3 Synth Riffs From the 1980s That Made You Want To Buy a Keyboard

Is there such a thing as the “Whole Lotta Love” of synth riffs? Something akin to “Smoke On The Water”, “Iron Man”, or “Back In Black”? Some of you might put the very premise in the category of blasphemy. But you’d be wrong.

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There are plenty of iconic guitarists—as you’ll see below—who rocked a synth. But also, technology in the 1980s, and the ubiquity of synthesizers and drum machines, radically altered the course of popular music. Many replaced guitars while others lifted rock instruments to new heights: Roxy Music, The Cars, Devo, Tears For Fears, Talking Heads, or anything by Brian Eno.

And plenty of acts like Depeche Mode, New Order, and others put the synth front and center where the guitars used to be. So let’s look at three synth riffs from the 1980s that made you want to buy a keyboard. Don’t sell the guitars, though; you might still need them.

“Blue Monday” by New Order

The story goes that “Blue Monday” helped send Factory Records into financial ruin because the floppy-disc sleeve cost the label to lose money with each pressing. Maybe Peter Hook has some insight into the other contributing factors. Nonetheless, New Order’s groundbreaking single is a synth-pop masterpiece, and countless artists and producers continue to reference the track.

“1999” by Prince

In 1982, Prince recorded a song about the future. How far off 1999 must have seemed? Depending on your age, now it’s vintage. Prince played his futuristic riff on an Oberheim OB-8. While many synths give the vibe of 1960s sci-fi, the Oberheim sounded like an organ found in outer space. He built the beat using the Linn Drum Computer, and the rigid groove gets offset with live guitars, bass, handclaps, and gospel vocals. If you wanted to know what Jimi Hendrix would have done with a synthesizer, this might be it.

“Jump” by Van Halen

Of course, the greatest rock guitarist of the 1980s also wrote one of the decade’s best-known synth riffs. Eddie Van Halen used his childhood piano skills to find new ways to shred. In 1978, “Eruption” either sent guitarists to the practice room, or perhaps they just gave up altogether. However, in 1984, Van Halen wrote his biggest hit … on a keyboard. Like Prince, Van Halen chose an Oberheim synth for his new wave single. Might as well synth!

Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns