What is the best guitar riff of the 2000s?

Not sure we got anything as indelible as Smoke On The Water, or even Aqualung. But there were still plenty of good riffs produced in the last ten years. The most well-known is probably Seven Nation Army. What is your favorite?

The big moshing riff in Converge's The Broken Vow.

Supermassive Black Hole

for better/worse, and on a pop level, Muse spring to mind as actual believers in proper OTT guitar riffs (Plug In Baby maybe their best example?)

the studio - 'origin' is an ass-shaker of a riff.

and of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14xgbeHsJXI

"Start Chopping" by Dinosaur Jr.

I know, and I don't care.

'no one knows' - QOTSA

the studio - 'origin' is an ass-shaker of a riff.

similarly, Radiohead 'I Might Be Wrong'

that reminds me, 'knives out'!

quite johnny marr-ish that one

The Wrens: Everyone Choose Sides

om, 'on the mountain at dawn'
om, 'unitive knowledge of the godhead'

'no one knows' - QOTSA

― Michael B, Monday, 20 July 2009 14:38 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Yeah, I'd vote that one.

The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You

i don't know the answer, but mark cl is getting there.

if by there you mean best bass riff of the 2000s then yeah

Another vote for QOTSA, honorable mention for Rammstein 'Amerika'

This is actually a decent question and y'all have already fucked it up with ironic bullshit answers

As big dumb riffs go, I always thought the riff in Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff" was pretty quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_eCIjr1Mb0

a bass is a guitar

lightning bolt - "assassins"

The #1 all-time unfuckwithable riff of the 2000s is MASTODON - BLOOD AND THUNDER. And I seriously defy anyone to come up with a better answer that isn't some contrarian "A 303 can be a guitar" hardstartrekman ilx buLOLshit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=labytsb3gfI

that shit is on some "riff qua riff" which is really the essence what "best guitar riff" arguments are about. stop being dicks.

i'm really bad at thinking of stuff for lists when the time comes but anyway..."Seven Nation Army" seems kind of iconic for a this-decade riff

The Wrens: Everyone Choose Sides

I'm not sure this is ultimately the right answer, but I love you man.

+ blue orchid > seven nation army imo

I must really be getting old because I couldn't even tell that people were being snarky :-)

Some of my favorites:

The Swish: The Hold Steady
Hate To Say I Told You So: The Hives
Marry Me: Drive-By Truckers
Conventional Wisdom: Built To Spill
Intravenous Agnostic: Manic Street Preachers
Up The Bracket: The Libertines
Light Rail Coyote: Sleater-Kinney

I must really be getting old because I couldn't even tell that people were being snarky :-)

Yeah, wtf, I liked my choice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uShqlufsq5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MFYuSnDPl8

I'm not a huge fan of the band, but in terms of being memorable and sort of ubiquitous, I can't really think of anything besides Seven Nations Army.

In the 90s, I guess Smells Like Teen Spirit is the obvious choice. Not sure what it would be for the 80s (a Van Halen song, maybe?). And I guess too many choices in the arena-rock 70s. Anyway, not such an easy question for most decades.

hey ya

ffs that seven nation army riff is terrible.

mastodon riffs otm.

lots of my fav riffs would be by local mpls bands probably

Seven Nation Army riff is somewhat simplistic

Not sure what it would be for the 80s (a Van Halen song, maybe?)

Sweet Child O Mine came to mind first

but that's the populist/well-recognised basis rather than "best"

are you saying its too simplistic to be a riff or too simplistic to be the iconic riff of the 2000s?

Simplistic but utterly, utterly deadly:

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

(Opening riff is good, closing riff is all-time)

are you saying its too simplistic to be a riff or too simplistic to be the iconic riff of the 2000s?

the latter i guess. it's also the bass hook too which marks it out (down?).

"satisfaction" and "iron man" are pretty simplistic riffs too, sayin

ffs that seven nation army riff is terrible.

mastodon riffs otm.

Actually, I mis-read the thread title as being "What is the guitar riff of the 2000s?" Framed that way, I still say Seven Nation Army, for the reasons I mentioned above. But framed as what's the best guitar riff of the decade . . . I dunno. Maybe TVOTR's Wolf Like Me (not sure that's even a riff; it's more used for texture). Maybe something from Interpol.

Blueski's exactly right about Sweet Child O Mine in the 80s.

om, 'unitive knowledge of the godhead'

Best answer so far.

xp if we're talking Smoke on the water-type riffs, the kind every kid with a guitar knows, Seven Nation Army is probably still the best answer to this question. not my favorite though

xp re: satisfaction and iron man they had good rhythmic components which the white stripes have never been able to grasp.

Feel Good Hit Of The Summer is a good choice in terms of something I could totally hear Beavis And Butthead rocking out to (like DADADA DADA DA DADA DADADA).

One of my fav 90's ones is "Unsung" by Helmet. A good monster 80's one is "For Whom The Bell Tolls."

Dead Leaves On The Dirty Ground is a better riff than Seven Nation Army.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCDhiZr1q_s

I think the Beavis And Butthead test is good for determining if a riff is badass.. if you can hear them singing it..

i still like the 'Rollin' intro - just three chords

You guys may not know this riff by name, but it's been pretty iconic in the 00s if you watch TV. And it's a pretty amazing riff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgQ7qOCDFYQ

You might all hate me for saying this, but The Fiery Furnaces' "Widow City" album had about 3 stone-cold contenders, notably one that crops up during "Clear Signal From Cairo"

Totally ridiculous, but I like this song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ypGMqogMq0

There's this band some of you may have heard of called High On Fire...

i nominate:

at the drive in - cosmonaut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDJtAqXbZ1c

good call, phil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOQ9MiEsaz4

^^^^^^NOW WE ARE TALKING

Wire - Mr. Marx's Table

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L83NHmMHEw4

Non-metal 00s guitar music hasn't really been interested in riffs as far as I can tell, which is a shame when you look back at it because riffs = awesome and better than all other uses for guitars.

Feel Good Hit Of The Summer seconded for it's sheer bludgeoning simplicity.

Do not click this if you hate really obvious, wussy indie answers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZGcw9HHOkU

yes, true

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erh9RGuCr1Y

The ringtone is the guitar riff of the 00s. /challops

what are the kids on the back of the bus?

Those who are namechecking Muse don't seem to have mentioned this one yet. May be one of the greatest guitar riffs of the 00s IMO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Gh0U0wkBs

sigh

No Age's Everybody's Down, from the Weirdo Rippers EP.

The ringtone is the guitar riff of the 00s. /challops

― De Mysteriis Dom Passantino (jim), Monday, July 20, 2009 9:10 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i don't get it...like a musical ringtone or just a regular like phone ringing sound? cuz a musical ringtone could be anything, like literally a guitar riff or actually any song.

the ringtone being the thing that sticks in people's heads as shorthand representation of the larger thing it came from?
(this used to be riffs but now is the ringtone?)

but the ringtone could be a riff right so you're still just remembering the riff right? /whosonfirst

There's this band some of you may have heard of called High On Fire...

First thought when I saw the thread title:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6xr8P3upjw

Modest Mouse - "Float On"

I don't care much about iconic riffs, really. I guess I'd say it would probably come from White Stripes, QotSA, or DFA 1979.

These are some I feel deserve to be considered iconic.

Katatonia - July
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPGTEJbDfYo

Meshuggah - Combustion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7OFjw1cQCA

Pinback - Blue Harvest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WOFB4ZHrwo

Wooden Shjips - Dance, California
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJMFTVenGJk

Yob - Quantum Mystic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0UNJ9pM6IU

Baroness - Red Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hWXmQ_0_JE

I'm not trying to rep like either of these acts didn't totally get me hot and bothered with their first single only to crush all of my rock and roll fantasies with everything else they ever did, but still. It's gotta be one of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYc2bPbPbgo

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

should've locked thread @ high on fire youtube.

I'll never understand the appeal of HoF. Love their production and tones, but nothing sticks.

I like the High On Fire songs that have been posted, but I don't really hear huge riffs as much as simply chord progressions.. I still prefer the riff in "Black History Month" .. and I actually think "Plug In Baby" is a great choice.

Non-metal 00s guitar music hasn't really been interested in riffs as far as I can tell, which is a shame when you look back at it because riffs = awesome and better than all other uses for guitars.

^
seriously!

And when I said "Black History Month" I meant "Romantic Rights."

riffs = awesome and better than all other uses for guitars.

Thirding how extremely correct this statement truly is.

There are Modest Mouse songs with waaaayyyyy better "riffs" than "Float On."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmhp_NEH12Y

How come I can't correctly link to youtube anymore?

eagles of death metal - one of theirs should surely fit the bill

so long as we're on "a bass is a guitar", then:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-GbN_DPpX8

Maybe not the best, but always a guitar riff that makes me happy: "Bright Future in Sales" by Fountains of Wayne.

i don't get it...like a musical ringtone or just a regular like phone ringing sound? cuz a musical ringtone could be anything, like literally a guitar riff or actually any song.

Haha this is totally the new "but you can dance to rock and hip-hop, why isn't that dance music?"

Would rep for a number of Lightning Bolt riffs.

Surprised more people aren't mentioning The Hold Steady. One of the few non-metal bands that still care about big guitar riffs.

oh shit i forgot black mountain! tons of great riffs..."Stormy High" is the one i'm listening to right now.

also Comets on Fire...but i can never remember their song titles

Re: Black Mountain: The one 5 minutes into "Bright Light" is pretty definitive as far as one-and-a-slurred-note riffs go.

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the f?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4HEXWLZJ_U

that's better.

The riff at the beginning of Stormy High is fucking awesome.

Love the Stormy High riff. This Eddy Current riff is probably my favorite after Face of Oblivion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIX6YbpJ5wM

sorta like She Sells Sanctuary, but instead of big and open, it's claustrophobic

kudos 4 posting velvet revolver + audio slave

xposts

Does the guitar part from Ghostface Killah song "The Champ" count or is that considered a "lick" ????

There are Modest Mouse songs with waaaayyyyy better "riffs" than "Float On."

yeah, but most of them are in the 90's, and not the 2000s

I'll vote for "3rd Planet"

oh dip i forgot about "a topography of boils" by stnnng

Fav 00's modest mouse riff is prob the bass in "Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes."