3 Rock Songs That Open With a Sound Effect You’d Recognize in One Second

There are endless options for music-making. Relying on instruments alone provides a smorgasbord of different sounds, so seemingly endless that you’d never run out of ideas. Then there are other options, such as sound bites and sound effects. These further expand the scope of the craft. The three iconic rock tracks below all use sound effects in their intros. These effects have become so iconic that they are instantly recognizable. Revisit these unique rock offerings.

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“Hells Bells” (AC/DC)

You couldn’t start a rock song called “Hells Bells” any other way than with a forboding, droning sound effect. AC/DC played into expectations with this 1980 masterpiece, adding a bell sound effect at the top of the track.

This song was penned in tribute to the band’s late frontman, Bon Scott. His replacement, Brian Johnson, took on lead vocals, aptly paying homage to his predecessor. While some bands wouldn’t dare be so macabre with a tribute to a former bandmate, AC/DC played into the dark rock clichés well.

“Back In The U.S.S.R.” (The Beatles)

The Beatles light-heartedly parodied two songs with “Back In The U.S.S.R.”: The Beach Boys’ “California Girls” and Chuck Berry’s “Back in the U.S.A.” These nods to past work produced one of the most caustic, irreverent songs in the Beatles’ catalog.

While the lyrical and musical content of this track is cemented in listeners’ minds, the sound effect that cues the song’s start is just as memorable. The band inserted the sound of a jet plane, playing into the theme of visiting far-off places and finding a sense of home there.

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“Apeman” (The Kinks)

The Kinks’ “Apeman” opens with the natural sounds one might hear in a city setting: a honking car, some engine idling, and the chatter of people. The band used this familiar sound effect to drive home the sentiment within the lyrics.

Frontman Ray Davies wrote this song as a commentary on modernity, focusing on pollution, political anxiety, and other complexities. His solution was to retreat to a more straightforward way of life. I want to sail away to a distant shore / And make like an apeman, he sings.

(Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)