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Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The 30 greatest guitar riffs of all time
We're going to fall out about this, obviously. But here we go. Let's just start with the idea that a riff is a short, repeated musical figure that can be melodic or rhythmic. We've allowed for a bit of progression – let's call it prog – or we're going to have all sorts of trouble getting some great guitarists in here (looking at you, Brian May). And we're going to demand that the riff is sort of the main hook of the song. We've tried to avoid bass riffs, unless they've clearly become the lead riff. And we've favoured electric guitar over acoustic guitar, with exceptions. It's strictly one entry per guitarist in this list, too. Apart from that, it's a bun fight. This could easily run to a hundred riffs – if your favourite isn't there, let us know in the comments section. As far as methodology goes, this was always going to be subjective, but hours and hours have gone into it, from scouring guitar mags to dredging the depths of online forums, polling everyone I know, listening to dedicated playlists, putting things in, taking things out, leaving out lots of my own favourites, accepting that every genre of music and every set of fans has its own hierarchy for this stuff and will know that this list is plain wrong. There may be also be a slight Anglocentric bias that will wind up Strokes, Fontaines and Aerosmith fans, equally. But above all, guitar riffs ultimately tell a remarkable story of ongoing musical evolution. So here goes… (or skip to the top 10) 30. Nutbush City Limits – Ike & Tina Turner (1973) This could just as easily have been in the top 10 but we needed something great to kick us off. I've only moved it here because this crunchy, funk stomper is actually two guitars melded together. It's made more fun by the fact that there's a mystery about who played them. Rock legend would have it that Marc Bolan, of all people, played the fuzz rhythm and James Lewis, from Ike's backing band, the wah-wah that wreathes around it like a snake.
The Independent
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Fans queue to sign book of condolence for ‘proud Brummie' Ozzy Osbourne
Fans have queued to sign a book of condolence for the late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne following his death at the age of 76. The book has been opened at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which is currently holding an exhibition about the late singer titled Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero. Mourners also had the option to leave a voice note in any language they chose by speaking into a red phone. Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 and died at the age of 76 on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. The news came a few weeks after he reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates on July 5 to play a farewell gig at Villa Park – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968. Tributes were led by his Black Sabbath bandmates, including Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, along with celebrity friends including Kiss star Gene Simmons and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. Earlier on Thursday, Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi spoke on ITV's Good Morning Britain and described Osbourne as 'wild'. He said: 'He was a great young guy. And then obviously, American success got to him, I think. And it gets to a lot of us. You get carried away with all that stuff that one shouldn't. I did and I'm over it.' Osbourne was also described by the Lord mayor of Birmingham, Zafar Iqbal, as a 'proud Brummie' who helped put the city 'on the world map'. Mr Iqbal met the founding members of the heavy metal band, formed in the city in 1968, when they were presented with the freedom of Birmingham in June. He told the PA news agency: 'He (Osbourne) was very important and he was a proud Brummie. He loved the city. He will be much missed, I think, and he was loved by so many people in the city.' Other stars have also honoured the 'Prince of Darkness' by paying tribute to him during live concert performances, including Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper. In a statement shared on Instagram, Cooper said: 'He was and will continue to be a rock n roll legend. Rock n Roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better.'
BreakingNews.ie
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper honour Ozzy Osbourne during concerts
Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Alice Cooper are among the music artists who have honoured the 'Prince of Darkness', Ozzy Osbourne, by paying tribute to him during live concert performances. The death of the music star, who fronted heavy metal band Black Sabbath, was announced in a statement to the PA news agency saying he was 'with his family and surrounded by love'. Advertisement His Black Sabbath band mates – Terence 'Geezer' Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward – led tributes to Osbourne alongside fans from his home city of Birmingham and celebrity friends including Kiss star Gene Simmons and Queen guitarist Sir Brian May. His death at the age of 76 comes just weeks after Osbourne took to the stage for a farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham – a stone's throw from where the band was formed in 1968. The Back to the Beginning concert featured performances from Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N' Roses, with Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmates the last to appear on stage. Lady Gaga Lady Gaga paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, wearing a t-shirt and playing his debut solo single Crazy Train (Ian West/PA) US pop star Lady Gaga took to the stage in an Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt as she ended her first Mayhem Ball show in San Francisco on Tuesday. Advertisement 'We'll miss you Ozzy', she said, as Osbourne's song Crazy Train played in the background. Crazy Train was released in 1980 as Osbourne's debut solo single, which featured on his debut solo album, Blizzard Of Ozz. The Bad Romance singer, 39, is currently touring her latest studio album, Mayhem, across the US and Canada. Coldplay Chris Martin performed a rendition of Black Sabbath's Changes during a show at Nashville in tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne (Aaron Chown/PA) During a concert in Nashville, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin led a rendition of Changes by Black Sabbath in tribute to the heavy metal star. Advertisement 'Okay Ozzy we love you, wherever you're going, thank you for everything', he said after playing the tune on a piano. The song was originally released in 1972 as part of the Vol4 Black Sabbath album, and was re-released in 2003 as a duet with Osbourne's daughter, Kelly, containing revised lyrics. Singer Yungblud, who has hailed Osbourne as 'the greatest of all time', played the song during his farewell concert on July 5. Alice Cooper View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alice Cooper (@alicecooper) US rockstar Alice Cooper described Osbourne as an 'unmatched showman and cultural icon' in a social media post that said the band had found out about his death 'minutes before going on stage in Cardiff, Wales'. Advertisement Cooper and his band dedicated the show to Osbourne and posted a clip of them shouting 'Ozzy' before going onto the stage. Following the show, Cooper summed up his thoughts and said: 'The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight. Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon. 'I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw. 'He was and will continue to be a rock n roll legend. Rock n Roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better. Advertisement 'Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and the rest of the Ozzy brood – our prayers are with you tonight. A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on.' Ghost Swedish rock band Ghost dedicated their New York show at Madison Square Garden to Osbourne. In a video posted to social media, frontman Tobias Forge said: 'We're going to dedicate tonight's show to the memory of the life and laughter of Ozzy Osbourne. 'For being the Prince of Darkness, he sure gave us a lot of light. So we're going to tap into that tonight and take it forward.'
The Journal
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Quiz: How much do you know about Queen?
LEGENDARY QUEEN GUITARIST Brian May celebrated his 78th birthday yesterday. Besides his big hair, the musician is best known for founding the iconic rock band alongside the late Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining shortly afterwards. Advertisement So we thought we would test your knowledge of the group. Are you a champion, or will you bite the dust? In which year did Queen form as a band? Alamy 1965 1970 1975 1980 What was Freddie Mercury's birth name? Alamy Francis Avallone Florian de Bounevialle Farrokh Bulsara Peter Gene Hernandez Which song got the band their first number one hit in the US? Alamy Bohemian Rhapsody Radio Ga Ga Killer Queen Crazy Little Thing Called Love The famous I Want To Break Free music video was a parody of which long-running soap opera? Queen EastEnders Coronation Street Emmerdale Brookside Which of these statements is true about Queen's Greatest Hits albums, which was released in 1981? Alamy It is the longest 'greatest hits' album ever released by an artist All of the tracks on the album were re-recorded specifically for this record The band didn't make any money from its release It is the biggest-selling album in UK history Which of these Queen albums was released first? Alamy A Day at the Races Alamy A Night at the Opera Alamy A Kind of Magic Alamy News of the World Which of these Queen songs does not credit Brian May as a writer? Alamy Don't Stop Me Now Fat Bottomed Girls Who Wants To Live Forever We Will Rock You Brian May is known for his famous electric guitar the Red Special, which he built with his father when he was a teenager. But what does he use to play it? Alamy A toothpick A key A sixpence coin A normal guitar pick As well as being a guitarist, Brian May has a PhD in which of these fields? Alamy Astrophysics Engineering Medieval literature Zoology Finally, if you were listening to Bohemian Rhapsody- as you do - which of these lyrics would you hear latest in the song? Queen "He's just a poor boy from a poor family" "Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth" "I don't wanna die, I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all" "Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?" "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me" "Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here" "Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me" "Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time" Answer all the questions to see your result! Alamy You scored out of ! We Are The Champions No time for losers here! Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! Don't Stop Me Now You're having such a good time, you nearly got them all right! Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! Under Pressure Why don't you give yourself one more chance? You'll do better next time Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! The Show Must Go On You may not have gotten many right, but your smile still stays on Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy You scored out of ! Another One Bites The Dust And another one wrong, and another one wrong... Share your result: Share Tweet Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Famous birthdays for July 19: Anthony Edwards, Romee Strijd
July 19 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include: -- Inventor Samuel Colt in 1814 -- Artist Edgar Degas in 1834 -- Famed murder suspect Lizzie Borden in 1860 -- Physician Charles H. Mayo in 1865 -- Musician Florence Foster Jenkins in 1868 -- Former CIA agent/writer Philip Agee in 1935 -- Musician Vikki Carr in 1941 (age 84) -- Actor George Dzundza in 1945 (age 80) -- International Tennis Hall of Fame member/politician Ilie Năstase in 1946 (age 79) -- Musician Bernie Leadon (Eagles) in 1947 (age 78) -- Musician Brian May (Queen) in 1947 (age 78) -- Businessman Howard Schultz in 1953 (age 72) -- Filmmaker Atom Egoyan in 1960 (age 65) -- Musician Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus) in 1960 (age 65) -- Actor Campbell Scott in 1961 (age 64) -- Actor Anthony Edwards in 1962 (age 63) -- Sportscaster Stuart Scott in 1965 -- Actor Clea Lewis in 1965 (age 60) -- TV personality Chris Kratt in 1969 (age 56) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in 1970 (age 55) -- Musician Urs Buhler (Il Divo) in 1971 (age 54) -- Musician Jason McGerr (Death Cab for Cutie) in 1974 (age 51) -- Actor Benedict Cumberbatch in 1976 (age 49) -- Actor Vinessa Shaw in 1976 (age 49) -- Actor Chris Sullivan in 1980 (age 45) -- Actor Jared Padalecki in 1982 (age 43) -- Actor Trai Byers in 1983 (age 42) -- Actor Ryan Dorsey in 1983 (age 42) -- Comedian/actor James Austin Johnson in 1989 (age 36) -- Actor Steven Anthony Lawrence in 1990 (age 35) -- Model Romee Strijd in 1995 (age 30) Solve the daily Crossword
