Thunder Road has a fairly steady build up throughout and then climaxes when Clarence and his sax enter the chat.
Fun fact:
Google AI says “The line ‘Mary’s dress sways’ is often used to represent the climax of the song.”
That’s literally the second line of the song.
Talk about premature E Streetulation.
Another Peter Gabriel number: “Solsbury Hill.”
Shocked that Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd hasn’t been mentioned.
Beethoven’s Symphony #9, toward the end of the final movement. “Seid umschlungen, Millionen!”/ “Alle Menschen werden Brüder!” Orchestra and chorus go full throttle—double fugue, full brass, the entire cosmic choir. Cataclysmic!
Yea, that was the first one one I thought of, too.
Heroin by The Velvet Underground turns into an ear-splitting mess. I love it.
The Lovers by The Enid.
A Slow Song by Joe Jackson. The live version in the link has a saxophone that is prominent in the climax.
“Total Eclipse of the Hear” has multiple climaxes, of course.
But I immediately thought of Yes’ “Close to the Edge.” It took me about three times listening to it before I could stay awake through the somnolent section. But I somehow popped awake for the climax.
I’m Going Home - Ten Years After @ Woodstock
If you like a loooooong slow build to a cracking climax, have I got the tracks for you:
Dogs by Pink Floyd
And a much more recent and very different track, but a similar structure:
Joan in the Garden by The Decemberists
Yeah, that song had a literal climax.
Followed by a cooldown outro that seemed to last until the end of time…
Have you heard the 15 minute version on “The Blow Up”? Messy but IMHO even better than the studio version. TBOalso has a glorious 15 minute version of Little Johnny Jewel.
I just heard “Running Scared” (Orbison) on the radio. I think that’s a good one.
This is the one that always comes to mind. It’s all crescendo. There’s no calming at the end but I suppose that’s the point.
Grieg - “In the Hall of the Mountain King”
Pink Floyd - High Hopes, it’s all a setup for Gilmour’s epic slide solo at the end.
Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody”.
Wagner’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King”.
I came here to say Orbison’s got a bunch of them.
Ya know what? I have not. I think I know what I’ll be listening to later today. Thanks!
I prefer Grieg’s. 