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Memorable SINGLE chords for song intros


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There have been classic rock songs that have begun with a huge, booming chord that is so potent it's encaustic. Sometimes said chord isn't even done on a guitar.

Not talking about riffs like "Smoke on the Water"; just single chords that last maybe four or five seconds minimum (i.e., long enough to get your attention in an impressive manner).

And I suppose we could be a bit liberal and allow single notes as well instead of chords (RE: "Bam" on King X's Ogre Tones)

The first four-and-a-half examples I thought of were:

"Comfortably Numb": Pink Floyd---ain't too many songs done in Bm, and it's powerful enough to where a lot of amateur bands still want to play it. BTW, the movie version of The Wall was on TV last night. Still powerful, still depressing, but the mix on "Comfortable Numb" is better than the original version, IMO.

"Earth Calling": Hawkwind---from the live Space Ritual album. Prolly a number of other Hawkwind songs would fit into this category as well.

"Sketch": Vanilla Fudge---opens their sophomore album, The Beat Goes On, done on an organ. An early and critically-reviled "concept" album, but it still holds up as a harbinger of progressive rock (and Thomas Edison speaks on that album as well as on "Bam" on the King's X album!)

"I Can See For Miles": The Who

"Won't Get Fooled Again": The Who---this is the "half-example", on accounta there's the keyboard noodling going on in the middle of the intro chord.

Other contributions and comments about this list solicited.

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+1 on Hard Day's Night - that's a great opening chord.

How about the start of the Yardbirds "Shapes of Things"?

Which leads to Zep "Good Times, Bad Times," "Communication Breakdown," etc.

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I know I'll get flamed, but I always thought the intro chord progression to Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over was pure genius. At least I think it is.

Crowded House is a definitely a Favorite of mine. "Together Alone" is one of my all time best albums.

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A Hard Days Night immediately comes to mind

ArnieZ

Bad Company - "Can't Get Enough"

Two great calls there :D

I LOVE the F#7sus4 at the begining of Rush's "Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres", which they reprise on "Far Cry". You Rush fans know what I'm talking about ;)

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first thing that comes to mind:

Priest's "Some Heads are Gonna' Roll"

That's pretty cool... I'll add Motorhead "Killed By Death" and maybe

AC DC "walk all over you"

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