Best Intros To Rock Songs

Myself ^ | October 31, 2018 | A Navy Vet

[A strike]

I’m not arguing the greatest guitarist of all time (no one’s even mentioned Carlos Santana) but rather that there has never, ever been an intro/transition better than Hendrix StarSpangled Banner into PurpleHaze.

[A strike]

Like him or not, Hendrix KICKED A$$$$$ that day.

[MomwithHope]

Gimme an F E A T
Let's hear it for Little Feat!

[MomwithHope]

Sorry - from their live album, song name Fat Man in the Bathtub with the Blues.

[Paul R.]

Santana too - I always liked the intro to “No One To Depend On”, among others.

[greenishness]

I got to this party late, many of my picks are gone. Alan Parsons Project Sirius/Eye in the Sky

[albie]

Can’t You Hear Me Knockin by the Stones is one of my faves

[albie]

Panama Van Halen

[MomwithHope]

first song on the album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0WeIOxZdnw

[Busko]

Sweet Jane, Lou Reed!

[Ikeon]

no one has mentioned roundabout by yes.

[who knows what evil?]

Without Warning/Tooth and Nail: Dokken

[PhillyPhreeper]

Many good suggestions however the winner is .......... Smoke on the Water.

[Drumbo]

Steve Hunter wrote the live intro to Sweet Jane and played the guitar duet with Dick Wagner, both of whom went on to join Alice Cooper. The intro builds to a climax that the three chord song could never really live up too - but the intro is still epic after 45 years.

[thefactor]

I just need to go on record and say that the two finest song openings are, unequivocally:

Spirit in the Sky by Norm Greenbaum, and

Hot for Teacher by Van Halen.

[CrouchingTiger620]

So many great entries...............

I’ll throw in.....
When the Levee Breaks (drums alone) Led Zep
Circle of Hands (Uriah Heep Live)
Funeral for a Friend - Elton
Keep Yourself Alive - Queen
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Baba O’Reilley - Who
Sweet Child o Mine - Guns n Roses

[Tuxedo]

A few come to mind:

Yes - Roundabout
Supertramp - Bloody Well Right
Styx - Fooling Yourself
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
Talk Talk - It’s My Life
And even though it’s Disco, The Trammps - Disco Inferno

All time favorite for me is Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing

[Palio di Siena]

Roll over Beethoven - Electric Light Orchestra

[Enduro Guy]

“Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” by the The Hollies

[Ikeon]

who can stay sitting when “rock lobster” comes on? ricky wilson of the b-52’s was asked what tuning he used in that sonlng. his reply. he tuned his guitar to “ what sounds good to me”. and then wrote the song. many B-52’s songs were written with alternate tunings. imho..