Songs with (mostly just) drums opening?
April 22, 2023 4:02 PM Subscribe
Was thinking of Maps today and wondering what are some other songs that have only, or mostly-only, a very iconic drum opening?
Maps has the high guitar line, but I always forget about it -- in my mind, it's just the drums until the vocals come in. Looking for other songs that have a drums-forward opening.
Maps has the high guitar line, but I always forget about it -- in my mind, it's just the drums until the vocals come in. Looking for other songs that have a drums-forward opening.
Don't go to London (it's under construction) by Lawsuit (track 13 on the linked album) has a distinctive all-drums opening.
posted by heatherlogan at 4:14 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by heatherlogan at 4:14 PM on April 22, 2023
My Hero by the Foo Fighters.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:15 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 4:15 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Oh oh! Burn Rubber on Me by the Gap Band, which is where Dave Grohl stole the drum part in Smells Like Teen Spirit from
posted by happyfrog at 4:20 PM on April 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by happyfrog at 4:20 PM on April 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
Sympathy for the Devil
posted by yqxnflld at 4:24 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by yqxnflld at 4:24 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sing, Sing, Sing has lyrics although I don't think the vocal version usually starts off with the same drum solo the instrumental version does.
posted by sardonyx at 4:27 PM on April 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by sardonyx at 4:27 PM on April 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
Hot for Teacher by Van Halen
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 4:28 PM on April 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 4:28 PM on April 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
Joy Division:
Atrocity Exhibition
Disorder
She's Lost Control
Dead Souls
Passover
Isolation
Leaders of Men
Cocteau Twins: Persephone (and quite a few other songs)
Fiona Apple: Fast As You Can
A lot of funk bands/songs. Two off the top of my head:
Tower of Power: Squib Cakes
Incredible Bongo Band: The whole album 40 Years of The Incredible Bongo Band (most of their stuff, really).
posted by cocoagirl at 4:29 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Atrocity Exhibition
Disorder
She's Lost Control
Dead Souls
Passover
Isolation
Leaders of Men
Cocteau Twins: Persephone (and quite a few other songs)
Fiona Apple: Fast As You Can
A lot of funk bands/songs. Two off the top of my head:
Tower of Power: Squib Cakes
Incredible Bongo Band: The whole album 40 Years of The Incredible Bongo Band (most of their stuff, really).
posted by cocoagirl at 4:29 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Leyendecker by Battles opens with about 30-40 seconds of not much more than drums
posted by okonomichiyaki at 4:35 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by okonomichiyaki at 4:35 PM on April 22, 2023
Rush: YYZ
Smashing Pumpkins: Cherub Rock
The Breeders: Cannonball
REM: It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
posted by tonycpsu at 4:38 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Smashing Pumpkins: Cherub Rock
The Breeders: Cannonball
REM: It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
posted by tonycpsu at 4:38 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Fleetwood Mac's Dreams
Sébastien Tellier's gorgeous Ritournelle (with an assist from piano)
Eno: Daddy's Car
Warpaint: Beetles
Helvetica: Old, New Bycicle
posted by cocoagirl at 4:43 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sébastien Tellier's gorgeous Ritournelle (with an assist from piano)
Eno: Daddy's Car
Warpaint: Beetles
Helvetica: Old, New Bycicle
posted by cocoagirl at 4:43 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
She Drives me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals.
posted by aubilenon at 4:47 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by aubilenon at 4:47 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
The National: Graceless, Bloodbuzz, Lemonworld to name a few.
Grizzly Bear: Cheerleader, A Simple Answer
American Football: Uncomfortably Numb
posted by cocoagirl at 4:56 PM on April 22, 2023
Grizzly Bear: Cheerleader, A Simple Answer
American Football: Uncomfortably Numb
posted by cocoagirl at 4:56 PM on April 22, 2023
Lol, can't forget Tone-Loc's Wild Thing
posted by cocoagirl at 5:00 PM on April 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by cocoagirl at 5:00 PM on April 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin, Tusk, Fleetwood Mac, Queen's We Will Rock You, Two Princes by the Spin Doctors, I forget that there are other instruments on In the Air Tonight; Rick Beato's "Top 20 Drum Intros of All-Time," performed by Jack Jones. "Toto's Rosanna to Iggy Pop's Lust For Life, there are so many examples of great drum intros we simply had to pull together this list of our favourites" at Music Radar
Songs with Drum Intros (Spotify)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:04 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Songs with Drum Intros (Spotify)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:04 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Higher Love drum fill intro. (scroll down the page to hear a clip)
"Producer Russ Titelman remembered the fill being played ad lib by JR while his friend Chaka Khan was preparing to sing her background vocals on "Higher Love", causing Khan to exclaim "What is that shit? It sounds like voodoo shit!" Tom Lord-Alge agreed that the drum fill was played as a lark after JR completed his drum overdubs for "Higher Love". Tom said, "It was one of those happy accidents, and it happened because Chris always taught me that if the tape is rolling and there's a musician in the studio, make sure the tape machine is in record!""
posted by oxisos at 5:22 PM on April 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
"Producer Russ Titelman remembered the fill being played ad lib by JR while his friend Chaka Khan was preparing to sing her background vocals on "Higher Love", causing Khan to exclaim "What is that shit? It sounds like voodoo shit!" Tom Lord-Alge agreed that the drum fill was played as a lark after JR completed his drum overdubs for "Higher Love". Tom said, "It was one of those happy accidents, and it happened because Chris always taught me that if the tape is rolling and there's a musician in the studio, make sure the tape machine is in record!""
posted by oxisos at 5:22 PM on April 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
Johnny Jenkins - I Walk on Gilded Splinters
Beck uses that drum line in Loser, but the slide guitar comes in before the drums. With "I Walk on Gilded Splinters," it's all drums up front.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:28 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Beck uses that drum line in Loser, but the slide guitar comes in before the drums. With "I Walk on Gilded Splinters," it's all drums up front.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:28 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Black Sabbath - Iron Man counts, I think. Dunno if Ozzy's wet mouth sounds over the kick technically constitutes a second instrument.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:35 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:35 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Wipeout's intro drum solo is pretty iconic.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:37 PM on April 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:37 PM on April 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
For more funk, In the Bamboo Grove by The Bamboos.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:42 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:42 PM on April 22, 2023
Oh I just can never get enough of Paul Simon's Obvious Child. I even asked a question about drum-forward poppy music that maybe will appeal to you.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:44 PM on April 22, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:44 PM on April 22, 2023 [10 favorites]
Reckoner -Radiohead
Caravan -most famously by Buddy Rich
posted by chrisulonic at 6:07 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Caravan -most famously by Buddy Rich
posted by chrisulonic at 6:07 PM on April 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Don't Haunt This Place - The Rural Alberta Advantage
posted by oddphantom at 6:11 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by oddphantom at 6:11 PM on April 22, 2023
It’s short, but the opening drumbeats of Be My Baby are iconic.
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:18 PM on April 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:18 PM on April 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
A Tribe Called Red, Electric Pow Wow
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:35 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:35 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover- Paul Simon
posted by chrisulonic at 6:48 PM on April 22, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by chrisulonic at 6:48 PM on April 22, 2023 [7 favorites]
The B-52s: Love Shack
Sunny Day Real Estate: Round
Weezer: Undone (The Sweater Song), Keep Fishin'
The Cranberries: Disappointment
Tori Amos: Space Dog
The Gits: Second Skin, Slaughter of Bruce, Cut My Skin it Makes Me Human, Kings and Queens
Tom Petty: Don't Come Around Here No More
Pearl Jam: Why Go, W.M.A.
Notorious B.I.G.: Things Done Changed
INXS: Devil Inside, I Need You Tonight, Mediate
Queen: Radio Ga Ga (is "We Will Rock You" cheating?)
Bloodhound Gang: Bad Touch
10,000 Maniacs: Circle Dream
Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, Where Eagles Dare
Green Day: Longview
Fleetwood Mac: Tusk
posted by tonycpsu at 7:03 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Sunny Day Real Estate: Round
Weezer: Undone (The Sweater Song), Keep Fishin'
The Cranberries: Disappointment
Tori Amos: Space Dog
The Gits: Second Skin, Slaughter of Bruce, Cut My Skin it Makes Me Human, Kings and Queens
Tom Petty: Don't Come Around Here No More
Pearl Jam: Why Go, W.M.A.
Notorious B.I.G.: Things Done Changed
INXS: Devil Inside, I Need You Tonight, Mediate
Queen: Radio Ga Ga (is "We Will Rock You" cheating?)
Bloodhound Gang: Bad Touch
10,000 Maniacs: Circle Dream
Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, Where Eagles Dare
Green Day: Longview
Fleetwood Mac: Tusk
posted by tonycpsu at 7:03 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Joe Jackson's Kinda Kute
posted by wenestvedt at 7:23 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by wenestvedt at 7:23 PM on April 22, 2023
This thread is a treasure trove for anyone looking to sample and loop beats.
Zera a Reza - Caetano Veloso
Mã - Tom Zé
Bullet the Blue Sky - U2
Dark Red - Steve Lacy
Forest Scorpion - Baikida Carroll
Big Heart - Lounge Lizards
posted by umbú at 7:31 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Zera a Reza - Caetano Veloso
Mã - Tom Zé
Bullet the Blue Sky - U2
Dark Red - Steve Lacy
Forest Scorpion - Baikida Carroll
Big Heart - Lounge Lizards
posted by umbú at 7:31 PM on April 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
This thread is a treasure trove for anyone looking to sample and loop beats.
If that's the angle you're taking, I guess why not just link to Apache!
posted by aubilenon at 7:43 PM on April 22, 2023
If that's the angle you're taking, I guess why not just link to Apache!
posted by aubilenon at 7:43 PM on April 22, 2023
I think we gotta mention La La Love You
posted by credulous at 8:46 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by credulous at 8:46 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm chuffed to see Phil Collins well represented here already, by the way. To his work I can add: I Don't Care Anymore. (I would actually play air drum to that song when I was a teenager and was pissed off.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:58 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:58 PM on April 22, 2023
Course of empire - infested
Inxs -red red sun, and to look at you has a drum beat they used for several songs
Josh Ritter - time is wasting
Lucas Nelson- start to go- the drums in the album version are basically Led Zeppelin greatest hits in one song
Lords of acid - am I sexy - ok it technically starts with a guitar slide but then a long drum section
Portabella - covered in punk
Mclusky - light Sabre cocksucking blues
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:14 PM on April 22, 2023
Inxs -red red sun, and to look at you has a drum beat they used for several songs
Josh Ritter - time is wasting
Lucas Nelson- start to go- the drums in the album version are basically Led Zeppelin greatest hits in one song
Lords of acid - am I sexy - ok it technically starts with a guitar slide but then a long drum section
Portabella - covered in punk
Mclusky - light Sabre cocksucking blues
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:14 PM on April 22, 2023
I think we also gotta talk about Superstition and Jeff Beck
posted by credulous at 9:27 PM on April 22, 2023
posted by credulous at 9:27 PM on April 22, 2023
Indigo Girls, Get Out The Map is notable in that the drums with which it leads are hand-played-- I'd guess bongos and African drum? And that's all the percussion for the first verse, about a third of the song's run time. Kit drums don't kick in till the first chorus.
Adam Ant, Stand And Deliver starts with a bugle fanfare answered by drums (kit drums, I think, with additional field drums on the chorus)
Lorde, Royals starts with a muffled bass drum and reverb'd handclaps and (I think) no other instruments until some fuzzy bass starts at the first chorus.
Stevie Wonder, Superstition is just drums for 4 or 8 bars (in different versions) before that iconic bass riff starts up.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:50 AM on April 23, 2023
Adam Ant, Stand And Deliver starts with a bugle fanfare answered by drums (kit drums, I think, with additional field drums on the chorus)
Lorde, Royals starts with a muffled bass drum and reverb'd handclaps and (I think) no other instruments until some fuzzy bass starts at the first chorus.
Stevie Wonder, Superstition is just drums for 4 or 8 bars (in different versions) before that iconic bass riff starts up.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:50 AM on April 23, 2023
Mention of XTC reminded me that Travels in Nihilion fits the prompt.
posted by umbú at 9:11 AM on April 23, 2023
posted by umbú at 9:11 AM on April 23, 2023
Also Lyon - Pinback is a spare mid-tempo example.
I like Ma Petite Est Mariée by Golden in part because it does it in 12/8 time.
posted by umbú at 9:19 AM on April 23, 2023
I like Ma Petite Est Mariée by Golden in part because it does it in 12/8 time.
posted by umbú at 9:19 AM on April 23, 2023
The Clash "I Fought the Law"
posted by Archipelago at 10:14 AM on April 23, 2023
posted by Archipelago at 10:14 AM on April 23, 2023
Echo and the Bunnymen - Zimbo (especially the live version with the Royal Burundi Drummers)
Comsat Angels - Eye of the Lens, Another World, Magonia, Light Years. Several other tracks have very prominent drums as the intro with minimal guitar or synth accompaniment.
The Go-Go's - We Got the Beat, Skidmarks on my Heart.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:27 AM on April 23, 2023
Comsat Angels - Eye of the Lens, Another World, Magonia, Light Years. Several other tracks have very prominent drums as the intro with minimal guitar or synth accompaniment.
The Go-Go's - We Got the Beat, Skidmarks on my Heart.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:27 AM on April 23, 2023
Kings of The Wild Frontier -Adam
And the Ants
The Jungle Line - Joni Mitchel
C30 c60 c90 Go! - Bow Wow Wow
- all cribbed without proper credit from Greeting by The Drummers of Berundi.
posted by rongorongo at 11:52 AM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
And the Ants
The Jungle Line - Joni Mitchel
C30 c60 c90 Go! - Bow Wow Wow
- all cribbed without proper credit from Greeting by The Drummers of Berundi.
posted by rongorongo at 11:52 AM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Raveonettes - Heartbreak Stroll
Trio - Broken Hearts for You and Me, Sunday You Need Love Monday Be Alone
posted by Stoneshop at 11:59 AM on April 23, 2023
Trio - Broken Hearts for You and Me, Sunday You Need Love Monday Be Alone
posted by Stoneshop at 11:59 AM on April 23, 2023
I don't know about "iconic" but:
Iron Maiden - Where Eagles Dare
Steve Miller - Take the Money and Run
Dream Theater - 6:00
Judas Priest - Painkiller
posted by Billy Rubin at 5:47 PM on April 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Iron Maiden - Where Eagles Dare
Steve Miller - Take the Money and Run
Dream Theater - 6:00
Judas Priest - Painkiller
posted by Billy Rubin at 5:47 PM on April 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Queens of the Stone Age, "No One Knows"
Queens of the Stone Age, "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire"
posted by limeonaire at 6:45 PM on April 23, 2023
Queens of the Stone Age, "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire"
posted by limeonaire at 6:45 PM on April 23, 2023
Talking Heads, "This Must Be the Place"
posted by limeonaire at 6:46 PM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 6:46 PM on April 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’m really fond of the intro to The Power Station’s “Some Like it Hot” (note that the bass line comes in early, though). Via Wikipedia: “Bassist John Taylor said on the creation of the song: "What we really wanted to do was put this drummer out there in a way that we felt he deserved, so that song particularly was sort of designed to really showcase Tony [Thompson].”
posted by vespertine at 7:58 PM on April 23, 2023
posted by vespertine at 7:58 PM on April 23, 2023
The Cure - All Cats are Grey.
It feels like they slowed down the tapes to make them more gloomy sounding.
Hey there's also Pigbag!
posted by ovvl at 8:46 PM on April 23, 2023
It feels like they slowed down the tapes to make them more gloomy sounding.
Hey there's also Pigbag!
posted by ovvl at 8:46 PM on April 23, 2023
Domenico + 2 - Alegria Vai Lá
Faust - It's a Rainy Day (Sunshine Girl)
Stereolab - Iron Man (which is a swipe from Piero Piccioni's "Blue Rhythm Festival"
The Monks - Monks Chant
Battles - Atlas
Don Caballero - Slice Where You Live Like Pie
Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me
Sweet - The Ballroom Blitz
Curtis Mayfield - Now You're Gone
Dungen - Panda
The Pretenders - Middle of the Road
The Sea and Cake - Nature Boy
The Sonics - Psycho
Every track on Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey
posted by hydrophonic at 10:03 PM on April 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Faust - It's a Rainy Day (Sunshine Girl)
Stereolab - Iron Man (which is a swipe from Piero Piccioni's "Blue Rhythm Festival"
The Monks - Monks Chant
Battles - Atlas
Don Caballero - Slice Where You Live Like Pie
Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me
Sweet - The Ballroom Blitz
Curtis Mayfield - Now You're Gone
Dungen - Panda
The Pretenders - Middle of the Road
The Sea and Cake - Nature Boy
The Sonics - Psycho
Every track on Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey
posted by hydrophonic at 10:03 PM on April 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
In addition to "Hot for Teacher," Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some!!" (love those structural exclamation points in the title) has 20 seconds of drums and David Lee Roth making monkey noises, then another 20 seconds of drums+monkeys+guitar-rumbling before the riff (which sounds like this: "!!") finally comes in.
The song itself doesn't even start until 1:10. Van Halen as a band of course was famous for this level of restraint
posted by Polycarp at 11:03 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
The song itself doesn't even start until 1:10. Van Halen as a band of course was famous for this level of restraint
posted by Polycarp at 11:03 PM on April 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Game Theory - Penny Things Won't has a long drum intro (with some minor accompaniment). The drums are recorded kind of poorly though.
I can't believe I forgot the best drum riff ever: Bel Biv Devoe - Poison
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:13 AM on April 24, 2023
I can't believe I forgot the best drum riff ever: Bel Biv Devoe - Poison
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:13 AM on April 24, 2023
Death - Flattening of Emotions
Carcass - Ruptured in Purulence (CW: Gory album cover)
The Exploited - War
posted by ignignokt at 9:50 AM on April 24, 2023
Carcass - Ruptured in Purulence (CW: Gory album cover)
The Exploited - War
posted by ignignokt at 9:50 AM on April 24, 2023
The Raspberries, "I Wanna Be With You"
Then if you double up that intro, you get the intro to Blood Oranges' "Fire Escape," but it's not available anywhere online that I can find.
posted by limeonaire at 10:08 AM on April 24, 2023
Then if you double up that intro, you get the intro to Blood Oranges' "Fire Escape," but it's not available anywhere online that I can find.
posted by limeonaire at 10:08 AM on April 24, 2023
If you're in an 80s mood: Maniac by Michael Sembello off the Flashdance soundtrack starts with some fine 80s percussion sounds.
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:44 AM on April 24, 2023
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:44 AM on April 24, 2023
The first song I thought of was Colossus by Idles. And then March of the Pigs by Nine Inch Nails. A couple of other songs on that NIN album have drum only openings too. Closer (it's a drum machine but that still counts right?) and Eraser (there's a humming sound for the first minute or so but the drums are where the actual song starts).
How about Teardrop by Massive Attack. There's something beside drums on it but it is pretty much the drum beat to start the song. Unfinished Sympathy also is drum focussed but there's some other percussion going on that is the main thing you remember about the intro.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:13 PM on April 25, 2023
How about Teardrop by Massive Attack. There's something beside drums on it but it is pretty much the drum beat to start the song. Unfinished Sympathy also is drum focussed but there's some other percussion going on that is the main thing you remember about the intro.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:13 PM on April 25, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by happyfrog at 4:10 PM on April 22, 2023 [2 favorites]