15 Rock Song Intros That Kick Ass

Really too many here in this category but these all do seriously kick ass:

15. Led Zeppelin - "Song Remains The Same"

14. Rolling Stones - "Monkey Man"

Tie 13. The Who - "Baba O'Reilly" (a bit licensed) 
Tie 13. The Who - "Wont Get Fooled Again" (also, over licensed) 

12. Van Halen - "Hot Summer Nights" 

11. Black Crowes - "Twice As Hard"

10. Paranoid - "Black Sabbath" 

9. Rolling Stones - "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'"

8. Link Wray - "Rumble"

7. ACDC - "Thunderstruck"

6. Led Zeppelin - "Kashmir"

5. T-Rex - "20th Centrury Boy"

4. Jimi Hendrix - "Fire" 

3. ZZ Top - "Just Got Paid"

2. Aerosmith - "Sweet Emotion" 

1. The Beatles - "Revolution" (it's hard to leave this off the list)

10 Songs We Love . . . But We Have Not (Yet) Licensed

10. Talking Heads - "Once In a Lifetime"

9. The Buggles - "Video Killed The Radio Star"

Tie 8. They Might Be Giants - "Birdhouse"
Tie 8. They Might Be Giants - "Ana Ng"

7. Rufus Wainwright version of "Across The Universe" (sigh . . .)

6. Stevie Wonder the intro to "Boogie on Reggae Woman"

5. Duran Duran - "Rio" (a guilty pleasure and unreal bass line) 

4. Manfred Mann - "Blinded By The Light" and Ram Jam "Black Betty" (both amazing syncs in the movie Blow)

3. Sneaker Pimps - "Underground"

2. Nada Surf - "Fruit Fly"

Tie 1. The Dead Milkmen - "Punk Rock Girl"
Tie 1. Fishbone - "Party At Ground Zero" 

When No Music Is The Best Choice

Knowing when to not use any music at all is just as important as knowing how to select the right music. Silence can truly be one of the most effective audio cues in helping to tell the story. 

Great example above. 

Willie Nelson, Coldplay and . . . Chipotle

Sometimes you swing for the fences on a music license and the results are unexpected and great.  It's what every music supervisor and creative director loves - throwing the curveball.  It's easy to pitch music that is a natural fit or safe, it's easy to find music that is expected . . . but it takes a lot of nerve to walk into a room and say "I think Willie Nelson singing a down tempo version of a classic Coldplay song is what this brand video really needs."  The gamble pays off here and the result is terrific.  Way to take a creative risk and deliver for Chipotle.

HBO Rocks The Luis Guzman Duck Sauce Remix

If you haven't yet seen this . . . it's super fun.  Good promo for upcoming season of the HBO show "How To Make It In America."  Nice track pick and great way to pimp it out.

Music Spotlight: iHeartRadio

We love whistling tracks!

Clear Channel Radio - iHeart Radio from The Diner on Vimeo.