Supreme guitar riffs from both Japanese and Western music: songs with badass intros
Among rock fans, I’m sure many of you listen especially for the guitar.
After all, the guitar is the star of the band, and your ears naturally gravitate toward it, right? In particular, songs with striking, cool guitar riffs right from the intro are the very essence of rock.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of songs with awesome guitar intros, mixing Western and Japanese tracks.
You’ll find not only catchy, singable riffs, but also simple, powerful songs driven by strummed chords.
It’s a must-see song list for not just guitarists, but rock fans in general.
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[Across Japanese and Western music] Supreme guitar riffs: songs with cool intros (1–10)
LaylaDerek and the Dominos
A song by the American rock band Derek and the Dominos, also known for having featured the world-renowned guitarist Eric Clapton.
In Japan, the intro is especially often used in TV shows and commercials, and because the guitar phrase from the intro is also played behind the chorus, it is literally the song’s calling card and is famous worldwide.
The track features Duane Allman—then the guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band—as a guest, allowing listeners to enjoy guitar work by these two legendary players.
Purple HazeThe Jimi Hendrix Experience
Known in Japan by the nickname “Jimi-hen,” Jimi Hendrix was a legendary guitarist who shocked and influenced players around the world.
In this song’s intro, he uses the so-called “Hendrix chord,” a chord that was unusual in rock at the time, turning its dissonance into a catchy, impactful opening.
Although his career lasted less than a decade before his untimely passing, this is one of Jimi-hen’s signature songs, and he is still celebrated today as a great guitarist.
SnowRed Hot Chili Peppers
This mellow classic by the Red Hot Chili Peppers feels especially fresh in our memories since news of guitarist John Frusciante’s return broke in December 2019.
It’s included on their 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium.
The intro phrase—built on precise alternate picking and fluid hammer-ons and pull-offs—seems to embody John’s delicate soul itself.
When performing it, the key is how emotionally you can express it without sounding mechanical.
[Across Japanese and Western music] Supreme guitar riffs: Songs with cool intros (11–20)
This Means WarNickelback
Nickelback, the monster band born in Canada, tends not to get much discussion about their band ensemble or playing, regardless of the quality of their songs—perhaps because of their overwhelming commercial success.
In fact, they’ve created a lot of heavy, badass guitar phrases.
The track included on their 2011 release Here and Now is a great example: its simple yet incredibly cool intro features a thick, metallic riff that gradually fades in, all backed by rock-solid, dependable musicianship.
SmokyChar
This song, included on the debut album released in 1976 by Char, one of Japan’s foremost guitarists, is a masterpiece that lets you revel in the many performances that can be called the very roots of his decidedly un-Japanese style.
From the famous intro phrase that plays against the backbeat to the seamless transition into a flowing solo, there’s no other word for it than cool every time you hear it.
More than just a crossover of rock and fusion, it is a superb, definitive performance brimming with the overwhelming talent Char possessed in his early twenties.
The End of the WorldTHEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT
The debut single by the four-piece rock band THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT, which disbanded in 2003.
Kicking off with driving, fast-paced guitar strumming, the song instantly boosts the energy the moment the guitar hits, and the second guitar doubling the same strokes heightens the sense of anticipation.
Before the first verse, the blisteringly fast cutting adds tension and sharp dynamics to the track.
Even in the intro of their very first single, this number already lays out the band’s worldview and musical direction.
JUNGLES10-FEET
A three-piece punk rock band formed in Kyoto in 1997, 10-FEET’s track.
Featured as the opening song on their seventh album, it kicks off with a chord-slashing guitar phrase that signals the start not just of the song, but of the album itself.
The main riff begins while the guitar feedback still lingers, featuring a syncopated, off-beat rhythm that adds an accent to the tight groove and rock sound.
In the latter half of the intro, the tempo picks up, delivering an arrangement with the driving speed characteristic of a punk band.
Since the intro alone accounts for a third of the entire song, the track effectively functions as the album’s introduction.