The finest classic rock bands and artists understood that a fantastic opening to a song would go a long way to securing the listening audience’s attention for the rest of the track. Usually, they got the job done with a dynamic instrumental opening. But every now and again, an opening with nothing but a single or multiple voices can do the trick.
Here are five well-known classic rock songs that started out with a blast of a cappella energy. Hopefully, we didn’t leave out any of your favorites.
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“Nowhere Man” by The Beatles from Yellow Submarine (1965)
The Beatles get so much credit for their incredible songwriting and ingenious production techniques that their vocal blend can often get overlooked. There were actually a couple of occasions where they opened songs with their gilded harmonies. The most memorable example is “Nowhere Man,” as they settle into three-part harmony and sing the entire first verse without any instrumentation. As is the case on all the other songs in this list, this technique makes the point where the instrumentation kicks in even that more impactful and effective.
“I’ve Seen All Good People” by Yes from The Yes Album (1971)
Yes always had the instrumental interplay and inventive arrangements in their arsenal, which is why they quickly became one of the most popular progressive rock acts. But they truly started to hit their stride when the songwriting caught up with all the rest of it. “I’ve Seen All Good People” isn’t all that unusual in that it’s split into two parts. But Yes manages to make it unique by doing a kind of a cappella preview of the second part of the song with the opening blast of the lyric I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day / So satisfied I’m on my way.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen from A Night at the Opera (1975)
Queen used the a cappella open as much as any rock band in history. And why wouldn’t they? Of course, they boasted a one-of-a-kind singer in Freddie Mercury. But don’t discount the way the voices of Brian May and Roger Taylor were blended into the mix, along with clever multitracking techniques, to create an incredible vocal sound both forceful and emotionally affecting. Thus, it all makes sense their most famous song—and one of the most well-known songs in the entire rock canon—is one that starts off with that inimitable sound.
“Renegade” by Styx from Pieces of Eight (1978)
This track takes the traditional approach to the a cappella open and twists it slightly to make it incredibly memorable. Instead of just using the harmonies right off the bat, Tommy Shaw sings the opening couplet all alone. As a result, when Dennis DeYoung and James Young join him for the next couplet, it has the feeling of a slow build. In addition, the open is a bit of misdirection, since it suggests a quiet track and not the thunderous rocker that follows. Finally, Styx maximizes the impact by doing a callback to the section in the middle of the song, this time with just drums added.
“Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads from Little Creatures (1985)
David Byrne wrote the main section of “Road to Nowhere” first, but he was concerned the song just wasn’t enough in that incarnation. That’s when he came up with the idea of an a cappella open with a gospel flavor. What makes it such an apropos notion is the song is all about barreling into oblivion without any fear. By adding in the uplifting open, it almost acts as a benediction, blessing all the listeners before the chaos of the rest of the song comes forth. The song also goes out with just the voices, which lends the whole thing an air of symmetry.
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