Top 10 Synthesizer Riffs Of All Time
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 เม.ย. 2024
- Today I explain and reproduce the 10 most famous synthesizer riffs in the world!🔥 Check out Vintage Vault 4 👉 www.uvi.net/vintage-vault-4.ht...
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00:00 - Intro
00:26 - #10: Gershon Kingsley "Popcorn"- Minimoog 👉 • Gershon Kingsley - Pop... - Music To Moog By 👉 • Gershon Kingsley- Musi...
02:43 - #9: Van Halen "Jump" - Oberheim OB-Xa 👉 • Crazy Frog - Axel F (O...
04:03 - #8: Ray Parker JR "Ghostbusters" Korg Poly 61 👉 • Original GhostBusters ...
05:34 - #7: Darude "Sandstorm" Roland JP-8080 👉 • Darude - Sandstorm
07:59 - #6: Herbie Hancock "Rockit" - Rhodes Chroma 👉 • Herbie Hancock - Rocki...
09:54 - #5: Eurhythmics "Sweet Dreams" - Oberheim OB‑X 👉 • Eurythmics, Annie Lenn...
11:54 - #4: Yazoo "Don't Go" ARP 2600 + Bass Sequential Circuits Pro-One 👉 • Yazoo - Don't Go (Offi...
12:56 - #3: Harold Faltermeyer "Axel F" - Jupiter 8 👉 • Harold Faltermeyer - A...
14:27 - #2: A-HA "Take On Me" - Roland Juno-60 + Yamaha DX7 + PPG Wave 👉 • a-ha - Take On Me (Off...
15:32 - #1: Europe "The Final Countdown" - Roland JX-8P 👉 • Europe - The Final Cou...
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#Synthesizer#Famous #Riffs - เพลง
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I demand a second part of this. Kraftwerk, Queen, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Human League, etc, etc.
The real and actual top 10 (or 100 synth riffs). Not many of the ones Dr. Mix put up here would make my list. Probably only Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams" and Hancock's "Rockit."
Kraftwerk 4 life
Kraftwerk: Autobahn, Gary Numan: Cars or even better Down In the Park....
Queen prided themselves on "no synthesisers".
Oxygène by Jean Michel Jarre
Depeche Mode should absolutely be on this list. Like just can’t get enough.
Yes indeed. My pick for most recognizable song would be “World n My Eyes”.
You've got Vince Clarke in there with Yazoo.
Since Vince is already in there with Yazoo I'd go with a Alan Wilder Era Depeche Mode song. Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, or yeah World in my Eyes works as well.
This guy doesn't like Depeche Mode
These are lots of artists known from one song.
DM - to pick up ONE most epic riff, or even song? Impossible... :)
I'm astounded Jan Hammer didn't get a shout out. Crockett's Theme is just iconic.
I agree. He is my # 1
I agree, that tune is BEYOND timeless. There are many more fantastic (maybe not riff) synthetic melodies out there though.
I have a little video project going on to be upped here but I have no audience ... I'll try to get it known though.
Yup
Keith Emerson, Emerson Lake and Palmer. Fanfare for the common man.
Crockett's theme is more than a riff, is a whole beautiful song done purely with Synths, is out of contest.
At 55 ,still takes me back to my Depeche Mode days,love this site.
OMG. The way you just 'created' the Sandstorm sound on that Moog was MAGIC.
The most influential riff of all time for me was Jean-Michel Jarre with Oxygene. I think that was 1975. Other than Kraftwerk this was my introduction to synths in the 70s and probably went on to inspire the majority of the tunes you listed.
JMJs Oxygen is a masterpiece. The song and the album. When I heard this song for the first time in 1984, at the age of 6, I was immediately "enthusiastic" about synthesizer music. A year later I got my first keyboard for Christmas. Christmas 1984 Santa left a C64 under the tree. So I had to wait another year. I still play today and have some nice devices in my "collection"
I also loved "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield. And of course I like Kraftwerk. "Autobahn" as a 20+ minute version. brilliant
th-cam.com/video/Psna_xNlWrk/w-d-xo.html
That was not really a riff though, it was a melody.
For me Les Chants Magnétiques and Zoolook were always my favorites
But the theme in the video is Pop Music.
not only plays the top 10 but gets the sound spot on..great job
The sounds yes, but not the notes - Popcorn is wrong
Bette Davis Eyes was a huge hit and had that memorable synth intro
No Depeche Mode? Seriously?
Yazoo is a little bit of Depeche Mode...
Criminal
I was thinking that! Like, "Just Can't Get Enough?"
Because Depeche mode is no real music?
@@Anoalekontrieger - You wish… DM still has a huge following worldwide.
Cars by Gary Numan would be top 10 for me. It sounds amazing, instantly recognizable and is actually a very important piece of music that pushed synth use to the mainstream. It influenced so many artists and still does. It's just as important as Blue Monday in popularizing electronic music. Also: Blue Monday is definitely another top 10
A lot of listeners think that the high, sweet note in "Cars" is a synth, but in fact it was an electric violin.
@@paulshallbetter1080 there is no violin on single/album version of Cars. Moog, Polymoog, bass guitar, drums and a tambourine.
It is true violin appears in a couple of tracks from the same album that Cars featured on.
Definitely!
WPLJ New York used to use Cars as their background music when doing the afternoon-evening traffic reports.. you could not have picked a more perfect piece of music for the task.
Are Friends Electric is amazing as well
As a former classical pianist who majored in Music Theory, your videos are very illuminating to me.
One-hit-wonder Real Life got their one hit, Send Me an Angel, precisely because of the song's riff. As people have noted, the 80's were chock full of them. Blancmange comes to mind instantly, too.
Rush - Subdivisions is up there as a memorable one.
I would also put up the Doctor Who theme as a potential synth riff.
That one is really pretty. And a classic.
Subdivisions should have definitely made that list
The Doctor Who theme predates synths - Delia Derbyshire recorded oscillator output onto tape, played it back at various speeds and recorded those onto tape, then literally cut and pasted to create the tune. Upon playing the final version to the composer, Ron Grainer, he allegedly asked "Did I really write that?!", to which Delia modestly replied, "Mostly."
I love playing Subdivisions on a Juno 6. WItch hunt is a good one, too.
@@mittfh wow, like that's some nice niché trivia information, kudos! :)
Just 10 is not enough. Almost every 80s synth song is awesome
Exactly. And Kim Wilde has most of them.
I'm a 80's & 90's Kid. I was born 1977. I grew up with the Synthpop Classics.🙂👍
It's always pure joy watching a well made clip by a talented professional musician like you! The oscilloscope running in the background elevated this to a Spinal Tap 11.
Probably the one that is the most memorable for me is Gary Numan's Cars. That high, sweet synth note still just kills me! Great list!
Def up there IMO.
A minimoog i believe.
@@EphemeralProductions That was my understanding as well. I know that when he played with NiN he used a Polymoog for it. Great tune!
@@EphemeralProductions the main riff is a minimoog, the high sweet synth (string) note is a polymoog (on the vox humana preset :)
@@chemicalBR0 always thought THAT was a minimoog also. Now i know. :)
Sweet dreams for me. It's the whole package, those synths with Annie's amazing controlled, menacing, sweet sounding vocals, and then the look of her as well. Just amazing
Axel F is also very iconic- that's on my top 10. Glad you included it
Tangerine Dream’s Berlin School! That is a mesmerising minefield! Just one riff after another. With Phaedra, Rubycon, and Ricochet, the riffs are constantly evolving!
Another Tangerine Dream fan!!!! Barbakane is awesome. Agree With Phaedra, Rubycon, Ricochet, plus Exit, Hyperborea, Tangram, Stratosphere, Le Parc. I better stop now...
T. Dream still underrated af.
Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love'... has a wicked synth running through the entire track.
You must like this version then. just look at the synth used there: th-cam.com/video/T9S2iDh1je4/w-d-xo.html
@@matthijshofman9549 Yeah, man! Sweet. And that chick is woww..
@@OregonDARRYL She is alright and it's alright but it's an well established fact that the Blue Man's Group Cover with Annette Strean and Venus Hum is the ultimate nerdgasm version of all time (after the original of course) BIIG period ⬤ video: th-cam.com/video/nFgIcD02Lxo/w-d-xo.html Live: th-cam.com/video/8zidmMlfEz8/w-d-xo.html
😁
Robert Fripp
@@mikemorris5817 Yeah,- Robert Fripp is a great guitarist and composer (My ringtone for incoming calls is "Elephant Talk" by King Crimson) but can you please elaborate your statement "Robert Fripp" in this context?
Did he make a cover of "I Feel Love" I would love to here that? (Goggling and searching right now)
Edit: Oh yeah he did. Search 9rVrVeeT6jA or "I Feel Love (with Robert Fripp) (Live 1980)". Cover with Blondie. Nice,- thanks Mike Morris for the hint 👍😁
Nobody mentioning Vangelis? R. I. P. Maestro. He had legendary riffs too.
Indeed, right here with you.
There are so many to choose from, but my personal favourites are Oxygène Part 2 and Oxygène Part 4.
My too. For all the times.
The keyboard part of Liquido‘s „Narcotic“ would be worth a mention. It’s downright addictive.
‘ENJOY THE SILENCE is the best synth riff ever. ‘Playing With Knives’ also springs to mind 😊
The riff in Enjoy the silence is on guitar
There we go, thank god there is a depeche mode fan to recognize this too. Never Let Me Down Again is another.
@@astropolia no, the response to the riff is on the guitar 😊
@@WARTV-dn5fk No. It's a guitar 🙂 th-cam.com/video/-1U2w08wLkg/w-d-xo.html
@@astropolia No, it’s a synth ‘stab’ then a guitar 😊
While I love quite a few of these for me it will always be Cars by Gary Numan as my favourite Synth riff. The haunting "wobbly sound" of the entire song is beyond anything.
That's a good one as well.
Ah yes the song that sprung "New Wave" on an unsuspecting world. Great tune.
If James Brown is the godfather of soul, Michael the king of pop and Elvis the king of rock n roll. Then without doubt Gary is the progenitor of synth.
@@tonygarratt5832 In a way yes but don't forget about Kraftwerk. Who where one of the biggest and earliest band to the Electronic music genre. A lot of the Synth-pop band/artist of the 80's like New Order, A-Ha, Gary Numan, Ultravox, Eurythmics, Giorgio Moroder, and many others where influenced by Kraftwerk. Also Kraftwerk was inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 for the Early influencers. But other than that Gary Numan hasn't really made a big impact for the Synth-pop genre. But with his major success and at the peak of his popularity in the early 80's he didn't have that many super popular single hits other than a few songs like Cars, Are Friends Electric, and a few others. But after that his popularity slowly declined.
@@michael1234252 You're quite right. This is why I chose the word progenitor rather than king or godfather, he paved the way. Showed many others who had more critical acclaim and commercial success, the power and possibility of synth music. Let us not forget where would any of the artists mentioned be without Bach for example, just for the record my favourite from that genre is and always will be Mozart.
Thomas Dolby, She Blinded Me With Science.
That song features great synthesizer work.
I heard Doctor Doctor by Thompson Twins when I rode The Gravitron. I felt like I was in a space movie, zero and all. Wonderful experience
Donna Summer's 1977 hit "I feel love" got me hooked on synth. Of course, my fave synth artist from the 80s is Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran, especially his work on Arcadia. Of course, can't rule out Howard Jones' hits or back home here in Canada, Kim Mitchell's "All We Are".
if Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco, IMO Giorgio Moroder was the godfather of EDM
Donna Summer??? You must've meant GIORGIO MORODER.
@@hindsighter @Kevin Tanaka Yes, I stand corrected. I looked it up properly to find out who actually "composed" the song. You both are right. I just learned its name by its singer and title when I was a child so I never followed up. But yes, a lot of famous singers, like Donna Summer, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, had songs written for them. I think Celine out of this group actually credits the composer when she performs the songs live whether it be Plamadon, James Horner, David Foster, etc.
Giorgio Moroder - I probably heard of his work in the 70s/80s but I'd probably never know his name. At least, I know now so thank you both
Exactly - “I feel love” was a huge hit because of .Giorgio Moroder’s genius
"Things Can Only Get Better" is still one of my favorite 80's synth wave songs.
I'm going to go with "Don't Go" as my favorite. I used to play the sequenced part by hand back in the 80s, because my old analog synth didn't have a sequencer. :)
As long as it’s the Todd Terry remix!
I have never liked "Don't Go", but Yazoo's "Sweet Thing" is one of the most incredible songs from 80s synth-pop era.
I concur. But anything Vince Clarke
I made a 45 minute tape cover of this for my brother because he wouldn't stop playing it. 😅
I love "Sweet Dreams" and "Golden Brown" for their complex rhythmic pattern.
I liké 1to5
Hard to nail down the top 10 of all time... but this is a classic list of rifts that will stand the test of time. Great selection!
Definitely needs Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough - certainly one of the most catchy and world wide memorable riffs.
Please no, you did understand something wrong.
Autobahn by Kraftwerk is the #1 for me - the rhythmic delay on the bass line, plus the major third harmony on the main melody is so cool
Hell yeah trans Europe Express
I listened to Kraftwerk in the late 80s
@@patriotrob7066 Check out The Mix released in 1990 if you haven't.
Had a “quadrophonic” version of this in the late 70’s. Wish I still had it today. The entire Autobahn album is classic!
My personal fav- love on a Real Train by Tangerine Dream. They, along with Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Jean Michael Jarre, OMD, Art of Noise, Men Without Hats, Flock of Seagulls and many others.
You need a part two. Even just for including chameleon 😊
Visage - Fade to grey and Kraftwerk - The model should be added to that list. Maybe in a top 15 list
If you mean 'The Motto', I feel like it's too early to tell though... obviously epic, especially with its multi-tiered simplicity, but top 10? Not sure at this time.
Oh, you meant Kraftwerk, The Model... um, not agreeing. Great, but NOT top 10.
More of a bass line than a riff but I agree, Visage are oft forgotten in the scheme of things
Europe Endless is my favourite Kraftwerk riff it just sounds so majestic and sweeping.
@@1norwood1 Europe Endless and Endless Endless are simply Franz Schubert with lyrics. I really like how one song was turned into three, though, like taking an idea and running with it.
Far too many great synth riffs to count, but I'd definitely say Fade to Grey by Visage and The Model by Kraftwerk are among my favourites.
Me too such great tunes in my top10 for sure
Yes. Das Model is definitely iconic. As well as Trans Europe Express, Radioactivity, Autobahn and a whole slew of other songs. Modern electronic music owes its existence to Kraftwerk, as well as Hip Hop on account of Afrika Bambaata's Planet Rock
Fade to Grey is stolen from Being Boiled by The Human League
th-cam.com/video/bRC9K7iLUAw/w-d-xo.html
Edgar Winter Group: Frankenstein, Jean-Michel Jarre: Oxygene (which I am convinced was based on Pink Floyd's Obscured By Clouds), not to mention all those other great riffs mentioned below
This was a fun watch. I’m a fan of Saga’s On the Loose riff. I loved how you described the waveform construction.
"Oxygene" (J. M. Jarre)
"Peter Gunn" (ELP)
"Pepper Box" (Peppers)
"Conquest of paradise" (Vangelis)
"I feel love" (Donna Summer)
"Fade to Grey" (Visage)
Please enlighten me, where is the repetitive synthesizer riff hook in Conquest of Paradise? and Oxygene? You guys don't know what a synth riff is.
What about the one that goes der derderder derrrr derderderder derrrr der der der der derrrr?
Isn't Peter Gunn actually a guitar riff?
@@rabarebra if u dont know, i suggest listen to oxygene once again, also, theres not one but more of oxygene, like 19 parts, or i dont know how many, but i think he means the 4th one, theres like 2 iconic riffs maybe even 3 in there, that repeats so if going by ur deffinition, wwhat a riff is, it does just that, but sure. Even like Equinoxe 5 is epic and great riff. sure its nowhere near probably the fame of these in this video, still i think so great. Also who cares JMJ is epic. Vangelis, well probably the piano riff but i dont think that would actually qualify as synth riff. only if as piano played on synth. still it is there. Go and listen. It is repeating and its i think quite iconic. But whatever. I like music, not just riffs.
Jean-Michel Jarre is truly the Godfather of Synthesizers!
Few others:
Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth - lead
Depeche Mode - Strangelove - lead
Berlin - Take My Breath Away - bass
Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme - both lead and pads
Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone - bass
Kool and the Gang - Summer Madness - lead
Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise - lead
Toto - Africa - pads
Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks Theme - bass
Scooter - How Much Is The Fish - lead
Sash - Adelante - leads
U96 - Das Boot - leads
Robert Miles - Children - lead
Bomfunk MC's - Freestyler - lead
Bomfunk MC's - Uprocking Beats - lead
ATB - 9 pm - lead
Modern Talking - You're My Heart You're My Soul 98 - lead
Sandstorm - it is amazing how you managed to set the right sound on this beauty! My favourites are Sweet Dreams and Popcord. Jump is also great. 🎉
So much good stuff here. Out of this list my vote goes to "Don't Go" just because it starts simple then slams. As mentioned its a tiny melody that just repeats over and over thus staying pure to the concept.
The intro for Elton John's Funeral for a Friend is my all time favorite synthesizer piece. He opened the show with it when I saw him live in 1980 in Dallas. A moment I'll never forget!
Man that is a powerful piece of music! Thank you for the reminder
An OB-Xa was used on „Jump“, as Eddie had told Guitar World (February 2014): „I wrote Jump on a Sequential Circuits Prophet-10 in my bedroom while the studio was being built. Everytime I got the sound that I wanted on the right-hand split section of the keyboard, it would start smoking and pop a fuse. I got another one and the same thing happened. A guy I knew said I should try an Oberheim OB-Xa, so I bought one of those and got the sound I wanted.“
cool!
Cara! vc proporciona cada viagem no tempo pra gente, que vc não faz idéia, muitíssimo obrigado!
You hit almost all of my top synth riffs I could think of as I don't think of them out of context, and then to order them I'd have to get a poll going and average them out.
En la lista hay varios de mis riffs favoritos, pero aquí dejo otros 10:
1. Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 4
2. Vangelis -Blade Runner (End Titles)
3. Depeche Mode - Just can't get enough
4. The Human League - (Keep feeling) Fascinación
5. Ryan Paris - Dolce Vita
6. The Twins - Face to face, heart to heart
7. Yazoo - Situation
8. Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme
9. Falco - Rock me, Amadeus
y 10. (El tono de llamada de mi smartphone 😂) Dire Straits - Walk of life
Jean Michel Jarre 100%
Jan Hammer -Crockett's Theme should be one every top ten synth song list ever....
You're forgetting Tangerine Dream, Tim Blake and Astral Projection. I recommend listening to Love on a real Train by Tangerine dream ,Synthese Interpronel by Tim Blake and Nilaya by Astral Projection as the top 3 Electronic tracks of all time. If you haven't heard them, message me and I'll send you the links!
Kraftwerk - Computerliebe
A synthesizer top ten list without Kraftwerk is simply incomplete.
How about OMD, several rifs there...for one Electricity... or the famous Joan of arc.
The iconic Faithless Insomnia is definitely missing from this list! Just because it's from a decade later (not 80's but 90's) it is still one of the best sound character I ever heard on a synth.
Finally! Insomnia flattens them all!
I was gonna post the same thing, and add snap, rhythm is a dancer and real McCoy runaway
I was expecting the first place 😕
Memories of 72hr long rave "recovery parties"
🤗
Sister Bliss
Great video! You are a whole octave more energetic I will ever be! ;)
Such an amazing video, as a synthesizer lover an electronic/dance music fan and a music producer, I loved everything. I wish you were my music teacher!!
Outstanding list. Here's some of my picks for synth riffs and rhythms in no particular order.
Gary Numan: Cars, Are Friends Electric
ELP: Fanfare for the Common Man, Karn Evil 9
Genesis: Abacab, The Brazilian
OMD: Messages, 2nd Thought, Stand Above Me, History of Modern
Journey: Separate Ways
Loverboy: Take Me To The Top. Truly Awesome synth into!
Saga: On the Loose (synth solo)
Styx: Fooling Yourself
Alan Parsons Project: I Robot, The Raven (vocoder)
The Cars: Let's Go, Moving in Stereo
Kraftwerk: The Model, Metropolis, Electric Cafe
Georgio Moroder: The Chase, I Feel Love with Donna Summer
Benny Andersson of ABBA: The Visitors, Elaine, Me and I, Lay All Your Love on Me, I Am the City, The Day Before You Came, Under Attack, You Owe me One, Keep an Eye on Dan, No Doubt About It..... you can say I like ABBA just a little bit. ;-)
Led Zeppelin: All My Love, In the Evening. In Through the Outdoor was recorded at ABBA's - Polar Music's then new state of the art studio.
Good list too - made me do a bit of nostalgic listening. The only addition I would make is the David Whittaker/Zombie Nation 'Kerncraft 400' riff.
@@profpep Thanks! I'll go give it a listen!
Eggsacklee. LOVERBOY'S Take Me to the Top is one of the best synthesiser sounds and intros to a song EVER. In all honesty , it's my favourite. And I'm a huge fan of Isao Tomita. A Synthesiser Giant.
What an amazing well-thought-out list and credits for the comment additions. I too like ABBA just a little bit, now I think about it....
Some philistine killjoys might say "it's a sign of a misspent youth", but I think exactly the opposite - it's a sign of a well-spent life to have enjoyed so much great music. I'm sure you could spend hours expounding upon ALL of these songs, so I won't, but just mention that Aaron Copland's 'Fanfare For The Common Man' is positively hair-raising when heard from an orchestra. There is something EXTRA about real live music.
We are lucky to live in a world with music.
Ahh, never enough ABBA synth songs, is there?
Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is one of my favourite, if you make a part 2 that should definitely be there.
Electricity too
@@marcelopose Yes ,just been listening to that on Spotify
I does have a catchy riff not a popular song though
I love playing this one on my keyboard along with the song.
Talking Loud and Clear is another I'd say would be good enough to make the top 50
This just made me smile. Thank you
love them all but, sandstorm and final countdown never gets old
My own top 10, in no particular order
1) Kraftwerk - The Model
2) Herbie Hancock - Chameleon (the bass synth made me pick up a dual osc synth similar to the Odyssey)
3) Hiromi Uehara - Return of Kung-Fu World Champion
4) Tycho - Awake
5) Cosmos - Spiral Dream
6) Nine Inch Nails - The Hand that Feeds (solo)
7) Yellow Magic Orchestra - Rydeen
8) Rammstein - Du Hast
9) Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone
10) Enya - Orinoco Flow
And from your top 10, my favorite is Take On Me. Love playing the bass part on the DX7.
Who?
Tycho-Awake. Spurious, its mainly guitar and bass.
@@hurlockisgod quite aware of that, for sure. I like the end where it is played by a synth.
Excellent list - even when I don't know everything on it! Rydeen: absolutely! Orinoco flow: yess! From Alice Deejay I would choose Will I Ever, that oldskool pop trance lead with overly happy chord progression and synthpads... Okay I see it now, the trance lead is not so big alone :)
That riff from Du Hast was my ringtone for a while :D
This was ridiculously FANTASTIC!!!! I never realized how complex that Eurythmics riff was…and I’m old! LOL Thank you Dr. Mix!!
Same here. Don't feel too bad. I didn't even know until I watched this video that the song was sung by Annie Lennox.
Hi Dr Mix. During COVID I watched you like everyday… for hours and hours.. and I don’t play music. It was just so fascinating to see how the music I loved was being made. I missed watching you the last year or so and seeing this video makes want to go back and watch the whole past year of videos. 😊
BTW Sandstorm is the sound of pregame hockey warmups, time just before face offs and anytime the ref might be talking to the scorekeepers !
Hello Dr Mix! Love the riff from Human League's Don't You Want Me. Would love to see another greatest riffs video with that riff covered? Thanks for great videos!!!!
Emerson Lake and Palmer ; "Lucky Man". 1970, mid teens, the sweep from mid to high to low, blew my melancholy mind away !!!
It was a watershed moment, for sure, nothing like it before and almost nothing since, but a riff it wasn't.
The whole solo was a single, gloriously evolving musical journey. A riff is a quick pirouette.
Keith Emerson made the synthesizer a fundamental tool of rock when the Emerson Lake and Palmer single Lucky Man charted in the top 50 globally in 1970. It changed everything. By the time of the release of the Album Brain Salad Surgery he was the preeminent synthesizer keyboardist. A sin to exclude ELP.
I was thinking the same ELP should be on the list.
Love ELP. But this is a list of pop earworms, so to speak. ELP, though great, doesn't fit here.
Ya, Keith wasn't really writing riffs for a living. Half of what he did was interpreting and arranging other artists original works with his own flair and the pieces he did write were not riff driven like pop music is (although there is some of that in ELP's work, but much of that is Lake's guitar work.)
Does not Kaen Evil 9 count for an earworm?
@@jamesvos4769 The vocal, maybe. Not the synth riff.
As much as I used to love playing the Axel F theme as a teen back then, Sweet Dreams is the best - beautifully lush and so eloquently syncopated!
i just bought a mininova. its small but powerful , your channel lets me learn and enjoy the world of synths . ty
Obsession by Animotion has a legendary synth riff. It was used for many years as the intro music for the formula one commercial on eurosport channel. The song is great, and gives a heart beat from the very first seconds.
Nice thing I think about this song is that the vocals are really slow over the speed of the sequencer. And of course that synth riff 😉
definitely a top 5 riff, in my view
I thought for sure that I would have heard the song Frankenstein by Edgar Winter. That whole song is crazy with synthensizer. Not to mention that Edgar is not only playing synth but he's also playing saxophone and a second drum part with the drummer on the song. The true definition of multi talented. Check out the live version if you really want to see something crazy.
Agreed. I watched a live version once while down a late-night TH-cam music rabbit hole and was blown away.
Many good memories. Thanks for your skills and enthusiasm.
Tubeway Army (Gary Numan) kicked it all off for me with "Are 'Friends' Electric?" Such a great riff running throughout that track, right from the opening bar.
Where are Mike Oldfield, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk?
How you can leave off ELPs Lucky Man and it's synth outro solo is criminal. It was probably the first of it's kind and has never been duplicated.
The story goes that Keith had just gotten the Moog and after hearing the song decided to "experiment" with it while recording. This "experiment" is what we hear at the end of the song! Truth! RIP Keith and Greg and thanks for the music!
i love it how hes smiling when he plays
loved this video, incredible list Doc
Nice list. Of course there are many other great synth riffs that are iconic. Some of my favorites in no particular order:
1. Don't you want me - Human League
2. Fool's overture - Super Tramp
3. Spiral - Vangelis
4. Arpegiator - Jean Michel Jarre
5. Cars - Gary Numan
6. Das Model - Kraftwerk
7. Crockett's theme - Jan Hammer
8. Vamos a la Playa - Righeira
9. Starlette - The B.B.&Q band
10. Dolce Vita - Ryan Paris
11. Heaven in my Hands - Level 42
12. Separate ways - Journey
13. I wear my sunglasses at night - Corey Hart
14. Magnetic fields Part 2 - Jean Michel Jarre
15. Abacab - Genesis
This makes a nice playlist.
@@Peter_S_ Thanks!
Lets throw some Ice House / Flower for good measure there too :) Awesome list
@@HarrySinanian Good one, I like it! I didn't know that track from them. I only knew "Hey little girl" and "Crazy".
@@MacXpert74 we can even stretch to Split Enz getting in on the synth act too... there's no end to the goodness :)
Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is fairly iconic for those of us who know it.
Can't agree more, Joy division deserves the first place. And doing a show about synth riffs and not mentioning KRAFTWERK, just wrong. Fuck the final countdown
It’s important and Joy Division / New Order are my favorite band. But I would say that Love Will Tear Us Apart has Peter Hook leading on bass (in fact that is how the song started) with Bernard Sumner following the same notes on his ARP Omni (Solina string ensemble according to some other sources). And I generally admire Barney far more than Hooky but LWTUA is definitely driven more so by Hooky’s bass + Ian’s lyrics than by Barney’s synth.
You can dance if you want to? Canadian genius.
that song is made on a template of 'strangers in the night'
@@sexypoetry I think Peter Hook was definitely inspired, even if he doesn't realize it himself.
I want a second part including a Depeche Mode, Erasure, Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Kitaro, Yes, ELP, Pet Shop Boys and many more epic synth riffs... ELP... You're runnin' with the devil it's touch and go
Vince Clark is definitely your man.
I love this guys enthusiasm for synths!
Oh that OBX bass is just so juicy...
The best synth “riff” ever has got to be Are “Friends” Electric. Instantly recognizable.
True it really should be on here, I think “The Call Up” by the clash should also maybe be on here
''Metal' and 'Cars' have amazing riffs as well
Only riff I can actually play.
Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" should definitely be on the list. Thanks for sharing!
Where is the riff in that?
@@rabarebra Yeah, there's a lot of folks here who clearly don't know what "a riff" is.
It has to be a short melodic phrase. A solo lead part.
They are naming great synth parts - such as "I Feel Love" which, for sure, is majorly significant in the whole evolution of music - but, ah, it's not "a riff".
@@klaxoncow A riff can be a chord pattern hook. In the West End Girls thing, they mean it is a bass hook, but that would go under "greatest bass lines of all time" which it ain't.
Mad Video!!🥰 I had a Juno 1 and always thought until couples of years ago that the main melody of Ah Ha - Take on Me... was the DX7
Jump, Axel F, Rokit, Ghost Busters, Sweet Dreams and The Final Countdown. I remember a lot of synth in music as I was coming of age in the 80's. A friend of mine was thrilled when his parents got him a synthesizer. I believe it was a Roland. I used to sit and listen to him as he explored what it could do. Fun times!
Are ‘Friends’ Electric? by Tubeway Army is an absolute masterpiece. It contains not just one, but several of the best riffs of all time.
Good god I completely forgot about that track, I love it to bits. The spoken word bit in the middle is incredible.
Popcorn was a "speciality" numbers treated as a gimmick when it was released Newman really lead the use of synths in a "serious" record
I like the concert vid with his daughters, and the crowd really interacts th-cam.com/video/Uw-p5KDrfNY/w-d-xo.html
My all time favourite synth tune.
Well let's face it Numan is the Synth God.
Some of My favourites are tom Sawyer and subdivisions, both from RUSH. I love this songs so much
I recreated really close to the original EVH's OB-X tune with the OB-Xa from Arturia. It's on my instagram
Thanks for the Europe tune! I really needed for my "Hollywood" project!
Thanks!
Oh, I almost forgot! Lead synth for Journey's "Separate Ways"! I've done it here with Juno-60
Great video! My personal favs are Inner City with ‘Big Fun’ and Crystal Waters with ‘Gypsy Woman’
“Situation” from Yazoo is also a classic. And “Fascinated” from Company B. 😄
Axel F is my favourite. Brings back 1980s memories. But there were so many amazing riffs in 1980s it's hard to single one out!
there are two types of people who like Axel F:
the beverly hills cops fans
and
the monsters vs aliens fans
Here's some of my favorites:
Nu Shooz - I can't wait
Thomas Dolby - Blinded Me With Science
Billy Preston - Outa-Space
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Human League - Human
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
- Wordy Rappinghood
Parliament - Mothership Connection
Donald Fagen - New Frontier
The Whispers - Keep on Loving Me
Awesome video. It would be great to have a version of the top synth solos of all time featuring the likes of In Jeopardy and Tren Al Sur.
I would have moved ‘Jump’ to number one! Another suggestion - Faithless ‘Insomnia’. Can’t get a bigger more epic synth lead!
horrible
@@giannagiavelli5098 I suppose sandstorm is better? 🤣
@@giannagiavelli5098 YOU are
@@01ryan10 I posted my list of 5 much more important songs
I love synthesizers! This is a great Top 10, they're all Iconic. Here's some more I can think of:
David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
Depeche Mode - Just Can't get Enough
New Order - Confusion
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay
A Flock Of Seagulls - Wishing
Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
The Prodigy - Voodoo People
Bananarama - Cruel Summer
Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme
John Foxx - Underpass
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Kraftwerk - Computer Love
Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses
Simple Minds - Theme For Great Cities
Yazoo - Situation
Yazoo - Nobody's Diary
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Behind The Mask
BBE - Seven Days And One Week
The Beloved - Sweet Harmony
Enya - Orinoco Flow
Hall & Oates - Out Of Touch
Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene Part 4
Vangelis - Blade Runner End Titles
Linkin Park - Numb
Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise
Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night
The Cars - Drive
Irene Cara - Flashdance ... What A Feeling
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
Rod Stewart - Da Ya Think I'm Sexy
Roxette - Listen To Your Heart
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme
The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
The Human League - Don't You Want Me
Lipps Inc - Funkytown
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone
Mike Oldfield - Foreign Affair
Brad Fiedel - Terminator Theme
John Carpenter - Escape From New York Theme
Underworld - Born Slippy
Damn solid list.
Great, but no Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson??
Man, what a great list
Someone reply to this so I remember to come back and copy this lol
@@CleverMetaphor replied
Thank you. It would have driven me crazy to identify some of these riffs.
The final countdown is just so clever. Great video
The only other person I have ever heard dicuss how the sound is formed from differing shaped waves would have been an interview I once saw with Vince Clark (Depeche Mode, The Assembly, Yazoo and Eurasure) - the knig of synth pop. So enjoyable
Jan Hammer Crockett's theme, Jean Michel Jarre Magnetic Fields Pt 2, or Oxygene Pt. 4, Vangelis Chariots of Fire or Blade Runner - End Titles, Yello The Race, New Order Confusion(long version), Joy Division Love will tear us Apart, KraftWerk The Model just to name few of the top of my head, that I think should be on Top synthesizer riff list :)
Yello - Bostich :)
And of cource - Vangelis. I missed that one. 👌
The sounds are iconic. It would be interesting to know what (if any) decision making process there was for the actual sound used for any of these great songs.
e.g.
Was it driven by what was available when writing the song, or what was in the studio when recording?
Were they factory presets (I believe that the "Jump" sound was a preset) or created? (no problem with presets!)
Thanks for this great video Dr Mix 🙂
Popcorn is such a masterpiece - that humming and buzzing in the background give it such a warm feeling, wich every coverversion is missing. I also would include Kraftwerks "Radioactivity", Zombie Nation "Kernkraft 400" and of course, "Insomnia" from Faithless
Great video love these iconic riffs, would like to have seen " Save a Prayer " by Duran Duran in there. Nick Rhodes killer haunting arpeggio intro and pitch bend warble.
That's my pick as well.
Yes, but I think what defines the list is the 'staying power' of the riff. As such, while I LOVE the riff, my opine is to posit dissent.
And let's get really real... this is a prototype to Rio. If ya gonna suggest any DD song, Rio is THE killer App.
The best ever
@@charlescycholl2253 true Rio is a classic also, the track has such energy
One of my faves is Africa by Toto. Also, one of my fave Synthesizers is the Ensoniq ESQ-1. I used to play it almost every day for hours. I currently have a Yamaha Motif XS8.
My best synthesizer riff is Aha's Take On Me - so energetic, youthful, exciting and full of life. Thanks for the video.
"Stuff Like That" = best funky riff ever.