3 Rock Songs From 1993 With Openings You Instantly Recognize

These three rock songs from 1993 will instantly come back to you within seconds of their intros. These bands knew how to deliver a memorable first few notes. These are the kind of intros that would send a crowd screaming at a concert, no lead-in by the band required.  

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“Creep” — Radiohead

Shared on their 1993 album Pablo Honey, “Creep” has the perfect intro. Radiohead married this song about feeling like an outsider with the perfect, near-creepy guitar riff. The listener instantly feels unease when the first few guitar notes of this song play. From the very beginning, the band primes us for what’s in store.

Anytime this song is played in a bar, or on karaoke night, or at a Radiohead concert (however rarely), the crowd knows what is coming shortly after the guitar starts up. It’s an intro that is almost as famous as the chorus, which is no easy feat.

“Loser” — Beck

Speaking of instantly memorable guitar riff intros, we have to talk about Beck’s “Loser.” This 1993 release delivered one of the most memorable intros of the year, marrying punked-up rock with a near western guitar trill.

You don’t even need to be a Beck fan to know what song is coming on when this intro plays. It was such a strong start that it earned Beck one of his biggest crossover hits. Like the guitar vibe in “Creep,” this opening riff perfectly complements the subject matter of this 90s hit. “So shave your face with some mace in the dark / Savin’ all your food stamps and burnin’ down the trailer park,” he sings, embodying an outlaw while the rich and westerly guitar riff plays in the background.

“Today” — The Smashing Pumpkins

Much softer than the other guitar lines on this list, the intro to The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today” eases the listener in only to break their hearts once the lyrics start. “I wanted more / Than life could ever grant me / Bored by the chore / Of saving face,” the depressive lyrics read.

This intro will be instantly recognizable to 90s rock fans, preparing them for the emotional duress this song delivers. Once this intro plays, those in the know will buckle themselves in for this heartbreaking ride. It’s like a little, stunning warning for what’s coming next.

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