Black Sabbath's 'Symptom of the Universe' voted greatest riff of all time

I think the end of the song - all those lush acoustic guitars and Ozzy's still very heavy vocal - is the best part of the song.

 

I think many other people could have written the "Symptom" riff, but no one else could have written "Children Of The Grave." Just my humble opinion!

 

Agreed, IMO "The Writ" is one of the heaviest and eeriest Black Sabbath jams

But Symptom is a "once in a generation" song and riff for sure

 

One of the best riffs. It sounds so "diabolic". Diabolus in Musica.

 

Echoing a few others opinions that the acoustic jam at the end of Sympton is better than the riff.

 

Aw, I would have voted for The Mob Rules! Probably because I listened to he album yesterday... Anyway thank the great gods that they picked an Iommi riff, any Iommi riff, for surely he is the master.
I think Paranoid is the riff that first freaked out guitar players everywhere as they had to figure out "palm muting" to play it right.
Symptom is a kind of crossover riff to newer more modern styles of metal but isn't that due to his guitar tone as much as the riff itself?
All hail the king!

 

Love it
Shouldn't be too hard to get both bands touring behind it
a win win for both

 

I don’t get the obsession with trying to label something as “the greatest of all time”. There are too many great riffs out there for me to isolate just one and claim it’s the greatest.

 

Just because you're perfectly right doesn't mean you have to spoil things for the rest of us.

 

That should also include "....and no Eddie Van Halen style tapping! ....ATALL!"

 

I’m sorry.

 

Just kidding, no need to be sorry!

 

I know.

 

I didn't remember the riff either and you-tubed it. The song started but I was quickly destracted by a Wicked World video and played it, instead.

 

It ranked around #45 in 2004 book The Top 500 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time. Voted by fans. I’d put it Top 10 in either category.

 

I love every second of the thing. Beginning, middle, and end. It was literally my favorite song for a good part of my teenage years.

 

I don't consider Symptom of the universe to be Black Sabbath top 10, but a good one..
The best ever IMO is Led Zeppelin Black Dog.

 

I'd be interested to see the entire list, no matter if it was decided on upon by musicians or not. I have nothing against lists being compiled (ever visit the Hoffman forums???) except when it becomes obvious that they're trying too hard to have all eras being represented. I'd just admit my bias up front and throw down ten riffs each by Sabbath, Maiden, Priest and Metallica along with ten stragglers. Then I'd sit all 50 in front of Unchained by Van Halen and tell them they're all playing for second place!

 

can't go scaring the kids, the wifi doesn't work in the safe zone

 

So many phenomenal Sabbath riffs to choose from, as long as one of them made it as the all time greatest, I’m good with that.

 

idk i like it, i like supernaught. although its been done to death paranoid is great ...
there are just too many great riffs for there to really be a best.
satisfaction
when the levee breaks
purple haze
roadhouse blues
black night
day tripper
riff raff
I mean so many it's crazy

 

To be fair, SOTU did actually inspire the real 'greatest riff of all time', which is Am I Evil, FYI.

 

symptom

 

It's "Black Sabbath" (the song's main riff) sped up 5 years later. It is cool, though. Quite a brilliant song in it's own right.