Can you recognize a band by a note, or a voice?

[GeeterMcgee]

I have few that are absolutely recognizable by a note or voice: Stepenwolf, The Stones, Boston, Aerosmith, The Guess Who, Beatles (an obvious one), Stix, Kansas, Lynard Skynard, Allman Bros, Doubie Bros., ELP, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix, SRV, ELO, CSN&/or, Y., Bread, Alice Cooper, Zep, Ozzie, and on and on! Who can you honestly make a beneficiary of this simple subject?

[Catherine]

AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" is immediately recognizable from the first note of the song. This is pretty much the case with anything by AC/DC!

I can name that song in 3 notes :::

Light My Fire

Black Magic Woman

Hotel California

Kashmir

Free Bird

Of course we've heard them so many times; perhaps this is why some songs are so immediately recognizable.

Singers with a distinctive singing voice:

Brian Johnson

Don Henley

Sting

Bono

[Jillianne]

clapton, hendrix, bono, Kurt cobain

[Jenny]

CCR, ZZTop, the Doors, Journey and U2 are bands whose songs I can pick up quite quickly.

Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Michael Stipe and Tom Petty all have very distinctive voices.

For newer music,I think Pat Monahan from Train has a distinctive voice, as well as Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow

[MindCrime]

I can already tell it's Zeppelin from the guitar, same with Hendrix. Rolling Stones aren't hard to differentiate. Same with Metallica's opening guitar. Guns N' Roses can be recognized right away. Most of what was listed in the previous posts have the same appeal.

[MarcM]

There is no mistaking the smooth, golden voice of Tom Waits.

[DiggsUK]

Like someone scraping rust from an iron lung, I reckon. A cure for 'R & B' though.

Regards

[DiggsUK]

Mark E Smith of The Fall. Probably the most distinctive voice in popular music.

Regards

[Batman]

AC/DC

Jimi Hendrix

Led Zepelin

Beatles

Rage against the machine

Soundgarden

[miamisammy29]

Van Halen with either Dave or Sammy, or even Ed's guitar. But I've still never heard that third guy. What was that, anyway? That was a case of 'taking it to the extreme' and nearly sinking the boat.

And I've been promoted to Goldfish. Thank you, and good night!

[MarcM]

Like someone scraping rust from an iron lung, I reckon. A cure for 'R & B' though.

Regards

An acquired taste, to be sure! It's funny. I can not stand to listen to Bob Dylan, but ol' Tom just appeals to me.

[DiggsUK]

I go through Tom Waits periods. At the moment my favourite is 'Blue Valentine'. I also like a bit of 'Bob', particularly the 1st two albums due to their simplicity and singalongability in the car.

Regards

[MarcM]

Rain Dogs and Closing Time are always in my car. The only guidline is that they must be played only in the early morning hours.

[Danielj]

Axl Rose has a very.....unique voice

Hendrix has such a style of his own it's easy

[MindCrime]

Just about any band I've listened to enough of I can recognize on the first instance, but I usually know most of their songs as it is. One band I can't tell when I hear them is Jet. They're intros copy just about anything else that was previously written, I like the idea they have behind their style, but it's a blatant rip-off IMO.

[Elvish]

Some distinctive voices:

Rod Stewart

Joe Cocker

James Taylor

Karen Carpenter

Barry White

Willie Nelson (couldn't resist!)

[Bobo]

Okay. I tested this one out.

Before my brother went out to go to work this afternoon, I found a 297-song CD which I had previously compiled. Amongst other things, it had on it about 162 of my 250 Everly Brothers tracks. A good favourite of mine, and one wouldn't be too careful in mentioning them as a guilty pleasure.

The list goes through the favourites, every Everly Brothers fan's favourite two-take wonderpiece "All I Have To Do Is Dream", the a-capella opening of "Maybe Tomorrow", and the beautiful harpsichord of "It's All Over". "Down In The Willow Garden"'s unique opening Eb minor chord.

Practically all of the songs in their catalogue I've learned to identify with just a half second listening time.

I can also do the same with most Beach Boys tracks, but I've had more time to hone that skill..

[Aunt_Acid]

I can name almost any ELO song I've ever heard before the first note is over. And definitely, Jimmy Page has a unique voice. Jeff Lynne is a little harder to recognize though. He has a few different voices, including one I think sounds like Freddie Mercury.

[DiggsUK]

I'm with you on ELO. One of the most innovative 'big bands' ever I reckon. 'Out Of The Blue' is a must.

Isn't Jeff Lynne 'Master of the Queen's Music' now?

Regards

[led skynyrd]

Axl Rose

Robert Plant

Ronnie Van Zant

All instantly recognizable, to me at least.

Also songs with a nice chord at the beginning like freebird and you shook me.

[dustin20176]

axl rose

robert plant

kurt cobain

james hetfield

bon scott

[Lambchop Flansburgh]

A little off topic, but what about musicians who are instantly recognizable? I've always thought George Harrison's guitar was unmistakable. I'd probably say the same for Mark Knopfler as well. Any other ideas?

[newfoundgloryrocksmysocks]

Some bands I can reconize by voice and note are:

New Found Glory

Green Day (extreamly reconizable)

Story of the Year

Blink 182

The Used

Rancid

plus many other bands!

[Kibbutznick]

well yeah by a voice, but i have this ear problem where i cant distinguish between different notes on the scale.... music sounds really weird to me, but it keeps me coming back.

[PSYCHOcatholic]

Alot of people say the can recognize Robert Plants voice, but...if you listen to the early recordings of Aerosmith...Steve Tyler sounds alot like Robert Plant....especially in the song Dream On. Steve Tyler probably could have done Stairway to Heaven and most Led songs w/o ppl knowing it was him. They would probably still think it was Robert Plant...