Top 10 Songs with the Best Drum Intros
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Painkiller - Judas Priest
Few words to describe this drum intro:
Faster than a laser bullet.
Louder than an atom bomb.
Chromium-plated, boiling metal.
Brighter than a thousand suns.
Scott Travis, the king of drumming with Dave Lombardo alongside him, really shows off his true talent on the drums in Painkiller. Priest forever!
The best drum intro. You could go through each and every song on this list except Honor Thy Father. No other comes close to this song.
Truly a great song with a great drum intro.
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Honor Thy Father - Dream Theater
The confusing "off-beat" effect when you first hear it is pretty cool. It's also as powerful as the song requires.
I love Judas Priest, but this is way better. The Painkiller intro is actually pretty simple.
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Hot for Teacher - Van Halen
Alex is almost as awesome as Eddie, sometimes.
It's plainly amazing. It makes me trip out.
Alex Van Halen shreds on drums!
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Stargazer - Rainbow
The late, great Cozy Powell, this guy is truly a drum legend, and this needs to be in the top 10. Not only is the intro great, but it also features Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and Ronnie James Dio.
These guys together created one of heavy metal's greatest yet underrated moments.
There are many great intros, but I like this one best, along with Painkiller. I also really like Fireball and the underrated Exciter intro.
Once you hear it, it'll get stuck in your mind for weeks. It fits the song really well, and I can imagine no better intro for the song.
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You Could Be Mine - Guns N' Roses
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Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
Just the way it launches straight into the rhythm of the song!
Instead of me writing a huge comment, just listen and be amazed.
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Ticks and Leeches - Tool
Danny Carey is one of the best drummers when it comes to rhythms, and the intro to Ticks & Leeches is one of the highlights of his skill.
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Rust in Peace... Polaris - Megadeth
The reason I started drumming in the first place. Great double-bass intro with smooth tom usage.
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Where Eagles Dare - Iron Maiden
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Fireball - Deep Purple
It's awesome - it's double bass. Can you imagine Ian Paice playing double bass in 1971? Go beat Deep Purple!
Lars Ulrich of Metallica attended one of the Deep Purple shows in Copenhagen, Denmark (he was 9-10) and was mesmerized by the double bass on Fireball (he saw that for the first time).
Ian Paice is a tour de force behind the kit. With a little help from an air handler being switched on, he takes off like a jet engine and never lets up.
This is clearly the best drum intro ever!
Definitely the best intro ever!
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I Love It Loud - Kiss
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Edging - Blink-182
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Overkill - Motörhead
Metallica did a cover, but I think the original drumming is better.
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Haunted - Annihilator
50 seconds of tight, flawless drumming! Insane double bass. Click on the sample button below to hear a section of this intro.
This is probably the longest drum intro ever, and for me, it's the best. I don't mind Painkiller at #1 (it's classic) and this at #2.
A merciless and very mean intro by Mike Mangini.
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Your Betrayal - Bullet for My Valentine
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Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden
Best drum intro ever. Just listen to the beginning and focus only on the drums.
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The Wolf Is Loose - Mastodon
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Exciter - Judas Priest
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Welcome to the Family - Avenged Sevenfold
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Scavenger of Human Sorrow - Death
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Detonation - Annihilator
Sounds like a short drum solo - it's awesome. Mike Mangini did a great job!
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Territory - Sepultura
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Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
The song doesn't start with drums, but after a few seconds, the drum beats are awesome.
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Motorbreath - Metallica
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Terrible Certainty - Kreator
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It Never Ends - Bring Me the Horizon
Now, I understand most of the hatred towards this band, but I feel like Mat Nicholls' drumming is underappreciated. If you don't believe me, listen to the intro to this song and feel the emotion.
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Scentless Apprentice - Nirvana
