

Agreed. It might not be my personal choices, but the ones they picked are all pretty memorable and recognizable, even by non-music fans.

my thoughts too but I think the list is pretty good. I could see omitting the michael jackson, clash and def leppard but the others are very strong.

jettafiend wrote:

I would add Dire Straits - Money For Nothing. That dang riff gets stuck in my head quite a bit.

Also The Kinks - Destroyer has a fantastic riff.

Agreed on both counts, that Dire Straits riff sounded like an instant classic when it came out in '85.

Straits is a riffbox. I totally understand the 'Beat It' thing. I thought that both the lead and the riff was EVH for the longest time because it sounded so much like him, was surprised to learn only the lead is him.


It would never happen, but it would be cool to see some Running Wild on the list. 'Riding the Storm' or maybe 'Mordor'. Played on a Gibson Explorer, so...

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Straits is a riffbox. I totally understand the 'Beat It' thing. I thought that both the lead and the riff was EVH for the longest time because it sounded so much like him, was surprised to learn only the lead is him.


It would never happen, but it would be cool to see some Running Wild on the list. 'Riding the Storm' or maybe 'Mordor'. Played on a Gibson Explorer, so...

Addy wrote:

I think that list is a joke I agree with a few but thats it

I would dump Michael Jackson, The clash and the stones from this list..Instead of those three I would have to say maidens "Run to the hills", Saxons "denim and leather" and Quiet Riots "metal health" would be better suited.
I also question Back In Black...I think "Flick of the Switch" or "for those about to rock" would be better choices. I also think Def Leppards "High And Dry" or "Waysted" belongs here instead of photograph. Kinda hard to leave out Crue and Metallica also.

"Start Me Up" is one of the most identifiable guitar riffs in history, it's probably programmed into peoples DNA at this point. It most certainly deserves to be on the list.

If the list was called "Most Memorable METAL riffs of the 80s" then I could see people complaining, but it's not.

S.D. wrote:

"Start Me Up" is one of the most identifiable guitar riffs in history, it's probably programmed into peoples DNA at this point. It most certainly deserves to be on the list.

If the list was called "Most Memorable METAL riffs of the 80s" then I could see people complaining, but it's not.

SD is spot on. I may be a Stone's fanboy but Start Me Up certainly deserves to be on the list - i would imagine very few people would not recognize the riff.