10 Greatest Rock Song Intros From The 1970s

The most important parts of any song are the chorus and the intro. Whilst the importance of a killer chorus is unquestionable, without a compelling, striking introduction, many listeners aren't going to stick with the song long enough to reach the hook.

The ability to construct an instantly memorable opening statement is a gift that some bands seem to possess in spades - the likes of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin have a whole catalogue of attention grabbers, often based on the simplest of riffs. What all of the entries on this list of '70s classics have in common is that they manage to convey everything you ever need to know about the essence of the band, the song and their attitude in a musical statement lasting less than a minute.

Other decades have their fare share of notable intros, but the music of the '70s seems to have its own unique organic feel and with the dawn of the glam and punk eras, two significant musical movements in one decade that influenced music in general forever afterwards.

Opening with Noddy Holder's unique rabble-rousing 'Alright everybody', Slade's first hit, a cover of a '60s Little Richard song, was the perfect encapsulation of everything that made the band one of the premier live acts in the UK prior to their first chart success.

Although entitled 'Get Down With It', the actual line is 'get down and get with it', which the black country bad boys do with gusto and aplomb. Kicking up the kind of riot that was to become their trademark through a career of unparalleled hits.

The single was the perfect encapsulation of the live Slade experience, with Noddy's unique ability to make everybody watching, either in the room or at home on TV a part of the non-stop Slade party.