I remember first hearing Visage’s “Fade to Gray” way back in the '80’s. A few seconds into the song, I knew I would love it. This has happened many times for me even after hearing just a few seconds.
Last year, my SO was flipping channels on TV and ran by a music show with a clip of a newly-released dance pop single. All I heard was perhaps 2 seconds when I asked her to switch back to that station. I totally loved the song. Just for reference, the song was “Junjou” by DJ Ozma, which is a re-make of the Korean pop song “Soon Jung” by Koyote.
Oh, if you like that song, you need to get the album. It’s genius, and a lot of it is bouncy and fun like “Wraith” (see particularly “The Party’s Crashing Us”). No one I’ve ever played it for has disliked it.
Oddly, what really got me hooked on it was “Oslo in the Summertime.” I heard it on the local college station and was just fascinated by it… it’s just such a weird mix of eery and infectious that I couldn’t resist.
On an unrelated note, another song I was immediately nuts over was “Yes! I Am a Long Way From Home” by Mogwai. Before that song I had no exposure to them or to postrock in general; I actually found it while searching for some other song starting with the word “yes”. As soon as I heard it I was so totally entranced that I forgot what the hell I’d started out searching for. I then proceeded to methodically devour each of their albums from start to finish. Yum. Now they’re my new Pink Floyd.
Absolutely, positively fell in love with “Photograph” by Def Leppard at first listen. Same goes with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” from Wings.
Nitpick: “For Those About to Rock” wasn’t on Back in Black, it’s the follow-up from a year later. I don’t recall, but I’m guessing the pre-release single from Back in Black was probably “You Shook Me All Night Long”. [End nitpick] But I agree the entire Back in Black album is classic. (“Shoot to Thrill” is my personal favorite.)
For me, I’d been exploring various types of rock/hard rock/heavy metal during my early high school years (and becoming infatuated in turn with all manner of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Doors, and Stones songs), but the one song I remember that I was practically addicted to when I first heard it was Van Halen’s “And the Cradle Will Rock…” from Women and Children First. That opening, recurring riff just captured me, and I loved the sound of it throughout the song. To this day I think it’s one of the “hardest” tracks Van Halen ever recorded.
“Cuts You Up” by Peter Murphy.
A few years ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about music, and he told me to listen to this song (Having been born in 1986, I missed this music the first time around so learned about it from my older friends). I downloaded it and gave it a listen, and I immediately loved it. At the time, I guess it was exactly what I wanted in a song. It was perfect for me.
ETA: Youtube link
Bah, the music video version of that song is abridged, cutting out the middle.
Another song I loved at first, though not as much as Cuts You Up, it “Dancing Barefoot” by Patti Smith.
The two songs I mentioned are a bit similar. They’re both melodic with a hint of darkness, and have choruses that are very catchy and give the feeling of being pulled in and twisted around.
In My Life by The Beatles. It usually takes me a few listens to a song to really feel very strongly about it, (I didn’t care for Free As A Bird the first two times I heard it*) but when I first heard In My Life, I was in love with it. The only other songs I can think of that were similar, (but not as much as In My Life) would be Black Dog by Led Zeppelin, and Moondance by the aforementioned Van Morrison.
*And I hated How Many More Times by Led Zeppelin, until I heard it live on their DVD, and loved it. Now it is one of my favorites.
Mushaboom by Feist caught me instantly, though it’s not a style I normally care for. I love this song, and loved it from the moment I heard it.
Rainy Monday by **Shiny Toy Guns **was an instant hit with me, played to me by my husband who had hoped I would share his love for this cool new CD he’d just purchased. I did, and still do. From the same album, Jackie Will Save Me caught my attention and held it tight after the first chorus.
I’ve professed my instant and desperate love for Dare by Gorillaz here before. Worth another mention.
Oooh, great tune! I’ve got a big Van Morrison greatest hits album (which, aside from the radio, is all I know of Van Morrison). I remember hearing that one for the first time and falling in love with it.
I’ve got two. One, I was driving to a student’s house for a piano lesson, and this incredible song came on the radio. It opened with a piano/vocal intro that was crisp and clear, and then proceeded to rock out. I kept driving around the block until the song was done. The DJ didn’t mention the name, but I asked some friends at school the next day what it could have been. The song: Come Sail Away by Styx. I was/am a big classic rock fan, but had never heard that song until my jr. year in high school (1997).
Also, maybe two years ago I was going to a friend’s house and listening to the radio, and heard an incredible version of George Harrison’s Isn’t It A Pity. I loved the song already, but this version was awesome. Just piano and a woman singing. I called the DJ; turned out it was Nina Simone.
Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis. I saw a video for another one of their songs (also catchy), Flathead, from a SDMB thread and searched for other stuff by them. This song has been stuck in my head since.
Looking at the World form the Bottom of a Well by Mike Doughty. First heard it on World Cafe while driving to the hardware store, made a detour into the Borders to pick up the CD.
Gotta love David Dye, he’s turned me onto a bunch of good things.
