Dutch people are crazy. Whether it’s down to a constant fear of death by burst dykes, or the easy access to drugs and whores, something has affected their judgement horribly.
The Dutch Radio 2 (like the British Radio 2, only with 100% less Michael Parkinson – a good thing) in conjunction with a Dutch national newspaper attempted to find The Ten Best Pop Song Intros Of All Time.
Want to find out what they voted for? (You do)
Brace yourself. For the song that has the best intro of all time according to our friends in Low Countries is none other than Radar Love by Golden Earring. You heard it here first, Gambacinni.
I Feel Fine was number three and Papa Was A Rolling Stone got to number eight. But a lot of the rest of the top ten has left us feeling nothing more than dirty and used. Hotel California? Pink Floyd’s Money? U2? Come on Oranjemen, you can do better than that.
Maybe the original list of 111 songs the listeners had to choose from was to blame. Well, partly. See, it does include Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, Club Tropicana and a Status Quo song (doesn’t matter which one, they’re all the same dener-dener).
But hold on! It also includes mighty intros like All Along The Watchtower, Waterloo Sunset, the wonderful Psycho Killer, Groove Is In The Heart, Satisfaction, Eye Of The Tiger and a Ramones song (doesn’t matter which one, they’re all the same) – none of which got a sniff at the top ten.
The Ramones are Gods, of course.
So, then. This poll got us thinking. What are the best intros of all time? The hecklerspray top ten (in no special order, other than merit, as of now) looks a bit like this…
586 – New Order (CDs)
This Charming Man – The Smiths (CDs)
Gimmie Shelter – The Rolling Stones (CDs)
Please Wake Me Up In My Dreams – Tom Waits (CDs)
Express Yourself – Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band (CDs)
When You Sleep – My Bloody Valentine (CDs)
Dead – The Pixies (CDs)
I Got The – Labi Siffre (CDs)
Cum On Feel The Noize – Slade (CDs)
Grounded – Pavement (CDs)
No doubt you’ll disagree with this list too. So what are your favourite intros of all time?
Leave your suggestions below.
A word of advice – write Stairway To Heaven and you’ll go straight to bed with no pudding.
And for you lucky Dutch radio listeners, let’s pray for some classic New Order action with 586, preferably sometime soon.
[story by Stuart Heritage]
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not a big fan of the song as a whole or the band, but Back in Black by ACDC does unquestionably have one of the best guitar intros of all time. Day Tripper? Actually hang on … obvious winner:
Long Hot Summer Nights by Jimi Hendrix.
Hi Rafael,
Believe me when I say this article has been the biggest cause of aggro at HS HQ. Not quite violence, but almost.
With that in mind this Top 10 gubbins is likely to turn into a regular feature, since some artists (Hendrix, Page, Pixies) could have 10 intros all to themselves.
Still, 586 wins for its false start, and because we should remember New Order in their prime, and NOT for Barney’s AMAZING DANCING on Jonathan Ross last week.
However, Gimme Shelter was felt to be the best ever after the story was published.
Ah but there’s Houses of The Holy to consider. And Little Wing. Atomic. Holiday In Cambodia. ANEURYSM. Shit…
hs
Hello:
Just my thoughts…not all might agree, but you must admit there are some real contenders here.
ACDC – Hells Bells
ACDC – Thunderstruck
Black Sabath – Ironman
Sloan – Money City Maniacs
U2 – Where The Streets Have No Name
Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
Metallica – Enter Sandman
The Who – Teenage Wasteland
Van Halen – Right Now
My personal favorite:
Baba O’Riley- The Who
(or as Shazzam wrongly called it: Teenage Wasteland)
Baba O’Riley, You Better You Bet, Dangerous, Athena. I love all Who intros. But Baba O’riley has to be the most classic.
At the risk of looking like a bandwagon-jumping twat (and besides, Baba O’Riley’s already been suggested so my first choice is gone already), you do have to grudgingly admit that the intro for ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ from the Arctic Monkeys ain’t bad.
Of course if we’re going classic, Johnny B Goode has to be there (so good that Chuck Berry was incapable of writing another song which didn’t start with the same riff), ‘Revolution’ by the Beatles is a great loud classic, ‘Driving South’ from the Stone Roses is probably finest intro they ever did that you’ve never heard of (although it’s a toss-up between that, ‘Love Spreads’ and the full extended version intro of ‘Elephant Stone’ for them). And Kasabian’s ‘Club Foot’ is the only track I’ve ever heard that begins as if it’s trying to start a war.
On the slightly childish end of things, ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’ from the Offspring starts off pretty tastily. And for the more leftfield choice, ‘For Boston’ is always a great opener for the Dropkick Murphys. And (oh bollocks, you’ve really opened the floodgates with this question, haven’t you!) ‘Carry Me Home’ and ‘Prisoner of Society’ from the Living End need listening to.
Phew!
How about:
STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA – SPRINGSTEEN
HOW LONG – ACE
WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT – DOLLAR
UNION CITY BLUE – BLONDIE
Whoever wrote this is showing their young age – as I will below.
The best song intro of all time is Tequila. Easy.
Little Wing-Jimi Hendrix
Most of the songs mentionned have instrumental intro’s, but if you ask me. the most beautiful (lyrical) intro of a song is still The Year of the Cat by Al Stewart..
“On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime..”