228 Comments
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Rick David's avatar

White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane

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Songletter's avatar

Good one!

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Rajhesh Panchanadhan's avatar

The Who - Baba OReilly

The Who - I am the Sea

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Songletter's avatar

Good ones!

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Mark Caicedo's avatar

"Teenage Wasteland," Wussy's ode to The Who, has an incredible buildup as well.

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Michael Hicks's avatar

Almost anything by Pink Floyd. Let’s go with Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Rest in peace, Syd.

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Brain of J-Hawk (he/him)'s avatar

I second this!

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Songletter's avatar

That's so true, that song is amazing.

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Robert Greenwood's avatar

2 nominations:

The Load Out / Stay from Jackson Browne and Thunder Road from Springsteen

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Songletter's avatar

Yes!

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Portico Darwin's avatar

Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (Elton John)

Sweet Jane (Lou Reed - Live Version from Rock & Roll Animal)

Song Remains the Same (Led Zep)

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Songletter's avatar

Definitely!

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Jamesey Coats's avatar

Roundabout- yes

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Mark Caicedo's avatar

Also, Howe's gorgeous opening harmonics on "And You and I."

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Jennifer Mulligan's avatar

Deathcab For Cutie - I Will Posses Your Heart.

Saw them perform this at the Sydney Opera House about 10 years ago … and it was thrilling. Great question … thanks for prompting this fantastic memory !

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Rajhesh Panchanadhan's avatar

I will possess your heart is a massive song!

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Ricardamundo's avatar

Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones (with Merry Clayton pushing them over the top)

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Songletter's avatar

Great!

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Lee's avatar

My Way - Frank Sinatra

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Eva della Carolina's avatar

I love the essay by Sarah Vowell on TAL that talks about just how bad this song is… I’d be happy to dig up for you!

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Jim Brockton's avatar

Maybe doesn't count because they built it that way, and say so at the beginning...but Ike & Tina Turner doing Rolling on the river builds and builds before gloriously crashing

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M Judd's avatar

Queen - It’s Late

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

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Ellen Jones's avatar

I know it’s an overused cliche, but it’s criminal to leave Zep’s Stairway To Heaven and Freddie’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

I would also add Radiohead’s Creep.

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Jamesey Coats's avatar

Not criminal. I think you meant critical, yes?

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Ellen Jones's avatar

I managed to screw up by omitting the words “leave out.” But I did mean criminal.

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Jamesey Coats's avatar

☺️😄 yes

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Chuck's avatar

Well for me (old fart again) its that part in steppenwolf's magic carpet ride, you know that wild instrumental break near the end leading up to the last chorus? Thats some fine stuff.

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David B Williams's avatar

Lazy by Deep Purple

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T. D. Wolf's avatar

Absolutely!

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Bj's avatar
Feb 6Edited

Original version, Fatboy Slim’s Praise You

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Songletter's avatar

Great build-up

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Chuckles's avatar

Minstrel in the Gallery, Jethro Tull. The acoustic portion is a buildup to the guitar solo which is a build up to the electric portion.

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Songletter's avatar

Agree!

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