I don't think the new album is perfect or anything, but I think its a decent album. It actually makes sense in terms of a musical direction, which I think load -> st anger didn't make much sense because it didn't sound like Metallica. This new album has a definite pre-enter sandman Metallica vibe to it, with enough of it sounding fresh but not reinventing. There are at least 3 songs that I feel really comfortable saying that they are good Metallica songs. A couple songs are just lame, and the rest are listenable. I'd recommend it. I don't think this song is bad, its just kind of pointless, and the video definitely could be better, as it looks like it was shot over a weekend out in Mojave, but hey, its Metallica \m/

Anyone catch the "Enter Sandman" riff at 1:51. Cracked me up.

I am very strongly against the rage against the machine "riff" on this list. On the basis of the riff itself it's garbage. I am not familiar with the track, so maybe it is totally rockin'- but it's not rockin because of a so-cool-best-ever-omg-killer guitar riff. One chord and a wah-wah pedal do NOT a "riff" make.

That having been said, I would also scrap Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, and Lynyrd Skynyryr from the list. Mr. I have too many ys in my name is a very very catchy riff, but DAMMIT that's not rock- it's country!!!

... what's that? Oh this isn't just for rock?

Shit, well that opens up a whole new bag of cats now doesn't it?

What about
Mason Williams - Classical Gas
Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing
Andres Segovia - "Asturias"

Or even programmed guitar- how about Ministry - TV II, or Nitzer Ebb - Murderous?

OK, so nobody will ever pick those, I agree. I'm just saying, if you want to have a list, you've got to pare it down SOMEHOW. Just rock, or just metal, or something.

But whatever, as was pointed out, nobody will ever agree with a list, and while there are GLARING deficiencies with this one (in my opinion), my strongest beef with with rage against the machine. That isn't a riff. It's a chord and a wah pedal. argh.

Other than that, the list needs Metallica (Enter Sandman or Master of Puppets), probably at least one more beatles (Come Together, or birthday), some CCR (Suzy Q), and some floyd (Another Brick in the Wall, the trippy trippy floaty guitar riff at the beginning of shine on you crazy diamond, money, any of a dozen more), and probably at least one doors and one santana track.

Then change the Jimi to Voodoo Chile (slight return), and AC/DC to highway to hell (or just get rid of ACDC altogether) and we'll have a much better list.

OK!

Very few of this are riffs and most of them certainly ain't cool.
So here's my list of the coolest guitar riffs.

1. Led Zeppelin - Whole lotta Love (Coolest riff ever, end of story forever and ever amen)

2. Jimi Hendrix - Foxy Lady (just plain damn cool)

3. The Troggs - Wild Thing (The Definition of cool guitar)

4. Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze

5. Metallica - Enter Sandman

6. The Doors - Peace Frog (Rage against the Machine ripped this off for bulls on Parade)

7. The Beatles - Come Together (More a bass guitar riff but still damn cool)

8. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

9. Collective Soul - Where the river flows

10. Cream - Sunshine of your love

11. Creedence Clearwater Revival - I heard it through the grapevine

12. Fleetwood Mac - Oh Well

13. Kasabian - Club Foot

14. Oasis - Wonderwall

15. Queen - Now I'm Here (Who knew Queens could be cool?)

16. Radiohead - Paranoid Android (The best piece of music Radiohead ever made)

17. U2 - One

18. Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick

19. Metallica - Whisky in the Jar (I prefer it to the Thin Lizzy Version)

20. Deep Purple - Smoke on the water

Yeah, Richard's first CD was cheaply produced and basically sounded like it was made on a Casio.
Every CD since has been recorded with an actual jazz combo, and the arrangements are brilliant. (You have not lived until you hear "Enter Sandman" merged with "Mr. Sandman".)