Beauty is in they eye of the beholder… or in this case the EAR of the beholder. In todays day and age the intro to a song has become more important than ever before. It’s a listeners first impression, it sets the mood, tone and pace of the rest of the song, and can be the difference between a band getting paid, or the listener hitting the skip button.
What makes a good song intro? Well to be honest there is no right or wrong answer. an intro could gradually build up, adding one instrument at a time as the tension slowly builds. Think Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here or U2 – Where The Streets Have No Name.
It could hit hard and fast, full of instruments just before getting into the “meaty” parts of the song. Think Guns and Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine, AC/DC – Thunderstruck
Then there’s the intro that wastes absolutely no time before getting into the lyrics. Think Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody and YES – I’ve Seen All Good People.
Today streaming culture has caused a combination of the last two examples, hitting hard and fast, while wasting no time before getting into the lyrics. That’s because most streaming platforms will only pay an artist once the listener has played at least 30 seconds of a song. Here on the radio though we pay EVERY artist we play, which is just another great reason to support your local radio stations!
What song do you feel has the best intro of all time?
