The hand claps just before the do do do doo doo ending of “Suite: Judy Blues Eyes.” They kick the song from lament over losing a love into a celebration of life and its wonders. Perhaps the happiest second in modern music.
The way Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel blend their voices angelically on the final “thyme” in “Scarborough Fair / Canticle.”
In Chad & Jeremy’s “A Summer Song” the violins pass the riff off to the violas who pass it off to the cellos. The season changes right before our ears. Catch it twice in the video, at 1:22 and 2:12.
Yes! I remember when I first heard it–it sounded so cool. Along with the rest of the song! Those three little chords I finally did learn years later–by looking it up on the internet of course.
Beatlemania was one of the high points of my youth and my life. Those guys were fun and so cool for a 16 year-old in 1964.
Probably not exactly what you’re asking for, but this came to mind. I play bluegrass upright, and have recently been working on Ashokan Farewell. If you don’t know the title you may recall it as the main theme for Ken Burns’ Civil War series. It is in D, so there are 2 sharps - C# and F#.
Last time I played it with some folk, someone commented “Nothing really matters so long as you hit that C natural in the second part of the B part.” Lots of notes in the piece, and you can pretty much hack most of it up, but if you hit that one note really solidly, that is what folk will remember.
Re: Saint-Saens Symphony 3, after the Big Organ moment, I always laugh for the return of the piano from the first part of the second movement, flittering and dancing as the organ hums in approval.
Beethoven’s 7th, first movement. When it switches from the poco sostenuto (sp?) to the Vivace, the Vivace starts with a very quiet iteration of the main theme, but towards the end of that first iteration, the orchestra starts kicking in, building up to a peak and a momentary pause…
…and then the entire orchestra throws the kitchen sink into the second iteration of the theme. It’s as if Beethoven was rearing back, and then throwing his best heater over the plate.
There’s a guitar riff in The Gaslight Anthem’s “High Lonesome” that gives me happy chills. It sounds even more awesome live. It’s right around the lyric “…Maria came to Nashville with a suitcase in her hand”.
Sure. I’ll suggest the climactic moment, immediately before the coda, of Holst’s “Uranus, the Mystic.” The music has gradually been increasing in volume and emotional intensity, leading to a grand cresendo including an organ full keyboard glissando; one expects an explosive final chord, but instead it goes instantly from REALLY LOUD to – barely audible. The effect is stunning and wonderful.
Evanescence, “Call Me When You’re Sober” - there’s a part where they sing the words “How Could I” with a waver in the voice - I could listen to the whole song just to hear that one little bit.
Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City, “Good Time” - Right before the first chorus, Carly Rae has this “Whooo!” yell, which really sells the fun nature of the song.
Adele, “Set Fire to the Rain” - The penultimate stanza, where she rhymes “door” with “For you”
I just love how everything stops for a split second so the drummer can hit the bell of that cymbal; it’s wonderful!
Suicidal Tendencies have given me so much awesome stuff over the past 35 years but a standout moment has to be the way they lead into the song [url=]Accept My Sacrifice with “Standby stomach; here come banana!” because it has nothing to do with the song.
