@@justineddy5306 Or Earl Slick, SRV, and Bowie himself actually played on basically the entirety of Diamond Dogs except for the wah wah on 1984. Let's be honest, he had better taste in musicians than he did suits; and he knew how to pick a suit.
It's rlly special in how it adds to the song, the lyrics are about this hedonistic old relic and the riff gives that feeling of being pushed beyond your limits, grinding off the rails.
Ronson did some kind of trick where he slid a fingernail under the strings or something. Explains how he got that divebombing sound live on a Les Paul Custom...
Most of these weren't his. Bowie was a composer, he gave his musicians ideas to jam on or songs written on acoustic guitar and arranged them for a full band.
Mick Ronson will always be Bowie’s best guitar pick! He really made punk and heavy metal riffs that were heavy/crunchy before many were doing it! Awesome player
Full points for The Supermen, Stay, and Panic In Detroit I don't think I would have thought to pick The Width of a Circle first in a hundred years... but it's actually a really solid choice
Ronson made his money after bowie and his management screwed ronson, ronson played with Dylan he produced lou Reed and he took Jack and Diane from the scrap heap and turned it into a no 1 hit in America
@@regolithia Top 20 and somehow Wish makes it, but The Stars (Are Out Tonight) doesn't? Or New Killer Star? Or Station to Station? Or Speed of Life? Or GOD DAMN HEROES? Bro. Either the list is fraudulent or Bowie albums stopped having good riffs after Ziggy Stardust.
Ronson, Alomar, Fripp, Slick, SRV, Gabrels, and Rogers is one hell of a list. The work done by the first 4 with Bowie left the biggest mark on my playing, but let's not forget everything on Diamond Dogs except the wah on 1984 was played by Bowie himself.
Thats very true although Rebel Rebel was initially played on acoustic guitar by Bowie but Alan Parker electrified it and played it on the album. The DD album does show how accomplished Bowie was as a guitarist as well as a composer and songwriter.
@@TheFairway8 Damn, well I learned something today. Creative writers write creative parts though. The interesting thing on top of that was his unique ability to assemble musicians to achieve new sounds. He always found the right people to elevate the songs and really let them do what they do best.
It's very hard to condence anything in David Bowie's catalogue into a top 20 but I will say one oft overlooked rif that I've always loved was Valentine's Day. It's quite simple but it's really affective!
Fun fact - The Supermen riff was "given" to Bowie by Jimmy Page. Bowie later recycled the riff for the song "Dead Man Walking" which is also a treat to play on guitar, particularly the live acoustic version.
Stay, Andy Warhol, Diamond Dogs, and The Width of a Circle are probably my favorites included on this list. Time Will Crawl, Song for Bob Dylan, Teenage Wildlife, Time, Seven Years in Tibet, and Valentine's Day also have some excellent guitar to them. I would love to hear you do a few Bowie basslines some time too. The Secret Life of Arabia would be cool!
You're right. I created my BOWIE TOP 100 playlist for his birth anniversary, 8 January. My friends and family, a prejudiced audience, loved the idea and choices.
Lots of interesting riffs for sure. What I like about Bowie's work is that you can always hear a new detail that passed unnoticed before. Makes revisiting his álbuns way more interesting
I saw David Bowie when Earl Slick was his guitarist in Toronto Canada. Rough Trade was the opening act. I think Mick Ronson also played as well. It was the Spiders from Mars tour.
I could only remember the first verse of Supermen since I first heard it years ago, then my reaction when I heard the riff and recognised it as the song I'd been looking for for ages was pure joy. This video just proved to me that, yes, that song does exist and I'm not just imagining it. I've finally found it, thanks to you. Thank you.
Very nice video man, many people ask for Moonage Daydream, i can understand, it's one of his best song to me, it's not on the list but it could definitely be, let me put it this way, to give credit to this fantastic song and to compensate i would say that it's got the best guitar solo of all Bowie discography. 😁😁😁 Thanks once again to the man that made me pick up a guitar and start playing, His Majesty Mick Ronson.
Thank you! Yeah a lot of people have mentioned it. I love Moonage Daydream, it's a great song, but I didn't think there was an obvious riff there to include in the video like some of the other riffs here. Who knows, maybe I'll do a full cover of it one day.
Most of these are Mick Ronson not David Bowie. Mick Ronson played, produced and arrange these songs with the exception of Earl Slick and of course Nile Rogers (Let's Dance). David, with all due respect, wrote the songs strumming an acoustic guitar or piano to show Mick (and others). Mick then turned it into the production you here on the record and these riffs/intros. Mick also arrange the strings on most of his songs including Life on Mars. Finally, I truly believe David Bowie would not have made it without Mick. He was struggling for 10 years before he met Mick and made him sound like he did. Bowie was really just a frustrated actor. I am a huge fan by the way.
Love this video, great job! My personal favourite riff (All The Young Dudes) wasn't on there, but just goes to show how much amazing music Bowie made in his career...
AMAZING like I love Bowie so much already butthis video made me appreciate him in a totally different way i never even thought of before. the video was amazing!
At first I was like The width of a circle is the number one? Then you started playing it and I nodded in approval, it was is an amazing guitar line and song.
Mick Ronson is so underrated. Him and Ritchie Blackmore are my favorite guitarists.
Same here
Ziggy would not have been Ziggy without Mick.
Ronson was not just a great guitarist, he arranged as well...but then I'm sure you know that.
Yeah man I’ve been a fan of mick ronson for a long time
Blackmore... You have such a great taste. He must be the most underrated rock guitarist
Who said mick ronson is underrated hahahaha
Man, Glam-era Bowie Riffs are something else.
insane!!!
Wonderful
Thank mick ronson
Gonna go ahead and rename this
“15 Greatest Mick Ronson Riffs and few Bowie and other players”
Carlos Alomar was no slouch, but let's not forget Fripp and Belew.
Bowie sure knew how to pick em.
@@shawnmcvey7789 Not to mention the great Nile Rodgers!
@@justineddy5306 Or Earl Slick, SRV, and Bowie himself actually played on basically the entirety of Diamond Dogs except for the wah wah on 1984.
Let's be honest, he had better taste in musicians than he did suits; and he knew how to pick a suit.
@@justineddy5306Stevie Ray Vaughan played guitar on the Let’s Dance Album!
You know you are a damm good player when I can hear Bowie singing in my head with you playing along
...or I just started singing along to all of these!
Mick Ronson really created a lot of the language for punk.
The opening of Cracked Actor is perfect. I love how Mick had the feedback and crazy bend in the beginning, he was a one of a kind
It's rlly special in how it adds to the song, the lyrics are about this hedonistic old relic and the riff gives that feeling of being pushed beyond your limits, grinding off the rails.
Ronson did some kind of trick where he slid a fingernail under the strings or something. Explains how he got that divebombing sound live on a Les Paul Custom...
So we are gonna pretend that Moonage Daydream isnt the greatest bowie riff?
Cause it isnt
Width of a circle might be the greatest song of all time so it deserves the first spot
Mick Ronson
Kept waiting for it!
Moonage Daydream would definitely be up there for one of the greatest solos
I think there was a lack of "starman" and "moonage dreaming" too, other than that I really liked the video
moonage d a y d r e a m
No “Fame”, either.
@@jessebalboa4545 Sorry, I ended up not remembering for sure if it was "dreaming" or if it was "daydream", thanks for the correction
Sound & Vision would be a top five for me⚡
Width of a Circle has been my favorite Bowie song for ages and I'm so glad to see it get the hype it deserves
100%
For a guy who wasn’t really know for his guitar playing, he could sure as hell write a good riff
Thats what made them memorable. they were simple
Most of these weren't his. Bowie was a composer, he gave his musicians ideas to jam on or songs written on acoustic guitar and arranged them for a full band.
@@patriciofernandez2711 stfu bowie best guitar man ever in the world smh fake fans sayin shit about my hero
@@mousikavinteo man I hope you’re joking
I don’t know about how many riffs Bowie created himself, but I do know that he made the riff to Rebel Rebel.
You cant go wrong with anything Bowie put out. Love the Adrian Belew opening riff of scary monsters, just grabs you by the throat and dosent let go.
It is Robert Fripp
@@ivankaramasov .....you are right.
Bowie really is THE genius...
Mick Ronson will always be Bowie’s best guitar pick! He really made punk and heavy metal riffs that were heavy/crunchy before many were doing it! Awesome player
Rebel rebel is my favourite riff!!!!
Full points for The Supermen, Stay, and Panic In Detroit
I don't think I would have thought to pick The Width of a Circle first in a hundred years... but it's actually a really solid choice
Mick Ronson was the best, career cut too short with Bowie
Hard disagree. Station to station, low, and heroes are the best bowie ever was
Ronson made his money after bowie and his management screwed ronson, ronson played with Dylan he produced lou Reed and he took Jack and Diane from the scrap heap and turned it into a no 1 hit in America
Stevie Ray Vaughan was also had a money dispute with Bowie on the Let’s Dance album.
Please do Robert Smith / The Cure one day!
I know him!
You want another fraudulent list? Lol
@@fraternovaeres Fraudulent? It’s subjective!
@@regolithia Top 20 and somehow Wish makes it, but The Stars (Are Out Tonight) doesn't? Or New Killer Star? Or Station to Station? Or Speed of Life? Or GOD DAMN HEROES? Bro. Either the list is fraudulent or Bowie albums stopped having good riffs after Ziggy Stardust.
@@fraternovaeres maybe he doesn't have an ebow for heroes lol
Ronson, Alomar, Fripp, Slick, SRV, Gabrels, and Rogers is one hell of a list.
The work done by the first 4 with Bowie left the biggest mark on my playing, but let's not forget everything on Diamond Dogs except the wah on 1984 was played by Bowie himself.
Thats very true although Rebel Rebel was initially played on acoustic guitar by Bowie but Alan Parker electrified it and played it on the album. The DD album does show how accomplished Bowie was as a guitarist as well as a composer and songwriter.
@@TheFairway8 Damn, well I learned something today. Creative writers write creative parts though. The interesting thing on top of that was his unique ability to assemble musicians to achieve new sounds.
He always found the right people to elevate the songs and really let them do what they do best.
Belew
Bowie riffs are so 50's but just better
The Ziggy Stardust riff is my favorite greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
It's very hard to condence anything in David Bowie's catalogue into a top 20 but I will say one oft overlooked rif that I've always loved was Valentine's Day. It's quite simple but it's really affective!
Alex Roberts another fantastic Earl Slick riff
YES!!
So many great riffs/songs! Most of them courtesy of Mick Ronson. Panic In Detroit has been my warm up for over 20 years.
Not guitar but god damn does life on Mars give me chills every time
Some great riffs there ! Width of a Circle is ace , as is Rebel Rebel.
Great job! My top 5 would be;
5) Hang On To Yourself
4) Rebel Rebel
3) Golden Years
2) Panic In Detroit
1) Ziggy Stardust
Fun fact - The Supermen riff was "given" to Bowie by Jimmy Page. Bowie later recycled the riff for the song "Dead Man Walking" which is also a treat to play on guitar, particularly the live acoustic version.
3:21 Master of Puppets!
2020 and u dont know? Thats a bowie's riff xd
His early albums on pretty slept on by a lot of people. Hunky Dory and the Man Who Sold the World are some favorites.
Width of a Circle is awesome.
Mick Ronson was a hell of a guitar player 😍
Stay, Andy Warhol, Diamond Dogs, and The Width of a Circle are probably my favorites included on this list. Time Will Crawl, Song for Bob Dylan, Teenage Wildlife, Time, Seven Years in Tibet, and Valentine's Day also have some excellent guitar to them.
I would love to hear you do a few Bowie basslines some time too. The Secret Life of Arabia would be cool!
You missed a bunch, but that's only because you limited it to 20 and Bowie has like 100 great songs, many of which have great guitar parts.
Conor Gilles Exactly! Very true
You're right. I created my BOWIE TOP 100 playlist for his birth anniversary, 8 January. My friends and family, a prejudiced audience, loved the idea and choices.
You gotta get yourself into a Bowie tribute band NOW!!! Mick Ronson would be proud of that playing!
Ah yes David Bowie!!
Such an iconic man!
Let's dance will forever be my favorite song from him! 😊✌
Let's Dance marked the beginning of Bowie's wilderness years. The 80s were a bad decade. He said so himself.
@@Sveinbeard let the guy have his own opinion mate if that’s what he likes that’s what he likes
Lots of interesting riffs for sure. What I like about Bowie's work is that you can always hear a new detail that passed unnoticed before. Makes revisiting his álbuns way more interesting
Station to Station and Fame would be in my top 10.
I saw David Bowie when Earl Slick was his guitarist in Toronto Canada. Rough Trade was the opening act. I think Mick Ronson also played as well. It was the Spiders from Mars tour.
Guess it was the “Serious Moonlight Tour“ back in 1983. On this Show in Toronto Ronno apears as a special guest. :-)
FINALY SOMEONE WHO AGREE WITH ME the width of a circle has indeed the best riff, and even further, has the best bass line of David Bowie's songs.
The Width of a Circle to me has the best guitar riff, bass and lyrics. It's the best of the album by far.
I could only remember the first verse of Supermen since I first heard it years ago, then my reaction when I heard the riff and recognised it as the song I'd been looking for for ages was pure joy. This video just proved to me that, yes, that song does exist and I'm not just imagining it. I've finally found it, thanks to you. Thank you.
Its nice to see 'The Superman' get some damn RESPECT 🙌
Love these riffs, David Bowie forever a Legend.
Wait! No China Girl? I'm disappointed. But nice work. Thumbs up.
My favorite musician! Thank you👍👍🙌
Your guitars sound beautiful! Woke up wide awake at 4:15am and listening to these riffs with the morning breeze coming through the window is bliss!
That fuckin Diamond Dogs sounds sleezy as fuck man.. Superb
You might consider adding "Fame" to your list. Great list otherwise. 👍🤙😁
So many to choose from...
@@grahamtaylor8912 You are correct sir.
That intro does set one up for a tremendous listening experience!
@@ethanhill9460 I grew up with Bowie Music. I liked every character he took on but The Thin White Duke was BADDASS.
That lick puts me in a James Brown mood...
best David bowie bass riffs
I just realized how often musics lead guitar relies on the rythem guitar to not sound bland
Pretty Accurate, although I'd swap Cracked Actor with Moonage Daydream
Without a doubt Rebel, Rebel is one of the best riffs ever created😊👌
Ah someone who plays Queen Bitch the way I do 👍
Throw that out at an open mic and people are like "what the hell was that? It was awesome!" 😁
Very nice video man, many people ask for Moonage Daydream, i can understand, it's one of his best song to me, it's not on the list but it could definitely be, let me put it this way, to give credit to this fantastic song and to compensate i would say that it's got the best guitar solo of all Bowie discography. 😁😁😁
Thanks once again to the man that made me pick up a guitar and start playing, His Majesty Mick Ronson.
Thank you! Yeah a lot of people have mentioned it. I love Moonage Daydream, it's a great song, but I didn't think there was an obvious riff there to include in the video like some of the other riffs here. Who knows, maybe I'll do a full cover of it one day.
@@bloxsy_ I agree with you it's not a pure riff the intro. 😁😁
My Top Three:
3. Man Who Sold the World
2. Ziggy Stardust
1. Star (Outro Riff)
Nice ons. I would have included joe the lion from heros. Love that guitar riff.
Yeahh! Love it!! You nailed it mate!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Bowie rules!🙌🏻🙌🏻
Some lovely playing. Well done. Proving once again, as if needed, the man was a total genius.
I don't listen to Bowie that much, but literally all these sound so familiar!!! Nice job
Enjoyed that so much! ✌️🎸
Seeing Win on the list makes me trust your judgement
You should’ve called it better “ Ronson’s best riffs”
I did actually consider doing this with just Ronson riffs.
except the best one is Rebel Rebel which was played by Bowie
What a man Ronson was
That is wonderful. Really enjoyed that. Great stuff young man.
Dude the number one choice was bloody perfect!
There’s so many riff that could’ve added the list, but All the young dudes I place it in my top 3, and It’s no game pt1 on the list
Interesting choice for number one. Width of a Circle is a brilliant composition, but not often mentioned in Bowie top ten lists. Well done.
Stay and Golden Years my favs. Nice video ✊🏼
Thanks!
As always, tone is spot on as hell, amazing
Thanks man.
You remind me how sick the riff for "Rebel, Rebel" is. I love how it resolves. Your tone is excellent here, as always. And my my...that beautiful SG.
Man, your distortion sound is so cool. What's the name of your pedal effect?
Thanks man. It's a Joyo Ac Tone.
black country rock has an amazing riff.
Nice matte SG. And good go at 'Golden Years' and 'Rebel Rebel.' Would liked to have seen my fave, 'Station to Station.'
I'm waiting for part 2.
You made me loving DB even more now. 🙏 It's great for me to discover him. I love him
No Moonage Daydream and Heroes?
Not a ton of guitar in Heroes. Also the verse is just a two chord progression
There’s 3 or 4 different Robert Fripp guitar parts all merged and over-dubbed into each other - recreating that would be super challenging!
@@eskovich anyway is such a iconic riff
Wel done , wow great- iconic guitar ridding jams
Most of these are Mick Ronson not David Bowie. Mick Ronson played, produced and arrange these songs with the exception of Earl Slick and of course Nile Rogers (Let's Dance). David, with all due respect, wrote the songs strumming an acoustic guitar or piano to show Mick (and others). Mick then turned it into the production you here on the record and these riffs/intros. Mick also arrange the strings on most of his songs including Life on Mars. Finally, I truly believe David Bowie would not have made it without Mick. He was struggling for 10 years before he met Mick and made him sound like he did. Bowie was really just a frustrated actor. I am a huge fan by the way.
Most of the first half of the Low album is full of great guitar riffs
This was amazing, would've loved if you had done something from his later work like Sunday, but this is still fantastic!!
they've opened with suffragette city and I am already so happy hellll yeah
love this
Love this list, but Dancing In The Street? 😆. Can you make a Deep Purple top 20? Cheers
Haha thought it might raise a few eyebrows, like the riff though. I don't know much of Deep Purple but it would be fun to learn and do a top 20.
@@bloxsy_ once you enter the world of Deep Purple, you may never escape 😆.
Thank you for this video I clicked the like button before even seeing the video
My fav is The Man Who Sold The World!
Fantastic! Just started watching. Predict Ziggy Stardust is Number 1😉
Um, 3
@@spacejesus4747 yeah I know. it was a prediction I made at number 16😘
It should have been.
Great choices! Went way back to ‘69.
Love this video, great job! My personal favourite riff (All The Young Dudes) wasn't on there, but just goes to show how much amazing music Bowie made in his career...
AMAZING like I love Bowie so much already butthis video made me appreciate him in a totally different way i never even thought of before. the video was amazing!
Ich bin begeistert. Wirklich super.
Veramente bravo...
shivers down spine at every one! Magic
Brillian selection!
Good and surprising list. I like that you didn't just pick the hits like everyone else would.
i love your guitar playing! and all the songs you chose:))
Thank you very much!
cracked actor and diamond dogs! great ones to include
Great playing….width of a circle and Stay were my favorites
Un regalo a mis oídos y al corazón, gracias gracias gracias 🌻🌿
Mick Ronson 🤘😎
At first I was like The width of a circle is the number one?
Then you started playing it and I nodded in approval, it was is an amazing guitar line and song.
Earl Slick and Carlos Alomar = riff for "Golden Years"
I'm Japanese listener．it's good sound！！
Thank you.
Boy Could Ronno Play Guitar