21 Classic Post-Punk Riffs

Thank you for all your comments and suggestions for my post-punk idea. I have tried to feature as many of the bands as I could, but there were so many to choose from. I decided to feature more of the old post-punk stuff, so the newer 2000s stuff I may do in another video sometime. Thanks for watching as always! Can we get to 120k subs?
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0:01 The Fall - Cruiser's Creek
0:14 Bauhaus - Dark Entries
0:37 Gang of Four - Not Great Men
0:53 Killing Joke - Eighties
1:10 The Chameleons - Swamp Thing
1:30 Talking Head - Life During Wartime
1:44 Mission of Burma - Academy Fight Song
1:58 Devo - Too Much Paranoias
2:11 Wipers - Over The Edge
2:26 Wire - Ex Lion Tamer
2:39 Public Image Ltd - Public Image
2:55 Joy Division - Digital
3:12 Siouxsie and The Banshees - Hong Kong Garden
3:25 Magazine - The Light Pours Out Of Me
3:46 Television - See No Evil
3:58 Pere Ubu - Street Waves
4:14 The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make?
4:26 Echo & The Bunnymen - The Puppet
4:39 The Cure - A Forest
4:51 The Comsat Angels - Missing In Action
5:03 The Sound - Resistance

[@bloxsy_]

Feel free to suggest some other post punk bands or songs I've missed below. Thanks for watching!

[@ayoutubeaccount5357]

Sweet jag man what's your favorite stuff to play on it?

[@owlsliveintrees]

how are you getting the amp sounds? Is that the Katana?

[@raphaelfp]

Blondie and Psychedelic Furs

[@valentinch0]

XTC -Love at First Sight

[@henrys3138]

Sad Lovers and Giants, The Pop Group

[@msfakianos]

I am always impressed that a riff so iconic as the one in "A forest" is so simple.

[@punkinmyvitamins1]

80s by Killing Joke gave me chills!!! You nailed the sound perfectly.

[@daveysaturn7232]

@Venom If I remember Kurt Cobain admitted Come As You Are ripped off 80s. Still though, both bands and songs are classics!

[@sebastienfayemendie2514]

Yes, Kurt ripped off the riff

[@jakubbielak7273]

The Chameleons - very underrated band.

[@TheMorganRose]

AMEN to that!

[@ieatkids03]

I love Swamp Thing so much. If that song was a person I'd give it a smooch 😘

[@trevorloughlin1492]

The list of post-punk bands is great. But the only band to equal the Chameleons was the Bunnymen. The Chameleons are the greatest band in the world ever.

[@xman00000]

@@trevorloughlin1492 There is no other band that is close to the Chameleons.... not even Bunnymen

[@Ogledalo79]

@@xman00000 I came to appreciation for The Chameleons after digging through all of back catalogue of The Sound. And i think both of bands were really on par, they are simply amazing!

[@PravdaKatyusha]

Holy shit including The Chameleons. Swamp Thing is such a beautiful song, that band deserves so much more recognition and respect.

[@dennfett]

Manchesters best kept secret.

[@kdbrown777]

Especially the chorus... love that guitar part.

[@спинной_мозг]

Facts!!!

[@andrewmartin8978]

Yes! It's such a gorgeous song, I just don't understand the lyrics - but YES. It's beautiful.

[@beepst]

It would be great to have a bass player do 21 classic post-punk bass riffs. Post-Punk was a very special era for bass.

[@MaquiladoraIII]

Any guitar video with a Gang of Four riff is automatically better than 99.99% of all guitar videos released that week.

[@jeffmaleri7754]

Yes! And ex lion tamer. Two of my faves. Enjoyed this video!

[@georgejpg]

Gang of Four were amazing. Their best songs are most recognisable from the bassline though

[@georgejpg]

As Jeff said, Wire's absolutely incredible. I'd say they leant more heavily on guitar, too

[@MaquiladoraIII]

@@jeffmaleri7754 And Life During Wartime. And The Light Pours Out of Me. And See No Evil. And Street Waves. And What Difference Does it Make. And A Forest. Come to think of it, this post-punk thingy is rather good.

[@jman7826]

Every song on Entertainment has such a memorable riff

[@devotionbybeachhouse]

so glad you included the sound, one of my favorite post punk bands ever!!

[@kkrsnn5632]

That Killing Joke... Come As You Are 😉

[@neowald8621]

I think Killing Joke played it much more earlier...

[@asthenia7445]

Like in the eighties

[@Mraquanetchris]

Supposedly that riff started withThe Damned

[@noven8380]

@@Mraquanetchris It actually originates from 1963

[@Mraquanetchris]

@@noven8380 nice!

[@451_grunge]

I think that post-punk can't be without bass.. but you've played so energy, I like it. Greetings from Russia!

[@bloxsy_]

You're right, it does need bass.

[@bl00df4rt]

I came to say a really similar thing. This genre seems to only work when the whole band is there. It’s really about context and space.

[@bl00df4rt]

This video made me realize it.

[@privatesnowball3032]

With ones like "Not Great Men" the call and response of the guitar/bass is crucial. I absolutely agree

[@chaunceyloveshack]

guitar is often used for texture in post-punk, you're right the bass is usually the main instrument

[@edyb2097]

Great selection, man, spot on playing. If I could suggest some titles, I'd go with: Ultravox - The man who dies everyday Stranglers - Hanging around XTC - Making plans for Nigel

[@edyb2097]

Something by the early Pretenders would be awesome too.

[@T480-u7i]

Yes, I was going to say anything off Drums and Wires or White Music by XTC. Good Answer.

[@kdbrown777]

The Sound is so great, I'm especially fond of their album From The Lions Mouth.

[@andrearecchia8859]

You did the chameleons and the sound, my life is complete, amazing and thanks!!

[@mirrakeeto7469]

Loved that you included The Fall! They are very underrated! They've got so many great songs!

[@MatthewvanR.music.]

Please do one with Psychedelic rock and Neo psychedelic riffs

[@bloxsy_]

Oh yeah gotta get that on my list.

[@MatthewvanR.music.]

@@bloxsy_ yay :)

[@samdesouzx]

@@bloxsy_ you must include lucifer sam- pink floyd in this list

[@lynnpehrson8826]

@@MatthewvanR.music. pictures of matchstick men

[@MatthewvanR.music.]

@@lynnpehrson8826 yeah that's a good one

[@ccrv3689]

Ex Lion Tamer is just so perfect. You can hear how Minor Threat took a lot of inspiration from the sound of Pink Flag

[@night_fiend6]

Moving from Siouxsie and the Banshees to Magazine was great. Both bands had John McGloch play guitar for them. A criminally under rated guitarist.

[@SquigglyBeasst]

Love your playing, dude. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks for watching! Appreciate it.

[@TheMusicalElitist]

You included The Chameleons! YES!

[@nobbynoris]

I love that you stated off with a Fall riff!

[@easterntrees]

after you played pere ubu, I thought 'the only thing that could make this even better would be some comsat angels.' tight playing as usual. thanks for another cool video.

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks for watching. I appreciate it.

[@dionyates2482]

Not enough people know the music of Pere Ubu, thanks for the shoutouts to so many great and underrated bands.

[@MatheusSantos-iz1ip]

I think its the first time i see pere ubu in a list of best riffs,incredible.

[@hey1908]

You can really tell that this guy is really into good music. Fab as usual!

[@stevencrash]

Simple, yet trusty chords played with angst. Perfection.

[@TMIATC]

With the isolated guitar, you can clearly hear the punk inspiration. It is post *punk* after all!

[@christopherweise438]

Exactly my taste in music. Well done my man.

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks man.

[@christopherweise438]

@@bloxsy_ - You're welcome. You even included The Chameleons. i thought it was only me who knew about them. Been a fan since "Script Of The Bridge" first came out.

[@vv247]

Loving all of your punk/post punk video's ... I grew up in that era , these are all my fave bands. I've never watched anyone play Chameleons ! Thank you !

[@dgueyn]

Comsat Angels woaaah! I wasn’t expecting it at all!!! Great stuff.

[@OIP_1]

wipers and then straight into wire! hell yes. so many great riffs here

[@descendingforth]

Surprisingly enough, i don't think you've missed any of the major post-punk bands, although i would recommend early U2 songs, such as New Years Day or Sunday Bloody Sunday but you still had an amazing selection of classic tracks. You also have such a clean, crisp tone on your guitar. Fair play to you mate.

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you. Yeah I didn't think of U2, but I suppose their early stuff has that post-punk sound now you mention it.

[@curly_wyn]

U2 sucks

[@danieldemoro2743]

Out of Control and I Will Follow

[@chrisdrake447]

Very nicely done once again. Would love love love you to do all of the riffs (& more?) from Television’s Marquee Moon album. It’s one of the few constants on my playlist and never, ever, gets old. Cheers!

[@docsavage8640]

The fact that you started with the Fall is awesome

[@PUNKnDELIC-]

The 60's garage Fall and the 60's psychedelic Chameleons create some of your next 80's selections. Great work, cheers!!

[@OctoberRust]

0:53 The Damned - Life Goes On (1982), Killing Joke - Eighties (1984), Nirvana - Come As You Are (1991) So, no, they don't sound like Nirvana. Nirvana sounds like Killing joke/the Damned.

[@beckoning-chasm]

I've always loved the "rusty bedsprings being hit by a bat" sound that Wire got for "I am the Fly."

[@MlleXJewel]

As i inherit my friend guitar, i decide to try learning playing as a rock star he was. thanks for your videos, cause they give me ideas and doesn't discourage me !

[@blackrollins]

Awesome stuff!! I have that same guitar btw: Fender Jag Player Series, but in orange. The split coils are fun to play with, but the full humbucker on the bridge is tops. such a fun guitar to play, especially with riffs from my favorite genre in music!

[@davidrandall5743]

Fantastic collection of tunes, even Andy Gill (RIP) Gang of Four. Very cool.

[@Kevvinm]

Awesome job, you covered just about every band . Impressed you included Mission of Burma.. I’d suggest Romeo Void- Never Say never, any track from the first two Pfurs albums and yes I consider the first two U2 albums post punk.

[@RSBurgener]

I just started playing a telecaster this week, and your video is basically my long term goal, more or less! Great work! If I could make it to this, I'd be satisfied for a while. 👍

[@bloxsy_]

The telecaster is a fantastic choice. Thank you. These songs are mostly straight forward, you'll get there with practice for sure.

The Chameleons, The Sound, The Comsat Angels. You sure know great Post-Punk 👍👍👏👏

[@PravdaKatyusha]

It was this video months ago that exposed me to The Puppet by Echo and the Bunnymen. Not only has it become one of my absolute favourite songs but Echo and the Bunnymen is now one of my favorite bands of all time. Thank you

[@bloxsy_]

That's awesome. Glad you like them.

[@bigneon_glitter]

Nice, your lick selections are on point. Snake Corps' "Look East For Eden" is another fun one to play.

[@Lethargo]

That Killing Joke - Eighties riff reminds me of Nirvana - Come as you are

[@perejnelind6592]

Or maybe the other way around

[@Lethargo]

@@perejnelind6592 Yeah its weird, that KJ riff is the earlier one but the Nirvana song is more famous.

[@Pilcha.]

Public image is just something else!

[@CraigGrannell]

Starting with the Fall. Including Wire. My favourite Cure song. And Digital by Joy Div as well. Top notch, sir.

[@kameronnaeole7680]

The bass is where it counts

[@mkmrls146]

Super broad and appropriate range you covered. I was pleasantly surprised by a number of bands you included.

[@justinlarsen2281]

Starting out with The Fall! Holy balls that's epic

[@caiohypinho]

RESISTANCE BY THE SOUND DUDE. This make me happy thanks

[@armanyenokyan6495]

Greetings! Thanks for the job you’ve done! And I was very happy to see Borlands The Sound here!

[@Mar2431]

Great job Bloxsy! Thanks for covering my favourite music genre!!! My song suggestion is Kitchens of Distinction - Drive That Fast. Thanks again!

[@ethanmiller631]

classic riffs from classic post punk albums, very cool 😺👍

[@opiante]

I'm really glad someone did this... good job!

[@rossamundbrennan7248]

Definitely need to do some Rowland S Howard riffs with that Jag.

[@mikaelsjoberg1894]

Fantastic ,really good!! You could easily do part two and three of this - there were so many great bands and songs in this era.

[@aaronrose7779]

awesome as always! thanks bloxsy. keep these vids coming, plesae

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks man. I appreciate it.

[@wowomah6194]

Would love to see more Post Punk riff compilations! Just a really cool era with so many different styles yet often so identifiable as the same general era

[@AnarchistCookbookOfRiffs]

I love the riff by the Wipers! The style reminds me of "Suspect Device" by Stiff Little Fingers. Now I need to check out their albums on Sub Pop!

[@OIP_1]

oh man you are in for a treat

[@jackbonobo]

Wipers are f'n incredible, one of the best imo

[@granthambeard]

APPROVED, guitar at its simplest yet most inventive. Always memorable and always served the song.

[@jiaoye6355]

your picks are legit classics, nice performance

[@25inbomeportland]

Inclusion of Pere Ubu made me happier than it should have. Well done

[@juandemarcus]

Killing Joke Come As You Were

[@andrewmartin8978]

This is definitely my favorite genre - it's so dreamy!

[@revjimbob]

Ex Lion Tamer

[@Ben-kf3tb]

THE BEST GENRE EVER!!!!!!

[@imalright2837]

Love that clear crisp spanky sound!

[@bj_lo7506]

It's crazy how television was playing in the cbgbs with the first ever punk bands and they were already a post punk band

[@careyatchison1348]

When the band started, they were more high energy with short, droll songs. Punk icon, Richard Hell, was the bass player and his mordant wit and shambolic playing eventually came to cross purposes with Tom Verlaine, who had been evolving into a different direction. Too bad those old recordings are not available to the public (legally)...

[@chriscoughlin9289]

They weren't just playing alongside the Ramones and the Stillettos (later Blondie). They built the stage at CB's to get their gig. Everything followed from that.

[@isisfrota3507]

I know few post-punk songs, but i liked the video. It's good to get notification from your channel

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[@theneonllama416]

Nice Devo input. Great stuff.

[@nick3718]

this dude’s tone has gotten better and better as the months go by

[@pelodelperro]

The Wire one was sweet.

[@daverice2426]

Nice selection, great to hear Pere Ubu in there!

[@diggerthegroundhog8799]

I never heard of the Wipers. Thanks..will check them out.

[@andrewmartin8978]

Hole covered the Wipers - thanks for leading me back to the original! I like both versions.

[@richardhall5489]

Very inspiring. Just started to make a post punk playlist. Early New Model Army songs are loaded with classic post punk riffs- Vengence, Small Town England, Notice Me, Young Gifted & Skint .... They were really good at mixing jangly Johnny Marr style riffs with angular Gang of Four / Killing Joke style playing that leaves space for the bass. There's something about post punk that's less anarchic and more subversive. You can hear the legacy in music from decades later.

[@yun0ny4]

I've been wanting to get into post punk! Do you feel like sharing it? :)

[@DRMADist]

Wow glad to see the wipers making an appearance! Super underrated band

[@tylercraig5633]

Oh man that guitar tone on that Killing Joke track was PERFECT

[@kevinsmith5318]

This is brilliant! Nailed every one of my all time fave bands. Thank you!

[@seank.2589]

Currently getting into the genre, so this is a great prologue for what's to come, lol.

[@pat5882]

Killing Joke: Eighties Kurt was said to be nervous about the similarities of between Eighties and Come As You Are.

[@WillGuthrieUK]

The Chameleon’s, The Comsat Angels & The Sound: the ‘holy trinity’ in this video for me 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@maljo4604]

Absolutely love to see the sound on here!

[@curly_wyn]

You also included The Sound and The Comsat Angels, yay!!

[@simseven4967]

Have the same jaguar since last christmas and cannot be happier,no issues with bridge at all✌🏻

[@bloxsy_]

That’s good to hear. Glad you are still liking it.

[@henrys3138]

I like that you ran the gamut of post-punk songs instead of just playing a lot of goth.

[@scottyshot]

0:54 sounds like Come as you are

[@timsimpson9367]

Big Country, that bagpipe sounding guitar was unreal.

[@lynnpehrson8826]

Magazine are so underrated

[@ideka9328]

I listened to the Jeopardy album by The Sound, and I don't know why I'm not listening to Resistance on repeat. Thank you!

[@mooseyard]

Aw man, you’re giving me shivers. Such great riffs! Two more suggestions: Romeovoid's “Never Say Never” (1982) and Big Black's “Kerosene” (1986). Both make great use of harmonics. Oh, and no Cocteau Twins? Early songs like “Wax and Wane” and “Feathers Oar-Blades” out-Banshee the Banshees IMHO.

[@fredhill2767]

Amazing and very well played.

[@mattiaperina7399]

Beautiful songs,my favorite genre.

[@MusicalRadiation]

0:26 that sounds so much like Chop Suey! 😮

[@anthonyscialla883]

Dude: PIL, JD, The Wipers so good!! This is my youth

[@rawb20]

I don’t understand why I watch every one of these videos. Yes, I play guitar but it’s not like I’m going to learn all of these riffs. Mostly I want to see what riffs you choose. Then when one I really like comes on I go “Yeah” and nod my head. Or rarely I go “he picked that?” Anyways, love these vids, long way to say that. 😂

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks! I never know whether people are watching to learn these or simply just to listen because they like the type of music. Maybe a bit of both. Anyway, it's good to know. Much appreciated!

[@space2k]

Great choices! As a geezer, it’s really cool to see people liking this music, but my favorites The Fall and Wire seem to get less play.

[@aaron1708]

Joy division, brilliant 💥

[@forceofamber]

The sound are the most underrated band in the history of music (that I know about!). Hope this video turns some more onto them. Counting the days is my favourite song of all time. Party of the mind, missiles, fatal flaw, monument....all classics

[@bloxsy_]

I'm new to them as well but I'm liking what I've heard so far.

[@forceofamber]

@@bloxsy_ start with propaganda. His band before the sound was the outsiders, check them out too (hit and run, I'm messed up) great stuff. They should have been huge

[@Ogledalo79]

@@bloxsy_ personally I started with their second lp, from the lions mouth, what an epic album. Their earlier stuff is also great, but their music seems to have matured to the very special and magical level at this stage. New Dark Age with Hothouse is definitely the highest peak of the LP.