I almost never write about music here on the blog, but as I pondered this week’s topic from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers, my mind kept creeping back to music. I am nowhere near being an audiophile, and have never been one to seek out rare B-side tracks or elusive foreign imprints–I like popular music that gets plenty of radio play.
The following list is made up of songs that instantly transport me back in time to when I would listen to them as loud as my stereo cabinet could go. Whenever one of the following songs starts playing these days, you can bet I’ll be cranking up the volume in the ol’ minivan.
My favorite intros from 80’s rock…
10. ZZ Top — Sharp Dressed Man
9. George Thorogood And The Destroyers – Bad To The Bone
8. Van Halen — Hot for Teacher
7. Bon Jovi — You Give Love a Bad Name
6. Guns N’ Roses — Welcome to the Jungle
5. AC/DC — Thunderstruck
4. Aerosmith/Run-DMC — Walk this Way
3. Guns N’ Roses — Sweet Child of Mine
2. Def Leppard — Pour Some Sugar on Me
1. AC/DC — You Shook Me All Night Long
Runners up: Bon Jovi — Wanted Dead or Alive; Van Halen — Jump
What songs do you think have some great intros? What 80’s songs did I miss?
Stacey Rader says
April 19, 2013 at 11:14 amThe two that come to mind are “The Final Countdown” and “Eye Of The Tiger”, just because to me those two are seminal ’80s anthems. But in terms of “wow!” intros, your list is rad!
Brian says
April 19, 2013 at 11:17 amI actually had Eye of the Tiger on the list until the very end–the intro is indeed great, but the song no longer holds up for me.
Great call on the Final Countdown. I totally missed that one. 😉
shezcrafti says
April 20, 2013 at 11:05 amYES! First thing I did after coming here was do a search for “Final Countdown.”
Rich (Fortune and Glory Days) says
April 19, 2013 at 11:57 amI’ve always like the intro to “Dreams” by Van Halen and “Where the Street Have No Name” by U2. Nice list!
Brian says
April 19, 2013 at 12:02 pmBoth excellent intros. I guess I went with a little bit louder with my selections. 😉
jboypacman says
April 19, 2013 at 4:28 pmGreat List!
Paxton Holley says
April 19, 2013 at 4:51 pmIf we are just talking about the song intro, then for AC/DC I would probably pick Back in Black over Thunderstruck. However, Thunderstruck is an EXCELLENT choice. I would also recommend For Those About to Rock.
You need a little Motley Crue in here as well. Kickstart My Heart, Girls Girls Girls or Smokin in the Boys Room would all be excellent choices.
😉
Brian says
April 19, 2013 at 5:01 pmHow could I forget the Crue?! To be honest, I would probably put Home Sweet home on the list even though it’s a ballad.
Kal says
April 19, 2013 at 11:21 pmI had a buddy at Cadet camp who would play Back in Black from AC/DC over and over again. I know every song by heart on that album. Shook Me All Night Long is the only song from that album that I can still listen to without going crazy.
Brian says
April 20, 2013 at 10:29 amOuch. I heard (and played) plenty of Back in Black in the dorm, but don’t think I could ever get tired of it.
3B says
April 20, 2013 at 8:45 am“One” by MetallicA instantly springs to mind. The soft tones of the intro are a stark contrast to the mayhem that soon follows!
Brian says
April 20, 2013 at 10:21 amI had “Enter Sandman” on the list until I looked it up and saw its release date was 1991. “One” is a good contender though.
The Goodwill Geek says
April 20, 2013 at 10:02 amAw man… this takes me back. Excellent selection here! Not only great intros but great songs in general!
Brian says
April 20, 2013 at 10:28 amRock on!
Dan says
April 23, 2013 at 7:30 amHow about the Prince of Darkness himself. Ozzy, Crazy Train. It gets me going at work. Then again all I listen to at work is classic rock.
Brian says
April 23, 2013 at 8:43 amAnother good one!