That's a really, really good list. Also a great pick for the #1 spot. Two that came to me right away: Highway Star on Machine Head and Come Together on Abbey Road. I'd have to get those two on that list somewhere.
Great choices. I'd have Back in the USSR at #1. Others: Hot Stuff (Donna Summer/ Bad Girls). Venus and Mars Rock Show( Paul McCartney). Gimme Shelter-(Stones). The Magnificent Seven (The Clash /Sandinista). Sky Saw (Eno / Another Green World).
So many great ones out there, John. Hard to come up with a list. I think of tracks like Radar Love (Golden Earring, Moontan), Baba O'Riley (Who, Who's Next), The Changeling (Doors, LA Woman). My personal favourite is Roll With The Changes by REO Speedwagon from You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish. Love your list, too.
I thought you might mention George Harrison s Love Comes to Everyone. I also first heard Imagine on the radio shortly after it's release and never experienced playing it as a opener. Maybe you might cover solo Beatles openers and include Love comes to Everyone . I experienced that one in full only after I heard the opening bars on a Beatles special. The Buckingham one I experienced as the opening track on the radio as a new release off the album and similarly impressed.
If not for the one artist rule, Bowie could have dominated the rankings with his 70s albums alone. We've got Changes, Five Years, Watch That Man, Future Legends / Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, and, of course, Station to Station.
Interesting list. I would say Immigrant Song on Zep lll as one on my list. What an epic opener to a great album. Always loved Second Hand News off Rumours and I agree one of Lindsay's best songs. Tightrope by ELO is not only a great opener but one of their greatest songs.
It’s too bad the album’s title track ‘Venus and Mars’ takes up the first minute or so, otherwise I would think ‘Rock Show’ would have made your list. Maybe?
Love it John that you also included Supertramp 👍🏻🎹 I was guessing, before the video ended, it would be "Gone Hollywood", really an impressive puncher so to speak, but I can totally agree with your choice, because it's on more than one level just timeless.
What many, if not almost all people (I mean: regular listeners) totally don't realize is that it's a very very hard song to play yourself: an intricate and difficult bassline, very precise smooth sixthteenth-note rhythms, very clever chords, and a very difficult instrumental part, with an (almost 😉 "polyrhythm-ish" flavor to it where the whole band is shining like the sun. And last but not least the many layers of voices. The best version live is, I guess, on the DVD of "Paris"; it has a good uptempo energy there. Also on some rare bootlegs you can hear that same uptempo energy. But the studioversion (not that abysmal shortened "radio version" I hear a lot of the times here, in the Netherlands, on the commercial hit-radio) is the best, I think 👍🏻. Greetings from Simon
1.David Bowie-Modern love 2.Dire Straits-Tunnel of love. 3Donna Summer- Hot stuff 4.John Lennon-Starting over. 5.Abba- As good as new. 6.Poul McCartney-Tug of war/Take it away. 7.Ac/dc-Go down 8.E.L.O.- Prologue/Twilight. 9.Boney m- Let it all be music. 10.Human league-Things that dreams are made of.Nice video as always.
Good Video ! Some good songs! What about The Rah Band Clouds Across The Moon, Mystery Album, Moby Everloving, Reprise Album, The Dark Side of the Globe, The Rovers, Achillies Last Stand from Prescence ? ? ? Good Video !
Break on Through (The Doors) Rocks Off (Exile on Main Street) Sgt. Pepper's (Sgt. Pepper's) Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin I) Taxman (Revolver) 21st Century Schizoid Man (In the Court of the Crimson King) Tangled Up in Blue (Blood on the Tracks)
Some great selections . Here's the list of my 12 favourite opening tracks :
Aqualung , from Jethro Tull's Aqualung Back in the USSR , from the Beatles' White Album Paint It Black , from the US version of Rolling Stones' Aftermath ( that's the version we got in Canada ) Tunnel of Love , from Dire Straits' Making Movies Roundabout , from Yes' Fragile School , from Supertramp's Crime of the Century Good Times Bad Times , from Led Zeppelin's debut Rikki Don't Lose That Number , from Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic White Room , from Cream's Wheels of Fire Watcher of the Skies , from Genesis' Foxtrot Grand Hotel , from Procol Harum's Grand Hotel Watch That Man , from David Bowie's Aladdin Sane Thanks !!!
Hello. Not a comment about this post as such, but I have just been listening to Front Row on BBC radio 4. They have a feature on a concert the Beatles did on April 4 1963, at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. What is remarkable is that one of the students recorded the concert, and the tape is still around. For anyone interested in the Beatles it is a must-listen moment.
Interesting selection John here is mine 12 tracks 1 Baba o Riley the who 2 Black Dog led zeppelin 3 Do it Again the kinks 4 width of a circle David Bowie 5 Don’t bang the drum the water boys 6 rain on the scarecrow John melloncamp side 2 1 Backwater status quo 2 Brighton rock Queen 3 All the way from Memphis Mott the Hoople 4 Do the strand Roxy Music 5 Blowing in the wind Bob Dylan 6 Sunday Bloody Sunday u2
Some great tracks there, John; here's 12 I've quickly pulled. Haven't included Beatles, Dylan, Stones or Zep Brighton Rock : Queen from Sheer Heart Attack Once Upon A Time In The West : Dire Straits from Dire Straits Wall Street Shuffle : 10CC from Sheet Music Thunder Road : Bruce Springsteen from Born to Run Baba O'Reilly :The Who from Who's Next Movin Out : Billy Joel from The Stranger White Room : Cream from Wheels of Fire Question : The Moody Blues from Question of Balance Do The Strand : Roxy Music from For Your Pleasure Fireball : Deep Purple from Fireball Wishing Well : Free from Heartbreaker Hounds of Love : Kate Bush from Hounds of Love
Hotel California opening, well…Hotel California. That has to rank pretty much near the top of my personal list:)
Maggot Brain
Superstition isn’t the first track on Talking Book
Did you know the woman on It’s No Game is the same woman on the cover of Sparks’ Kimono My House?
John, can you do a video rating the best Lennonesque tracks like Sowing the Seeds of Love, Praying for Time, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, etc. ?
Superstition is the first track on side two of Talking Book. Did you do the same trick as you did with Back in Black?
John I enjoy your channel. Isn’t there a way to start the camera when you are already sitting ?
That's a really, really good list. Also a great pick for the #1 spot. Two that came to me right away: Highway Star on Machine Head and Come Together on Abbey Road. I'd have to get those two on that list somewhere.
London Calling is a pretty amazing first track.
No solo Paul, sad! Solo John, but no solo Paul opener! Okay whatever, I enjoy you and and the other tracks mentioned, so thank you.
Thanks for being humble.
Great video again! You are doing videos more frequently these days, which is good, txs!
Great choices. I'd have Back in the USSR at #1. Others: Hot Stuff (Donna Summer/ Bad Girls). Venus and Mars Rock Show( Paul McCartney). Gimme Shelter-(Stones). The Magnificent Seven (The Clash /Sandinista). Sky Saw (Eno / Another Green World).
Wouldn't It Be Nice opening Pet Sounds.
So many great ones out there, John. Hard to come up with a list. I think of tracks like Radar Love (Golden Earring, Moontan), Baba O'Riley (Who, Who's Next), The Changeling (Doors, LA Woman). My personal favourite is Roll With The Changes by REO Speedwagon from You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish. Love your list, too.
I thought you might mention George Harrison s Love Comes to Everyone. I also first heard Imagine on the radio shortly after it's release and never experienced playing it as a opener. Maybe you might cover solo Beatles openers and include Love comes to Everyone . I experienced that one in full only after I heard the opening bars on a Beatles special. The Buckingham one I experienced as the opening track on the radio as a new release off the album and similarly impressed.
Fear Is A Man's Best Friend – John Cale
If not for the one artist rule, Bowie could have dominated the rankings with his 70s albums alone. We've got Changes, Five Years, Watch That Man, Future Legends / Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, and, of course, Station to Station.
Black Dog
Interesting list. I would say Immigrant Song on Zep lll as one on my list. What an epic opener to a great album. Always loved Second Hand News off Rumours and I agree one of Lindsay's best songs. Tightrope by ELO is not only a great opener but one of their greatest songs.
Black Dog on Zep IV and Stones If You Can't Rock Me from its only Rock n Roll. Sgt Pepper not bad either. Baba O"Riley too
It’s too bad the album’s title track ‘Venus and Mars’ takes up the first minute or so, otherwise I would think ‘Rock Show’ would have made your list. Maybe?
Manifesto from Roxy Music. Thrilling opener. It was a stupendous concert opener as well.
Beds are Burning from the Fantastic Midnight Oil. Check Them out John
Good work John, and thanks for the plug. I will get round to my Beatles list soon. I'll also do a response to this video!
Love it John that you also included Supertramp 👍🏻🎹 I was guessing, before the video ended, it would be "Gone Hollywood", really an impressive puncher so to speak, but I can totally agree with your choice, because it's on more than one level just timeless.
What many, if not almost all people (I mean: regular listeners) totally don't realize is that it's a very very hard song to play yourself: an intricate and difficult bassline, very precise smooth sixthteenth-note rhythms, very clever chords, and a very difficult instrumental part, with an (almost 😉 "polyrhythm-ish" flavor to it where the whole band is shining like the sun. And last but not least the many layers of voices.
The best version live is, I guess, on the DVD of "Paris"; it has a good uptempo energy there. Also on some rare bootlegs you can hear that same uptempo energy. But the studioversion (not that abysmal shortened "radio version" I hear a lot of the times here, in the Netherlands, on the commercial hit-radio) is the best, I think 👍🏻. Greetings from Simon
No 'London Town'?
Well done John excellent video.
1.David Bowie-Modern love
2.Dire Straits-Tunnel of love.
3Donna Summer- Hot stuff
4.John Lennon-Starting over.
5.Abba- As good as new.
6.Poul McCartney-Tug of war/Take it away.
7.Ac/dc-Go down
8.E.L.O.- Prologue/Twilight.
9.Boney m- Let it all be music.
10.Human league-Things that dreams are made of.Nice video as always.
Good Video ! Some good songs! What about The Rah Band Clouds Across The Moon, Mystery Album, Moby Everloving, Reprise Album, The Dark Side of the Globe, The Rovers, Achillies Last Stand from Prescence ? ? ? Good Video !
Some favorites in no particular order:
Break on Through (The Doors)
Rocks Off (Exile on Main Street)
Sgt. Pepper's (Sgt. Pepper's)
Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin I)
Taxman (Revolver)
21st Century Schizoid Man (In the Court of the Crimson King)
Tangled Up in Blue (Blood on the Tracks)
Some great selections .
Here's the list of my 12 favourite opening tracks :
Aqualung , from Jethro Tull's Aqualung
Back in the USSR , from the Beatles' White Album
Paint It Black , from the US version of Rolling Stones' Aftermath ( that's the version we got in Canada )
Tunnel of Love , from Dire Straits' Making Movies
Roundabout , from Yes' Fragile
School , from Supertramp's Crime of the Century
Good Times Bad Times , from Led Zeppelin's debut
Rikki Don't Lose That Number , from Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic
White Room , from Cream's Wheels of Fire
Watcher of the Skies , from Genesis' Foxtrot
Grand Hotel , from Procol Harum's Grand Hotel
Watch That Man , from David Bowie's Aladdin Sane
Thanks !!!
Hello. Not a comment about this post as such, but I have just been listening to Front Row on BBC radio 4. They have a feature on a concert the Beatles did on April 4 1963, at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. What is remarkable is that one of the students recorded the concert, and the tape is still around. For anyone interested in the Beatles it is a must-listen moment.
I have not seen you in over a year. Sorry.
Most are on my playlist.
Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
The opener that springs immediately to my mind is It Won't Be Long on With The Beatles.
Others are:
T.R.O.U.B.L.E. – Elvis Today – Elvis Presley
Too Many People – RAM – Paul McCartney
Do Anything You Want To – Black Rose – Thin Lizzy
Rocky Mountain High – Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
Somewhere USA – Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot
Love Comes To Everyone – George Harrison – George Harrison
You Don't Mess Around With Jim – You Don't Mess Around With Jim – Jim Croce
Wouldn't It Be Nice – Pet Sounds – Beach Boys
Needles and Pins – Needles and Pins – The Searchers
I'd still choose every single Beatles opener ahead of them though.
Interesting selection John here is mine 12 tracks 1 Baba o Riley the who 2 Black Dog led zeppelin 3 Do it Again the kinks 4 width of a circle David Bowie 5 Don’t bang the drum the water boys 6 rain on the scarecrow John melloncamp side 2 1 Backwater status quo 2 Brighton rock Queen 3 All the way from Memphis Mott the Hoople 4 Do the strand Roxy Music 5 Blowing in the wind Bob Dylan 6 Sunday Bloody Sunday u2
Mississippi
queen
You’re a hero John
Some great tracks there, John; here's 12 I've quickly pulled. Haven't included Beatles, Dylan, Stones or Zep
Brighton Rock : Queen from Sheer Heart Attack
Once Upon A Time In The West : Dire Straits from Dire Straits
Wall Street Shuffle : 10CC from Sheet Music
Thunder Road : Bruce Springsteen from Born to Run
Baba O'Reilly :The Who from Who's Next
Movin Out : Billy Joel from The Stranger
White Room : Cream from Wheels of Fire
Question : The Moody Blues from Question of Balance
Do The Strand : Roxy Music from For Your Pleasure
Fireball : Deep Purple from Fireball
Wishing Well : Free from Heartbreaker
Hounds of Love : Kate Bush from Hounds of Love