Categories & Nominations

If you feel the urge to point out a category or hook but not yet the urge to analyze it (or your urge is to see if someone else will try analyzing it), here’s a place.

GREAT SCREAM

1.  Roger Daltrey’s last scream in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (The Who, Who’s Next, 1971).  —Jonathan Bellman

2. John Lennon’s scream at the beginning of “Revolution” (single version) (The Beatles, 1968). —Howard Pickett

3. Joe Cocker’s scream in “With A Little Help From My Friends” at Woodstock (1969):  “When his sweet-voiced backup singers ask, ‘Do you need anybody?’ Cocker responds … well, it’s hard to describe exactly what he howls. But there’s no happier sound. And no matter how long people get together to listen to music, there won’t be another moment when singer, song and audience merge so completely.” —Josh Tyrangiel, Woodstock: How Does It Sound 40 Years Later?

4. One of my all-time favorite screams is performed by Keith Moon in the middle section of Jeff Beck’s 1966 recording of “Beck’s Bolero” – which also featured Jimmy Page, Nicky Hopkins and John Paul Jones (all prominent session men in those days). —Ron Dempesmeier

5. For a purely unmotivated, for-the-hell-of-it scream, Jim Morrison’s outburst at the start of the heavier part of “When The Music’s Over” (The Doors, Strange Days, 1967). Motivation is filled in later when another scream follows “We want the world and we want it . . .”

GREAT YEAH

The “Yeahs” in the first minute of Stevie Wonder’s 1963 “Fingertips” and at 3:36-3:49:  the almost excruciating liberation of a 12-year-old’s pent-up creative energy, a resonant moment for rock. —Matt Smith

GREAT STUTTER

Roger Daltrey in “My Generation” (1965); David Bowie in “Changes” (1971). —Andrew Goodwin

GREAT NOTE

The first note of Ry Cooder’s guitar part in “Sister Morphine” (The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers, 1971).  —Jonathan Bellman

GREAT HUMOROUSLY SUNG LOW NOTE

Stevie Wonder, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973).

MOST DEEPLY FUNNY AND MUSICALLY SATISFYING AT THE SAME TIME LINE

The Lovin’ Spoonful (New Yorkers!) singing “Nashville Cats” (1966):
Nashville cats—playin’ since they’s babies!

FUNNIEST SONG TITLE

“Sometimes A Pony Gets Depressed,” The Silver Jews (2005)

EXTREMELY INTRIGUING UNIDENTIFIABLE SOUND IN A PLACE YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER ONE

Rufus and Carla Thomas, “When You Move You Lose” (1965).

TWO INSTRUMENTS SOUNDING UNEXPECTEDLY GREAT TOGETHER

Slide bass and saxophone in Morphine, e.g. in “Sheila” (1993).

GREAT FADE-OUT

(and fade-in) “Strawberry Fields Forever” (The Beatles, 1967).  —Bruce Golden

GREAT PAUSE

Ball And Chain (live at Winterland) start (Janis Joplin & Big Brother & the Holding Company, 1968).  —Ben Wolfson

GREAT ENUNCIATION

Desmond Dekker singing the word “Israelites.”

THE RICHEST “MILLION”

In XTC’s “Greenman.”

GREAT ULULATION

1. “Protestant Preacher” end (Seatrain, Marblehead Messenger, 1971).

2. I’m not sure if this counts as a ululation, but there’s a very neat “Indian”-style war whooping at the start of “Looking For Lewis And Clark” by the Long Ryders (1985).

GREAT HICCUPS

In “Trees” by Seratones (2016).

GREAT GASPING AND WHEEZING

Just before the chorus of “Tell Me Something Good” by Rufus (1974).

KILLER STYLE SHIFT

The last shift to doo-wop in “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” by The Beatles (1968).

GREAT CLIMAX

Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Sweet Home Alabama” (1974) at 2:38—the itchiest high point of the Strat solo by Ed King.

GREAT GLISSANDI

Alex Ross’s list of “Top Ten Glissandos.”

GREAT IN-THE-STUDIO FEELING

The second “Hello It’s Me” (1972) by Todd Rundgren.

GREAT TRIPLET (THREE BEATS IN TWO BEATS)

“(My heart going) boom – boom – boom” in Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” (1977).

DELICIOUS PERFORMATIVE SELF-CONTRADICTION

Barbershop quartet singing “I want to be alone” in Peter Gabriel’s “Excuse Me” (1977)