Not very many people acknowledge how important the beginning of a song truly is. The beauty of the first few notes are often times cast aside in favor of a truly resonating lyric or powerful crescendo. But the beginning of a song, is its identifier, it's the start of something. In fact, there are a number of songs that are widely recognized by their first riff, sometimes even a single note. *SEGUE SENTENCE*

1. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

If you play this song in a crowded room, you'll be able to see who the emo kids are based on who's head snaps up in surprise at the sound of this first note. It is common belief that "Welcome to the Black Parade" is one of the most defining songs released by My Chemical Romance, or any pop punk band for that matter. Even though this track was released in 2016, it still gets mass radio play on a variety of stations today- simultaneously ruining and making emo kids' days from the very first note.

2. Back in Black- AC/DC

Everyone knows it, your parents love it. E D A/C #. Those are the only notes it takes to become iconic. Even with a massive discography (15 albums, but who's counting?), only one of their many songs succeeded in becoming identified by the first riff. Whether it be your elderly grandmother, or your kid brother, everyone can recognize this track and it's artist with just a single cord: E D A/C#.

3. I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! at the Disco

The beginning of a few simple notes are all one needs to promise this 2005 anthem. You can't even pretend that you never listened to this song. Lead singer Brendon Urie's angsty lyrics left us all feeling like we were scorned. It revved us up just enough so we would scream "Whore!" when the lyrics called for it, even though that was a word most of us probably weren't allowed to say at the time. I can't speak for everyone, but I still get chills at the opening "dun dun dun- dun dun, dun dun dun- dun dun".

4. Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy

Another song for the millennials. We all know it, and try as a we might, we cannot deny that we all love it. Fall Out Boy's 2005 release, From Under the Cork Tree, brings to us another song for love and love lost.

5. You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones

Rather than a collection of notes, a collection of choir voices is what makes this track so recognizable to people from all walks of life. With this iconic melody, Mick Jagger crones on about how sometimes life does't go the way you plan, and you can't always get what you want- a message that I think we can all do well to remember.