Okay, here’s my take on it. I don’t remember the first time I heard Boston’s “More Than A Feeling”, although I loved the song (and still do), but I DO remember the first time I heard “Foreplay/Long Time,” and yes, the whole thing in its entirety. I guessed within a second or two that it was Boston, and I was right - and this was on a tinny, battery-powered transistor radio, being listened to by a 12-year-old.
The first time I ever heard “Let My Love Open the Door” on the radio, I knew it HAD to be a Pete Townshend song just from the synth intro.
Something off [looks at discography] probably Rush’s Roll the Bones album. Would they have released a single before the album came out? Anyway, new Rush song that wasn’t in my roommate’s heavy Rush playlist.
An easy one though, as It doesn’t take too many notes to identify something as a Rush song,
Modest Mouse released a single not long ago (new album released today) and it showed up on a playlist. I knew immediately it was their song (it is a sad once): Third Side Of The Moon.
I was sad I couldn’t see them when they were nearby recently.
I recognized the most recent Strokes single was their product the first time I heard it on the radio.
The best example I have is The Cars’ “Drive” in 1984. The keyboard intro definitely made me think of Greg Hawkes and then you got Ben Orr’s unmistakable vocal. I immediately turned to my GF and said, “Is this The Cars? Got to be.” This was in spite of the song being a bit untypical for Ocasek.
And this allows me to pose another question to Dopers, which I will do in another thread to avoid hijacking this one.
The most recent was when I heard I Made You Look and knew it was Meghan.Trainor right off. But, with my ears going, I listen to less and less these days.
Last year I heard the song Everybody Laughs and recognized that it was David Byrne.
I remember at a party, years ago, someone put a record on the stereo, and I pretty quickly had it pegged as Zappa I was unfamiliar with. It turned out to be the brand-new FZ album, Sheik Yerbouti, released only a few days previously. I mean, you can pretty well ID him the instant he starts singing.
I am a custodian at a couple schools within walking distance of each other…and within walking (and listening) distance of a venue called McMenamins Edgefield. It is a tavern/bar with an outside music venue, and I have no problem listening to concerts during the summer while I work the swing shift. This previous Wednesday night I was working while a soundcheck was going on and I heard a voice singing a few notes, and I immediately knew who it was! Just to make sure, I called My Beloved and asked, “Honeysweetydearest, who is playing at Edgefield?” She said, “It says here that Bob Dylan is doing a concert tomorrow night. Why do you ask?” “Because he is doing his sound check right now!”
Needless to say, I was busy Thursday night chasing people out of the school parking lot while listening to the concert.