Music Hot Takes: Favorite Album Intros

Artists pride themselves on albums more than anything because at the end of the day, that is their artwork, and they want to perfect that. There are so many factors that go into not only making an album, but a great album. One of those very important factors is the intro track. This is the first song the listener will hear, and it will set the tone for the whole album. Today I decided to essentially rank my favorite intros on albums of all time. Keep in mind that this is fully subjective, which is why certain placements or omissions could be viewed as music hot takes. I have made a list of my favorite 10 intros in no particular order, and I will also include 16 more honorable mentions in the Spotify playlist below. There's so much music nowadays so make sure to let me know if I missed any!

Explanation

Before I can list of my favorites, it is important to know what makes intros in general so special and the factors that play a part in their success. Being at the beginning of an album, that first glimpse of the project that an artist is working on, it is crucial to hook the audience and excite them for the rest of the album. I see the intro track like an aperitif before a meal, it’s not the main course and it shouldn’t fill you up, but a very enjoyable aperitif excites you for the rest of the meal. Of course, when I say exciting, that does not mean the song needs to be intense, it simply must play that role of keeping the listener hooked to eventually finish the entire album. These intros that I have included in the list, in my opinion overachieved and are really in certain cases the highlight of the entire album. Nevertheless, now that we have a good idea of what the intros job is and how great ones can really impact an album in a positive way, here are my top 10 favorites:

1.      Blowin’ in the Wind (Bob Dylan)

This song is the inro track on Dylan’s album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”. Dylan is an extremely established artist with an amazing discography throughout the years. He is also arguably one of the greatest songwriters of all time. This intro track is one of his most popular songs, and after a good listen you understand why. It almost sounds like a ballad with Dylan’s guitar and harmonica accompanying his powerful lyrics. Similarly to all other songs on this list, it does a fantastic job of introducing the album.

2.      Intro + A Moment Apart (ODESZA) 

This one is interesting because it is a two-part song. The actual first track is a one minute “skit” per say of a conversation between a man and woman talking about a Russian cosmonaut stuck in space losing his mind over a constant knocking sound. The transition to the next song is something that could only be described as beautiful.

3.      DR. WHOEVER (Aminé)

Aminé gained a ton of recognition after his 2017 album “Good For You”, that raised the stakes for him and his second album “ONEPOINTFIVE” had to do well. The moment you would start this album and hear this song, you really feel the need to finish the album. It’s an extremely groovy track, that showcases his amazing flow.

4.      Everything In Its Right Place (Radiohead)

I can’t talk about Radiohead enough to be honest. Their groundbreaking project in 2000, “Kid A” was topped off with this fantastic showing from the band. This album receives so much praise, and this first track really gets all the love it deserves, when people talk about the album, they never fail to mention this song.

5.      Flume (Bon Iver)

“For Emma, Forever Ago” is probably my favorite Bon Iver album and this intro perfectly explains why. You can hear the emotion behind Vernon’s voice all through out, and it prepares the listener for an emotional rollercoaster of their own when they listen to the album.

6.      Dark Saturday (Metric)

Coming off of their 2018 album “Art of Doubt”, this song introduces you to Metric’s style and the album’s aesthetic right away. It is a very easy listen with some great instrumentation all throughout.

7.      Empty (Kevin Abstract)

Before the big boom of BROCKHAMPTON in 2017, Kevin had an amazing solo project highlighted by its intro track. Kevin is a homosexual rapper, which comes with challenges in the fact that the industry has never really had that. With this song, he talks about the difficulties of his lifestyles in a very vulnerable way. It is a truly beautiful song with deep lyrics at its forefront.

8.      Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve)

This song is already a classic in my books. The Verve is one of my favorite UK bands ever and nowadays you can’t talk about them without mentioning this song. It is extremely recognizable and of course, was a great intro track on their 1997 album “Urban Hymns”.

9.      Easy Easy (King Krule)

King Krule is a very interesting artist, he has a unique voice and amazing style. This song truly showcases all the best elements of his art. Being released as a single at first, even King Krule definitely knew that this song was going to be great.

10.  Intro (The XX)

I saved this one for last not because it is the worse, but because it might actually be the best. Coming off of their debut record in 2009, this song has consistently been the band’s most popular, racking in over 400 million streams on Spotify. It sounds very otherworldly with fantastic production that elevates the aesthetic of the album to astounding levels.

References

Genius. (n.d.). Song Lyrics & Knowledge. Genius. https://genius.com/.

Spotify. (n.d.). Listening is everything. Spotify. https://www.spotify.com/us/home/.

Dylan, Bob. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. 1963. https://www.discogs.com/Bob-Dylan-The-Freewheelin-Bob-Dylan/master/4455 

ODESZA. A Moment Apart. 2017. https://www.discogs.com/Odesza-A-Moment-Apart/master/1233960

Aminé. ONEPOINTFIVE. 2018. https://www.discogs.com/Amin%C3%A9-OnePointFive/release/15746684

Radiohead. Kid A. 2000. https://www.discogs.com/Radiohead-Kid-A/master/21501

Vernon, Justin. For Emma, Forever Ago. 2008. https://www.discogs.com/Bon-Iver-For-Emma-Forever-Ago/release/1361007

Metric. Art of Doubt. 2018. https://www.discogs.com/Metric-Art-Of-Doubt/release/12557959

Ian Simpson, Clifford. American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story. 2016. https://www.discogs.com/Kevin-Abstract-American-Boyfriend-A-Suburban-Love-Story/master/1283826

The Verve. Urban Hymns. 1997. https://www.discogs.com/The-Verve-Urban-Hymns/master/20634

Marshall, Archy. 6 Fett Beneath The Moon. 2013. https://www.discogs.com/King-Krule-6-Feet-Beneath-The-Moon/release/4858772

The xx. xx. 2009. https://www.discogs.com/The-XX-XX/release/1976385