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The Joy of the Guitar Riff

Documentary tracing the ebb and flow of the guitar riff - the DNA of rock 'n' roll - over the last 60 years of popular music, from Chuck Berry through to The White Stripes.

The guitar riff is the DNA of rock 'n' roll, a double helix of repetitive simplicity and fiendish complexity on which its history has been built. From Chuck Berry through to The White Stripes, this documentary traces the ebb and flow of the guitar riff over the last 60 years of popular music. With riffs and stories from an all-star cast including Brian May, Dave Davies, Hank Marvin, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, Tony Iommi, Robert Fripp, Johnny Marr, Nancy Wilson, Kevin Shields, Ryan Jarman, Tom Morello and many more. Narrated by Lauren Laverne.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 13 Apr 2018 22:30
BBC Four

Clips

See all clips from The Joy of the Guitar Riff (2)

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    AC/DC

    Back In Black

  • 00:01

    The Kinks

    You Really Got Me

  • 00:01

    Brian May

    Bohemian Rhapsody

  • 00:01

    Michael Jackson

    Beat It

  • 00:02

    Johnny Marr

    This Charming Man

  • 00:02

    Nirvana

    Smells Like Teen Spirit

  • 00:02

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    5th Symphony 

    Orchestra: New York Philharmonic. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.
  • 00:02

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    1812 Overture

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Sian Edwards.
  • 00:02

    Howlin’ Wolf

    Smokestack Lightnin' 

  • 00:03

    Muddy Waters

    Mannish Boy

  • 00:04

    Chuck Berry

    Johnny B Goode

  • 00:05

    Little Richard

    Lucille 

  • 00:07

    Chuck Berry

    Johnny B. Goode

  • 00:10

    Link Wray

    Rumble

  • 00:11

    The Shadows

    F.B.I

  • 00:12

    The Shadows

    Apache

  • 00:14

    The Kinks

    You Really Got Me

  • 00:16

    The Who

    I Can't Explain 

  • 00:16

    The Rolling Stones

    (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

  • 00:17

    Led Zeppelin

    Communication Breakdown

  • 00:18

    The Kinks

    You Really Got Me

  • 00:18

    Black Sabbath

    Black Sabbath

  • 00:21

    Black Sabbath

    War Pigs 

  • 00:23

    King Crimson

    21st Century Schizoid Man (incl. Mirrors)

  • 00:24

    King Crimson

    Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part 2 

  • 00:24

    King Crimson

    Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part 1 

  • 00:24

    Yes

    Roundabout 

  • 00:25

    Giacomo Puccini

    Madame Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo 

  • 00:26

    Queen

    Bohemian Rhapsody

  • 00:28

    Queen

    Tie Your Mother Down

  • 00:29

    Deep Purple

    Smoke On The Water

  • 00:31

    Thin Lizzy

    The Boys Are Back In Town

  • 00:31

    Aerosmith

    Walk This Way 

  • 00:31

    AC/DC

    Highway to Hell 

  • 00:32

    The Runaways

    Cherry Bomb 

  • 00:32

    Thin Lizzy

    The Boys Are Back In Town

  • 00:33

    The Runaways

    Cherry Bomb

  • 00:33

    The Runaways

    Wasted 

  • 00:35

    Heart

    Barracuda

  • 00:36

    Funkadelic

    I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody Got a Thing

  • 00:36

    Chic

    Le Freak

  • 00:38

    Chic

    Good Times

  • 00:38

    The Sugarhill Gang

    Rapper's Delight

  • 00:38

    Queen

    Another One Bites the Dust 

  • 00:39

    The Clash

    This Is Radio Clash

  • 00:39

    INXS

    Need You Tonight

  • 00:41

    Michael Jackson

    Beat It

  • 00:43

    Bon Jovi

    Livin' on a Prayer 

  • 00:43

    Def Leppard

    Photograph 

  • 00:45

    The Smiths

    This Charming Man

  • 00:46

    The Smiths

    What Difference Does It Make? 

  • 00:46

    The Smiths

    Nowhere Fast 

  • 00:47

    Sonic Youth

    Silver Rocket 

  • 00:48

    My Bloody Valentine

    Breathe 

  • 00:50

    My Bloody Valentine

    To Here Knows When

  • 00:51

    Mötley Crüe

    Girls Girls Girls 

  • 00:51

    Poison

    Unskinny Bop 

  • 00:52

    Nirvana

    Smells Like Teen Spirit

  • 00:55

    The Kinks

    You Really Got Me

  • 00:55

    King Crimson

    21st Century Schizoid Man (incl. Mirrors)

  • 00:56

    The White Stripes

    Seven Nation Army

Credits

Director Sam Bridger
Producer Sam Bridger
Narrator Lauren Laverne

Broadcasts

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