'100 Riffs': Viral Video Compresses Six Decades of Rock'n'Roll into 12 Minutes

So we were amongst the 700,000 or so people who in the last 24 hours discovered Alex Chadwick's 12-minute and 14-second YouTube video entitled "100 Riffs (A Brief History of Rock N' Roll)" -- where Chadwick, from the Chicago Music Exchange, plays 100 rock riffs in a single take.

Having once done a similar exercise here at Spinner, we were curious about what Chadwick picked.

Since its posting the video has received over 1.48 million hits. The video begins with Chadwick playing "Mr. Sandman" by Chet Atkins before diving headlong into classic '50s rock songs like Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." There are also some interesting riffs which run into each other, with Dick Dale's "Miserlou" and Sarfaris' "Wipeout" leading into The Beatles' "Day Tripper" and The Who's "Can't Explain."

According to CBC, Chadwick used a 1958 Fender Strat for the performance, which also includes The Smiths' "What Difference Does it Make," Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing" and U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name."

Despite the praise Chadwick has received from the feat, the YouTube clip has some detractors, including NME writer Matthew Horton.

"Where's 'Ziggy Stardust'?" Horton asked. "'You Really Got Me'? Where's 'Wild Thing' for pity's sake?" Horton also noted how Chadwick credited "Pictures of Matchstick Men" to Camper Van Beethoven when the original performer was in fact Status Quo.

Led Zeppelin, Green Day, Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses are some of the groups with two riffs on the list, while the late Jimi Hendrix appears just once. A complete list is available at the Chicago Music Exchange site.

And if you're wondering which riff Chadwick gives the longest amount of air time to, it's White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army."