Great song intros

In My Humble Opinion
1

Yay, my first original thread!

So what are the songs with the best intros? You know, the sort that grab you from the first notes, toss you on the floor and keep going without even a glance backward?

To get things started, here’s my list. Some songs I’ve explained, some I haven’t. Sorry, I’m no Dave frickin’ Marsh, ok?

  1. T.Rex - “Metal Guru” (for its stomping beat and Marc’s “WhaaaHAA-AAHH-Yeaah-aaaah-aaaah!”)
  2. T.Rex - “20th Century Boy”
  3. The Beatles - “And Your Bird Can Sing”
  4. The Beach Boys - “Don’t Worry Baby” (Am I ever a sucker for high harmonies!)
  5. Rush - “Afterimage” (haunting, relentless and bittersweet; and that’s just the first 30 seconds!)
  6. Creedence Clearwater Revival - “Up Around The Bend” (Oh, that riff! Simple, yet the aural equivalent of a very sharp blade)
  7. Mott The Hoople - “All The Young Dudes”
  8. Thin Lizzy - “Emerald”
  9. Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Workin’ For MCA”
  10. Cheap Trick - “She’s Tight”
  11. Motorhead - “Killed By Death” (to say the video has a “dramatic” matching intro would be an understatement on the same par as calling Lemmy “kinda homely”)
  12. Aerosmith - “Draw The Line”
  13. Flamin’ Groovies - “Shake Some Action”
    And last, three that start with a solid throat-ripping scream:
  14. The Stooges - “TV Eye”
  15. Accept - “Fast As A Shark”
  16. Slayer - “Angel Of Death”

Ok, anyone else want to have a go? The song(s) can be from any genre of music, not just rock, so have a field day!
Cheers!
R-n-R

2

Everclear- Heroin Girl
"I used to know a girl. She had two pierced nipples and a black tat-too…

Blur- Song 2
“a-Whoo-Hoo…”

Ramones - Rock "n Roll Radio.
(more will come…)

3

Right off the top of my head I thought of one I heard today, Sonic Youth’s “Bull in the Heather.”

I like this topic. Let me think some more.

4

I too need to think some more but first that came to mind was Hammer To Fall by Queen which lead to me thinking of Stone Cold Crazy (also by Queen).

The opening notes of When I See You Smile always give me that bittersweet heartpang as does Romeo’s Heart but that’s not the sort of emotion we’re gunning for here is it?
I’ll be back with more…

5

  • The great drums into harmonica intro to Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Jackson’.

  • The opening to the Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus In Furs’ - electric viola, guitar, bass and drums in perfect synch.

  • The piano/drums/guitar intro to Nick Cave’s Mercy - fills you full of dread even before the vocals come in.

  • Beach sounds going into a great drumbeat, then shout, then catchy as hell guitar riff on Radio Birdman’s ‘Aloha Steve and Danno’.

  • Dead Kennedy’s ‘Holiday in Cambodia’ - just hear it if you haven’t, cause I can’t explain it!

  • The Saints - I’m Stranded - makes you want to jump all over the room from the first chord.

Keep them coming!

HenrySpencer.

6

The opening guitar riff in the original Layla is my favorite intro of any rock song I can think of. I know it’s not lyrics, but no one said it had to be lyrics.

7

Queen - We Will Rock You- (too easy)
stomp stomp clap, stomp stomp clap…

Pink Floyd- Money
(register noises)

Smashing Pumpkins -1979 (?)
"The world is a vampire…)

8

Ah, seriousart, just you wait. We Will Rock You has just been covered by a British boy band and will no doubt be searing your eardrums soon.

9

Two Step by the incredible [b/Dave Matthews Band**

10

Off the top of my head.

Dont fear the Reaper. BOC

Welcome to the Jungle. G’n’R

Boys are back in town. Thin Lizzy

You really got me. The Kinks

The Spirit of Radio. Rush

Back in Black. Ac/Dc

Too many to mention…

11

**Kings of the Wild Frontier **- Adam and the Ants. (those drums and that wild west bass riff)
Love spreads- Stone Roses

the acoustic guitar run up at the start of Come up and See ME(Make me Smile) by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel.
(and for all you wrestling fans, Steve Blackmans entrance music)

12

Serious Art, the Smashing pumpkins song your thinking of is “Bullet with Butterfly wings” (I love it too!)

13

Rush has some GREAT intros. Already mentioned were Spirit of Radio and Afterimage. Let me add a few.

  • Tom Sawyer. This is just too cool.
  • Cold Fire (uh-huh ;)). Very cool rif.
  • Manhattan Project. Impending Doom. Nuff said.
  • La Villa Strangiato. Lifeson proves he CAN TOO play fast. Hot damn, such skill!
  • Limelight. Another great riff!
  • The Camera Eye. Fuck, can’t I just say the entire “Moving Pictures” album??
  • The Analog Kid. The pace, the restlessness… beautiful!
  • Kid Gloves!
  • Territories
  • Time stand still

Obviously, I could go on. They specialize in cool intros!!
Some others worth mentioning:

  • Bad English - Straight to your heart
  • Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
  • Dire Straits - So far away
  • Paul Carrack - Don’t shed a tear for me (possibly the best non-Rush intro ever)
  • Tyketto - Forever young
  • Pink Floyd - High Hopes
    Great thread. An intro can make or break an entire song.
14

First I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinkin’ I could never live without you by my side. But then I spent so many nights thinkin’ how you did me wrong, and I grew strong, and I learned how to get along…

15

“Eye of the Tiger” - the Survivors.

“Voodooo Chile” - Jimi Hendrix

“The River” - Bruce Springsteen. That harmonica gets to me every time.

Stick around, I’ll think of some more.

BTW, Mattk, your post baffles me. Who ever heard of a boy band with a sense of rythm?

16

Who could forget In the Mood (I can play it!)

and what about Bastille Day, I banged my head so hard to this one I got an extra disc in my spine :smiley:

17

Tool - Eulogy

I like they way it starts real quiet with one instrument, then keeps adding instruments and building up until the lyrics start. Takes about 2 minutes. The scumbags on the radio usually skip it.

18

Into to Sweet Jane on Rock’n’Roll Animal by Lou Reed.

19

The beginning of 2112, by Rush (Esp. live)

Hemispheres, by Rush.

The beginning of The Dark Side Of The Moon album, by Pink Floyd.

Get Down, by The Jungle Brothers.

Atomic Dog, by Parlament.

Creep, by Radiohead.

Hotel California, by The Eagles.

Fuck The Police, by NWA.

The Humptydance and Freaks Of The Industry, by Digital Underground.

Hell and Suits Are Picking Up The Bill, by Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Barrel Of A Gun and Strange Love, by Depeche Mode.
La Grange, by ZZTop.

Higher, by Creed.

Possum kingdom and I Burn, by The Toadies.
And those are just off the top of my head. Great idea for a topic!

20

Most rock songs technically don’t have intros; they have riffs.

I always liked the opening chord in Lola.

For true intros, you have to look at Cole Porter or George Gershwin.