10 Best Hard Rock Intros

The world of hard rock is not a genre known for its subtlety. Whether it's through guitars, drums, or voice, every single instrument is known to be at full capacity from the minute the track starts playing. It's easy for artists to cut right to the chase, but there's a certain professionalism when it comes to introducing the main riff.

Regardless of which instrument takes the lead, these songs are masters at building up to the musical payoff. Rather than just hitting you over the head with the main riff, these songs take their time and build to some of the most satisfying riffs ever conceived by man. More than just announcing songs, these musical fragments act as a sort of welcome mat for the listener, as they get everyone used to the epic juggernaut of a song they're about to undertake.

It could be the beginning of a feel good song or the start of a new musical revolution, but all of these songs would not be where they are today if these little intros hadn't set things off in the right direction. Anyone can be in the right place at the right time when they write a great riff, but only the greatest musicians know how to really start their songs off right.

After years of rewriting the prog rock rulebook, Rush had finally learned to have some fun in the studio. Streamlining their sound on Permanent Waves, the band were ready to become fantastic songwriters on their next album Moving Pictures. Though their ode to the airwaves on The Spirit of Radio kicked everything off nicely on the previous album, Tom Sawyer was when you knew these guys had only begun to shock us.

Rather than the maniacal runs of notes found on other Rush albums, all this song needs is one to win the fans over. Starting with one sole E note, the synth tone used acts as a sort of drone for the song, as the band comes roaring in after Geddy Lee sets everything up. Rush had certainly worked with keyboards in the past, but this type of synth not only had the power to warp the minds of prog heads, but also had the potential to (*gasp*) get the band played on the radio.

Over the years, the song has become one of Rush's staples, with pointed lyrics, a fantastic guitar solo, and one of the single greatest drum breaks in rock history. Rush were already known as one of the most popular cult bands, but after that one synth note, the band were ready to move up to the big leagues.