3 Rock Songs That Take Forever to Get Going (and That’s Why They Work)

Rock music doesn’t have to have a certain tempo. Some rock songs are ragers while others are ballads. But most songs are usually either one or the other. However, the three songs below are slow-building masterpieces that encompass both ballad and anthem elements. These songs take forever to get where they are going, but they are all the better for it. Revisit these meandering, languorous rock songs.

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“Stairway To Heaven” (Led Zeppelin)

Led Zeppelin‘s “Stairway To Heaven” is mostly an acoustic guitar-driven ballad. It isn’t until the end of the song that it kicks into a dramatic, high-energy anthem. While this song would’ve worked as a slow number, the dramatic ending made it not only stunning but iconic.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1972, Led Zeppelin Scored Their Third Top 20 Hit in the US (and Robert Plant Recorded His Vocal Track in Only Two Takes)]

The beginning of “Stairway To Heaven,” though rock perfection, doesn’t do much to highlight Plant’s incomparable vocals or the rest of the band’s instrumentation. This song needed its slow-building melody and exploding breakdown. It’s the proper amount of drama to befit this out-of-the-box ballad.

“November Rain” (Guns N’ Roses)

“November Rain” doesn’t take quite as long to get ramped up as “Stairway To Heaven,” but for a band that isn’t known for their slow ballads, it lags a little. Guns N’ Roses’ most popular efforts are all punchy, fast-tempo anthems. “November Rain” is an outlier to that trend, being one of the band’s slowest hits.

The opening of this song features an orchestra and a piano melody. It’s a far cry from the sounds that made the band their name. Nevertheless, this rejection of the norm is what makes this song so special in Guns N’ Roses’ discography.

“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” (The Rolling Stones)

“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” has several tempo changes throughout. This song isn’t for those who prefer instant gratification. The band lulls out each note, drawing new sounds where they see fit. It’s not easy for the listener to latch onto any melody or rhythm. Instead, this is a song for those who prefer meandering, hard-won efforts.

The beginning of “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” is energetic enough, but it’s really the slow-building breakdown that is the meat of this track. It takes a while to get there, and even when you do, you’re left waiting for the big finish for much of this song’s runtime.

(Photo by Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music/Getty Images)