3 Famous Songs That You Remember for Just One Specific (and Short) Part

A song is more than the sum of its parts, but when one moment becomes iconic in and of itself, the weight distribution is thrown off. The three famous songs below are universally beloved for their big-picture appeal, but they also feature key moments that could stand alone if needed. These legendary tracks are all remembered for a single split second during their runtime.

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“In the Air Tonight” (Phil Collins)

Starting with a pretty obvious pick, we have Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” This slow-building rock ballad is beloved by generations and completely singular in the genre. The whole song is steeped in mystery. While Collins has said this song is about divorce, a much more nefarious plotline is at play, keeping fans entertained for decades.

While the lyrics are enough to draw listeners to this song, there’s really only one moment that has kept this song in conversation for so long: the iconic drum fill. This is arguably the most famous drumfill of all time. Listeners wait with bated breath for Collins to queue up this rhythmic masterpiece. This is the kind of magic you get with a drummer as a frontman.

[RELATED: Watch Phil Collins Reveal His Biggest Drumming Influences, Including One Musician You’ll Never Guess]

“I Will Always Love You” (Whitney Houston)

Whitney Houston added even more drama to her iconic rendition of the already emotionally charged “I Will Always Love You.” The entirety of this song is highly memorable, but the one moment that fans go back to time and time again is the drum hit before the final chorus.

Houston took things up a notch from Dolly Parton’s original version of this song. She then outdid herself with the ending of “I Will Always Love You.” When you thought Houston couldn’t get any more impressive, she delivers the drum-accentuated high note below.

“Gimme Shelter” (The Rolling Stones)

The Rolling Stones pulled out all the stops for “Gimme Shelter.” While Mick Jagger’s vocals are impressive, the addition of Merry Clayton gives this song the edge it deserves.

You can hear a woman’s voice throughout this rock staple, but that perspective comes through loud and clear at the end of the song, when Clayton takes the lead. Fans wait for this breakthrough moment, counting it as the high point of this legendary track.

(Photo by Brian Rasic/WireImage)