Catchiest Guitar Riffs

So I was driving today and "Rebel Rebel" came on the radio. I'm not a David Bowie fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I always find myself turning this song way, way up. The guitar riff in it is just so catchy and really grabs you. In the spirit of my realization today, I thought I'd make a discussion thread.

In your opinions, what is/are are the catchiest riffs out there?

If bass counts as a guitar, I Heard it Through the Grapevine. Also, Bad to the Bone. And almost anything by Bo Diddley.

Anything by the late, great, Terry Kath of Chicago!

Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar

Anything Van Halen from '78 to '86. However, I think AC/DC is the king of catchy and simplicity.

So many out there. I've always thought of Led Zeppelin (or Jimmy Page more specifically) as the kings of catchy guitar riffs just because they made so many of them.

hydro-magic said:

So many out there. I've always thought of Led Zeppelin (or Jimmy Page more specifically) as the kings of catchy guitar riffs just because they made so many of them.

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Agreed. D'yer Mak'er comes to mind easily.

The opening riff to AC/DC's Thunderstruck is damn catchy. I also dig the guitar in ZZ Top's La Grange.

Corey said:

The opening riff to AC/DC's Thunderstruck is damn catchy. I also dig the guitar in ZZ Top's La Grange.

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Good call. Billy Gibbons is criminally underrated, IMO.

I meant to say Can't You Hear Me Knocking.

Deep purple- Smoke on the water
AC/DC- Back in Black
Jimi Hendrix- Purple Haze
Rage Against the Machine- Guerilla radio
Lynard Skynyrd - Sweet home Alabama
The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army

Just off the top of my head

Aerosmith -Mama Kin

Slightly left field this but what about the 'third man' played by Anton Karas. Once inside your head it'll be the for a few hours at least. Just catchy.

The beginning of Ted Nugent ' s Stranglehold sits high on my list.

Stones, intro to Can't You Hear Me Knocking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElnnE49absc

First song that popped in my head was Ocean Colour Scene- The Riverboat Song

Rick Derringer, from the first note - throughout Steely Dan's Show Biz Kids, with a few solos thrown in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9QVNbUPzgM

hydro-magic said:

So many out there. I've always thought of Led Zeppelin (or Jimmy Page more specifically) as the kings of catchy guitar riffs just because they made so many of them.

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+1 Whole Lotta Love!

Some that haven't been mentioned, off the top of my head:

Joe Walsh - Funk 49
Dick Dale - Misirlou
His name escapes me, but the guy who did the James Bond Theme riff
Alice in Chains - Again (Jerry Cantrell is totally underrated as a bad, bad man on guitar, imo)

Dick Dale - Misirlou
His name escapes me, but the guy who did the James Bond Theme riff

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Monty Norman did the James Bond riff - IMO one of the catchiest riffs ever....which is not dissimilar to the surf riff on "Miserlou."

For me, the signature riff from "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" is classic. And so is the three-chord riff from "Blitzkrieg Bop;" it's been done dozens of times in pop history - but always seems to work.

100 guitar riffs in one take.