Defining riff

A short repeated figure so identifiable that it is inseparable from the song's identity.

songs

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The Beatles' commonest solo / riff is Guitar solo, on 74 songs, ahead of Defining riff on 44.

Guitar solo Solo / Riff

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

By Era

Early9 · 26%

Mid-period14 · 40%

Late12 · 34%

By Album

The Beatles (The White Album)4

Songs(35 of 44)

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	There's a Place	1963	Please Please Me	John, Paul	Harmonica hook
2	She Loves You	1963	Past Masters	Paul, John	Ringo's tom-tom intro fill
3	It Won't Be Long	1963	With The Beatles	John	Falling 'yeah-yeah-yeah' vocal hook
4	Don't Bother Me	1963	With The Beatles	George	Minor-key guitar riff opens song
5	You Can't Do That	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	Lennon's D7♯9 voicing – F natural over D7 creates signature dissonance
6	I Should Have Known Better	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	Opening harmonica figure
7	And I Love Her	1964	A Hard Day's Night	Paul	Harrison's four-note classical-guitar intro/outro figure
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8	I Feel Fine	1964	Past Masters	John	Iconic descending guitar riff
9	What You're Doing	1964	Beatles For Sale	Paul	12-string ostinato over D-G
10	Ticket to Ride	1965	Help!	John	Paul's lead-guitar hook
11	Help!	1965	Help!	John	George's descending lead line under chorus
12	Another Girl	1965	Help!	Paul	Lead guitar riff opens intro and closes outro
13	You Like Me Too Much	1965	Help!	George	Electric piano descending intro figure
14	Drive My Car	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul, John	Two-guitar opening figure
15	Day Tripper	1965	Past Masters	John, Paul	Chromatic E7-based guitar hook
16	In My Life	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Descending lead-guitar octaves opening
17	If I Needed Someone	1965	Rubber Soul	George	12-string pedal-tone figure over A
18	Nowhere Man	1965	Rubber Soul	John	Jangling Stratocaster lead figure
19	Paperback Writer	1966	Past Masters	Paul	Syncopated lead-guitar opening riff
20	Taxman	1966	Revolver	George	Built on the D7♯9 stab riff
21	Love You To	1966	Revolver	George	Seven-note sitar motif from alap
22	I Want to Tell You	1966	Revolver	George	Opening A-major lead-guitar riff
23	And Your Bird Can Sing	1966	Revolver	John	Harmonised lead-guitar hook drives the song
24	Lady Madonna	1968	Past Masters	Paul	Boogie-woogie piano figure
25	Glass Onion	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Recorder phrase echoing 'Fool on the Hill'
26	Helter Skelter	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	–
27	Birthday	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul, John	Bass and guitar in octaves
28	Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	I→IV vamp intro
29	Hey Bulldog	1969	Yellow Submarine	John	Piano riff on B minor
30	Old Brown Shoe	1969	Past Masters	George	–
31	I Want You (She's So Heavy)	1969	Abbey Road	John	–
32	Polythene Pam	1969	Abbey Road	John	D-A-E double-plagal figure
33	Here Comes the Sun	1969	Abbey Road	George	Opening acoustic guitar riff
34	Come Together	1969	Abbey Road	John	Bass figure across the verse
35	I've Got a Feeling	1970	Let It Be	Paul, John	I-IV6/4 vamp