1990s: A Timeline of Guitar Riffs

[@bloxsy_]

Anyone for 2000 - 2009 Riffs? I have to admit I'm struggling to think of ones for this, especially from the later half of the decade!

[@xrostr2K09]

I think I have some for 2000-2002 2000: Linkin Park - One Step Closer Coldplay - Yellow (or Shiver, Don't Panic, either one of those three) Deftones - Korea (or Passenger idfk) Disturbed - Down With The Sickness U2 - Elevation 2001: System Of A Down - Aerials Tool - Parabola Static-X - Get To The Gone Rammstein - Sonne Radiohead - Knives Out They Might Be Giants - Boss Of Me 2002: Audioslave - Cochise Chevelle - The Red Interpol - Obstacle 1 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop Coldplay - Warning Sign

[@quadclaw]

Three days grace. Breaking benjamin. Seether. Red. Escape the fate. Alter bridge. Theory of a deadman. Bullet for my valentine.

[@apb7772]

Always down for your picks. Only place i came come listen to riffs and find i own all the albums plus a few surprises .

[@TR-ru7wl]

Anything by bloc party

[@flodfellow]

Listen to some name that tune videos from that time period

[@immaw535]

I'm a man of simple identity, I see pixies, I give it a thumbs up.

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks dude

[@eloymn5739]

Thumbs up to you, man

[@TalkingToBirds]

​@@eloymn5739 same here

[@tokivikerness8863]

We know your simple. Going for the most low hanging fruit comment is all the evidence we need.

[@r3n4t007]

I want my 90s back

[@numsiskit]

Such an underrated decade

[@granap]

God bless the mid 90's

[@kkrsnn5632]

I want my classic MTV

[@faqugang4527]

I'm 17 and I wish I could be born in the 90s

[@allantucker4972]

Fucking oath

[@richardmangan6018]

Man, 90s was so perfect for guitar music. Whether you were into britpop, pop-punk, grunge, metal, or alternative indie it had it all. Wish we could go back❤

[@greysnake2903]

Shoegaze

[@brycebonilla4288]

I almost fell out of my chair when I heard Outshined. Such an amazing opening riff.

[@bloxsy_]

It's awesome

[@melrupinski88]

Agreed, but I’m also a bit surprised Spoonman didn’t get the nod for ‘94. That’s another iconic, awesome riff.

[@DeeRuss]

It’s such a good song rest in peace Chris Cornell

[@filippoforni6781]

The tones as always perfectly, deliciously on point

[@BeersAndBeatsPDX]

Even with the thousands of times I've heard Been Caught Stealin i would have never known that was the riff. That song has always been about the vocals for me

[@bloxsy_]

The vocals are great indeed

[@ColtonFultonUK]

I don't recognize it without the dogs barking.

[@-disaster-dimension-]

I knew it instantly.

[@belletraveler1594]

The bass line is really prominent in that song too. I think I would recognize it faster with the bass included.

[@faqugang4527]

Bro literally nailed man in the box tone that I was searching for a month now (acctually to represent this tone more accurately i would suggest palm muting closer to the bridge on the 2 downstrokes after the first one)

[@neonada.official]

Tone from what you hear in the room vs what it sounds like recorded by a mic are two completely different things.

[@kristopherguilbault5428]

You def need a wah and a talk box

[@faqugang4527]

@@kristopherguilbault5428 tru, i will never have a talk box tho, i just dont need it

[@faqugang4527]

@@neonada.official yea, but how is that even connected to what I said lol?

[@matthewgilbert1412]

I’m so happy to see Alice In Chains and Soundgarden on the list

[@willsmith3787]

literally not even a week ago I searched up “90s riffs timeline” on youtube and none of them rlly satisfied me, it’s crazy u kinda had the same idea. great vid

[@GregGallagher]

5:14 bro you nailed that guitar tone

[@h.p.brownsaucecraft7966]

You are the only person to play “there’s no other way” correctly to my ear

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks.

[@davidminutella]

would you say there's no other way to play it?

[@raphaelfp]

I'm a britpop guy. But I'm very happy to see My Favourite Mistake and My Own Worst Enemy on this one, their intros don't get enough love. Great selection!

[@danielferrera8773]

My favorite mistake have one of the best intros ever, and Peter Stroud is one of the best unsung guitarists of all time, specially regarding Americana and roots style music.

[@omar.alfonso]

For mi seeing Beetlebum and There's no other Way from Blur and Disco 2000 from Pulp is what bright my britpop heart

[@scottyshot]

90s is my fav decade for music

[@aflodesigns]

how old are you? just hella curious..i hear kids today are all about the 90s now

[@thenonsens]

Music sport ..its the golden era

[@John-nr1tu]

​@aflodesigns I don't know about him but I'm 51 graduated HS in 92. Nineties are definitely my Era and I do miss it. But hey we all miss whatever decade was our late teens an twenties don't we😅

[@heavy_storm5]

Suede are so underrated. Epic video!

[@mungofinalfi4480]

Agreed, but *Suede (Yes, I know they're called The London Suede in the US, but they hate it and I hate it too)

[@heavy_storm5]

@@mungofinalfi4480 My bad.

[@JaneDoeeee]

Stone roses better

[@chickbells]

You're also getting both of Suede's guitarists' riffs here. Metal Mickey is Bernard Butler and the Beautiful Ones is Richard Oakes.

[@deadroses19]

2:33 this man just unintentionally recreated the best smells like teen spirit's tone ive ever heard

[@peivandryks5217]

I missed some REM, Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews Band and Stone Temple Pilots. But still a nice compilation. I'm 36 years old, so I was a kid when most of these melodies came up, but still there's something very nostalgic about this, I have memories of some of them, especially Foo Fighters. Nice video, long live the 90's.

[@Matthew10950]

I was 15 in 1999. This list was my highschool soundtrack. Everlong is my favorite song to this day. First song I ever did in front of other people. I played it for a girl of course...as we all did.

[@Hillelfraenkel]

Truly the best decade for guitar music.

[@r.o.mgamerbr633]

Bullshit.

[@ronmexico1975]

@@r.o.mgamerbr633ok tuff guy.

[@mrturtle3083]

I like that you clarified about GUITAR music, yeah, pretty much it is

[@MW-3002]

70’s too

[@marcosreal11]

Also the 80s with Andy Sommers (The Police), The Edge (U2), Charlie Burchill (Simple Minds), and many others. These guys weren’t just great players but they played the guitar in new, unique ways.

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

As a lad who was born in 1979 and my brother 6 years older, this music is everything we listened to we had every record, apart from Marilyn manson hole and tool third blind eye And suede records, I love everything on this video. So many great riffs. The 90s were amazing

[@ruimadeiraesilva4566]

What a great 90s throwback... I was born in 1996, so I didn't quite experience the (late) 90s as a teenager, but as a small kid, although I have lots of memories of those times and even going to the 2000s, I was still influenced a lot by that era, mainly because of my parents and family who shared a lot of the culture, music, thoughts of those times with me. These songs have some sort of the same sonic characteristics that are exclusive of the decade, maybe because of what the producers were doing at the time. I can't really grasp on why those times felt so much more sincere, honest and simple. Deep down everyone seemed way more connected and content. When Take a Picture starts to play there is an overflow of memories going through my head. Seems like it all happened a week ago... Cheers!

[@randoliof]

Man, the tone on Outshined and Them Bones was on point. So many incredible songs in this

[@jessicabrum9200]

Hell yeah start with velouria

[@bloxsy_]

Yes!

[@KNTRA]

Fkyeah

[@sugmintub]

PIXIES 4 Life.

[@NardBlake]

Dude same! Fav song by them! Just saw them live a few weeks ago and they played it!

[@FingersOnAFretboard]

Ahh to grow up during the true last gasp of guitar on Pop-radio, of top of the Pop Rock bands, and just 'radio' in general for that matter! We kind of took it all for granted as it all imploded and or own kid problems over-shadowed being able to actually appreciate it. Then the malls disappeared, the record stores disappeared, and one by one the musicians too...🥲This was VERY nostalgic and your videos always inspire to play, and appreciate the amazing guitar riffs sometimes hidden in plain sight, yet instantly recognizable and invaluable to so much favorite music

[@michaelwirsching6809]

Nah the 2000s still had some great rock tunes and riffs, from New Metal, Punk, Brit Rock to Garage Rock or other kinds of Alternative Rock. The dominance of Pop started growing, but there was still a lot of Rock in the charts until the late 2000s. Rock music "disappeared" from the mainstream in the 2010s...

[@Matthew10950]

​@michaelwirsching6809 worst debate I've had in years was arguing with some young guy that Mumford and sons wasn't rock and was not carrying on the torch for these nineties and 2000s bands. It wasn't pretty.

[@michaelwirsching6809]

​@@Matthew10950 Well some people think Coldplay and Imagine Dragons kept rock music alive in the 2010s lol Mumford and sons is not that terrible though, based on their first two albums...

[@Matthew10950]

@michaelwirsching6809 They were...a different thing. The first music I listened to as a young teen was nirvana, pearl jam, stp, Alice In chains. In five years it was blink 182, deftones, foo fighters. Five years later it was disturbed, God smack, three days grace (meh) etc. And then it became....unrecognizable. Even the later bands of that era, like Monster Truck seemed derivative and just...non genuine. I do understand that I am the problem, but like every old guy yelling at clouds, I'm not out of touch, it is the children who are wrong!

[@anthonyfinney6326]

THANK YOU for including Lenny Kravitz. I have ZERO clue as to why he isn't included in more amazing riff videos and conversations.

[@pensivepenguin3000]

Kravitz is a hack. Doesn’t have an original bone in his body

[@subparnaturedocumentary]

excellent selections! blur and oasis had so many great jams you can even skip their biggest 2 and still have excellent well known riffs

[@Zbat_theband]

Fuck yeah!! Well done awesome work! When you played “been caught stealing” my brain immediately expected to hear a dog barking ahah

[@sammurphy5680]

Great selection! Loved the vid. Just two glaring omissions 'Motorcycle Emptiness' and 'What's the Frequency, Kenneth?'.

[@PsychoPeto]

Glad The timeline returned, love those videos

[@jaimethomas8064]

ITS EVOLUTION BABY!!!!

[@Conada1002]

Glad you got Silverchair in there Nothing like the 90’s Especially my favourite, the boys from down under

[@juliusseizure324]

Kudos to this list! Even if I don’t care for a few bands, the time travel you pulled off, and the greatness you DID include(Fugazi, the Cure, Jeff Buckley amongst others)was just perfect. And bravo on a LOT of those tones! Just killer, my dude! Thanks! Following you now!

[@harryrobbins6376]

Great to hear Happy Mondays, some underrated guitar music there for sure

[@infoscholar5221]

As a picker myself, and someone who was in college in the early 1990s, this was a real trip down Hard Nostalgia Lane. So much in life is tied up in memories associated with songs. And what an ocean of time ten years can be. Wow.

[@joaocardoso6697]

That elástica riff is basically three girl Rhumba by wire. Cool to see those musical influences over time

[@bloxsy_]

True.

[@polkatronixx]

Thanks for that amazing insight.

[@dave-jk6en]

Wire are cool, I love those bands from that era, XTC, Gang of Four, Devo, Television to name a few

[@jespercervin9618]

And the Beck riff is sampled from Them (Van Morrison's 60's band).

[@joeyarrazolo5227]

The most iconic decade for riffs in my opinion.

[@LimpNoodle17]

Woah. Never realized how complex the riddle from “what’s my age again” actually was. Mad props man

[@yeknommonkey]

Reminds me why it was inevitable I’d start playing guitar back then.

[@steffinrobinson7869]

R.I.P. Jeff Buckley. He doesn't get the amount of attention he deserves

[@stonedage5087]

A brilliant artist, a crazy good guitar player

[@juliusseizure324]

@@stonedage5087amazing vocalist as well. Gone WAY too soon.

[@aclockworkreview]

What an incredible selection of 90s songs

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

The 70s and the 90s were amazing, and the 60s and the 50s and the 00s music is one of the best things humans have created.

[@bloxsy_]

Yeah 1950s - 2000s era of music was something special.

[@jn5122]

OMG I just hit the Airbag-Everlong-My Own Summer-Do The Evolution-Sunday run 🙌🏼👏🏼👊🏼

[@mactgnr]

that was a very very enjoyable vid mate thank you, some absolute belters in there!!

[@antoniopugliese1090]

Your videos always make me wanna play my guitar right away

[@truckercowboyed2638]

The 90s was definitely the decade of grunge and distorted guitars, sprinkled with some jangly, chorus driven pop tones ....

[@JaimeOliveros-xi3io]

Thanks for doing Radiohead's Airbag and Sonic Youth's Sunday. Love those tracks!

[@welldonebrainn]

Awesome to see Grace here. The hammer-on riff that comes after that main riff is wicked too. Great video man!

[@ebyomat]

Wow, Fugazi great cop this real cool stuff man. Thank you for videos!

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you. Yeah love that riff. The original is on bass but I think it works on guitar too.

[@xrostr2K09]

That “High” riff & tone is a real chef’s kiss right there.

[@djh6970]

Nice one Bloxy . Really enjoyed that. Brought back some great memories and showcased some of your beautiful guitars👍

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you!

[@incredibledisc]

Great selection of riffs - very diverse selection and definitely a few of my favourites in there.

[@waymor2460]

For some reason anything Jane’s Addiction has always been like an ice pick thru my eardrums. Loved everything else.

[@TheAdam159]

Outstanding selection of songs and outstanding tones! Very enjoyable. 90s was a great decade for music

[@allantucker4972]

Really enjoyed this bloxsy

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you

[@musicminute2004]

Fantastic as always, what an outstanding selection

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you so much.

[@opiumdennis7249]

Damn! Your tone is spot on, tune after tune! Well done… Metal Mickey too!

[@xxnonstopdancingxx]

Ah back when music had the time and space to grow and develop. It was beautiful. We were so spoiled.

[@mitchsmix269]

Diverse taste, and I love the way you play pixies songs. Fantastic work

[@charlesmaclean6516]

Super fun! Me and my girl turned the monitor off and played 'name that tune.' Suede was an interesting addition, not many people listened to them.

[@bloxsy_]

That’s a good idea!

[@surfwaxcdn]

Total trip down memory lane. Great job on Stockholm Syndrome and Helicopter. Both very difficult. Would have loved to hear a Fred-era Taking Back Sunday riff or a Brand New one.

[@OhItsDazzy]

I’m so happy you started with Velouria 🥹 one of my favorite songs of all time glad it got some recognition.

[@suds3405]

Nice eclectic mix, nailed the tone on all of them aswell

[@stevenconnor4221]

Man how many great songs came out early 90s. I was hesitant to open your video and you hit it on the head with pixies my veloria ..nice. ..smashing turnups, sonic youth. Yass and a suprising lenny krutchfuk I still play that riff lol oh.. forgot RATM and jeff bukley, to think we lived through that time.

[@profmarchioro]

Beautiful ones. I want to learn to play it. Never realised it was such a good riff

[@bloxsy_]

It is and quite tricky too

[@punkimierdasshiet4026]

Yooo my guy bloxsy back at it again!!

[@surfwaxcdn]

Fantastic trip through memory lane. I appreciate the Suede inclusion. Would have loved to have a Catherine Wheel riff in there.

[@JoeGerard-s2m]

The tone is absolutely spot on for every song

[@iwantanxbox8765]

This vid feels like eating cookie dough, cause sometimes I like cookie dough more than a baked cookie. Hearing these riffs isolated from their songs feels like that a bit, makes you appreciate them a lot more, cuz in the songs they just bleed into the rest of the song.

[@intothedragon]

Man this is was so crazy. I saw myself back in my room when I was a teenager. I don’t know how old you are but I’m 42 and this was exactly all the songs I used to jam and play with my band when I was 14 to 17. Also, we like the same Britpop bands. I played Outshined, Man in the box and Killing in the name with my band and we did many shows in my hometown. Thank you for that it brought me really good memories.

[@ppellacani]

THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO ON THE INTERNET AND I CAN PROVE IT

[@arislabra3929]

Had my fix! After listening to all those gorgeous riffs! Thanks for this man! 👍👍👍

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you. 2000s coming very soon

[@Some-kid-called-David]

Great song choices my friend. You’re a talent

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you

[@Qmeister044]

Didn't expect Lit to show up near the end. I only got introduced to them through "Over My Head" which was used in the movie Titan AE lol.

[@adude4491]

Great find tonight. Just what I needed.

[@magamaga1827]

90s really took a nose dive around 1996. been saying that for years. good music kinda came back early 2000s. again

[@pensivepenguin3000]

Yes alternative rock really took a nose dive toward the end of the decade with shit like Third Eye Blind, Matchbox Twenty and Smash Mouth. Thank god bands like The White Stripes and The Strokes came in to save rock in the early 2000s. That was a much needed shot in the arm

[@LaLaGrunge]

@@pensivepenguin3000 And it was all dead again by 2008 with the last of the emo-pop bands.

[@benjammin8510]

@@pensivepenguin3000gotta love the hot takes on YT 😂

[@Gentile108]

I’m a DC native and the Fugazi riff brought back the best memories of my life

[@Black-lq2pb]

Both tone and performance on fucking *point* as usual

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you!

[@drownthepoor]

This was a lot of fun to watch. Great idea for a video, and all of the parts are played well. Also you managed to choose the right guitar out of just 3. The one that surprised me was Blink-182 on the Tele since Tom always played a Strat. For other Strat songs it seemed like you went with the Mutsang.

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you. Yeah I don't have a big collection of guitars to choose. I just choose from the ones I have. Over time hopefully I'll have a few more.

[@drownthepoor]

@@bloxsy_ I am in the same boat. I have a Squier Tele, and more recently a Telecaster-Deluxe HH. I really want an Epiphone set-in neck with HH for heavier stuff, but the Jaguar and Jazzmasters are always speaking to me in the store. I used to play a Epiphone LP Custom II that was very cheap, but sounded great for heavy music. That model's body isn't bulky, and it has a great feel.

[@SlowToe]

Nailed every one. Great selection.

[@MrXenon1995]

Great work mate, love your videos

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks mate. Really appreciate it

[@APAL880]

Cool video, was hoping for some Kyuss or QOTSA. Please throw them in another video if you'd like!

[@boxtrot6435]

Here's my three favourite riffs from each year in the 90's 1990 Story of My Life - Social Distortion Blue Sky Mine - Midnight Oil Kool Thing - Sonic Youth 1991 Come As You Are - Nirvana when you sleep - my bloody valentine Wherever I May Roam - Metallica 1992 Everglade - L7 Iron Head - Helmet Know Your Enemy - Rage Against the Machine 1993 Woolworm/Angry Son - Indian Summer American Jesus - Bad Religion Who Was In My Room Last Night? - Buthole Surfers 1994 Boxcar - Jawbreaker Say It Ain't So - Weezer Possum Kingdom - Toadies 1995 1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins Oh Messy Life - Cap'n Jazz Thorn In My Side - Quicksand 1996 Back And To The Left - Texas Is The Reason Dramamine - Modest Mouse Radiation Vibe - Fountains of Wayne 1997 Hitchin' a Ride - Green Day Everlong - Foo Fighters Buckingham Green - Ween 1998 New Noise - Refused Napoleon Solo - At The Drive In If Only - Queens Of The Stone Age 1999 Blister - Jimmy Eat World 96 Quite Bitter Beings - CKY Never Meant - American Football

[@willsmith3787]

would've loved to hear back and to the left, boxcar, and possum kingdom

[@stucrawford8858]

Kool thing. Sonic Youth. Fukn brilliant!

[@josephlouca1906]

The song selection is outrageously good. I keep waiting for a song that I would skip and it doesn’t happen.

[@melrupinski88]

The riff from “Down” by 311 would have been a good addition to this list. Nothing too fancy, but it’s pretty iconic…and it rocks.

[@ag_deville]

It's good to see My Favorite Mistake included. I don't know who came up with that lick, Sheryl Crow or her guitarist Tim Smith but it's a great guitar song throughout.

[@johnnichols8553]

The songs of my teen years, so many memories. I would have thrown in a Creed riff though, like "My Own Prison".

[@plungiemcgee]

Dude the tones for all of these are spot on! Wish Spacehog's in the meantime was on here, though. Great work dude!

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you!

[@garretta4911]

This guy really does have the best taste out of any of these KZbin guitarists

[@pensivepenguin3000]

Yeah most of these KZbin guitar guys play the same old awful blues rock or metal riffs. This guy actually has taste. If I ran a streaming platform, John Mayer, SRV and Megadeth would be permanently banned lol

[@Jeffy-218]

Amazing video! Love all these songs, great job.

[@Vanillabear4am]

The 1979 riff is probably the most beautifully haunting thing I have ever heard

[@frogsobl1v1ous]

This was great, but I am nothing if not an incubus fanboy so the fact that drive was left out makes this video a 9.8 instead of a 10. Lol Great stuff man. Super glad I subbed

[@zeitok8]

Nice video and selections, some that I think would have been great are Faith No More, Pantera, Ministry, Sublime, 311, Bush, R.E.M, Garbage, Korn, Primus, White or Rob Zombie, The Cranberries, Rancid, U2, Depeche Mode, as UK and US rock goes. Sepultura, Aterciopelados, Heros del Silencio, and Soda Stereo are others!

[@jaypenfold490]

I think the spin doctors should have a mention with their song two princes that was a brilliant guitar riff

[@colinbradford2671]

Well played Sir!

[@mungofinalfi4480]

Great video! One of your best. Something happened between 1997 and 1998.

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks! Something bad or something good?

[@mungofinalfi4480]

@@bloxsy_ More bad than good, but it could just be down to the selection of riffs also of course. I don't know what I would've picked for those years (98-99), since for me it feels like there are less iconic riffs compared to the rest of the 90's. It was that empty space with no "guitar genre" movement going, between the last sounds of britpop and the first sounds of nu metal and a little later the garage rock revival.

[@bloxsy_]

Yeah it could just be my selection, I probably missed some interesting stuff. But I know what you mean. Something happened in the ‘90s, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

[@steve-mcnuggs]

Great music taste!

[@LevinsThe]

Summer of 1997. Best summer of my life. I was 17. And we had a band. Just like in that Bryan Adam's song...

[@Busk_N_Groove]

Cheers. That was an excellent time capsule! Only thing missing is some Sister Havana from UO…

[@michaelbdougherty]

Missing “Mysterious Ways” from Achtung Baby.

[@elevatorisland]

soundtrack to my youth. nice song choice and tones

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you