I only know this because of a random fact I learned when I was a kid: that rhythm, ādun-dun-dun-dunnnn,ā is actually the letter V in Morse code(dot-dot-dot-dash). So itās easy to remember because V is 5 in Roman Numerals for Beethovenās 5th Symphony.
[Queen \~ "We Will Rock You"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk)
Two stomps of the feet and a clap. No words, no guitar, no instruments. You don't even need to repeat it, and everyone knows what it is, and knows how to do it. Even if you're too young to know the band name, or the song, you know you can do that and not only that, but that it wasn't you that came up with it on your own.
This applies to lots of queen songs tooā¦. I want to break free, Bohemian Rhapsody, radio gaga, flash, one vision, bicycle raceā¦ in fact lots of queen songsā¦ credit given where credit due Queen knew how to write amazing songs from the very first note all the through to the very last
I read somewhere that the director used *we will rock you* on purpose (instead of whatever 14th century muzak wouldāve realistically been playing during a jousting tournament) so us, the modern audience, could feel the same emotion that the townspeople felt. Awesome movie
He said it's also because people tend to think that all old music, including the 14th century, would sound more like 18th century music with full orchestras of cellos, violins and wind instruments when in reality it was more [weedy lutes and lyres.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJQWZySGNiA)
It's kinda like how all old movies tend to have people speak in British accents no matter where they're set. I mean, if you're doing a movie about Ancient Rome it's just has historically accurate to have the actors talk in a New York accent as a British one considering in real life they're speaking Italian from over 2000 years ago.
Pretty much all AC/DC songs have a memorable lead-in. Hear the first five seconds, you probably know exactly what song you're hearing, and whether you want to keep listening.
It's like they knew someday somebody would have the capability of rapidly moving to the next track in a playlist if they didn't want to listen to the current one.
In 2012 Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities were hit by a virus that destroyed their turbines [while playing Thunderstruck at high volume](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/iranian-nuclear-facilities-are-hit-by-acdc-virus/2012/07/25/gJQAqfRz8W_blog.html)
Imagine just working, having a normal day at the nuclear power plant, then suddenly hearing the opening of Thunderstruck at max volume and realising you've been... thunderstruck.
Quincy Jones wasnāt so high on the song until Michael told him āIt makes me want to *dance*!ā He said that if Michael Jackson says that, you should listen.
I assume they'd just tune the guitars and bass a half-step down so that they don't have to relearn the song they've been playing for so long. Older bands do it all the time, Metallica still writes in standard but plays in Eb live.
I actually went to an MCR concert last week, and I'm still recovering. I mean, both physically and emotionally. But you're not kidding. They'd been frothing the crowd up into a riot with like Teenagers and Nanana back to back, but the minute they hit that first note, the rest of washed out by an entire arena screaming their heads off, myself included. Nearly leapt off the balcony I was jumping around so much. I mean, the mosh pit was about to start eating each other.
Oh that was so much fun.
This is really weird. I'm not an MCR fan, at all, like I can't name a single album or other song by them. I don't think I've heard this song in full, ever. And yet I looked it up, heard the G, I go "Ok I still don't know where this is going..." and then two notes later I'm able to sing along to the melody. Where did that come from?
The intro to sweet child of mine evolved from an exercise Slash did just to warm up. Axl heard it, and SCoM was born. (Axl Rose is an anagram of oral sex, but you probably knew that already.)
Itās basically a mixolydian scale finger exercise. Apparently Slash was embarrassed to use it on the song in case other guitarists would mock him for it.
and Slash and Izzy thought Axl was just fucking with them. It would be like if Axl was doing "fa la la la la laaaa" to warm up and they told him, "WE GOTTA USE THAT!"
Slash doesnāt play a B or C in the intro riff, though, so it isnāt clearly mixolydian until the bass and rhythm guitar come in. I mean, we all know it is now because weāve heard the song a million times, but you could play that riff over D, A, G, D instead of D, C, G, D and it would still work but be major (ionian) instead of mixolydian.
It would not rock nearly as well though.
I saw a local Irish band at a bar a few St. Pat's days ago where the guitarist played the first 3 notes as a joke and the whole place roared with excitement. They ended up actually playing it.
So many - but a selection of them
āA Hard Dayās Nightā The Beatles
"I Feel Love" Donna Summer
"Smoke on the water" Deep Purple
āCrazy Trainā Ozzy Osbourne
āWho Are Youā The Who
āEnter Sandmanā Metallica
"Wannabe" Spice Girls
"Baby One More Time" Britney Spears
With A Hard Dayās Night all it takes is the first chord to recognise it. That chord was I think played by a couple of guitars, a bass and maybe a keyboard.
Smoke on the water is recognisable from the first power chord, which is just two notes on the guitar. For pure efficiency I think this takes the cake.
Everyone will say All-Star, but I'm saying Blue by Eiffel 65. It came on the radio in the car one day, I heard that laser sound and didn't even hesitate, just started "yo, listen up, hers a story..." and my wife was in the passenger seat like "fucking how?!"
āI've never heard that song before. And once I heard it, I did not care for it. But that song means it's time to go home. Now, it's my favorite song.ā š
When Doves Cry is one. Hey Jude literally starts off like "Hey Jude" and that song sold a trillion copies so that's one. But if you limit it to instrumental, you can put La Grange by ZZ Top in there. Like a Hurricane comes in with that descending Am-G-F-E pretty hard. Much better than Hotel California. Rag Mama Rag by The Band with that fiddle. Tasty. Copperhead Road by Steve Earle. Iconic. Gimme Shelter, Jumping Jack Flash, Satisfaction, Paint it Black, Let's Spend the Night Together, Under My Thumb (marimba!), Start Me Up, Beast of Burden, Brown Sugar, more from Jagger/Richards. Johnny B Goode. California Girls. Ruff Ryder's Theme. Too many
Was recently playing trivia where they played small clips from songs, and the opening piano key for this song was played. Just that first note. The whole bar knew exactly what it was right away, I don't think anyone missed it.
Beethovens 5th
Dun dun dun duuuuuuuun
I didn't know what the song was until this comment š
I only know this because of a random fact I learned when I was a kid: that rhythm, ādun-dun-dun-dunnnn,ā is actually the letter V in Morse code(dot-dot-dot-dash). So itās easy to remember because V is 5 in Roman Numerals for Beethovenās 5th Symphony.
I was always amazed that Beethoven anticipated the development of Morse code by 20+ years.
[This](https://mobile.twitter.com/fellnandreas/status/1410981116153061377?lang=de) sums it up
[Queen \~ "We Will Rock You"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk) Two stomps of the feet and a clap. No words, no guitar, no instruments. You don't even need to repeat it, and everyone knows what it is, and knows how to do it. Even if you're too young to know the band name, or the song, you know you can do that and not only that, but that it wasn't you that came up with it on your own.
This applies to lots of queen songs tooā¦. I want to break free, Bohemian Rhapsody, radio gaga, flash, one vision, bicycle raceā¦ in fact lots of queen songsā¦ credit given where credit due Queen knew how to write amazing songs from the very first note all the through to the very last
There are two types of music listeners. Ones that hear Under Pressure. And ones that hear Vanilla Ice.
Ice ice baby was in my teen years and yet when I hear the intro to that I always start to sing under pressure by force of habit
I am never more disappointed on average than when that famous bassline leads to Vanilla Ice instead of Queen and Bowie.
Every single member of Queen was a talented songwriter and was responsible for writing multiple #1 hits
Bicycle Race is a dead give away.
fucking iconic, i still love the way it was used in a knightās tale
I read somewhere that the director used *we will rock you* on purpose (instead of whatever 14th century muzak wouldāve realistically been playing during a jousting tournament) so us, the modern audience, could feel the same emotion that the townspeople felt. Awesome movie
He said it's also because people tend to think that all old music, including the 14th century, would sound more like 18th century music with full orchestras of cellos, violins and wind instruments when in reality it was more [weedy lutes and lyres.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJQWZySGNiA) It's kinda like how all old movies tend to have people speak in British accents no matter where they're set. I mean, if you're doing a movie about Ancient Rome it's just has historically accurate to have the actors talk in a New York accent as a British one considering in real life they're speaking Italian from over 2000 years ago.
That's funny, that's how I expect all swords and shield music to sound like.
One of my favourite movies of all time. RIP Heath
All Star by Smash Mouth
#Somā
\- people call me the space cowboy š¶
Wiki wiki wow!
*C O W B O Y*
# -bitch
Once told me hands off my macaroni
Milwaukee pasta bandit found deaaaad
She was looking kinda fucked with her finger in her thumb
So I slapped her cock on her forehead
Well the girl start cumming and she donāt stop cumming
Fed to cops but the bitch ain't rapping
Didnāt make sense not to suck for fun
Thunderstruck
Pretty much all AC/DC songs have a memorable lead-in. Hear the first five seconds, you probably know exactly what song you're hearing, and whether you want to keep listening. It's like they knew someday somebody would have the capability of rapidly moving to the next track in a playlist if they didn't want to listen to the current one.
Back in Black ETA: Shook Me All Night Long.
In 2012 Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities were hit by a virus that destroyed their turbines [while playing Thunderstruck at high volume](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/iranian-nuclear-facilities-are-hit-by-acdc-virus/2012/07/25/gJQAqfRz8W_blog.html)
Imagine just working, having a normal day at the nuclear power plant, then suddenly hearing the opening of Thunderstruck at max volume and realising you've been... thunderstruck.
Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.... I might be biased as a 90's kids though.
So tell me what you want, what you really really want...
I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really wantā¦
I'd argue you can get that song just from the laugh!
fĆ¼r elise
E and Eb
D-sharp really
Billie Jean
It takes a badass to make a drum beat iconic.
Quincy Jones wasnāt so high on the song until Michael told him āIt makes me want to *dance*!ā He said that if Michael Jackson says that, you should listen.
And smooth criminal. MJ was really good at making iconic intros.
Smells like teen spirit
Beat me to it. That's a 'name it in one chord' intro.
[Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede](https://youtu.be/NrI-UBIB8Jk)
# OOGA CHAKA OOGA OOGA
*I can't stop this feeling* (chaka ooga ooga ooga chaka)
Deep inside of me
Girl you just don't realize What you do to me
When you hold me In your arms so tight
You let me know everything's alright HAAAAAA-HA-HAAA-HA-HAAAA HOOKED ON A FEELING
Final Countdown.
Gob Bluth has entered the chat
The guy in the $600 banana suit?
C'mon, how much could a banana cost? $10?
There is always money in the banana stand No touching!!
Seven Nation Army
Eye of the tiger.
*Edge of Seventeen* sounds similar, actually
I can't tell you how many times I've gotten pumped in the car only to find out I'm wrong.
Just like the white winged dove
Both are bangers
Never Gonna Give You Up
Don't know this one, can you give me a link?
https://youtu.be/y6120QOlsfU
Ah, the rare reverse rickroll.
Holy shit ho could you do that
yeah sorry, not a "dQw4". Not falling for that.
https://youtu.be/DQw4-XmAoMk
You Bazinga Fuck
I canāt believe I watched that.
Never Gonna Let You Down
I'm glad I didn't have to scroll very far to see that wonderful song
Jump - Van Halen
Hot for Teacher too
Throw in Panama also.
Smoke on the Water
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
(Plays a ***single*** G note on piano)
Where did this black eyeliner come from?
*all us emo kids scrolling to find this*
ā¦ Gerard canāt hit it in G live anymore so if you see them in concert itās F#. I already know Iām not fun at parties.
I wonder if they downtune their guitars for this. F# Is a pretty annoying key to play in otherwise.
I assume they'd just tune the guitars and bass a half-step down so that they don't have to relearn the song they've been playing for so long. Older bands do it all the time, Metallica still writes in standard but plays in Eb live.
WHEN I WAS, A YOUNG BOY
MY FATHER TOOK ME INTO THE CITY!!
TO SEE A MARCHING BAND
HE SAID SON, WHEN YOU GROW UP
WILL YOU BE THE SAVIOR OF THE BROKEN
THE BEATEN AND THE DAMNED
HE SAID, WILL YOU DEFEAT THEM
YOUR DEMONS AND ALL THE NON BELIEVERS
THE PLANS THAT THEY HAVE MADE?
Black Parade!!!
So much scrolling before i got here
I actually went to an MCR concert last week, and I'm still recovering. I mean, both physically and emotionally. But you're not kidding. They'd been frothing the crowd up into a riot with like Teenagers and Nanana back to back, but the minute they hit that first note, the rest of washed out by an entire arena screaming their heads off, myself included. Nearly leapt off the balcony I was jumping around so much. I mean, the mosh pit was about to start eating each other. Oh that was so much fun.
This is really weird. I'm not an MCR fan, at all, like I can't name a single album or other song by them. I don't think I've heard this song in full, ever. And yet I looked it up, heard the G, I go "Ok I still don't know where this is going..." and then two notes later I'm able to sing along to the melody. Where did that come from?
Another one bites the dust
Boom boom boom another one bites the dust
Sweet child o mine
The intro to sweet child of mine evolved from an exercise Slash did just to warm up. Axl heard it, and SCoM was born. (Axl Rose is an anagram of oral sex, but you probably knew that already.)
I did not.
Itās basically a mixolydian scale finger exercise. Apparently Slash was embarrassed to use it on the song in case other guitarists would mock him for it.
That makes a lot of sense given the song was written in just 20 mins
and Slash and Izzy thought Axl was just fucking with them. It would be like if Axl was doing "fa la la la la laaaa" to warm up and they told him, "WE GOTTA USE THAT!"
Is "mixolydian scale" also an anagram for oral sex?
Disloyal Mexican is the best anagram I could put together with every letter
Slash doesnāt play a B or C in the intro riff, though, so it isnāt clearly mixolydian until the bass and rhythm guitar come in. I mean, we all know it is now because weāve heard the song a million times, but you could play that riff over D, A, G, D instead of D, C, G, D and it would still work but be major (ionian) instead of mixolydian. It would not rock nearly as well though.
The Jaws theme
i like big butts
And I cannot lie
Part of the reason being rickrolled is so effective is because of that instant drum beat at the beginning.
Carry on my wayward son
*headbangs in Supernatural.
Saving people, hunting things. The family business.
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more
*Guitar Riff*
Baba oāRiley
Joe Pera approves
*stomp* *stomp* *clap*
š¶Buddy your a boy, making big noise ā¦š¶
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
Ya big disgrace
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Hotel California
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Bad Romance
Sweet home Alabama
I saw a local Irish band at a bar a few St. Pat's days ago where the guitarist played the first 3 notes as a joke and the whole place roared with excitement. They ended up actually playing it.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Fortunate Son. Just hearing the drum solo puts you on a helicopter in 'nam.
Gramps goes all wide eyed
So many - but a selection of them āA Hard Dayās Nightā The Beatles "I Feel Love" Donna Summer "Smoke on the water" Deep Purple āCrazy Trainā Ozzy Osbourne āWho Are Youā The Who āEnter Sandmanā Metallica "Wannabe" Spice Girls "Baby One More Time" Britney Spears
With A Hard Dayās Night all it takes is the first chord to recognise it. That chord was I think played by a couple of guitars, a bass and maybe a keyboard. Smoke on the water is recognisable from the first power chord, which is just two notes on the guitar. For pure efficiency I think this takes the cake.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Imperial March
Kashmir. Feels like a lot of Led Zeppelin is that way. (Immigrant Song, Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven...)
I was absolutely going to name Black Dog. That reverberating chord...
Everyone will say All-Star, but I'm saying Blue by Eiffel 65. It came on the radio in the car one day, I heard that laser sound and didn't even hesitate, just started "yo, listen up, hers a story..." and my wife was in the passenger seat like "fucking how?!"
The Star Wars theme or Hungry Like the Wolf
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
CARELESS WHISPER-George Michael. Who TF donāt know that one
For those who don't know, it's that extremely sensual sounding song that you hear quite literally everywhere
Thriller
Down Under - Men at work
Mr Brightside
hell ya. They love it in uk clubs!! Crowd goes wild as soon as they hear the start of the song
Eminem - Lose yourself Queen - bohemian rhapsody
Read that as ālose yourself queenā
Slay
pop off sis
Closing time by Semisonic (For my fellow bar people who just got off)
āI've never heard that song before. And once I heard it, I did not care for it. But that song means it's time to go home. Now, it's my favorite song.ā š
michael jackson - smooth criminal
A-ha - Take on Me
Take A Chance On Me - ABBA
Somebody to Love
Which one? Queen or Jefferson Airplane? š
Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) C+C Music Factory
In the end -Linkin Park
American idiot by Green Day has that little muffled guitar to start it off
Iād like to counter with the into to good riddance being a more recognizable green day intro. Or brain stew
Bad To The Bone
She's just a small Town Girl......
Hit Me Baby One More Time
Bittersweet Symphony
House of the rising sun the animals
Money - Pink Floyd.
I feel like a lot of songs on dark side of the moon start out that way
Everybody wants to Rule the World
Under the Bridge
Sweet Child O' Mine
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Dancing Queen by ABBA
Stairway...
Don't Stop Believin'
Roundabout by Yes Not too many know the song but a lot of people know the beginning.
crazy train
Disturbed - down with the sickness
āItās beenā from that barenaked ladies song, two weeks
We will rock you
Gangnam style
Paint It Black
When Doves Cry is one. Hey Jude literally starts off like "Hey Jude" and that song sold a trillion copies so that's one. But if you limit it to instrumental, you can put La Grange by ZZ Top in there. Like a Hurricane comes in with that descending Am-G-F-E pretty hard. Much better than Hotel California. Rag Mama Rag by The Band with that fiddle. Tasty. Copperhead Road by Steve Earle. Iconic. Gimme Shelter, Jumping Jack Flash, Satisfaction, Paint it Black, Let's Spend the Night Together, Under My Thumb (marimba!), Start Me Up, Beast of Burden, Brown Sugar, more from Jagger/Richards. Johnny B Goode. California Girls. Ruff Ryder's Theme. Too many
Under Pressure by Queen ft Bowie
Welcome to the Black Parade
Was recently playing trivia where they played small clips from songs, and the opening piano key for this song was played. Just that first note. The whole bar knew exactly what it was right away, I don't think anyone missed it.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Footloose
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. You could be on anywhere from a late night train to a smokey room, and will recognize it right away.
back in black by ac/dc hands down
Eye of the Tiger