A riff, a subtle soundscape, a simple hook made up of just a few notes? We’ve got a few thoughts on what makes a great introduction to a song. Let’s check out 10 songs with legendary intros!
What makes a great intro
If anyone claimed they had the magic formula for writing electrifying intros, they’d probably be lying. Nothing is set in stone, but there are certainly a few tried-and-true pointers. The most important one is: the song should be recognizable within a couple of seconds. You can tell if the intro works when a live audience reacts immediately to the first few notes.
The intro as the song’s central theme
For example, this is the case with iconic riffs that stick in the listeners’ minds, as in the classic ‘Smoke on the Water’, distinctive bass lines, as in ‘Billie Jean’, or intros with a particularly striking sound, as in ‘Blue Monday’. A truly brilliant intro serves as a leitmotif that appears throughout the song in different variations without overdoing it.
Build tension through reduction
The legendary examples from the past – and hopefully also the future – show us that it’s always about contrast and the art of reducing things to the essentials. After all, your main goal is to build tension and dynamics with an instantly recognizable element. How can you add anything else if the beginning is already too complex? Instead of looking for more elements to add, ask yourself what you can leave out! And then make it identifiable and unique by using distinctive sounds. Let’s look at a few examples:
1. Endzeit by Heaven Shall Burn
With its almost cinematic quality and melancholic vibe, the intro to “Endzeit” provides a stark contrast to what’s about to break loose. It is skillfully minimalist and epic, creating an almost apocalyptic atmosphere. A subtle piano melody accompanied by delicate strings. And then suddenly it goes full throttle.
Heaven Shall Burn | Endzeit | Official Live Video Vainstream 2016
2. Blue Monday by New Order
From the very first notes of “Blue Monday”, everyone knows immediately which song is coming. There’s no messing about with the synth melody either. Within just a few seconds, the simple theme is built upon, modulated, and handed over to other sounds. A true masterpiece of an intro – not despite, but because it is so simple!
New Order – Blue Monday ’88 (Official Music Video HD Upgrade)
3. Volny by Molchat Doma
The intro to “Volny” begins with a haunting synth sound effect, almost like waves crashing on wet sand, followed by a recognizable guitar melody with unusual modulation. Shortly afterwards, a drum machine adds a sparse beat with references to the ‘80s. The result: a sense of loneliness and emptiness with apocalyptic Soviet aesthetics.
Molchat Doma – Volny (Official Lyrics Video) молчат дома – волны
4. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
The King of Pop was a master of instrumentation and dynamics. One of the most legendary examples is the opening of ‘Billie Jean’. A simple drum pattern, a minimalist, driving bass line: that’s all it takes to build tension. Michael Jackson doesn’t begin to sing until 30 seconds later, creating a build-up that is extremely distinctive and instantly recognizable. Undoubtedly one of the most iconic intros to this day.
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Official Video)
5. Cloud Connected by In Flames
Minimalistic electronic sounds blend with a melodic guitar line in “Cloud Connected” by In Flames. From the very first notes, the intro underscores the theme of the song, which is about people who live in their own dream world and reject contact with the outside world. At the very least, the intro is the perfect foreshadowing to everything that is yet to come.
In Flames – Cloud Connected (Official Music Video)
6. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Just a few sparse guitar chords at the beginning of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” are enough to get everyone jumping. The song continues with sheer raw energy, and everyone knows what’s coming. Nirvana, led by Kurt Cobain, celebrated the contrasts of grunge. One of the song’s defining features is that the band repeatedly pulls back and starts the build-up all over again.
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Official Music Video)
7. Lose Yourself by Eminem
The intro to “Lose Yourself” is undoubtedly one of the most iconic rap openings in music history. Beginning with a melancholic, almost baroque piano and synth melody, it creates a distinctly somber atmosphere. As soon as the guitar kicks in, the combative side of the song reveals itself. This intro is a prime example of a skillfully dynamic and contrasting structure.
Eminem – Lose Yourself [HD]
8. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
For the intro to “Seven Nation Army”, producer Jack White used a DigiTech Whammy pedal to tune a semi-acoustic Kay hollow-body guitar from the 1950s down an octave. The result was a hypnotic sound that sounded as if it came from a bass. The unmistakable riff made the song a hit and also became an anthem in football stadiums around the world.
The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army (Official Music Video)
9. Sandstorm by Darude
The intro to “Sandstorm” also became stadium-worthy, thanks to its minimalist arrangement. An extraordinary sense of tension builds through the combination of a distorted synth and reverse cymbal effects. Fun fact: the melody wasn’t composed intentionally, but resulted from a pattern recorded by accident. The effect was, and remains, downright hypnotic. By the way, the characteristic sound was created using a Roland JP-8080 synthesizer.
Darude – Sandstorm
10. Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple
And then there’s arguably the most famous guitar intro of all time: the riff from “Smoke on the Water”. It’s the classic example of a riff you’d better not play in the test booth at your local guitar shop, as they’ve heard it way too often. That doesn’t change the fact that everyone knows after just three power chords which song is about to kick in. Born from a brilliant idea by Ritchie Blackmore, it became the quintessential example of a simple-to-remember yet powerful hook, the very essence of rock. Technical simplicity meets instant recognizability.
Deep Purple – Smoke On the Water (Official Music Video)
Iconic Intros: Your Feedback
Feel free to drop us a comment below about which iconic riffs spring to mind and what most impresses you about them.
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