{"id":10080330,"date":"2026-07-08T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/?p=10080330"},"modified":"2026-07-07T17:32:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:32:42","slug":"the-10-best-intros-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/inspire\/the-10-best-intros-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Best Intros of all Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A riff, a subtle soundscape, a simple hook made up of just a few notes? We\u2019ve got a few thoughts on what makes a great introduction to a song. Let\u2019s check out 10 songs with legendary intros!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes a great intro<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If anyone claimed they had the magic formula for writing electrifying intros, they\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The intro as the song\u2019s central theme<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For example, this is the case with iconic riffs that stick in the listeners\u2019 minds, as in the classic \u2018Smoke on the Water\u2019, distinctive bass lines, as in \u2018Billie Jean\u2019, or intros with a particularly striking sound, as in \u2018Blue Monday\u2019. A truly brilliant intro serves as a leitmotif that appears throughout the song in different variations without overdoing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build tension through reduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The legendary examples from the past \u2013 and hopefully also the future \u2013 show us that it\u2019s 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\u2019s look at a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Endzeit by Heaven Shall Burn<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With its almost cinematic quality and melancholic vibe, the intro to \u201cEndzeit\u201d provides a stark contrast to what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heaven Shall Burn | Endzeit | Official Live Video Vainstream 2016<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Blue Monday by New Order<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the very first notes of \u201cBlue Monday\u201d, everyone knows immediately which song is coming. There\u2019s 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 \u2013 not despite, but because it is so simple!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New Order \u2013 Blue Monday ’88 (Official Music Video HD Upgrade)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Volny by Molchat Doma<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The intro to \u201cVolny\u201d 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 \u201880s. The result: a sense of loneliness and emptiness with apocalyptic Soviet aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Molchat Doma \u2013 Volny (Official Lyrics Video) \u043c\u043e\u043b\u0447\u0430\u0442 \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430 – \u0432\u043e\u043b\u043d\u044b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The King of Pop was a master of instrumentation and dynamics. One of the most legendary examples is the opening of \u2018Billie Jean\u2019. A simple drum pattern, a minimalist, driving bass line: that\u2019s all it takes to build tension. Michael Jackson doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Michael Jackson \u2013 Billie Jean (Official Video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Cloud Connected by In Flames<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Minimalistic electronic sounds blend with a melodic guitar line in \u201cCloud Connected\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Flames \u2013 Cloud Connected (Official Music Video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just a few sparse guitar chords at the beginning of \u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d are enough to get everyone jumping. The song continues with sheer raw energy, and everyone knows what\u2019s coming. Nirvana, led by Kurt Cobain, celebrated the contrasts of grunge. One of the song\u2019s defining features is that the band repeatedly pulls back and starts the build-up all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nirvana \u2013 Smells Like Teen Spirit (Official Music Video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Lose Yourself by Eminem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The intro to \u201cLose Yourself\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eminem \u2013 Lose Yourself [HD]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the intro to \u201cSeven Nation Army\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The White Stripes \u2013 Seven Nation Army (Official Music Video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Sandstorm by Darude<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The intro to \u201cSandstorm\u201d 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Darude \u2013 Sandstorm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And then there\u2019s arguably the most famous guitar intro of all time: the riff from \u201cSmoke on the Water\u201d. It\u2019s the classic example of a riff you\u2019d better not play in the test booth at your local guitar shop, as they\u2019ve heard it way too often. That doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deep Purple \u2013 Smoke On the Water (Official Music Video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iconic Intros: Your Feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Feel free to drop us a comment below about which iconic riffs spring to mind and what most impresses you about them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What makes a song intro unforgettable? From Smoke on the Water to Billie Jean, explore 10 legendary intros that capture listeners from the very first note.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":10080341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"0","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tblog_post_audio_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10676],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10080330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspire"],"category_colors":{"color_key":"inspire","css_classes":{"text":"cat-inspire","text_light":"cat-inspire-light","bg":"cat-bg-inspire","bg_light":"cat-bg-inspire-light","border":"cat-border-inspire","text_on_bg":"cat-text-on-inspire"}},"reading_time":{"minutes":6,"formatted":"6 min"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10080330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10080330"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10080330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10080342,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10080330\/revisions\/10080342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10080341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10080330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10080330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10080330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}