Pieces of music where the beginning is way more famous than the rest

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1. Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells
2. Beethoven, Symphony No. 5

Are there any pop songs that fit this?

I guess there are TV themes where the song is heavily edited (like Phantom Planet's "California" on The O.C.), but you generally get the beginning and the end, just not the middle. Also there are Christmas carols and other traditional songs where everyone knows the first verse, but far fewer know the second, third, or fourth.

jaymc, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:29 (fourteen years ago)

Stairway to Heaven?

progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:30 (fourteen years ago)

Layla?

A brownish area with points (chap), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:30 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B_r5rVU5rw

mark e, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:31 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaoCsmFDLcY

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:34 (fourteen years ago)

Smoke on the Water

Master of Treacle, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:38 (fourteen years ago)

Also Sprach Zarathustra

Matt DC, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:44 (fourteen years ago)

omg I just typed that

17th Century Catholic Spain (Abbbottt), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:45 (fourteen years ago)

Carmina Burana. Ride of the Valykyries.

Massive fuckoff bombast appears to be a theme here.

Matt DC, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:45 (fourteen years ago)

Corona - The Minutemen

(theme to Jackass)

kornrulez6969, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:47 (fourteen years ago)

You could list practically every famous opera overture here.

DJP, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:48 (fourteen years ago)

Rossini - William Tell

Veðrafjǫrðr heimamaður (ecuador_with_a_c), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:48 (fourteen years ago)

You could list practically every famous opera overture here.

Damn!

Veðrafjǫrðr heimamaður (ecuador_with_a_c), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:49 (fourteen years ago)

boston - foreplay/long time

Str8 Drapin It (chrisv2010), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:51 (fourteen years ago)

Eye of the Tiger?

fred aboombong (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:52 (fourteen years ago)

Land Of 1000 Dances by Wilson Pickett springs to mind, though the famous bit "naaa na na na naaa..." and is in the middle. The point that I really have no idea about the rest of the track.

Daniel Giraffe, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:54 (fourteen years ago)

Rush, "Spirit of Radio"

margana (anagram), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:55 (fourteen years ago)

"The point being..." (xpost to correct myself)

Daniel Giraffe, Friday, 5 November 2010 15:56 (fourteen years ago)

Wilson Pickett also a cover version more famous than the original, although there must be loads of those.

a fucking stove just fell on my foot. (Colonel Poo), Friday, 5 November 2010 15:59 (fourteen years ago)

Europe, "The Final Countdown"

Tub Girl Time Machine (Phil D.), Friday, 5 November 2010 16:03 (fourteen years ago)

That kind of falls into 'songs where the chorus is way more famous than the rest'.

Harrison Buttwhistle (NickB), Friday, 5 November 2010 16:06 (fourteen years ago)

The intro's more famous for "Arrested Development" fans, I think.

17th Century Catholic Spain (Abbbottt), Friday, 5 November 2010 16:06 (fourteen years ago)

Massive Attack - "Teardrop" (theme to "House")

DJP, Friday, 5 November 2010 16:08 (fourteen years ago)

"Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?"

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 5 November 2010 16:12 (fourteen years ago)

iron maiden - phantom of the opera (lucozade advert theme)

Algerian Goalkeeper, Friday, 5 November 2010 16:14 (fourteen years ago)

The intro's more famous for "Arrested Development" fans, I think.

The networks use the intro (only) during virtually every American football game.

killa bee, Friday, 5 November 2010 16:17 (fourteen years ago)

Still not sure if I've ever "Rock and Roll Part I".

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 5 November 2010 16:19 (fourteen years ago)

if I've heard...

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 5 November 2010 16:19 (fourteen years ago)

"Harlem Shuffle"

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:05 (fourteen years ago)

"Son of a Preacher Man" maybe?

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:11 (fourteen years ago)

"I Can't Stand the Rain"

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:13 (fourteen years ago)

"Whole Lotta Rosie"? Not that that's really any truer than a lot of these, but still.

Triumph of the will.i.am (Noodle Vague), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:13 (fourteen years ago)

"Impeach the President"

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:17 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:26 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbJQT2eDseA

Mark, Friday, 5 November 2010 18:27 (fourteen years ago)

Gary Numan - M.E. (sampled in "Where's Your Head At")

VanityVEVO (corey), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:31 (fourteen years ago)

Verve "Bittersweet Symphony"

the Whiney G. Weingarten Memorial 77 Clique (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:34 (fourteen years ago)

Sampling opens up hundreds of tunes. For example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wylfBQjL8I

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Friday, 5 November 2010 18:35 (fourteen years ago)

I think the instrumental from Cam'Ron's Oh Boy!/Rose Royce's I'm Going Down would qualify. Nearly every rapper has used it in some form.

That's not a "laugh track", it's an audience and you're in it. (MintIce), Friday, 5 November 2010 20:18 (fourteen years ago)

weird I thought that Charmels song was called I'll Never Grow Old

the Whiney G. Weingarten Memorial 77 Clique (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 5 November 2010 20:21 (fourteen years ago)

"Gimme Shelter"

skreet walking cheeduh widda head fulla facepalm (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 5 November 2010 20:23 (fourteen years ago)

layla, yeah

cant believe you sb'd me for that (darraghmac), Friday, 5 November 2010 20:27 (fourteen years ago)

Bonnie & Clyde maybe?

Harrison Buttwhistle (NickB), Friday, 5 November 2010 21:11 (fourteen years ago)

Fleetwood Mac - Albatross

Harrison Buttwhistle (NickB), Friday, 5 November 2010 21:24 (fourteen years ago)

the first 45 or so seconds of the mekons' "where were you?" gave way to Super Roots 7, which is in serious contention not only for the title of best boredoms realease, but perhaps the official best thing ever created by human beings. the rest of "where were you?" is an average punk song at best.

Fellini.Kuti, Friday, 5 November 2010 21:27 (fourteen years ago)

Def Leppard - Rock of Ages

Harrison Buttwhistle (NickB), Friday, 5 November 2010 21:29 (fourteen years ago)

the rest of "where were you?" is an average punk song at best.

No. No No No.

the Ford Escort Cabriolet of middle-aged men (Noodle Vague), Friday, 5 November 2010 21:33 (fourteen years ago)

layla, yeah

― cant believe you sb'd me for that (darraghmac), Friday, November 5, 2010 4:27 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

I would argue that the end of "Layla" is at least as famous as the beginning.

Tub Girl Time Machine (Phil D.), Friday, 5 November 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago)

Maybe more so. How many people have heard it via "Goodfellas?"

Tub Girl Time Machine (Phil D.), Friday, 5 November 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago)

Kraftwerk, Ohm Sweet Ohm (sampled by chemical brothers,'leave home')

xtc ep, etc (xp) (ledge), Friday, 5 November 2010 23:18 (fourteen years ago)

"Jump" by Van Halen.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 6 November 2010 00:54 (fourteen years ago)

"eye in the sky" by alan parsons project is an obvious example, the synth intro is instantly recognizable (at least to sports fans) but the actual song is relatively unknown.

chilli, Saturday, 6 November 2010 00:57 (fourteen years ago)

I thought about that, but I think most people don't even know that "Sirius" and "Eye in the Sky" are related.

Besides, "Eye" is a classic dinorock radio staple, without its intro.

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Saturday, 6 November 2010 01:04 (fourteen years ago)

"A Hard Day's Night" maybe

Unfrozen Caveman Board-Lawyer (WmC), Saturday, 6 November 2010 01:09 (fourteen years ago)

fur elise
nutcracker suite
sister ray
metal machine music?

i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Saturday, 6 November 2010 01:52 (fourteen years ago)

metal machine music = pieces of music where the title/name is more famous than the actual sound?

i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Saturday, 6 November 2010 01:52 (fourteen years ago)

"Louie, louie"

sarahel, Saturday, 6 November 2010 01:56 (fourteen years ago)

The "Hollywood Swinging" sample at the top of DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat."

the who cares (okamax), Saturday, 6 November 2010 03:07 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOFTTMhf4Ys

i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Saturday, 6 November 2010 03:15 (fourteen years ago)

Baker Street -- not the literal beginning but the sax riff which is almost the beginning.

Kinect: The Body Is Good Business™ (Hurting 2), Saturday, 6 November 2010 03:37 (fourteen years ago)

Not that the rest of the song is obscure, but the opening of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" seems to be included in every documentary of 1960s social unrest. The lyrics certainly fit the theme, but you don't even have to get that far to set the mood - just play the opening riff with the bolero-like drum rolls and those two eerie, alternating notes from Neil Young's guitar.

Public Enemy also sampled that intro for "He Got Game".

Lee626, Monday, 8 November 2010 01:19 (fourteen years ago)

"Money" by Pink Floyd. Surely played a lot in sequence with the rest of the album, but as a standalone track, you hear the beginning much more than the rest.

Otherwise, I guess this goes for virtually every well-known piece of classical music.

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Monday, 8 November 2010 05:17 (fourteen years ago)

the intro was used for mtv news in the 90s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaAfCsILcbs

billstevejim, Monday, 8 November 2010 05:43 (fourteen years ago)

this intro was also used for something on 90s mtv.. possibly to intro their post 2am videos (after 120 minutes iirc)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP5OA0SCMZA

billstevejim, Monday, 8 November 2010 05:48 (fourteen years ago)

Crazy Train.

Brad Nelson (BradNelson), Monday, 8 November 2010 05:51 (fourteen years ago)

I suppose "Talk Show Host" by Radiohead...

billstevejim, Monday, 8 November 2010 05:57 (fourteen years ago)

Shaft

meisenfek, Monday, 8 November 2010 07:11 (fourteen years ago)

Anything with a intro:

Smells like,

Don't look back with

etc

Mark G, Monday, 8 November 2010 13:19 (fourteen years ago)

The opening to the Breeders' "Cannonball" was used all the time by MTV.

Whatever parts of DJ Shadow songs they always use on This American Life.

President Keyes, Monday, 8 November 2010 14:20 (fourteen years ago)

Very tardy response to Shakey - the Charmels song is wrongly titled I'll Never Grow Old on the Shaolin Soul compilation, which is how most people encountered it. It was only years later, while writing something about it, that I came across the real title.

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Monday, 8 November 2010 14:25 (fourteen years ago)

the rest of "where were you?" is an average punk song at best.

why I oughtta

a fucking stove just fell on my foot. (Colonel Poo), Monday, 8 November 2010 14:28 (fourteen years ago)

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

Matt DC, Monday, 8 November 2010 14:35 (fourteen years ago)

Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag

Kim, Monday, 8 November 2010 19:34 (fourteen years ago)

also the opening keyboard riff in Obsession by Animotion.

Kim, Monday, 8 November 2010 19:40 (fourteen years ago)

Light My Fire by The Doors. The amount of people I surprised with the 4-minute organ solo.

Captain Ostensible (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 8 November 2010 19:44 (fourteen years ago)

Any national anthem from a country you're not from.

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 8 November 2010 19:46 (fourteen years ago)

lounge fly by STP is the BEST ANSWER

69, Monday, 8 November 2010 20:29 (fourteen years ago)

"My City Was Gone" by the Pretenders

http://tinyurl.com/koalalala (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 8 November 2010 20:36 (fourteen years ago)

"Beef: It's what's for dinner" by Aaron Copland

andrew m., Monday, 8 November 2010 21:53 (fourteen years ago)

Ah that reminds me of "The Frugal Gourmet theme song" by George Frederic Handel.

17th Century Catholic Spain (Abbbottt), Monday, 8 November 2010 21:54 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOErZuzZpS8

my sex drew back into itself tight and dry (abanana), Monday, 8 November 2010 21:57 (fourteen years ago)

also the opening keyboard riff in Obsession by Animotion.

― Kim, lundi 8 novembre 2010 19:40 (2 hours ago) Bookmark

OTM

LeRooLeRoo, Monday, 8 November 2010 22:30 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKIJoLQLT5E

no place running the schools (Eazy), Monday, 8 November 2010 22:54 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCm3bS6wXvk

You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Thursday, 11 November 2010 17:44 (fourteen years ago)


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