Top 10 Songs with the Most Unnecessarily Long Intros

Have you ever pressed play on a song, only to find yourself waiting... and waiting... and waiting some more for the actual song to begin? Well, you're not alone.

Music is an art form, and just like any other art, it's incredibly subjective. What one person might perceive as a grandiose and captivating buildup, another might see as a lengthy and unnecessary detour. But one thing is certain. When it comes to creating anticipation and setting the mood, a song's intro is pivotal.

The question is, how long is too long? Some intros are a slow burn, gradually building up tension until it's finally released in a triumphant burst of melody. Others might take you on an intricate journey through a soundscape of instrumental solos or ambient noise before the first verse even begins. Then there are those that start with a lengthy spoken word piece, a far-off siren, or a gradual crescendo of sound that seems to stretch on forever.

These intros can be a fascinating listen, painting a vivid picture in the listener's mind and setting the tone for the rest of the song. But let's be real. Sometimes we just want to shout at our speakers, "Get on with it already!"

The Top Ten

  1. Spirit Horse of the Cherokee - Manowar

    It's a bizarre song start to finish, so...

  2. Aces High - Iron Maiden

  3. Into the Crypts of Rays - Celtic Frost

  4. Raining Blood - Slayer

    I noticed that in the 70s and 80s, many rock and metal bands used long intros with sounds. Maybe it was well accepted back then, but I agree with you in general. I also want to go straight to the music.

  5. Eagle Fly Free - Helloween

  6. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due - Megadeth

    For me, the intro is the best part of the song and I play only the intro on a loop, haha. This is my favorite metal intro even though this isn't my favorite metal song and Megadeth aren't my favorite metal band. It just shows how different people are, but I'm not saying that being different is a bad thing.

    The intro is the best part of this song though and the reason I like Megadeth.

  7. Holy Diver - Dio

  8. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf

  9. Sails of Charon - Scorpions

    I agree again - I would gladly skip 50 seconds of wind sound.

  10. I Need a Lover - John Mellencamp

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    My Secret Garden - Depeche Mode

  12. ?

    Roundabout - Yes

    13. The Contenders

  13. Speed King - Deep Purple

    This song was written to be an opener for their live shows and has that improvisation air to it meant to get the crowd into the mood. But I would shorten the intro a little bit.

  14. Bohemian Rhapsody - Lil Meerkat

  15. Baba O'Riley - The Who

    It's about one minute long and the first 40 seconds are very repetitive. Because the melody is pretty simple, it quickly gets annoying, at least to me.

  16. Will You Be There - Michael Jackson

  17. Witching Hour - Venom

  18. Tarot Woman - Rainbow

  19. Octavarium - Dream Theater

    This should be #1. The song starts off with a pre-intro (yes, that's a thing), which is a filler that lasts for 4 minutes. Then that is followed up with another acoustic portion (the main intro) that again lasts for another 4 minutes, pushing the total intro length to 8 minutes. Can you believe that? 8 minutes. On average, most songs barely even last 4 minutes.

    I listened to this song while doing homework because I failed not to switch to something else in other situations.

    The intro is the reason that I think this song is one of the most overrated songs of all time.

  20. For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica

    The intro is pretty long because of the bass solo and guitar riffs following after, but I like it.

  21. Anime Narrator (Caw Caw) - Lil Mosquito Disease

  22. Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys

    The version on the "Greatest Hits" album has an unnecessarily long instrumental intro with just the beat. The one on the "Backstreet's Back" album has it edited out.

  23. Orion - Metallica

    Sometimes I think the fading-in part feels too long.

  24. I Caught Myself - Paramore

  25. Feeling Blue - Big Baller B & Lil Mosquito Disease

  26. Blackwater Park - Opeth

    While I won't deny that Opeth is really good, they can be pretty boring to go through as I feel like their pacing can be really sluggish. "Blackwater Park" is a fantastic song, but the two-minute intro and the first acoustic solo after the first verse go on far longer than they should, in my opinion. I'm fine with the rest of the song, but those two sections can get pretty monotonous and boring at times.

  27. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Weezer

    The intro goes for around 50 seconds and it's really repetitive, with talking in the background. The rest of the song is amazing though.

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