Best musical piece you've ever heard?

I know its not the OT musical lounge, but lets share of the best musical pieces you've ever heard.

Its been 2 years and mine is still 65daysofstatic - Radio protector.

Man, what a question. I guess the most influential songs of my life were The Killers "Somebody Told Me" and Joy Division "Atmosphere". But best music ever? There are so many

Anything Bon Scott.

Right now I'm going to say Dream Theater's "Dance of Eternity", but would probably give a different answer every time someone asks this question.

Edit: Already felt the need to add "The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion" by Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. God I miss them.

Ave Maria.

Anything from two steps from hell.

Under Pressure. That's a cool tune with an amazing live performance.

My single favorite song of all time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj6jF7I2s10

Oh yeah, good one. MInes is like that below. Sorry i just can't have one.

Hmmm....something by Metallica. Which one? Boy, that is tough...

Probably Master of Puppets album, for sure. Maybe Orion? Song makes me feel like I am flying through space, and that's before I even get stoned lol. Leper Messiah and Disposable Heroes are pretty badass, too.

Anyway, definitely Metallica. When I started listening to them, that's when I really started listening to the lyrics in most songs. I started hating a lot of songs I loved at that point lol. Goodbye, Spin Doctors...

"best"....I am not sure. Some favorites:

• Mozart Le Nozze Di Figaro
• Beethoven Symphony #3 'Eroica', #7
• Mussorgsky Boris Godunov
• Shostakovich Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Symphony #4
• Schubert Symphony #9, String Quartet #14 "Death and the Maiden"
• Biber Rosary Sonatas

Brandeburg Concerto no. 3 in G minor

I'm really fond of this and it was used in Fallout 4:

Chopin - Nocturne op.9 No.2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6b3swbnWg

So much great music out there. Imma just list 10 songs I love.

Maximum the Hormone-Yoshuu Fukushuu

Aerith's Theme

Jurassic Park Theme

Nirvana-The Man Who Sold the World

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Soul To Squeeze

Muse-New Born

Opeth-Demon of the Fall

Dead Kennedy's-Kill the Poor

Avenged Sevenfold-Second Heartbeat

Eminem-Almost Famous

But for something different dig this. I mean listing top 40 music and well known music is useless right? I'm a huge music nerd and record collector but this one should be known by anyone with taste and a wide knowledge of music.

Lee Perry and The Upsetters - Super Ape - 03 - Black Vest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBcy8tawa_c

...And if you'd like to learn more about Dub:

Scientist - Blood On His Lips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH81WNKq-dU

beethovan's moonlight sonata - presto agitato

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wxds6tNDjY

you sure?

@Iszdope: I've researched you Iszdope. I did a half ass job and best I can tell you like either metal or shit dance music. Lets take one at a time.

If it's metal. I'm not a huge fan but what about an associated and superior genre? Punk. I like the Chicago version. Dig this:

Big Black - Fish Fry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi9AWHUbJWk

But I'm gonna guess the shit dance music is probably the one. Instead of that try another Chicago favorite, House Music. A classic here:

Mr Fingers - Can You Feel It

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeiH9Mm0E5Y

If I didn't get through to you on those hit me back, lets battle!

Awesome! What you got?

@Iszdope: Is this it?

Tyler cassidy - Heartbreak Hotel New song 2013! (krispy kreme, froggy fresh)

Rap music! My specialty. The roots that's what matters.

A Hip Hop classic T La Rock It's Yours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWkiIb6G9_8

Def Jams record 001. Jazzy jay on the wheels of steel.

The thing I really love about hip hop is the art form. That is diggin crates for the old soul, funk, what have you records that were used in making beats. Heres one you should know. B-boy style.

Incredible Bongo Band - Apache *Classic Break*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY-Z6wm6TMQ

@Iszdope: Thank you Iszdope! And thanks for turning me on to a track I honestly didn't know. I'm going to bed now but we can continue this any time if you'd like.

Well, One is essentially what got me into metal.

Going back even further than that though, this piece has long been a favourite ever since I first remember hearing it over 20 years ago.

Another one:

Honestly these two would be somewhere near the top. If I had to choose, I'd go for the Eroica. I have listened to it literally hundreds of times over the past decade, I've studied it, I've seen it live twice, and my love for it hasn't dwindled in the slightest, if anything it has grown. There are few composers, or any artist for that matter, that can express through their art the human condition as well as Beethoven could (the only other for me is Mahler, but Beethoven is better for your health). The man knew how to communicate through music, and what he had to say you feel is important, and as relevant now as it was back then. His message isn't uniquely Beethoven either. This isn't about Napoleon, or even Beethoven for that matter; it's one of the most human pieces of music I know. Heroic symphony is a misnomer anyway, shit should be call the symphony of life. And it's not just mentally and spiritually engaging, it actually fucking enjoyable to listen to - I can air conduct the **** out of this piece.

The 7th is all kinds of awesome, too. I love the second movement, but the 4th is where it's really at. That climax, man. That fucking climax.

Such a tough question. It varies depending on my mood.

Metal:

I also love many classical pieces (e.g. Dvorak - Symphony no.9-2 Largo) and soundtracks (Ennio Morricone, James Horner, etc), and more mainstream (e.g. Dead Can Dance) but won't embed any to avoid making the post too large.

Yeah, the climax to the the final movement of the 7th is spectacular. (The whole piece is, really. But basically all symphonies 3rd and on are).

What makes the wording of the question difficult, is that it seems to try to put some objectivity in what is the best but uses subjective reasoning. When discussing best, you really need to justify it by it's merits (how it's constructed, words/lyrics, harmonic progressions etc) rather than your feelings. It seems in this thread, people interchange "favorite" with "best". (No offense meant to anyone.)

What strikes me about Mozart's Le Nozze, is the finale of the 2nd act. It's an extremely long number, yet remains interesting all the way through. The plot also strikes me, as it's also very human. Equalizing the classes, the lower class making the upper class look like buffoons.

(Also the fact that the 2nd Di Ponte Opera, Don Giovanni, is an Opera Buffa. A comic opera)

since its all about classic music now, sure there are masterpieces among but generally it was simply the Pop Music of a time without mass media ... most operas for instances are not better then cheap hollywood movies or tv shows ... just because it was made a few hundred years ago does not mean it was any Inch deeper then the superficial stuff we have as Entertainment today ... ^^

I put this video as non listed because it is clearly not for everyone, this is as close as it can get, much closer then the matrix video for instance ... despite everything that happened after the first 26 episodes this is the real ending of NGE and the last time I watched this footage must be more then 10 years ago now ;)

well, translation is a problem here ... for instance at 6:36 when he sais 'it is my will' ... its more like 'this is my evangelion' wich means 'the good news'

It's that incessant Jaws like figure in the bass as the upper strings rise to its climax that tickles me. I literally can't think of anything similar in music before it. I'm crediting Beethoven with the first drop in music.

I hear you, man. I wrote briefly about Figaro and the 2nd act finale here(Ctrl+F Marriage of Figaro)

Edit - I'm listening to the 2nd act finale now... can I change my mind?

I like Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, but I think that Beethoven's no. 9 is better for my health. I feel better listening to both of them, but I have been more deeply moved by watching no. 9's Ode to Joy be performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra than any other piece of music. That said, I think that Symphony No. 3, the Eroica, is the best piece of music that I have heard by him in terms of intellectual value.

The story of it being for Napolean Bonaparte, but Beethoven nearly destroying it because of Napolean's coup de ta is unlike the expression of a hero that the Eroica was originally intended to express, musically is interesting because it shows how much Beethoven respected Napolean. As such, the Eroica became about the memory of a hero.

That personalized theme is present in each movement of this symphony.

Beethoven was brilliant because it feels that he has a message to express in all of his music which is representative of his devotion to his art.

What? John Williams stealing ideas? Say it ain't so?! ;) (it's just m2 intervals with octaves in the bass. The Jaws theme is that m2 interval. It's also all the doubling in the lower voices that help.)

What makes Beethoven's symphonic music special is the innovations found in his symphonies. He was the first composer to really differentiate cello and the bass. Pre-Beethoven, the cello and basses played the same part (in octaves, due to the nature of the instruments), but Beethoven started treating them as distinct voices. Bran mentioned the 5th, it really is a remarkable piece. It's the first symphony that really links its materials into a single work. The famous motif is found in all movements, in addition to having no breaks between the third and fourth movement. As he had access to the newer version of the piano, he had more dynamic differences than earlier composers. The fortepiano was rather limited in dynamic range, where as the pianoforte has a much wider range. And this found its way into his symphonic works.

@Brutal_Elitegs: @Ring_of_fire: you guys ever think about starting a classical music blog? You know, for the classical noobs out there?

You two guys are frauds. Thanks for reminding me of how overrated Beethoven, and the Eroica especially, is and why no one should ever listen to Shostakovitch.

Anyway, extremely hard to say. Maybe one of these:

1. The last 1-2.5 min of the Commendatore Scene of Don Giovanni, by Mozart.

2. Various movements of Mozart's 35th, 39th, 40th, 41st Symphonies.

3. 19th and 21st Piano Concerto of Mozart.

4. Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto in E minor.

5. Chopin's Nocturne in C minor.

6. Rachmaninoff's 2nd and 3rd.

5. Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

Some nice stuff by Zelenka, Buxtehude, Gabrieli, Praetorius maybe.

Some game or movie music.

Oh look, I was called a fraud on the internet. I am now convinced that I am wrong about everything. I should go hang my head in shame.

themajormayor isn't far off. Pretty much everything I say is parroted from people that know more about this shit than I do. I would just happen to glob all of their thoughts in a semi-coherent ramble. You wouldn't want to read that shit; I wouldn't want to read that shit. Ring_of_Fire though knows his shit, and has known his shit ever since I've been here. If you're interested in Beethoven's symphonies then search out Robert Greenberg's Teaching Company lectures on them. Shit is the fucking bible as far as I'm concerned.

shit

This is the most beautiful piece I've ever heard. I love how the music just kind of spills out gloriously at about 16 seconds.

Have you listened to The Astonishing yet?

I've always been a huge fan of Joseph Haydn, particularly his Trumpet Concerto.