cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/33411412
Recently I switched from Apple Music to Spotify free/Navidrome. I am moving my library to Navidrome slowly. I have done a similar thing in the past as well.
I noticed that both times, as well as trying out new speakers, the first song I listened to was In the End by Linkin Park, followed by their latest album.
What is yours?
Edit: Holy Shit! I was not expecting so many replies. It is not possible for me to reply to everyone right away. I will listen to each of your first songs and reply to everyone.
If I got new speakers, better quality ones than the ones for my old RCA thing or the ones in my Bria radio CD player thing, or even my beats headphones, I’d have a hard time choosing an album. Would probably go with whatever I’m in love with at the moment. Currently that’s a 3 way tie between R.E.M.'s Out of Time, Alice in Chains Jar of Flies, and New Radicals Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed. Would struggle to lick between those 3.
As for individual songs, I got a couple I’m currently absolutely in love with that I’d love to play on very high quality speakers:
Deafening - The Nixon Rodeo ( emotionally hard rock, at least I think so )
OR
Someday We’ll Know - New Radicals ( for some reason this just became my absolute favorite New Radicals song immediately after hearing it once on CD )
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
I have listened to this album more times than anything else I own. I’m on my third copy of it after wearing out the original pressing I have from the 90’s and the repressing from 10 years ago. I know every sample, every soundscape, and it almost brings me to tears every time I drop the needle on it. So many memories of good times where this was the soundtrack. So many friends, now gone, walk next to me again when that album plays.
I miss you, Isaac.
… it’s the money
Even god has a hell
Here’s a screenshot of my headphone testing playlist. Songs I like, but also having either deep bass, bright highs, or both. Plus, they’re songs I’ve listened to a million times, so I know how they’re supposed to sound.
As for music I’d want to get first when starting over: Dark Side of the Moon.
46 and 2
I was in theatre school for a while. We touched on everything related to a theatre production, including sound. Our tech would always test his setup with Paul Simon’s Getting Ready For Christmas Day.
I’ve heard that song used to calibrate audio setups so often that it’s become easy to identify any issues when I hear it.
New speakers? Maurice Ravel, “Bolero”. No better music to test an audio system.
Rage Against the Machine?
Bear with me on this one.
I like to use the maestoso from Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, often called the Organ Symphony, for testing speakers. Turn it way up and blast that organ sound. Also reminds me of the movie Babe since they used the theme from this movement for that movie. 😁
(Links below are YouTube Music, but I’m confident you can find the same recordings on Spotify.)
Here’s a good recording, listen to at least the first 1:45, though the full movement isn’t very long (a bit over seven minutes). Again, volume is your friend for this movement. It’s MAJESTIC, and on a good set of speakers it’s incredible.
Another good orchestral work for this type of showing off is Holst’s Jupiter, or the fourth movement of Dvořák’s New World Symphony
(There are many more but these are some relatively well-known-without-people-knowing-they-know-them ones.)
Jazzmataz vol. 1 by Guru
Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God
“Frank’s Wild Years”
For testing speakers, Infected Mushroom, Tame Impala and 20syl/AllttA are always good choices. Maybe Tool as well (10000 days). Song depends on what I’m most familiar with atm.
For a new library, I’d probably just choose whatever I listen to the most. Which would be The Fearless Flyers and Aesop Rock rn.
Fellow IM enjoyer in the wild! 🍄
Mindful Solutionism is probably my favorite track from Aesop even after black hole superette came out, such a banger
One of the THX Deep Notes
Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
Then listen to the whole Head Hunters album tbh
Same!
Introduced my son to Watermelon man yesterday. Legendary!
You must be a cool dad
„Rumors“ by Fleetwood Mac.
This song was made to test new setups lol. It has such a wide overlapping range. It can truly be appreciated in hi-res
The Chain