Best rock song intros of all time

[johnny'sgirl]

Totally random fun thread. :)

I was blasting out the Tom Petty this morning when I got up early to do some grading, and this topic popped into mind.

So what do you think are the best rock song intros of all time? I mean like intro/opening chords/notes of a song.

My list (in no particular order):

- Tom Petty: Mary Jane's Last Dance
- Van Halen: Jump
- REM: What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
- Guns 'n Roses: Sweet Child of Mine
- Pearl Jam: Alive
- Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
- Nirvana: Come As You Are
- Today: Smashing Pumpkins

I don't know what it is about those, but something about the guitar just gives me chills. Good chills. :)

I'm sure there're more that I like, I just didn't want to go through my whole playlist right now when I'm supposed to be grading. ;)

Anyone want to share yours?

[kris97]

Betraying my NJ hair-band roots ...

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Living on a Prayer

[johnny'sgirl]

Betraying my NJ hair-band roots ...


That's the funny thing about mine... I'm totally not an 80s rock kinda person, yet that's 3 of my top 5. :)

[ruledbymercury]

What about Today by The Smashing Pumpkins? If not the best, it's certainly one of the most memorable. I'm pretty sure it was the first thing I ever learned how to play on the guitar.

[lawyergirl25]

Bon Jovi - Let It Rock (I'm there with ya kris ;) )
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
Pink Floyd - Money
Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
Prince - Let's Go Crazy ("Dearly beloved...")

[johnny'sgirl]

What about Today by The Smashing Pumpkins? If not the best, it's certainly one of the most memorable. I'm pretty sure it was the first thing I ever learned how to play on the guitar.


Oh definitely!! OMG, not sure how I forgot about this... I LOVE this song!


/goes to dig out the mp3 ;)

[kris97]

You can't count Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, or REM as hair bands! ;)

[johnny'sgirl]

You can't count Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, or REM as hair bands! ;)

No, but 80s bands for sure, which is what I mentioned. ;)

(I'm seriously a total 90s girl--hubby loves all things 80s, and we soooo don't have the same taste in music. Which is why I find those three funny.) :)

[kk junebug]

The Who-Who Are You
GnR-welcome to the jungle
Van Halen-Hot for teacher
Nirvana-smells like teen spirit
(i think i could go on and on....)

[johnny'sgirl]

Nirvana-smells like teen spirit



Definitely!! :D

[fuzzy]

LOVE the intro to Jane Says...

[Myra]

"Last Splash" -- The Breeders

[meganth]

Like a Hurricane - Neil Young - Not only a great intro, but 3 great NY guitar solos in one song!

[wendalah]

The classic: "Back in Black," AC/DC!
It always amazes me how those brain-dead guys (ever see them on Vh1 behind the music or whatever?) managed to come up with the perfect, simple, rock riff.

[ivory]

U2: New Year's Day

And also pretty much any U2.


LOVE the intro to Jane Says...
Love that one too.

[dionysia]

"Last Splash" -- The Breeders

I think you mean "Cannonball." "Last Splash" is the name of the album (and a lyric from "Cannonball"). :)

I like the opening to "Come As You Are" by Nirvana. For giggles, play it alongside "Eighties" by Killing Joke, and see where Kurt was inspired. ;)

Also:
"Happy House" by Siouxsie & the Banshees
"Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode
"Pictures of You" by the Cure

Di

[johnny'sgirl]

I like the opening to "Come As You Are" by Nirvana.


Definitely!

[Kimberland30]

Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh

Anything by early Metallica. One, Fade to Black....etc. I also really like Dracula by Rob Zombie. And it's funny because I don't consider myself to be a metal head. ;)

[JamBray]

"Enter Sandman" - Metallica
"Paradise City" - Guns n Roses
"More Human Than Human" - White Zombie

[ginastorm]

I think the official title is "You Rocked me all Night Long" by AC/DC

I also like the intro to "Hotel California" by The Eagles

[Lucy Van Pelt]

KISS - Detroit Rock City

[msnicolea]

Sweet Child of Mine--best rock song ever, period, in addition to the intro!

I also like:

Owner of a Lonely Heart
Jump
Let's Go Crazy--actually, there are several Prince songs I'd put on this list

[GoCougs]

"Rock You Like a Hurricane"--The Scorpions
"Lay Your Hands On Me"--Bon Jovi

And not really pump-your-fist-get-your-head-bangin' but I really like the intro to "I Need a Lover Who Won't Drive Me Crazy" by John Cougar (as he was known as back in the day)

[Jenyfer9]

"Under Pressure" ---Queen

I heard this last night on Studio 60 and it's been in my head ever since! :)

[PG-rated]

The best intro ever is the opening chord of "Hard Day's Night." :)

[mindy75]

"Back in Black" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" are 2 different AC/DC songs. Both great ones!

Love...
"Sweet Child of Mine" GNR
"Living On A Prayer" Bon Jovi

[jenahdawn]

"Sweet Emotion" Aerosmith

[maryanne]

Although it already has been said, I must agree that Enter Sandman by Metallica has one of the most intense riffs ever.

Especially since I associate it with The Yankees closer Rivera. He comes out to win the game to the opening notes of that song and as a Red Sox fan--it scares me ;)

[Phen]

ohhh sweet emotion, excellent one.

all these that have been mentioned are great. I know it's not so much rock but I loooove the opening to "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve.

~ phen

[lawyergirl25]

How did I miss Enter Sandman?? Love it!

[Sin Nombre]

Any 1978 Bruce Springsteen bootleg, containing the the long-since-retired extended piano/guitar intro to "Prove It All Night". 4 or so minutes of absolute rock-n-roll bliss.

I also second GoCoug's choice of Johnny Cougar's (hee hee) "I Need A Lover (That Won't Drive Me Crazy)".

[amorey]

"Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne

[Kimberland30]

Yep, I LOVE Crazy Train and Sweet Emotion too. Funny how I just loaded both those songs into my MP3 Player and forgot about them already.

[msnicolea]

I totally neglected to mention Enter Sandman--fantastic intro (and hooray for Mariano!)

[screetch]

Blister in the Sun/Violent Femmes
Tom Sawyer/Rush
Two Step/DMB
Black Betty/Rama Jama (?)

Originally Posted by kris97 View Post
You can't count Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, or REM as hair bands!

No, but 80s bands for sure, which is what I mentioned.

Pearl Jam's debut album Ten came out in the early 90s. :)

[Rico'sAlice]

It is super-simple compared to most of the stuff mentioned but I've always been partial to that first bended note in Live's Selling the Drama.

[kari]

Cult of Personality by Living Colour

[johnny'sgirl]

Blister in the Sun/Violent Femmes
Tom Sawyer/Rush
Two Step/DMB
Black Betty/Rama Jama (?)



Pearl Jam's debut album Ten came out in the early 90s. :)

I wasn't listing them in my list of 80s bands--the ones I was referring to were Tom Petty, Van Halen, and GnR. The list was screetch's. ;)

[lawyergirl25]

Black Betty/Rama Jama (?)
Ram Jam ;)

[jimmysgirl424]

Going back to my teenage years here, but I consider this one to be one of the all-time best song-openers (and nobody has mentioned it yet!):

"Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits

:D

I've also always been partial to the opening of "Flesh" by Aerosmith, a bit of a lesser-known song but every time I play it on a jukebox somewhere, someone always comes up and asks who it is. That is, until the song starts playing and they hear Steven Tyler's unmistakeable voice.

[chefker]

NOBODY mentioned "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple? :eek:
For shame! ;)

Along with that, I'll add:

"Purple Haze" - Jimi Hendrix
"Living after Midnight" - Judas Priest
"The Happiest Days of Our Lives" leading into "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2" - Pink Floyd
"Riders on the Storm" - The Doors

[GoCougs]

Thinking about it, the entire song sounds like a totally bitchin' intro, but Van Halen's "Eruption" is pretty rockin', too.

(And thanks to Sin Nombre for typing the correct name of the John Cougar song I mentioned previously...I knew something was off about it when I first typed it!)

[yby1]

Iron Man by Black Sabbath. Hands down best intro ever.

[Katy]

The classic: "Back in Black," AC/DC!This was my first thought. Along with "My Sharona", some Pink Floyd from the Wall (nothing on our collective iTunes for me to pick some specific titles), some Who stuff that right now escapes me (specifically "Who are You") and Bruce's "Thunder Road" (but that's really *way* more mellow and folksy)

[ZoeGirl]

My favorites have already been mentioned: "Back in Black" and "Smoke on the Water." DH has his cell phone ring set to "Back in Black."

[chefker]

some Who stuff that right now escapes me

Maybe "Baba O'Riley"? It's funny, my little cousin now loves that song and calls it "that theme song from CSI New York." Cute. :)

[akacharlotte]

I second Black Betty by Ram Jam

Thunderstruck by ACDC

I agree with Chekfer on this one. When I lived in MD I used to go see a tribute band called Several Species. In a small enclosed club this opening gives you chills.
The Happiest Days of Our Lives by Pink Floyd leading into Another Brick in the Wall

One by Metallica

November Rain by Guns-N-Roses

I'm not sure if people count this one as rock but American Pie by Don McClean.

[KB57]

I also second GoCoug's choice of Johnny Cougar's (hee hee) "I Need A Lover (That Won't Drive Me Crazy)".

I third it....LOVE the intro to that song!!

Most of these were mentioned -totally agree with them:

Sweet Child of Mine, November Rain, Welcome to the Jungle-GNR
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come as you Are-Nirvana
Jump-Van Halen
Baba O'Riley - The Who

Not sure if these were mentioned :

Home Sweet Home-Motley Crue
Machinehead -Bush (breathe in, breathe out-love it)
Walk this Way-Aerosmith

[apoppy]

Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks

[mindy75]

KB57: Love Machinehead!!!

I can't believe I forgot...
"Edge of a Broken Heart" Vixen

[JamBray]

"Rear View Mirror" - Pearl Jam
"Roadhouse Blues" - The Doors

[msnicolea]

Home Sweet Home-Motley Crue


Definitely--love the piano intro!

You know I'm a dreamer. . .

[SweetRed]

There are SO many good ones here, but the one that stops me in my tracks when I hear it (and I know I'm weird) is Lola by The Kinks. What a recognizable, out of tune opening.

[ruledbymercury]

Oooh! Just thought of one I LOVE. For all you Boston people out there...Dirty Water by The Standells!

[NJPorkRoll]

Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
Stay - Shakespeare's Sister
Smoke on the Water!

[NJPorkRoll]

I almost forgot - Touch Me by the Doors

[moderngal]

*California All the Way-- Luna
*Don't Stop Believin'-- Journey
*Suicide Blonde-- INXS
*Brown Sugar-- the Rolling Stones

[bookworm]

Oooh! Just thought of one I LOVE. For all you Boston people out there...Dirty Water by The Standells!

Very funny--I had never read this thread before today, and that's the beginning of a song that just jumped out at me (before I read your comment) :).

[rachrich]

Pour Some sugar on me (Def Leppard)
Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)

[dionysia]

I know it's not so much rock but I loooove the opening to "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve. It's rock; it's the Rolling Stones, albeit a snippet from a symphonic version of 'The Last Time.'

Di

[LeslieR]

For me, nothing beats Ants Marching by Dave Matthews Band. Especially the extended intro. Those drums! We actually used it for our entrance song at our wedding.

Other DMB notables-Two Step and Say Goodbye. I seriously peed my pants this summer during the intro to Say Goodbye in Hartford.

[NJPorkRoll]

Has to be Honky Tonk Woman. Two clangs of the cowbell and you know what song it is.