# Name (and link to) a song that is instantly recognizable with the very first few notes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844 "2014-08-18T17:57:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/21 "2014-08-18T21:34:45Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > The first one that occurred to me… > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70QfHtKdh\_0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70QfHtKdh_0) see post #2 [Teh awesome](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrdpliMfoAM) [and](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg) [and strangely similar but instantly different](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbBvKaM6sk) (I wouldn’t have got it before the guitar kicks in) (Okay, I get it now, NOTHING after the 60s is allowed, sorry, sorry, sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/22 "2014-08-18T21:51:35Z")
I’m usually good at identifying songs in the first second (assuming it’s a song I know pretty well). A natural ability, I guess. Are any other Dopers good at this? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/23 "2014-08-18T22:23:39Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > see post #2 dammit! I swear that post wasn’t there when I posted. At least, that’s how it was in my universe… ---
**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:** [August 18, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/24 "2014-08-18T22:36:27Z")
First one I thought of (and apologies if it’s been mentioned already, but I don’t have time to click on every one): [Is this one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M_Ttstbgs) And for people like me, who won’t click through every one: Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” (the “Stop, hey, what’s that sound, everyone look what’s going down” song. There’s a zillion others, but that’s the first one that came to mind. “Hard Day’s Night” is another one, of course. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/25 "2014-08-18T22:45:45Z")
[This one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLdUJIL8i8) ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/26 "2014-08-18T23:34:27Z")
Here are a few more cold starts from early rock: You can't miss the beginning of Fats Domino songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQQCPrwKzdo ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/27 "2014-08-18T23:52:44Z")
Janis Joplin, [before she even opens her mouth.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJb7cBfrxbo) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/28 "2014-08-19T00:10:13Z")
Other sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y3h9p\_c5-M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFuCYNx-1g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHdU5sHigYQ ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/29 "2014-08-19T00:26:40Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/etAIpkdhU9Q/maxresdefault.jpg "AC/DC - Hells Bells (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etAIpkdhU9Q) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/30 "2014-08-19T01:45:27Z")
Two possibilities for [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdLt3Afjrg) (this link is for the genuine article). The other possibility is Vanilla Ice’s travesty of a song, “Ice Ice Baby.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/31 "2014-08-19T02:20:16Z")
[Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjbCzlcIyU8) one worth mentioning. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/32 "2014-08-19T03:06:52Z")
> [@bunyupp](#): > > This [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70QfHtKdh_0). Heh! That’s the one that sprang to my mind when I read the title. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/33 "2014-08-19T04:11:13Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjbCzlcIyU8) one worth mentioning. That’s just about the only song I don’t recognize from the first few notes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/34 "2014-08-19T04:17:10Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I’m usually good at identifying songs in the first second (assuming it’s a song I know pretty well). A natural ability, I guess. Are any other Dopers good at this? Yes I seem to be doing exceedingly well. Songs I’ve heard a few times, at least. I actually hadn’t heard several of the songs in **njtt** ’s link so I only got 7/16. But for the most part I’m getting all these others rather easily. I’ve listened to a lot of music. I won a prize in high school for guessing [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqADHn7SWlA) at the first note. The DJ doing the contest cued up the album version which starts earlier than the radio version and I was up giving my answer by the time he got to where he’d meant to be. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/35 "2014-08-19T04:20:05Z")
I have [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbU4fPYRvcY)as my ringtone, and whenever I get a call at work, all my coworkers react to the first few notes. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/36 "2014-08-19T04:34:24Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vZxVC0GB838/hqdefault.jpg "Dire Straits - Walk Of Life | Music Video |") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxVC0GB838) > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjbCzlcIyU8) one worth mentioning. Very funny. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/37 "2014-08-19T11:23:01Z")
Bill Cullen, this song is almost 300 years old and I can name that tune in 3 notes! [spoiler]Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D-minor[/spoiler] Well, Bill, I can name this tune in one note! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tSL5-wxgvFY/maxresdefault.jpg "Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSL5-wxgvFY) Eine Kleine Nachtmusik ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/38 "2014-08-19T12:10:26Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSL5-wxgvFY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSL5-wxgvFY) > > Eine Kleine Nachtmusik I got that wrong, I thought it was [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMB01JK5pY). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/39 "2014-08-19T12:37:40Z")
[Distinctive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A-4VGfx5lU). ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844/40 "2014-08-19T13:44:15Z")
> [@bunyupp](#): > > This [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70QfHtKdh_0). Thanks for saving me the trouble of posting a link to that one. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-link-to-a-song-that-is-instantly-recognizable-with-the-very-first-few-notes/695844.md?page=3)