Agreed. I always think of Reb and Vito as the 2 most underrated... that I know of. But recently I have discovered a few guitarists that were insane that I wasnt even familiar with.
@@michaelolz I can’t think of anyone who shreds and can sing that well like Sykes. He’s honestly it a class all his own. No, not Hendrix, and no not Crapton either.
I AGREEEEEEE! I saw the small thumbnail to this video, read the text and sat for a short moment and said out loud, "Reb Beach". Completely unfairly treated in history, JUST AS WINGER WAS, and he wrote the most amazing, hook-filled riffs I heard during that decade and probably any other. I truly appreciate you especially for giving him the props he deserves. Much love, mang!
@@cr2843-q9fIt was the shitty flannel wearing pop rock bands like Poison, Faster Pussy Cat , Trixter , Firehouse etc. All those p@ssy poser fem bands that played a big part in killing metal of the decade....
@@rjwidhalm289 UA-cam (commie's) removed my comments AGAIN 😤!!! I was going to say it didn't help with band's like Poison , Trixter , Firehouse etc along with those other p$ssy fem bands towards the end of the decade. All of them sounded the same with their cheesy ballads and garbage pop rock sound....
Queensryche duo. Chris DeGarmo and Micheal Wilton wrote some awesome riffs back in the day! Even though queensryches sound changed a lot from there beginnings to the mid 90s there’s still some great playing!
I started playing in 1984 and was obsessed with soloing (like most of us) but Reb and Nuno were the first guys that really got me excited about rhythm playing. I still play through "Loosen Up" during my warmup. Great post, Rob.
EVH EVH EVH always and forever!!! There are many amazing guitarist from the 80s. But EVH started it all in 1978! Reb is amazing George, Warren, Randy, Jake, Zakk etc! 🤟👍🙏
Reb is one of the must underrated guitarists of all time. He pioneered that "liquid-tapping" technique. John Sykes, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, Jake E. Lee, Dan Huff, and Vito Bratta all legends with Reb. Nuno I believe debuted in the 90's, but he's up there as well. Beautiful Voyager btw Robert!
Great video, Robert. Thanks for posting. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and amazing guitar playing with us. I also always appreciate the positive vibe of your videos.
His solo albums contain his best work, specifically The Fusion Tapes and A View From the Inside. Stellar musicianship. Wish he’d get back to fusion, it’s a natural fit for him more than Winger ever was/is.
Thanks for keeping the 80's riffs alive....Winger had some great riffs. I was always partial to the main riff in Seventeen. So many great bands back in the day. High School in the 80's was great. Many memories of getting out of school and cranking the car stereo...FWIW the frequency response on the airpod pro2's handle 80's rock very nicely.
Such a killer song! Coming Under Fire could come out today and still be amazing. High & Dry and Pyromania have my vote all day long. Literally the albums that made me wanna start playing in the first place.
James Hetfield was the Riff King of the 80's. Once we heard him everything changed even though there were others James' riffs were the most relatable and sounded great too. We all wanted to play it asap and we did
Reb is a true guitar god. Always been a top-3 player for me. His playing comes off as effortless and fluid. Absurd dexterity. He indeed wrote some all-time great riffs, but he’s more of a soloist. George Lynch is the absolute galactic overlord of riffs(also solos) from the 80s and 90s. His riffs from Dokken and then Lynch Mob…. Just one piece of art after another. He doesn’t get the appreciation because his bands didn’t get the critical acclaim that some peer bands received. Watch some of George’s “goodbye tour” show vids from the last couple years and it’s just one after another - you know all of them. All hits, all incredible works of guitar art. There isn’t a single riff or solo you don’t know over a 2-hour set. George is the true king, after EVH.
I see Robert with an Ibanez and I click, Definitely a cool riff and the Voyager is one of those dream guitars for Ibanez guys . I’m a sucker for those “tag lines” they always put some extra stank on the riff or in the song.
@Robert Baker, Reb definitely was a great riff writer and this has always been one of my favorite riffs of his. Loving the 80s content. I know nobody ever likes to talk about them but Oz Fox and Michael Sweet from Stryper had just some sick riffs and leads!
Reb Beach rules! "Can't Get Enough" is a riff I really like. Another guitarist that is really underrated is Dave Meniketti from Y&T. Great riffs, great solos and he can sing!
Had that darn flu bug over new years up here in NY, hope your feeling better & glad ur back! Im an 80's teen as well, waiting for the resurgence 🎸 warren d, viv c , jake e etc
Reb beach is excellent! I have always been a consistent fan, even through the dark times. Winger has always been one of my favorite bands, and then the next is GIANT! Reb Beach and Dann Huff were truly awesome guitarists!
Reb is AWESOME! Heck of a singer too! You ought to do a video on Vito Bratta. He kills as a lead player but also did some of the coolest things with his rhythm playing.
I love these 80s riffs and find myself always doing something similar when I'm noodling (though not to the level of these cats). I was born in 1980, so it's part of my DNA. Haha!
Please 🙄 your too young , how could you not think Lynch , Demartini , Jake and Vivian Cambell shouldn't be above him. Those guys killed it in the 80's , way before Reb entered the scene...
My favorites were Reb (great call Robert), Warren D and...the best riff writer (IMHO) of the 80's was EVH. Sure, maybe some of the iconic ones weren't all guitar riffs (Jump, Dreams, Love Walks In) but Panama, 5150, Summer Nights, Unchained...just to name very few of very many...have riffs that I think about every day.
Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton of Queensryche are always overlooked. Their first 5 records are loaded with riffs.
Operation Mindcrime is one of the greatest prog albums of all time
The boys from Ratt wrote some pretty cool riffs as well.
tricky to play too
Their riffs were way cool, junior.
Yup
Absolutely right , Warren Demartini along with George Lynch and Jake E Lee.
Yup just was gonna say this Warren was one of if not the best riff writers imo
Criss Oliva of Savatage , very under rated guitarist from the 80's and 90's.
Yes sir!
Jake E Lee wrote some killer riffs that he never got credit for!!
Jake and George and Warren Demartini who wrote the best riffs IMO!
Bark at the moon one of my favourite riffs! and shot in the dark almost forgot that one 🤘
Chris Degarmo wrote some cool riffs. Empire is a real cool riff and so is Jet City Woman.
Vito Bratta, another hugely under-rated guitarist
Overlooked, maybe. Not underrated.
@@POOKIE5592 I don’t really see a difference
The solo in "Wait" was amazing.
I’ve always liked White Lion but having a rhythm guitarist would have elevated their music in my opinion
Agreed. I always think of Reb and Vito as the 2 most underrated... that I know of. But recently I have discovered a few guitarists that were insane that I wasnt even familiar with.
Gary Moore - Murder in the Skies and Out in the Fields are a couple of banger riffs.
John Sykes... between the Whitesnake album and Blue Murder... some cool stuff.
That's one guy who is so underrated it's sickening!
I love Sykes. And he's a pretty amazing singer also.
@@michaelolz I can’t think of anyone who shreds and can sing that well like Sykes. He’s honestly it a class all his own. No, not Hendrix, and no not Crapton either.
@@totigerus Only other musician is Dan Huff that could come close to Sykes.
I AGREEEEEEE! I saw the small thumbnail to this video, read the text and sat for a short moment and said out loud, "Reb Beach". Completely unfairly treated in history, JUST AS WINGER WAS, and he wrote the most amazing, hook-filled riffs I heard during that decade and probably any other. I truly appreciate you especially for giving him the props he deserves. Much love, mang!
winger is still touring and his 12 string sessions are pretty great
Snake Sabo and Scottie Hill from Skid Row wrote some awesome riffs. Monkey Business is a great example.
Kip was/is such an underrated writer... and player too!
Metallica really fucked Winger. But Hair Metal was already on its way out my that Black Album video anyways so maybe it didn’t matter eat her way. 🧐
Erase the Slate is an underrated Reb album.🤘
Yessss. Saw him on that tour and he was incredible.
TY TABOR!!!!!
Him and Vito Bratta
Wonder what ever happened to Vito, he just disappeared?
Family happened.
@@9unslin9er gotcha, how do you know this?
@@mygt8a4re Eddie Trunk interview.
@@9unslin9er thanks, I'll have to look that up
100% agree that Reb is the best, period. He's as smooth as it gets and is criminally underrated.
Agreed. Reb is a true badass. His riffs with Winger were killer!
In these days I’m very hooked with inside out’s xyz and Marc Diglio…
Sick song and riff…
I was looking for this comment! He's a super cool guy and an amazing musician. Last year I got the opportunity to take guitar lessons from him
It wasn't grunge. It was the dorky kid wearing a Winger shirt on Beavis and Butthead.
So if beavus and butthead never existed Winger would have continued to be popular…😂 mkay
BINGO!!!!!
@@cr2843-q9fIt was the shitty flannel wearing pop rock bands like Poison, Faster Pussy Cat , Trixter , Firehouse etc. All those p@ssy poser fem bands that played a big part in killing metal of the decade....
Yeah I was going to say Beavis and Butthead happened not grunge😂
@@rjwidhalm289 UA-cam (commie's) removed my comments AGAIN 😤!!! I was going to say it didn't help with band's like Poison , Trixter , Firehouse etc along with those other p$ssy fem bands towards the end of the decade. All of them sounded the same with their cheesy ballads and garbage pop rock sound....
Dave Meniketti wrote some cool 80s riffs
Killer player, man.
His work on the Dokken Erase the Slate was killer. I'm a huge Lynch fan but Reb wrote some great tunes for that album!
I absolutely love GL, but I really didn’t miss him at all when I saw Reb with Dokken. Brilliant lineup.
Queensryche duo. Chris DeGarmo and Micheal Wilton wrote some awesome riffs back in the day!
Even though queensryches sound changed a lot from there beginnings to the mid 90s there’s still some great playing!
That fist tag always reminds me of a similar tag in Make it Last from Montrose. Love Reb’s little motifs!
Ronnie Le Tekrø
Yes! He's a wizard!
Great names are coming out on here, all noteworthy. Blues Saraceno needs a shout-out as well. 💯🤘
I’m old enough to remember watching that performance on MTV.
I started playing in 1984 and was obsessed with soloing (like most of us) but Reb and Nuno were the first guys that really got me excited about rhythm playing. I still play through "Loosen Up" during my warmup. Great post, Rob.
EVH EVH EVH always and forever!!! There are many amazing guitarist from the 80s. But EVH started it all in 1978! Reb is amazing George, Warren, Randy, Jake, Zakk etc! 🤟👍🙏
Reb is one of the must underrated guitarists of all time. He pioneered that "liquid-tapping" technique. John Sykes, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, Jake E. Lee, Dan Huff, and Vito Bratta all legends with Reb. Nuno I believe debuted in the 90's, but he's up there as well. Beautiful Voyager btw Robert!
Great video, Robert. Thanks for posting. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and amazing guitar playing with us. I also always appreciate the positive vibe of your videos.
My favorite Reb Beach riff is blind revolution mad (I know technically 90’s)
His solo albums contain his best work, specifically The Fusion Tapes and A View From the Inside. Stellar musicianship. Wish he’d get back to fusion, it’s a natural fit for him more than Winger ever was/is.
What were you playing through in this vid Roberts?
Yeah this riff has the same groove as "Lay it Down" by Warren De Martini from Ratt. This one is in a lower key and at a slower tempo, though.
Very nice, love the 80's guitar sounds. Glad to see you are getting over being sick.
How about Vivian Campbell with Dio? Holy Diver and Last in Line albums are packed with awesome riffs.
Totally agree and forgot about him , I'd put him up there with Warren , George and Jake for sure....
Thanks for keeping the 80's riffs alive....Winger had some great riffs. I was always partial to the main riff in Seventeen. So many great bands back in the day. High School in the 80's was great. Many memories of getting out of school and cranking the car stereo...FWIW the frequency response on the airpod pro2's handle 80's rock very nicely.
How about Def Leppard coming under fire
Such a killer song! Coming Under Fire could come out today and still be amazing. High & Dry and Pyromania have my vote all day long. Literally the albums that made me wanna start playing in the first place.
I got familiar with Reb when he joined Whitesnake and couldn’t believe I haven’t heard of him since I love the 80s. Fabulous guitarist.
James Hetfield was the Riff King of the 80's. Once we heard him everything changed even though there were others James' riffs were the most relatable and sounded great too. We all wanted to play it asap and we did
Happy New Year. Great video!!
Reb is a true guitar god. Always been a top-3 player for me. His playing comes off as effortless and fluid. Absurd dexterity. He indeed wrote some all-time great riffs, but he’s more of a soloist. George Lynch is the absolute galactic overlord of riffs(also solos) from the 80s and 90s. His riffs from Dokken and then Lynch Mob…. Just one piece of art after another. He doesn’t get the appreciation because his bands didn’t get the critical acclaim that some peer bands received. Watch some of George’s “goodbye tour” show vids from the last couple years and it’s just one after another - you know all of them. All hits, all incredible works of guitar art. There isn’t a single riff or solo you don’t know over a 2-hour set. George is the true king, after EVH.
My top five riff writers of the 80's were definitely (in no order):
Reb Beach
George Lynch
Jake E Lee
Vito Bratta
Michael Sweet
I see Robert with an Ibanez and I click, Definitely a cool riff and the Voyager is one of those dream guitars for Ibanez guys . I’m a sucker for those “tag lines” they always put some extra stank on the riff or in the song.
@Robert Baker, Reb definitely was a great riff writer and this has always been one of my favorite riffs of his. Loving the 80s content. I know nobody ever likes to talk about them but Oz Fox and Michael Sweet from Stryper had just some sick riffs and leads!
80’s every day of 2025 🤟🏻
I mean, Over My Head from King's X... dare you not to dig it.
Reb Beach rules! "Can't Get Enough" is a riff I really like. Another guitarist that is really underrated is Dave Meniketti from Y&T. Great riffs, great solos and he can sing!
There’s a full concert video of Whitesnake with Reb and Doug Aldrich on guitars. It’s phenomenal! Must watch!
once i saw that guitar in the thumbnail i knew we were headed to the Beach! Reb is a legend!
The riff to Seventeen kind of reminds me of the riff to Inside Out by XYZ
Bill Leverty from Firehouse had some great riffs
Vivian Campbell
Prettyprettyprettycool 😅 Happy New Year Robert 🥳
Akira Takasaki of Loudness is probably my favorite.
He had a great tone IMO!
Crazy nights is still one of my favorite riffs
@@GaryJoseph369 Same , also the main riffs in Ball's to the Wall were killer....
Had that darn flu bug over new years up here in NY, hope your feeling better & glad ur back! Im an 80's teen as well, waiting for the resurgence 🎸 warren d, viv c , jake e etc
Reb beach is excellent! I have always been a consistent fan, even through the dark times. Winger has always been one of my favorite bands, and then the next is GIANT! Reb Beach and Dann Huff were truly awesome guitarists!
Loving it !
I was in high school at this time, blew out my car speakers with this song!!!
I love Reb Beach. I met him once when he was playing in Alice Cooper and he was super nice. Nobody sounds like his tapping. It's so unique.
More 80's please.
hi
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. Love the riff breakdown! \m/
Dave Meneketti - Y&T. Killer riffs, great solos, and Bro could sing as good anyone of the time.
Reb Beach- George Lynch and the dream team- DeMartini/ Crosby
Reb Beach is one of the best. Very underated here in France. Winger is not well known here and I think it's very surprising.
Reb is top notch. Great stuff. Going to work on this one!
Kip went hard core classical, check out Rick Beato's interview last year. I never knew. This was awesome RB.
For best 80's riffs, I have to go with Dave Mustaine - absolute legend man. Rock on Robert!
Fuck, I love that guitar... and learning "Seventeen" (sans solo... I'm not that good) really made me appreciate Reb's riff writing and playing. 🤘
Dude I totally forgot about that reb series until you got one and my hunt is on to get one in that color
Reb is AWESOME! Heck of a singer too! You ought to do a video on Vito Bratta. He kills as a lead player but also did some of the coolest things with his rhythm playing.
The thing about Reb is: if there were no Eddie, particularly 5150 there would be no Reb, particularly Seventeen
Dude your jammin kicks ass
His cutting loose solo is incredible also, would love a lesson on that crazy picking riff you'll know which bit
Absolutely Reb Beach. Also, Vito Bratta.
How much of the riff writing was Reb and how much was Kip? Kip is a mindblowing songwriter and likely came up with some of these.
No one was better that George Lynch! He ruled the 80's!
The whole song was almost to 80s for the 80s😂 Great riff and playing🙂⚡️
For me, it is Nuno as my favorite tasty riff writer
I just spent way too much time playing this over and over, what a banger.
Freakin Reb Beach, that guy is still a monster player!
Reb Beach, I haven't heard of him - need to investigate
When I saw the thumbnail Reb was the first guy that came to mind. Winger Pull is an incredibly great collection of songs. ✌️🤘
CC deville is also another great hair metal player
Oh yeah, I definitely agree with your views on Reb!
Thank you!! At last a riff I can play ❤
Yes more 80s stuff so much fun to play.
Reb has always been one of my favorite guitar players. Killer riffs, melodic and a virtuoso. Can’t ask for any better 👍
I will go with Vito Bratta. 👍🎸👌💪
He's amazing also. True Italian flair on everything. He's awesome.
Best riff writer of the 80s
Rudolf Schsnker
More 80's Rifts!!!!!!
I love these 80s riffs and find myself always doing something similar when I'm noodling (though not to the level of these cats). I was born in 1980, so it's part of my DNA. Haha!
Ya he wrote killer riffs
Great Riff spouts 80's all the way
Can't forget how Seventeen made my mind at 12yo,Reb is awesome and Winger latest album is bulletproof!
Please 🙄 your too young , how could you not think Lynch , Demartini , Jake and Vivian Cambell shouldn't be above him. Those guys killed it in the 80's , way before Reb entered the scene...
I am once again asking for your help in getting your 80s Fractal presets. I has monies.
Reb definitely number 1 !
Hey when u having sale on your course again?
Vitto Bratta was the BEST !!!
My favorites were Reb (great call Robert), Warren D and...the best riff writer (IMHO) of the 80's was EVH. Sure, maybe some of the iconic ones weren't all guitar riffs (Jump, Dreams, Love Walks In) but Panama, 5150, Summer Nights, Unchained...just to name very few of very many...have riffs that I think about every day.
Reb is a sweetheart as well.
What about Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions?