Was listening to Smoke On the Water today and it hit me, as it has every time I hear it and then promptly forget when the song ends, it is a "Primary Rock Riff". What is a primary rock riff? A riff that is so rudimentary that no riff could be more simple. Anything more basic could not be called "music".
Monolithic.
I'll knock the most obvious out of the way for starters
Satisfaction - a great one, especially for its time, revolutionary, the three notes heard round the world.
Jumpin jack Flash - (altho this one is pushing the complexity envelope)
(Side question for the rockers, have you ever tried to come up with one of these? I have, and failed. Maddening because they are so simple a two year old could play them, but nearly impossible to make up an original.)
You really got me
not sure if they are too "complex", but Tales of Brave Ulysses and Sunshine of Your Love come to mind
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
Honky Tonk Woman? Layla? Not sure if they qualify. Maybe Jessica?
Ba-ba, Bah-bah-bah
Bah Bah, ba-ba
Esteemed close cousin to SOTWater, imo the all-time go-to crank-that-volume intro as the primary riff - Space Truckin - tie for 1st, then the rest
2 from The Kinks - You Really Got Me, All Day and All of the Night
Someday, everything's gonna be different
When I paint my masterpiece.
"A Hard Day's Night" -- one chord, instantly recognizable. There are a number of analyses but no definitive answer as to what it is.
Billastro
25 or 6 to 4
Day Tripper
"Boogie Chillen", by the King of the Boogie himself, Mr. John Lee Hooker. This riff became the inspiration for many other songs, including "La Grange" by ZZ Top, "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, and "On the Road Again" and "Fried Hockey Boogie" by Canned Heat.
[Edited on 5/13/2020 by peachlovingman]
Not so much a "riff" as a very short chord progression but that Free song Alright Now.
Rebel Rebel.
Not so much a "riff" as a very short chord progression but that Free song Alright Now.
This.
"Working Man."
A million Black Sabbath and AC/DC riffs.
^ war pigs, those first few measures
Whole Lotta Love
Born To Wild
Whipping Post
good calls all round
How could I have overlooked If 6 Was 9 ?
[Edited on 5/14/2020 by BrerRabbit]
"Walk don't run" Ventures
"Johnny B. Goode"
"Can't find my way home"
What?
No 'Stairway ... '
I'm not sure Stairway would be considered a simple rock riff
not taking away anything from it
The song “Joe’s Garage” by Zappa is a tribute to just this kind of thing: discovering a riff or lick or melody or progression that is basic and easy yet really catchy and fun to play with friends without the need for anyone to be a virtuoso.
Heaven and Hell
Cornell Dupree’s El Smoko & beyond wah wah guitar riff falling in on the hi-hat intro in the theme from Shaft - stays w/it the whole way thru:D 
Unsure if it’s Cornell, just a guess (Jimmy Nolen?)
Low Spark - Traffic
Rock On - David Essx
I'll add another Deep Purple one - I've Been Mistreated. Blue Oyster Cult's Cities On Flame With Rock & Roll is pretty bad ass.
Street Corner Talking is good lick.
I'm not saying it is exactly easy, but if you have not seen this yet, watch Lee Sklar's video of his bass line on "Stratus." It is a delight, and the bassline stays very consistent and very simple, just a few notes:
1. Any Duane-era ABB song.
2. A whole lot of Duane's session songs.
Billastro
Carol Kaye's bass lines in "Good Vibrations" and "Turn Turn Turn".
From the king of the riff-masters- Start Me Up.
From the king of the riff-masters- Start Me Up.
Jack Flash….Paint It Black...
"Bo Diddley" and "I'm a Man" by Bo Diddley are both timeless, primordial riffs.
"Hoochie Coochie Man" by Willie Dixon and performed by Muddy Waters. I love the Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy versions.
"Rollin' and Tumblin'" by Hambone Willie Newbern. Later covered and mutated by dozens of bands.
"Watch Your Step" by Bobby Parker, later stolen by Led Zeppelin for "Moby Dick".
"Dust My Broom" by Robert Johnson (and later Elmore James). The quintessential slide guitar riff in open D of all time.
Up Around the Bend by CCR
Sunshine of Your Love by Cream
Lots of Leslie West's early stuff (I'm Going Southbound, Blood of the Sun, etc.) And he riffed with 110% conviction on them, without a doubt.
