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Remember “Progress Is Derivative” means to take the best things of what has come before and merge it all together to come up with something new. In some cases it might sound similar to something in the past and in other cases it might sound unique, original and innovative. And the “One Riff To Rule Them All” is a perfect example of how so many songs can have the same riff conceptually and still be able to stand on their own.

One Riff To Rule Them All…
Yep, it’s the A pedal point riff… It all started with a motor city madman called Ted Nugent, and his song “Stranglehold” released in 1975 (actually it’s a bluesy groove that has been around for a lot longer before then). Since then, the riff has morphed to inspire the following songs.

• “Hell Bent For Leather” by Judas Priest released in 1978.
• The intro to “Swords and Tequila” from Riot released in 1981.
• The main riff to “Never Surrender” by Saxon released in 1981.
• The main riff to “Riding With Angels” by Samson (with Bruce Dickinson on vocals), released in 1981.
• The main riff to “Hellbound” by Tygers of Pan Tang released in 1981.
• The main riff for “Flash Rockin’ Man” by Accept released in 1982.
• The Intro in “Curse Of The Pharaohs” from Mercyful Fate released in 1983.
• The main riff in “Power And The Glory” from Saxon released in 1983.
• The main riff to “Stand Up And Shout” from Dio released in 1983.
• The main riff to “Seek And Destroy” by Raven released in 1983.
• The intro and main riff in “Two Minutes To Midnight” from Iron Maiden released in 1984.
• The main riff to “Heavy Metal Breakdown” by Grave Digger released in 1984.
• The main riff to “Phantoms Of Death” by Helloween released in 1985.
• The main riff to “Skin O My Teeth” by Megadeth released in 1992.
• The main riff to “Break The Chains” from Tokyo Blade.
• A small variation of “the riff to rule them all” morphed into “Welcome To Hell” from Venom released in 1981.
• And this morphed into “Looks That Kill” from Motley Crue released in 1983 and became known as the Sunset Riff. So it was no surprise that other Sunset guitarists started using it.
• “Young Girls” from Dokken in 1983 has a riff that’s similar.
• “Tell The World” from Ratt, released in 1983 also has it.

I guess you can’t keep a good riff down. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Music is derivative. Always has been and always will be.

Ted Nugent’s originality in the 70’s is due to him writing derivative versions of blues grooves. There would be no metal music without rock and roll and there would be no rock and roll without country and blues. In the early blues (circa 30’s), copying and transforming was the norm. The same blues song would be recorded by different artists in different states. Sometimes, the titles would change. No lawyers got involved and especially no courts. In return, this allowed the blues sound to grow.

If you look at the bands above, they all built careers from the same patterned riff without a lawsuit to be seen.

What an amazing concept?

Stone Temple Pilots
Fans of Kiss smiled when they heard “Sex Type Thing” from Stone Temple Pilots. The main riff is influenced by “War Machine”. How strange it is, that one of Kiss’s heaviest songs is co-written by pop rock songwriters, Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance with Gene Simmons.

Motley Crue
The Chorus riff to “Ten Seconds to Love” sounds like it was influenced by a certain riff in “Rock & Roll” by The Plasmatics. Actually they sound the same, but who cares. Both are different songs and unique and as you all know, I am a fan of the “progress is derivative” viewpoint.

The Led Zeppelin Effect Again
The impact of “Immigrant Song” cannot be underestimated.

Recently I heard it in “Siberian Queen” (2012) from The Night Flight Orchestra. The drum pattern is Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” (1970) and the guitar riffs reference “Achilles Last Stand” in the intro and verse riff.

Meanwhile, John Sykes re-invented himself as Jimmy Page when he combined “Black Dog” with “Immigrant Song” in “Still Of The Night” (1987). In case you are not sure, it’s the riff that comes in after the intro singing.

Then there are the obvious clones of “Immigrant Song” in “Hold Her Tight” by The Osmonds (1972) and “Burning” by Sweet (1973).

Music is and always will be derivative. Enjoy.