Jamie Reidy offers his ranking of the Top 10 opening drum beats in rock history.
This is the last in a series, following my picks for guitar, piano and bass.
Before you start yelling at me for this list, I invite you to take a deep breath and re-read the headline.
It says “Most Recognizable.” It does not say “Best” or “Most Epic” or “Most Influential.” It says “Most Recognizable,” as in “The majority of the people in your car, bar or party instantly know what song it is by the first note of the song.”
That first note part is key. Also, no band can have two entries.
Here are the runners up:
Two Princes – Spin Doctors
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Every Breath You Take – The Police
The Long Run – Eagles
Boys of Summer – Don Henley
Now, for the Top 10 Most Recognizable Opening Drum Beats of All-Time.
I will go in descending order:
10.Magic Bus – The Who (Not sure exactly what instrument starts this song, but I know it’s percussion.)
9. Honky Tonk Woman – Rolling Stones
8. Bullet The Blue Sky – U2
7. Shout at The Devil – Motley Crue
5. It’s The End of The World – R.E.M.
4. Walk This Way – Aerosmith
3. Back in Black – AC/DC
2. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band
1. Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
Agree? Disagree? What did I miss?
(Not Just) Knee Deep, by Funkadelic
I nominate the Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil.” I was in a crowded, loud coffee shop just now, where none of the other instruments could be heard, but within 3-4 beats of the song coming on, I knew what it was. It would be interesting to do an experiment on some of these candidates with 100 rock fans. We need to find a rocking scientist to volunteer.
What about Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing,” which I believe was featured in “Florence Foster Jenkins” with Hugh Grant dancing the jitterbug?
Pain killer… Judys Priest… By far number one
The uninvited Guest” by Marillion (Ian Mosley), Digital Man by rush (Neil Peart), 6:00 by dream theater (mike portnoy), Make me smile by Chicago (Danny Seraphine), 777-9311 by Prince/ the time/ jellybean (Prince & jellybean), Tommy the Cat by Primus (Tim ‘Herb’ Alexander), Hot for teacher by van halen, Honor thy father by dream theater (Mike Portnoy), Only a dream by Adrian Belew, Torpedo Girl by KISS/Ace Frehley (Anton Figg), Mystic rhythms by slush (Neil Peart), Stop Swimming by Porcupine tree (Chris Maitland), this is no rehearsal by porcupine tree (Chris Maitland), The Scent of Magnolia by David Sylvian (steve… Read more »
Me Me – Funny you should mention Paradise City, since I originally had it on the list. But then FlyingVedhead and another pal pointed out that it starts with a guitar. And, sure enough, they are correct.
You are absolutely correct. Good list btw
So many missed, just off the top of my head:
MC5 – Skunk
Megadeth – Skin of my Teeth
The Whigs – Right Hand on My Heart
The Monkees – Mary Mary
Toadies – Heel
The Police – Walking on the Moon
Paradise City…..where you be at?
Judas Priest – Painkiller
the opening drum sound so evil!!!!!!
I think “Rosanna” by Toto should be on this top 10 list!
50 ways to leave your lover/ Steve Gadd
I have no problem moving “Honky Tonk Woman” higher on the list. But Top 3???
Honkey Tonk Women should be Top 3 purely b/c of the cowbell. If there were a list of greatest cowbell songs in rock history, HTW is #1!
I did not know that re: Zeppelin and the Little Richard song.
As for “Back in Black,” it starts with a high hat or cymbal, right?
Went back and checked “Back in Black” and you’re right, there is a high-hat only intro.
Well, Back in Black’s count in is the “chunk” sound from the muted strings. When the drums kick in, so does the guitar chords, so it’s not actually a drum opening.
I know this is just for Rock, but man, I don’t think there’s anything more recognizable than the drum opening of Sing Sing Sing.
Personally, I would have put “When the Levee Breaks” by Zep on the list rather than “Rock and Roll” but that may just be my personal bias. R & R is instantly recognizable too. Great list BTW
“Here Comes My Girl” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
totally thought you were gonna have some hip hop or pop on this list.
I would nominate “Be My Baby.” just epic,
BTW “Rock And Roll” is pretty much a direct nick from
“Keep a Knocking” by Little Richard. In fact, the song started as a jam based on the earlier song.
You are correct!
Its not really rock, but the opening of “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross (drums by Tony Thompson of Chic) is brilliant.
Like the post. I’ll differentiate between a percussion-only intro, however brief ( “Rock and Roll,/Magic Bus”) and a great beat that starts with music from the jump (“Shout/Back in Black”).
In the former category I would add Halen’s “Everybody Wants Some” Ozzy’s “Over the Mountain” and Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”
In the latter category I would place The Kinks, “You Really Got Me” and the Sex Pistols “Anarchy In The UK.”
HillRat, I don’t know any DK.
Tyler, you are so right! Just changed the list.
Also, turns out Paradise City starts with guitar for 10 seconds before the first drum beat. I. Am. An Idiot.
Can’t believe you don’t have “California Uber Alles” by the Dead Kennedys on this list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIqESwzCGg4&feature=related
there are so many Rolling Stones songs to name here but what about “Honkey Tonk Women”?