It’s a subtle art, that of the song introduction. Indeed, the gentle art of song writing can live or die on the first few bars. What is it that hooks us in to that song and keeps us head banging or in a mood of contemplation until the end? Band’s careers can depend on the first 30 seconds of a song before a coked up record exec in LA says ‘next’. However, on the other side of the coin, let’s remember a record company guy named Dick James who turned down a band in 1962, with the famous words ‘guitar bands are going out of fashion’. The band, in case you asked, were a loveable bunch of scruffs from Liverpool named The Beatles. James never lived down his comment. Let’s check out Tone Deaf’s favourite song introductions of all time.
Led Zeppelin – Rock n’ Roll
One of the ultimate guitar riffs, Jimmy Page has been copied and covered on this endless times.
Love The Beatles?
Get the latest The Beatles news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
The Smiths – This Charming Man
Who would have thought that Johnny Marr’s little early 80s guitar ditty would have set indie dance floors alight for almost 30 years to come?
Bon Jovi – Living On A Prayer
We don’t care what you say – if you haven’t shaken your arse or fist pumped to the vocoder and guitar intro to this song at some stage you’re not human.
Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water
Ever played guitar? If you haven’t mastered this riff you ain’t ever gonna play this instrument. This is the song that all the bedroom rock n’ roll cowboys learned to play an instrument to or played air guitar to as they ‘advanced’.
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
If you’ve ever heard this song and not wanted to start doing scissor kicks by the third bar you’re not a real music fan.
New Order – Blue Monday
Just a bloody cheesy drum beat which the band created out of a mail order DIY music kit. 12 million records later and the biggest selling 12 inch of all time, if you can’t dance to this you need your pulse checked.
The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black
It seems so innocent, just like Keith Richards taking his guitars for a walk in the park – and then it turns in to one of the most malevolent, kick arse songs of all time.
AC/DC – Thunderstruck
While the band have produced many better songs, nothing is as good as Angus Young playing the complicated lick of the intro to this song -WITH ONE HAND! Go beat that, bedroom guitarists!
Van Halen – Jump
Yeah yeah, we know it ain’t cool to mention the synth driven songs from a band with a guitar master on board – but don’t tell us you don’t know this song and wanna dance within the first three notes.
Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
The soundtrack to half the Western world’s teenage existence, the introduction to this song is still a mystery to the guy who wrote it. “I was fucking around with this stupid little riff,” says Slash. ‘Axl said, Hold the fucking phones! That’s amazing!” Luckily for us, the band persevered with it enough to turn the ‘stupid little riff’ in to a song. Slash has said “Writing and rehearsing it to make it a complete song was like pulling teeth, For me, at the time, it was a very sappy ballad.” We’ll forgive you Slash. All together now … ‘She’s got a smile that it seems to me…’
[include file=”slideitem.php”]
