There are a million and one different things that can make a song great. It could be the lyrics. It could be a glass-shattering guitar solo. Maybe the girl singing the hook stole the show. One thing that has always been massively important in setting the tone for a track is the intro. There are some songs that have an opening that fades into the sunset without the least amount of impact. Then there are other songs you probably didn’t hear the end of for weeks after copping it because you couldn’t get past the first 30 seconds. These are the songs we’re talking about.
The best intro of all time is dinner conversation that doesn’t allow for dinner. Everyone can prattle off ten songs that have a sonic preface worth of inclusion into the list, but we at Planet Ill only consider the best of the best. These are songs that are known specifically for the open. Songs that call you to the dance floor, get your hands in the air, get the tears to rolling or the yappin’ to stop with one note. So sit back and enjoy, or ball your fist up because we forgot your favorite. Planet Ill’s 10 best intros of allllll tiiiiiiiime. Word to Muhammad Ali.
Jimi Hendrix -“Voodoo Child”
It’s a 3 tier approach that starts with a little wah wah playfulness that graduates into a full-fledged riff that in turn grows into something that could rival your chainsaw in power. The intro steps gingerly from section to section then plummets you into what the song is going to be almost like Hendricks was trying to fool you into believing he wasn’t about to tear the roof off the mothersucker. (Hmm. “We Want The Funk” could totally be an honorable mention.)
Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
When Butch Vig got his hands on the already stellar Nirvana song construction, he showcased his mastery of emotion and movement. The songs went from full-on power to calmness and back; managing to whip a generation of plaid clad teenagers into mosh pit frenzies. And amazingly enough most of those tricks of the trade can be found in the intro to “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” one of the most perfectly built rock songs of all time.
Boogie Down Productions – “The Bridge Is Over”
Boogie Down Productions – The Bridge Is Over
I’ve never quite figured out what it was about that piano, but you couldn’t possibly listen to the opening of “The Bridge Is Over” without nodding your head. Folks back in the day taught themselves how to play it. You didn’t even need KRS-1, a kid with 6 months of piano lessons could get the party started. Maybe it was the novelty of it all. Hip Hop was so fresh back then. Much of what was done was new and groundbreaking. So simple, but so dope. Even now.
Marvin Gaye – “Let’s Get It On”
It’s four little notes that probably comprise less than 4 seconds of the entire song, but that snippet of sonic foreplay lays the groundwork for one of the most sensual songs of all time. That intro elicits all the hoots and howls, come hither looks and offers to dance that set the tone for the rest of the evening at any blue lights in the basement party. So get your playa game going. If you want her to say yes, your best bet is to let Marvin ask.
M.O.P. – “Ante Up”
There is a build on the front end of this song that could make someone with not as much as a parking ticket momentarily consider ditching their corporate job to live life the ski mask way. You can’t listen to it while you are driving or you’ll pull over and jack the nearest motorist for the hell of it. It’s a salute to criminal ambition like no other and probably had plenty of squares trying to lick shots at the monthly book club meeting. Grrrrrrrr.
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