# Most recognizable song intro **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2016, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732 "2016-03-21T06:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/81 "2016-03-23T02:49:34Z")
[Close your eyes and click here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTCfQ6Bb8QE) You’ll know it immediately. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/82 "2016-03-23T02:57:48Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > I’ll say it’s snare and hi-hat. Um… that’s what happens when you get a newborn in the house in addition to the current almost-2-year-old toddler – your brain just short circuits and you make stupid errors like substituting “tom” for “hi-hat.” D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/83 "2016-03-23T03:18:13Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > You seriously think more people recognize A Hard Day’s Night from its intro than recognize Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony? For real? In terms of the fewest number of notes - certainly. It takes four notes for Beethoven to be recognized. The opening chord of “A Hard Days Night” is less than that. therefore… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/84 "2016-03-23T03:21:33Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > In terms of the fewest number of notes - certainly. It takes four notes for Beethoven to be recognized. The opening chord of “A Hard Days Night” is less than that. therefore… Well, it’s actually more notes–they’re just all played at the same time (or nearly same time, as it’s a strum.) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/85 "2016-03-23T03:28:57Z")
While the OP doesn’t specifically say that the song has to be a hit or a single by a band (Beethoven obviously doesn’t fit that meaning) I’ll nominate this version of this show’s theme song: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVSRm80WzZk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVSRm80WzZk) You hear those first four notes and you know exactly what it is. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/86 "2016-03-23T03:51:23Z")
> [@MacSpon](#): > > _Dancing Queen_ by ABBA. Now you have me wondering if I could distinguish the opening glissando of “Dancing Queen” from that of “I Want You Back” in total isolation. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/87 "2016-03-23T04:11:47Z")
Minimum number of notes? Piano, short C#, sustained C#. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LdH1hSWGFGU/maxresdefault.jpg "Valentina Lisitsa plays Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH1hSWGFGU) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/88 "2016-03-23T04:12:12Z")
How about Guns N’ Roses - Civil war. You don’t even need a _note_ to identify it - just Strother Martin’s little stutter. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/89 "2016-03-23T04:36:03Z")
I realize we’ve got mostly a Classic Rock group here, but for those who keep up with newer stuff, [you might recognize this from the first two or three notes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8wifV5RYr8). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/90 "2016-03-23T04:39:50Z")
[quote=“rowrrbazzle, post:87, topic:749732”] Minimum number of notes? Piano, short C#, sustained C#. [/QUOTE] Without context, I think most people have to go the full first four notes (well, the last two “notes” being chords) to be able to name it. I know I wouldn’t be able to (and that’s one of my favorite classical pieces.) I was thinking about this earlier today, and I bet a good portion of people would be able to recognize Chopin’s “Funeral March” played on a single key, but it would require four instances of that key to get it. I’m struggling to think of another song that could be identified with the repetition of a single note in under four notes. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/91 "2016-03-23T05:55:52Z")
I don’t know about you people with your distinctive single chords, but these songs start with the hook, and are pretty recognizable from go: The Police, [“Walking on the Moon.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nt8dJ6rMZI) Midnight Oil’s [“The Dead Heart,”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16bFBzx7I_0) natch. The Church’s [“Reptile.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0_PQl78HM) And then there’s Queen’s [“Under Pressure,”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I) which builds up in steps before the lyrics, all of which are immediately recognizable. Nothing like it. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/92 "2016-03-23T06:10:57Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > And then there’s Queen’s [“Under Pressure,”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I) which builds up in steps before the lyrics, all of which are immediately recognizable. Nothing like it. [Suuuuuuuuuuure. Nothing at all.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE) ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/93 "2016-03-23T11:52:14Z")
Jethro Tull’s **Aqualung** starts off with a very distinct 6 note riff. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/94 "2016-03-23T14:33:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Um… that’s what happens when you get a newborn in the house in addition to the current almost-2-year-old toddler – your brain just short circuits and you make stupid errors like substituting “tom” for “hi-hat.” D’oh! LMFAO - condescend much? (you’ll wanna keep the douchery down a bit - thanks) If you seriously think there is no (slightly opened) hi-hat, along with snare, kicking off the song, then PLEASE let’s have a Paypal bet (whatever amount you wish) for this evident newborn to take you to the cleaners. ok - you’re kidding, me, right, that you’re unable to hear any hi-hat kicking off the song? wow-ness. > [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > [Close your eyes and click here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTCfQ6Bb8QE) You’ll know it immediately. funny - for the first few seconds I guessed the Zombie’s “Time of the Season”. yeah yeah I went and checked TOTS and the beginning’s definitely different, but certainly not different enough to keep me from being thrown off by the SBM beginning. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/95 "2016-03-23T16:38:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Another well known opening from an older tune: [Rhapsody in Blue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynEOo28lsbc) There’s also [Toccata & Fuge in D minor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkQrj-eEs-M) by J.S. Bach. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/96 "2016-03-23T16:40:48Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > LMFAO - condescend much? (you’ll wanna keep the douchery down a bit - thanks) Don’t accuse others of douchery outside of the BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/97 "2016-03-23T16:46:49Z")
[quote=“rowrrbazzle, post:87, topic:749732”] Minimum number of notes? Piano, short C#, sustained C#. [/QUOTE] Oooh! very good one! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/98 "2016-03-23T16:59:12Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > LMFAO - condescend much? (you’ll wanna keep the douchery down a bit - thanks) > > If you seriously think there is no (slightly opened) hi-hat, along with snare, kicking off the song, then PLEASE let’s have a Paypal bet (whatever amount you wish) for this evident newborn to take you to the cleaners. > > ok - you’re kidding, me, right, that you’re unable to hear any hi-hat kicking off the song? > > wow-ness. Psst. He was \*agreeing \*with you. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/99 "2016-03-23T17:30:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Without context, I think most people have to go the full first four notes (well, the last two “notes” being chords) to be able to name it. I know I wouldn’t be able to (and that’s one of my favorite classical pieces.) I was thinking about this earlier today, and I bet a good portion of people would be able to recognize Chopin’s “Funeral March” played on a single key, but it would require four instances of that key to get it. I’m struggling to think of another song that could be identified with the repetition of a single note in under four notes. Another classical 4-noter, although I think some might get it on the first note: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs9lRO9WT8g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs9lRO9WT8g) The start of the opus 18 waltz is how my embryonic perfect pitch can find a b-flat ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-recognizable-song-intro/749732/100 "2016-03-23T17:39:36Z")
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