When last I looked, my YouTube channel has about 9,000 subscribers. That’s pretty good for a channel that serves a small group of people, but it’s pretty much nothing in the grand scheme of things. For, look no further than YouTuber “Paul Davids” who sports about 2.87 million subscribers. I tip my hat on the number, and also on the talent that’s on display on the channel.
Top 80 greatest intros
Using nothing but a Fender Stratocaster and what I assume are several different effects pedals, you can hear pretty satisfying recreations of what they call the “top 80 greatest” guitar intros. Not content to center around one time frame, they start in 1938 and go all the way to 2010. I’m guessing that it’s too early to see if any of the songs from the last 10 years make the cut. There’s definitely a disproportionate focus on boomer rock, but that suits me fine. Listen for yourself:
I’m not sure if these are really the “greatest” but you could argue that all day depending on your personal preference. I, for one, feel that there are quite a few favorites of mine missing. First and foremost I point you to one of the first #1 songs of the MTV era, “What I Like About You” by The Romantics. There’s a great intro if I’ve ever seen one, right?
I also think it’s nearly criminal not to include the lick from The B-52’s “Rock Lobster.” The song may not be much more than silly fun but that bass riff wastes no time in getting you to the enjoyment.
It’s all just proof of how subjective this stuff is.
What about you?
What do you think are the top intros for popular songs? I bet it wouldn’t be hard to identify another 80 songs with great openings! Let’s start the conversation.
