If You Could Recommend ONE Song...
 

...what would it be? If you had to give a recommendation for one song to a person who had never heard music before, what would it be? You can only pick one. And the person isn't a neanderthal or anything, just someone who has been "shielded" from music. Just as intelligent and smart as the public.

This can be your favorite song, one that changed your life, or just one that puts you in a good mood! But remember: this person will only listen to that one song, nothing else!

BT - Somnambulist

Good choice

I think I would have to go with Orange Crush by R.E.M.

Philip Glass, "Rubric"

That'll get them thinking.

The Rain Song- Led Zeppelin
Always sends chills down my spine!

June by RJD2 ft Copywrite

cuz that's my goddamn song right there

Love Minus Zero/No Limit by Bob Dylan
Hard to beat the melody and lyrics of this one.

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata

Dvorak - Slavonic Dance #8

Billy Idol - Cradle of Love

Edwin Starr - War

probably stairway to heaven - led zepplin

it has different music geners mixed into the same song... and one of the best guitarists in the world..

I think it would be unfair to introduce the person to any good music as it's like giving them a tiny bit of something and then taking it away by not letting them listen to music ever again. Therefore i would let them listen to Guy Sebastian's "Angel's brought me here". This way there is no way they will ever have to worry about what they are missing.

Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 "Air" by Bach

Good call...you beat me to it.:)

The Divine Comedy - Here comes the flood

I'm taking this too literally, of course, but if this person were truly shielded from all music, I would start with something really really simple, like you would with an infant.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat, perhaps, or Simple Gifts.

Just one?

4th of July... Aimee Mann

free bird by lynard skynard
or bro hymn by pennywise

Joe Satriani- Big Bad Moon

Might as well go in headfirst, right? :)

good choices

I'll go with the first non-kids music song I ever really liked.

Tom Petty - Free Fallin'

well, i really couldn't narrow it down to one.

so probably;

Mass No. 19, K626 'Requiem' - Lacrimosa (mozart)
au fond du temple saint (bizet)
Rite of Spring (stravinsky)
Bohemian Rhapsody (queen)

in that order.

but, if i had to cut that list down to one... it'd be the mozart.

I would preface it with something like, "You'll never hear a worse song than this, so everything you'll ever hear from now on will be far superior" then subject him or her to "We Built This City" by Starship.

that's funny as hell :)

I have some choices I would put in there as well :)

"In the Meantime" by Spacehog

Maybe not the whole song, just the first minute or so. It always gives me chills.

that's classic, man. Definitely a good suggestion.

Drapery falls by OPETH. Great mix of prog/death metal with some clean vocals and even acoustic thrown in..

"Fish Heads" by Barnes and Barnes, I wish that was the first song I had heard.

holy crap, that might be the best suggestion so far. I forgot about that song. It's one of my favorites. The beginning is quite possibly the best beginning in any song ever. I like the whole song too, just because it builds up to where it plays the beginning part again over and over :)

"Song of the Dispossessed" by Dead Can Dance. I think this song would make the music-less person excited about the thought of music.

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

I rest my case.

Thursday - "War All The Time"

all good choices

but i like the thursday and queen songs

gotta love them

TheJig, "In the Meantime" by Spacehog - thanks for reminding me of that song, havent heard it in ages its a very good song.

mystmarimatt, "Bohemian Rhapsody" - that song rocks.

Oh man it's so hard to pick a song...after all there are so many diferent genres...closing my eyes...enee, meenee, minee, mo....

"A Kiss to Build A Dream On" by Louis Armstrong.

hmm, probably either "Let there be Rock" or "Whole Lotta Rosie" both by ACDC

i'd go with bohemian rhapsody, or faith no more - easy

Holy crap, good thinkin'.

I'd have to recommend Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge.

Jeremy by Pearl Jam

L.A. Guns - The Ballad of Jayne

EPIPHANY!!

Chopsticks. gotta keep it simple.

Tiny Dancer - Elton John

Well, if they were that sheltered, I would have to make sure to start them out right. Think i would have o go with Sulffer Gate City from Bowie.

I suggest this to EVERYONE that asks about music

"Lady don't Tek No" by LATYRX

Just damn funky!!

"Love Supreme" by John Coltrane

The Cure- Pictures of You

Metallica - One

The Eagles - Hotel California (Live)

-Lasereth

Theme Of Exodus - From the movie Exodus, composed by Ernest Gold.

Moonlight Serenade-Glenn Miller

Wow, my top 3 were all said already

Bohemian Rhapsody
Stairway to Heaven
Under the Bridge

I could mess with their head and give them In Flames - Starforsaken, violin intro followed by death metal.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - somewhere over the rainbow/what a wonderful world medley

Baba O' Reilly - the who

Charles Mingus - Haitian Fight Song

Besides being an awesome song, their one and only experience with music would be a 12 minute long one. Can't leave the poor soul with a 2:30 pop song.

After forever - Monolith of Doubt.

Some good gothic metal.

John Lennon - Imagine

Fantomas - Delirium Cordia

One song, 74 minutes long, something to listen to alone in the dark at 2 AM.

Try it.

Spiders - SOAD

hell yeah couz,
how about the ninth symphony by a def gangsta named BEETHOVEN? Y are we only limiting our shit to songs?

Mutilated Lips - Ween

alexisonfire - pulmonary archery

"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" - Public Enemy

Do or Die - Fantasy

Not a bad choice, but I'd go with Opeth - Serenity Painted Death

excellent choice

Forty Six & 2 - Tool

"Fragile" by Sting

"Lacrymosa" by Mozart

Pink Floyd - Great Gig in the Sky

A close second is Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

While I wanted to choose the Outro to Jay-Z's Vol. 3 The Life and Times of S. Carter (because it's basically 2 songs that are so damn catchy) I have to say the one song that should have at least been mentioned already.

American Pie - Don McLean

Show some appreciation for the classics people!

While I agree that it's a classic, and that it's an incredible song, I don't think it's a good first song for somebody to hear. It's about appreciation for music, and obviously the person hasn't developed an appreciation for music yet, having never heard it before, so they can't relate to the song very well.

Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans.
or
Moonlight Serenade.

Rocket Man.

Across the universe/John Lennon

durufle's requiem

Man, so many good songs. Think it would depend on my motivations, though. If it was to get this person exposed to music, I'd go with 1812 or maybe Beethoven's 5th. If it was to convey a meaning or emotion, I'd have to agree with maximusveritas and say Imagine by John Lennon. Incredible song.

Had to edit this: for exposing someone to music, definetly Rhapsody in Blue. It took me a second to re-think that one.

Amok Time - Combat Theme

Once anyone hears the Kirk / Spock dueling music they never forget it :p

Brand New-the shower scene

I think I woud explode from brain overload. My friends work with a kid who is so musically inept, that he doesn't know who the Beatles are, let alone any current music whatsoever. I think I would have to base it on what I feel would be important to that person.

Just shooting from the hip...

Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

Blues traveler, Business as usual...

I'd pick Black Rose Immortal, also by Opeth. That song rages between their heaviest and lightest phases, so I think it'd be a great pick. Plus, it's 20 minutes long and if you could only pick ONE song you'd want to give them a substantial piece of music.

I would also myself pick Glassjaw - Siberian Kiss because that's my favorite song of alltime :D

The Samples---Nothing Lasts For Long

texas flood-Stevie Ray Vaughn

Sweet emotion by Aerosmith, or anything by Aerosmith.

Led Zeppelin - Tangerine

'Pretending' - H.I.M.