Music is, of course, subjective. Making a list of anything related to the greatest art form ever created opens itself to immediate judgment. That is not in any way to say that any given list is bad, only that mistakes will almost certainly be made.
Such is the case with a recent BBC list of the 25 greatest opening songs in the history of rock music. Taking seven decades of any genre and coming up with a list of "25 bests" is a foolish endeavor. We certainly have done things like that at AudioPhix, and we have made some mistakes. It is impossible to avoid.
The list, as created by Steve Wright, isn't terrible. Wright has some obvious songs, but they have to be. Leaving Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" off any such compilation, for instance, would mean the compilation is worthless. The same could be said of not including "Tom Sawyer" by Rush. Wright has both of those.
Three things the BBC missed on its list of 25 greatest opening tracks ever
He also has U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday," which is a fantastic choice. So is "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson. Well done, Mr. Wright.
Missed opportunities exist, though. We offer three adjustments below.
No "Seven Nation Army"
The opener from the White Stripes' best album, Elephant, has to be on this kind of list. Maybe it is a bit overplayed at sporting events, but from the opening thud of Jack White's guitar work, helped by a DigiTech Whammy pedal, which lowers the pitch an octave, to the explosion of the chorus, the entire song is epic and iconic. More importantly, it is unforgettable.
The wrong Beatles track
Wright includes "A Hard Day's Night," which is a great song because it is, after all, a Beatles tune. But a better choice might have been a more obvious one: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." The track sets the entire tone for one of the band's best albums, but even if it were a stand-alone single, it would be terrific.
Avoiding the Arctic Monkeys
What is slightly ironic is that one of the best (and most underappreciated in the United States) British rock bands of the 21st century is left off a list by the BBC.
Plus, the best opening track by the band is off their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. "The View from the Afternoon" is not only a brilliant full-throttle rock song, but helps set the tone for everything that would come from the Arctic Monkeys.