100 Greatest Rock Keyboard Riffs
Edited By: Jack Johnson
~Updated 11/18/05~

1.Light My Fire- The Doors
2.Green Onions- Booker T. & The Mg's
3.A Whiter Shade Of Pale-Procol Harum
4.Baba O'Riley-The Who
5.HIgher Ground- Stevie Wonder
6.Jump-Van Halen
7.Peaches En Regalia- Frank Zappa
8.When The Music's Over-The Doors
9.Won't Get Fooled Again-The Who
10.Child In Time-Deep Purple
11.In The Court Of The Crimson King- King Crimson
12.Money (That's What I Want)- Barrett Strong
13.Misty Mountain Hop- Led Zeppelin
14.Louie Louie- The Kingsmen
15.Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing- Stevie Wonder
16.Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen
17.Eclipse-Pink Floyd
18.Magic Carpet Ride- Steppenwolf
19.Mess Around- Ray Charles
20.Superstition- Stevie Wonder
21.FInal Countdown- Europe
22.Hoedown- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
23.In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida- Iron Butterfly
24.Love Lies Bleeding- Elton John
25.Living For The City- Stevie Wonder
26.Frankenstein- Edgar Winter
27.Seven Seas Of Rhye- Queen
28.You're My Best Friend- Queen
29.You Are The Sunshine Of My Life- Stevie Wonder
30.Karn Evil 9: First Impression, Pt. 1- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
31.Mary Ann- Ray Charles
32.Free Bird- Lynyrd Skynyrd
33.Space Truckin'-Deep Purple
34.Hey Bulldog- The Beatles
35.I Wish It Would Rain- Temptations/ Funk brothers
36.Chest Fever- The Band
37.Touch Me- The Doors
38.Yours Is No Disgrace- Yes
39.Blinded By The Light- Mannefred Man
40.Have A Cigar- Pink Floyd
41.Too HIgh- Stevie Wonder
42.A Time And A Place- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
43.Crocodile Rock- Elton John
44.Let's Spend The Night Together- The Rolling Stones
45.Imagine- John Lennon
46.Afternoon: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)- The Moody Blues
47.Firth Of Fifth- Genesis
48.Trampled Under Foot- Led Zeppelin
49.Hello, I Love You- The Doors
50.Carouselambra- Led Zeppelin
51.Walk of Life- Dire Straits
52.Learning to Live- Dream Theater
53.Pastime Paradise- Stevie Wonder
54.Let It Be- The Beatles
55.House of the Rising Sun- The Animals
56.The Logical Song- Supertramp
57.Oye Como Va- Santana
58.Glad- Traffic
59.Master Blaster (Jammin')- Stevie Wonder
60.Pigs (Three Different Ones)- Pink Floyd
61.Fools Overature- Super Tramp
62.You Haven't Done Nothing - Stevie Wonder
63.Someone Saved My Life Tonight- Elton John
64.Martha My Dear-The Beatles
65.Whipping Post- The Allman Brothers Band
66.The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys- Traffic
67.These Eyes- The Guess Who
68.I've Seen That Movie Too- Elton John
69.Black Magic Woman- Santana
70.That Girl- Stevie Wonder
71.The Pyramid Song- Radiohead
72.Kashmir- Led Zeppelin
73.Ordinary Pain- Stevie Wonder
74.Strange Days- The Doors
75.Knife Edge- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
76.6:00- Dream Theater
77.Free Hand- Gentle Giant
78.All In Love Is Fair- Stevie Wonder
79.Mr. Crowley- Ozzy Osbourne
80.Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me- Elton John
81.She's A Rainbow- The Rolling Stones
82.Go Now!- The Moody Blues
83.That's All- Genesis
84.The Knife- Genesis
85.Happy Birthday- Stevie Wonder
86.Werewolves of London- Warren Zevon
87.Rock the Casbah- The Clash
88.Tiny Dancer- Elton John
89.Jealous Guy- John Lennon
90.Spinning Weel- Blood, Sweat & Tears
100.Stage Fright- The Band
101.America- The Nice
102.Mother People- Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
103.Strawberry Fields Forever- The Beatles
104.Grey Seal- Elton John
105.Saturday In The Park- Chicago
106Cosmik Debris- Frank Zappa
107.No Quarter- Led Zeppelin
108.Knocks Me Off My Feet- Stevie Wonder
109.Lazy- Deep Purple
110.Boogie On Reggae Woman- Stevie Wonder
111The Way It Is- Bruce Hornsby & The Range
112.Maybe Your Right- Cat Stevens
113.God Only Knows- The Beach Boys
114.Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds- The Beatles
115.Angry Young Man- Billy Joel
116.King Must Die- Elton John
117.Maybe Your Baby- Stevie Wonder
118.Colour My World- Chicago
119.He's Misstra Know-It-All
120.New Millennium- Dream Theater
121.November Rain- Guns N' Roses
122.Radio Radio- Elvis Costello and the Attractions
123.Homburg- Procol Harum
124.Demon's Eye- Deep Purple
125.Anyways- Genesis
126.Awaken- Yes
127.Alabama Song- The Doors
128.Sunburn- Muse
129.Evil Woman- Electric Light Orchestra
130.Up to Me- Jethro Tull
131.Rainbow In The Dark- Dio
132.Everything In It's Right Place- Radiohead
133.Ruby Tuesday-The Rolling Stones
134.Burn- Deep Purple
135.The Dance Of Eternity- Dream Theater
136.Clocks- Coldplay
137.All My Love- Led Zeppelin
138.Steel Monkey- Jethro Tull
139.Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away- Stevie Wonder
140.You're The Inspiration- Chicago
141.Hero & Heroine- The Strawbs
142.Subdivisions- Rush
143.In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed- The Allman Brothers Band
144.High Hopes- Pink Floyd
145.Lady Madonna- The Beatles
146.Feelin' Stronger Every Day- Chicago
147.My Doorbell- The White Stripes
148.Fool In The Rain- Led Zeppelin
149.Beyond This Life- Dream Theater
150.Tunnel Of Love- Dire Straits
151.Freedom Rider- Traffic
152.Loving Cup- The Rolling Stones
153.My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama- Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
154.Flaming Telepaths- Blue Öyster Cult
155.Badge- Cream
156.On the Run- Pink Floyd
157.Sit Down, Stand Up- Radiohead
158.Metropolis- Dream Theater
159.Let's Make The Water Turn Black- Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
160.Perfect Strangers- Deep Purple
161.Little Umbrellas- Frank Zappa
162.Then- Yes
163.Turn It On Again- Genesis
164.Monkey Man- The Rolling Stones
165.I Can't Quit Her Blood, Sweat & Tears
166.Watching The Wheels- John Lennon
167.Erotomania- Dream Theater
168.Bach In N.Y.C.- Genesis
169.Roundabout- Yes
170.Stop- Pink Floyd
171.Hope You're Feeling Better- Santana
172.Come Sail Away- Styx
173.Blind- Deep Purple
174.Love Her Madly- The Doors
175.Bennie And The Jets- Elton John
176.I Want To Break Free- Queen
177.Waiting For The Sun- The Doors
178.Tom Sawyer- Rush
179.South Bound Saurez- Led Zeppelin
180.Right Now- Van Halen
181.Round and Round- The Strawbs
182.Speed Of Sound- Coldplay
183.Packard Goose- Frank Zappa
184.Tall Boy- Widespread Panic
185.Peace Frog- The Doors
186.Goin' Through The Motions- Blue Öyster Cult
187.In Your World- Muse
188.The Scientist- Coldplay
189.Please Don't Go- Stevie Wonder
190.Estranged- Guns N' Roses
191.Bargain- The Who
192.Villa Ghetto Land- Stevie Wonder
193.I Can't Tell You Why- The Eagle
194.Somewhere Only We Know- Keane
195.Parallels- Yes
196.All Day Sucker- Stevie Wonder
197.The Return Of The Giant Hogweed- Genesis
198.The Hand That Feeds- Nine Inch Nails
199.Who Are You- The Who
200.You Got Yours- Widespread Panic
201.Lawyers, Guns and Money- Warren Zevon
202.I'd Die For You- Bon Jovi
203.Your Wildest Dreams- The Moody Blues
204.California Girls- The Beach Boys
205.No More Tears- Ozzy Osbourne

This list needs work. This is how I'd do the beginning of it:

1. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
2. A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
3. Don't Stop Believing - Journey
4. Light My Fire - The Doors
5. Green Onions - Booker T. & the MGs
6. The Final Countdown - Europe
7. Frankenstein - Edgar Winter
8. Baba O'Reilly - The Who
9. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
10. Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
11. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
12. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

One Vision and Who Wants to Live Forever - Queen

The Message?

Outa-Space by Billy Preston?

Manzarek is the fucking boss, two performances in the top 10! Yeah!
Definitely my favorite keyboardist in rock.

what is soul kitchen not doing on this list? I'd have it in place of When the Music's Over, they're similar but Soul Kitchen is much more of a riff and much more well known as far as I know. Regardless it should still be on here.

Well I see what you mean in that Soul Kitchen is 'more of a riff'.
WtMO has a killer intro but it's more like an actual solo than a riff.

HOWEVER,
Strange Days > both.
One of the first uses of the Moog synth in rock, and the riff is a classic.

"You Can Call Me Al" is way too infectious to be missing from this list.

I'd have thought this would be much higher. Absolutely classic and instantly identifiable.

I'm now convinced that A Whiter Shade of Pale may deserve the #1 spot, considering it's one of the most covered songs of all time. And where's Easy Livin' by Uriah Heep?

I know this is basically subjective, but I think Light My Fire should always reign as THE unchallenged number one.

Well there are ones that are even more iconic, like Superstition.

Heard this yesterday, kind of forgotten, but a good piano riff.