So many different sections of music are fantastic, it's hard to pick just one. But thank you for posing a question which will occupy my thoughts all day.

Off the top of my head, I'd say the bit in 'Grace' by Jeff Buckley about 15 seconds from the end where he sustains a note for ages, and the music builds and swirls, and then when you think he can't hold it for any longer, he goes even higher. Gives me the shivers every time. Although that's mainly due to the voice, does that still count?

But then again, I have a friend who is adamant that the greatest piece of recorded music is the instrumental break after the first chorus of 'Cosmic Girl' by Jamiroquai, so what the hell do I know?

Nice way to pay tribute to George who died six years ago today. I love that bit on the Concert for Bangladesh when Ravi spends 5 minutes tuning up only to be greeted by ecstatic applause from well intentioned hippies scared to offend him!

1. Born to Run. After the bridge, the band have just played through all the keys, they're waiting for the inevitable..."1,2,3,4", and everyone's back in on 'Highway's jammed'. Glorious.

2. Sunday Girl, third verse, Debbie Harry sings "Baabbyy" in a way that gets me every time.

3. Inxs, New Sensation. Start of the last verse, the drummer does a little fill that lifts the whole thing. I always have to rewind and listen again.

I'm not at home with a bad knee, but supervising my GCSE class doing a test about the Plains Indians. God bless the internet.

Oh yeah, the plains indians - of course, they were neither passive recipients nor hapless victims, innit, Sir?

1. When the crowd roar on the first 'breakdown' section of the live version of 'Impact' by Orbital.

2. The middle eight passage in the Rolling Stones' 'Monkey Man' where the pianos are going up and down and then Charlie does two bug drum thumps. As you can see words can't do this bit justice.

3. When Mike Nesmith shouts "Listen To The Band!" in the song of the same name.

It's the John Bonham drum roll on Misty Mountain Hop.

And I love the bit in "They Can't Take That Away From Me" when Sinatra sings, "the way you sing off key", and sings it slightly off key. Perfection.

Merry Clayton singing life her life depends on it, and the way her voice cracks on the words 'Rape, Murder'...

Joe Samples piano solo in the middle of Joni Mitchell's 'Harry's House/Centerpiece' - i can't here it with playing air piano!

The intro to 'It Ain't Necessarily So' from Miles Davis's recording of Porgy and Bess with Gil Evans - that slow build gets me EVERY time!

That's easy. It's the intro ("prowling" bass run, wah-wah, bit of tinkly piano, feline moaning leading to brusque snare/cymbal clash) to If You Want Me To Stay by the much-maligned Sly & The Family Stone.

The first few notes of the intro to Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman.

Bad knee?!?
Workshy fop.

Go 2 mins 39 secs into "Dr Wu" off Katy Lied by Steely Dan. The 4 seconds of piano-fill that follow would see me through eternal exile on a distant planet.

PS "at home with a bad knee". Wimp.

The moment in For Those about to rock we salute you by AC/DC when the 21 gun salute chimes in.

The breakdown in 'Soul Survivor', last track on Exile. Nicky Hopkin's fantastic piano break is joined by Charlie's floor tom and Keef. When we come back into the main groove, Charlie's drumming is incredibly relaxed, but man, what a groove.

Also nominate the end of 'Surf's Up' - the Beach Boys Choir at its celestial best.

James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn it Loose' where the Godfather says "Clyde..."

Start with Charlie Watt's cowbell, drums and Keef's rhythm intro to Brown Sugar - then moving sideways for a great breakdown to Howard Devoto's bored sneer on the Buzzcock's Boredom - Ba dum, ba dum. Ending with The Jam's Down In the Tubestation, after the end of the song proper there's some great tube-train sound effects, then the melody comes back a thousand times richer than before for thirty seconds or so as the band disappear down the line..or is it just me?

Jeff Buckley's 'Mojo Pin'from 3.45 to 4.20 especially the snare drum from 4.17..
Generally most of the Floyd's 'Great Gig in the Sky' are pretty amazing, Clare Torry's vocals are pretty immense and the production of the song just epitomises how good that album was.. As a performer, I have analysed this improvisation to the death and still it gets me every time.. I've just put this on really really loud!

Three that I am particularly fond of, two of which, oddly, the fade outs of songs:
1. "Changing of the Guards" on Dylan's "Street Legal". The album was remastered in 1999 and the version of the song on the remaster ran about a minute longer than the originally released version with a longer instrumental fade out. Bob finishes his comments on whatever the hell the song is about and the band take it out;
2. "Honest With Me" on "Love & Theft". Bob's best backing band of recent years, featuring Larry Campbell and Charlie Sexton on guitars, with Tony Garnier and David Kemper driving the whole thing along like "the Southern Pacific". The song is a pounding groove and when Bob finishes singing Kemper locks in and the whole thing rips off. Phew!
3. "Like A Rolling Stone" on "Highway 61 Revisited". Pick any bit: the opening 10 seconds; the first time you hear Kooper's organ (eh?); Bloomfield's circular guitar playing; the chorus...

The bit in the fadeout of XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel" where it drops into dub mode for a couple of bars. The bit in the middle of Pulp's "Common People" where, just when you think it's reached a crescendo, it suddenly revs up yet another gear. The entry of the harmonica just after the drum intro to El Zep's "When The Levee Breaks". Lydon's Steptoe-esque cackle just after the "Right... now" at the start of "Anarchy In The UK". Just thinking about these moments have me reaching for the iPod. 'scuse me...

yes indeed it's Honky Tonk Woman. Damn that pesky send button. But it does show that it must be pretty good, if everyone instantly knows what 'cowbell drums intro' refers to...

I'd go with Matthew's selection from 'Born To Run' and modify Fraser's selection from 'Wichita Lineman', where I think the combination of lyric, melody and voice as he sings 'And I need you more than want you, And I want you for all time' is magic.

as is the poster's comment before about great crowd noise - that's a whole new thread too...

when Bruce Springsteen sings the line
'tonight I'm gonna take that ride, cross the river to the Jersey side'
on his live album cover of 'Jersey Girl'.

Always sends shivers down my spine.

Something funny happens to me when the drums come in during the intro to 'There She Goes' by The La's. Arise Sir Lee, you floppy-haired bonkers genius. ( And the drummer too of course ).

SIR Chris Sharrock to you Mr Hill!

When Levi Stubbs says 'Just look over your shoulder!' towards the fade of 'Reach Out, I'll Be There' by The Four Tops. It's both thrilling and unfathomably reassuring at the same time.

Bowie - 'Beauty and the Beast'
The dadadadadada - da - da dada drum fill at 1:40

Jackson 5 - 'I Want You Back'
The way Michael Jackson goes up through gears on the "Go" at 2:31 has anyone ever put more effort into one syllable ?

Roxy Music - 'Remake Remodel'
The fat flat drum thuds at the end.

John Martyn - 'Small Hours'
When the geese start a honkin'

Sex Pistols - 'God Save the Queen'
When the cymbals kick and heighten the excitement at 1:00

The Beatles - 'Rain'
The way Macca locks in with Ringo on the stop/start break at 2:30

XTC
The gliding change from 'Summers Cauldron' into 'Grass'

That bit in Sky Pilot after the guns, helicopters and bagpipes where it gets all mellow and orchestral.

*gets goose bumps just thinking about it*

Wee Small Hours - a moment of epiphany. Strange how I long for the moment on the track where the birds take flight but could open my window at any time and hear the real thing without feeling a thing other than wondering if they've shat on my garden furniture again.

Also in a subsection ' When the strings come in..'

Tom Petty 'It's Good to be King' - they seep in and fill the space behind the melody - instant goosebumps

Wilco 'Via Chicago' - they crash in off key and the whole album slides into another dimension - wow maaan! (looks up from furry freak brothers magazine and realises everything has changed.)

Moon's opening salvo on Bell Boy
Bonzo's colossal thuds at the end of Custard Pie
that grinding noise at the end of the guitar solo on Zeppelin's Heartbreaker (what the hell is it?)
the crescendo where all hell breaks loose from King Crimson's Larks' Tongues in Aspic pt.1
that mellotron blast at the start of Watcher of the Skies by Genesis, and it has to be from Genesis Live
the wonderful guitar arpeggios from Ed Van Halen on Poundcake

9 secs into "Harlem" by Bill Withers...gets me every time, the rising orchestral sound..great song

I'm slightly frightened of this thread as it could engulf my entire evening, so I'll just nominate one, then leave:

"Golden Earrings" by the Enid is the most over-the-top song of all time; when you hear it you'll agree - there's no argument. It makes Queen sound like Vashti Bunyan.
It builds and builds with its gypsy tale, and once every instrument in the world has joined in, a crowd starts chanting "Earrings!", while the main vocalist just loses it completely. It's absolutely glorious; don't die before you've heard it.

The first chord on Runrig's live album. And the key change where the violin comes in on Richard Thompson's 'Devonside'. And for drum fills, the studio version of Fairport Convention's 'Meet On The Ledge' from In Real Time is a real corker - de de de de dar dar - snare flam, kick drum - "Meet on the ledge...".

The last forty five seconds of 'Crying To The Sky' by Be Bop Deluxe when Bill Nelson's brilliant guitar solo starts and fades into a thunderstorm.

The intro to 'New Rose' by The Damned when Dave Vanian soundchecks with "is she really going out with him" and Rat Scabies drums kick in.

Another Green World by Brian Eno. All of it. Short but sweet.

Intro to Steely Dans Do it again - amazing.
Intro to Shine on you crazy diamond - I recall Knebworth, sun going down and a perfect moment.
This one is a bit obvious but the drum bit on Alright now that follows the guitar solo and brings us back into the song.
Live version of Springsteen doing 'trapped' on the bonus disc of Essential Bruce Springsteen - where the chorus ends and the keyboards come back in - bloody marvellous.

The Blue Nile, 'Tinseltown in the rain', again the perfect combination of voice (Paul Buchanan), melody and lyric 'Do I love you? Yes, I love you. Will we always be happy go lucky? Do I love you? Yes I love you. But it's easy come and it's easy go. All this talking is only bravado'.

There's a sax break in the song at about 3:56 into it that just makes me smile from ear to ear. It's just euphoric. Indescribable!

Intro to Gimme Shelter. Especially in Goodfellas.

...at the beginning of 'Another Girl, Another Planet' gets me smiling every time.

And another couple...

Common People, William Shatner (I'm quite serious here). About a a minute and a half in, after the Shat has does his thing through 2 verses, Joe Jackson joins in on 'she just smiled and held my hand'. It really is great.

The whole guitar solo on Midnight at the Oasis. Quite unlike any other guitar solo ever, and another rewind and replay moment.

Propellerheads - On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Has to be loud but after the quiet bit and the bass line comes in louder than ever before and the drums roll in.

The Marr riff at the start of This Charming Man by The Smiths always makes me smile.

The last chorus on To Build A Home by The Cinematic Orchestra.

The remainng part of Kennedy by The Wedding Present after all the singing is stopped (best in the car, loud)

But even better than that is the bit in Roy Harper's The Lord's Prayer from Lifemask when the poem ends and he declaims "Who comes from the north, south, west and east, Of the passions of a spirit with all the flight of the wildest beast....." as the guitars come in (courtesy of Mr Page) and the song begins.

"But you blew my mind"

Specifically Ryuichi's fantastic synth intro. as it slowly grows in volume. David's lyrics and vocals are wonderful on this song too, but the song (and all of popular music!) doesn't really get any better than those opening few seconds. Although it's pretty amazing when Sakamoto's consciously 'Orientalist' (but still lovely) percussive sounds come in after 57 seconds! It's a beautiful and memorable melody. In fact I think I might go and play it now...

The opening to Roxy's Do The Strand and the ending of Virginia Plain and Robert Fripp's guitar intro to Bowie's Heroes are for me some other astounding moments in pop.

"The Greatest Bit Ever is 31:30 to 35:30 of Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians - the crescendo of the voices is just spectacular. I've been listening to it for 20 years and it gets me every time..."

Brilliant idea, Rob. Hope the knee's gone down a bit and that you're OK for biscuits

1) My Old School - Steely Dan : 'California tumbles into the sea', and the tightest horn section ever tumbles into the sea
2) Goodbye To Love - The Carpenters : Tony Peluso's soloing at the end is magical, but the bit where he hits a couple of grungy power chords before picking up the solo again gets me air guitar-ing every time
3) Downtown Lights - The Blue Nile : The big wavery synth at the start followed by the rhythm kicking in & Buchanan's heartbreaking 'The rented rooms, the rented cars' pay-off. And everything in between.
4) Cowboy Song/The Boys Are Back In Town off 'Live & Dangerous' - Thin Lizzy : the way the two songs link is a rock epiphany
5) Moments Of Pleasure - Kate Bush: the last 2 minutes are all gorgeous, but when she sings 'Hey there Michael, d'you really love me?' in THAT voice. Michael's not about to say no.

As transformative a moment as hearing 'New Rose'.

Rev Aubrey Ghent's version of 'Just a closer walk with thee' from Arhoolie's excellent 'Train Don't Leave' live compliation. A relatively pedestrian intro changed between 14 and 21 seconds with the sudden possession of the Rev's lap steel by the spirit of Mahalia Jackson.

If I still had a school bag the felt pens would have been out and within hours I'd have been back in the deputy head's office explaining why I had "defaced my property with expletives'. Although even he would have been hard pressed to punish me for inscribing the name of a pillar of the church...

Loving this discussion. Here's my favourites.

1. Massive Attack - Group Four (Mezzanine)
From about 5:00 - 5:30, the song dies down, seems to be ending, then there's a couple of snare drum snaps and that guitar crashes in.

2. Elvis Presley - Guitar Man (Clambake)
The "Unnng" near the end. Elvis in a single syllable.

3. Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (Born to Run)
When the song kicks up a gear at "Roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair".

And some live ones...

1. Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (At Folsom Prison)
The cheer from the crowd as he sings "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die." Sounds great, until you realise that they probably did that too...

2. Portishead - Strangers (Roseland NYC)
The last minute or so, where the strings seem to be going into meltdown in complete sync with Geoff Barrow's mixing.

3. Marlena Shaw - Woman of the Ghetto (Live at Montreux)
The closing section, from "Remember me..." onwards. Brings a chill to my spine every time I hear it.

1. The break in So What at 1.25 on Kind of Blue - as Miles Davis starts his solo. Very Funky, amazing drums from Jimmy Cobb, top musicians playing at the top of their form. One of the finest moments, made even more incredible by the fact that it is improvisation. The LP has been written about endlessly, but it simply is out of this world.
2. The bit in Armigideon Time by the Clash where Strummer at about 2.25 says in response to Kosmo Vinyls interruption from the studio control room that they were running out of time (he had this theory that all great singles should not be more than 2.58secs presumably still trying to hold onto some punk integrity) "Ok Ok, don't push us when we're hot" . The band on top form in 1979 just prior to London Calling...

The screamingly fine guitar break half way through "Somewhere In My Heart" from the "Love" album.
Roddy lets rip and off we go, a great song suddenly soars and you can feel the wind on your face as the clouds part and the sun floods the room.
Only complaint is it's over far too fast.

that electric anticipatory shiver as Jimmy snags his plectrum across the corruscations on his bass strings, and gets that weird "gazzzinggga zzzzinga" thing going - you can hear the valves in his amps humming with pent up welly, they seem to come online as you listen, like the power grid for the entire Eastern seaboard of the USA winding up in expectation - and then, almost without pause, in a rising rush Percy breathes in a great lungfull of air - "hhhhhhhhhhhh" - and you know that the rhythmic power of Black Dog is about to unfurl itself, stumbling through the changes, the overture to their finest vinyl hour.

Goosebumps. Play it now, at eleven.

1. Genesis - Cinema Show, the second keyboard solo - best heard on Seconds Out

2. The Charlatans - The Blind Stagger, when the electric guitar comes in 2/3rds of the way through.

3. The Stone Roses - She Bangs The Drums, 10 secs from the start when Reni goes 'tss-tss' on the hi-hat to signal the guitars coming in.

4. Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland 1945, "1, 2, 1 2 3 4"

5. REM - I believe / Smiths - Paint a Vulgar Picture / etc etc. When it starts and I remember how much I love this and haven't heard it in ages.....

Just come across this and surprised not only by the number I agree with but also by the fact that two of them are by Genesis. The second keyboard solo from 'Cinema Show' does indeed have to be from 'Seconds Out' if only for Bill Bruford's drumming.

New Rose - no arguments there.

Same for Wichita Lineman (and it does have to be the line 'I need you more than want you...').

Any to add?

The end of 'Ace of Spades'.

The moment when the bass kicks in towards the start of 'The View from the Afternoon' by Arctic Monkeys.

And the verse Eldritch sings in German during 'Marian' by the Sisters.

I second Dylan's "Changing Of The Guard" from Street-Legal. The extra minute or so at the end is pure aural paradise

The second time Brian Wilson sings "Columnated Ruins Domino" on Surf's Up on the 2004 re-recording of SMiLE. It brings a tear to the eye

Crowd noise: Oasis' "Don't Look Back In Anger" from the "Familiar To Millions" live album. The crowd takes over the choruses and it's spine-tingling

The instrumental coda of The Stranglers "Down In The Sewer". From the start of JJ's barracuda bass break to the end of the song. The best instrumental piece of music ever recorded, bar none

Stevie Wonder's drum + keyboard riff intro on Superstition has to be in the top ten somewhere hasn't it?

other more personal ones:

2.10 minutes into "A house is not a motel" by Love - everything stops, a drum role; in come the guitars on overdrive, getting increasingly frantic and angry. Abruptly about a minute later they cut off in mid flow. Menacing brilliance - i always ending up thumping virtual drum rolls.

"Outside Myself" by K D Lang 1.35 in, after a gorgeous melody in the chorus a little ascending piano motif kicks in then back into the verse. 2.46: she does the same trick.3.40 in, the song seems locked into a fade out but then about 40 second from the end the piano motif kicks in again. I always get goose bumps.

"The girl with the sun in her head" by Orbital. Played REALLY LOUD about 3.30 in everything syncromeshes into the best piece of "Wave Your Hands in the Air virtual E Experience", and it just keeps going up....

"Unknown Soldier" by Fela Kuti is just him and the band at their brooding, awesome best: the horns, sax and keyboards go for the jugular. About 15 mins in Fela starts building up to a rant against politicians ("government magic: them turn electricity into candles") and then - in a genuinely frightening rap - he describes the destruction of his Lagos-based commune and the murder of his mother by the army - he's like some missing link between James Brown, Miles Davies and Frank Zappa. In particularly, Tony Allen's drumming is sooo brilliant, it sound like an octopus is playing the kit. At about 7.20 in he throws in this 5 - 10 second cow bell/cymbal riff that he then repeats at various places in the track. But that first time never fails to make me smile.

BUT the BEST BIT EVER is in "Friendly Galaxy/Spontaneous Simplicity" by Sun Ra. This is not him doing squeeky free jazz stuff. It's just him at a Piano in a live recital showing what a inspirational and melodic player he could be. At about 4.30 in, it enters the spaceways with some beautifully ethereal sounds.

the drum break ignition bit on the intro to Think I'm in Love by Spiritualized.

"I...I can't remember" from Heroes by Bowie

The brass intro to 5:15 by The Who (although quite depressing lyrics later)

The slide guitar bits from Jigsaw Puzzle by the Stones. possibly their most self-referential song.

the "nothing-kuh" click in Sinead O'Connor's voice on Nothing Compares 2 U

Also Orbital (mentioned above) used to cut up and mix "heaven is a place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle into (I think) Halcyon& on

gone blank now...

...What about when Supper's Ready (Seconds Out version) kicks in at around 4.50? Gradual build up... then soaring crescendo

Loads of good bits on that album... But wasn't it Chester Thomson on the tubs?

Hesitant though I am to risk what remains of my credibility (not much I grant you) on an in-depth discussion of Genesis live drummers....I'm pretty sure Bill Bruford plays on the last few tracks of 'Seconds Out' and Chester Thomson does the rest. Something to do with the differing snare sound so the experts tell me.

And would concur with Supper's Ready were it not for the fact that the wrong bloke's singing it. Post-Gabriel I tend to stick to the instrumental bits...

1)Cemetry (sic) Gates by The Smiths. When Morrissey sings 'if you must write prose & poetry........' I dont know what it is but this just sends a nice shiver through my body when I hear it

2 Having A Party by Sam Cooke. The outro when Sam just lets his voice go & the whole party wtmos kicks in! Brilliant!

3)Rez by Underworld. About 2/3 of the way through when the initial riff kicks back in!

Kandi by One Eskimo http://collect.myspace.com/music/popup.cfm?num=1&time=undefined&fid=1053... isn't out yet, but Janice Long is giving it a plug & rightly so, being a collection of hooky Good Bits (a corking acoustic guitar riff, the most soulful 'Baby, baby' I've heard in many a long day, lovely synth twirls). I imagine we'll all be sick of it in a few months but it's still coming up fresh as paint at the mo

There's a lot of Bruce in this thread. My vote goes for Rosalita, twice.

Firstly at 4:04, the bridge between the two halves just before Bruce sings "Now I know your mama she don't like me ...."

Secondly at 6:30, just when you're ready for the close out the tempo lifts up with the "hey hey hey hey ...." and it's back to Wembley, 4th July 1985, and goose pimples in abundance.

All The Way From Memphis by the mighty Mott The Hoople or No Thugs In Our House by XTC complete with the Partridge Growl.

I listened to The Golden Age of Rock And Roll just the other day, another great Mott intro.
What about McGuinn's 12-string intro to Mr Tambourine man by The Byrds? Still moves me.

Crowded House - Catherine Wheels: after we've had two verses and choruses, the groove settles into a holding pattern, you think maybe it's going to fade out... then Neil Finn comes in again with "She's gone," and the song twists off into a wondrous new place.

David Bowie - Loving the Alien: lyrically the jury's out, but it's a beautiful track, and the way the strings sweep down in an almost-of-tune-or-did-the-recording-speed-up way, just after the vocal begins, is exquisite.

Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come: I'm surprised no one's mentioned this yet. The intro is beautiful, of course, and as it builds, there's a sense of "whatever comes in here will have to be pretty special." Then Sam's voice glides in with "I was boooorn by the river" and you know it *is* pretty special.

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (3:02 in). After an extended bout of cymbal tapping from Bonzo and wailing from Percy. Bonham hits the drums like only he can and Jimmy Page comes in on the Gibson Les Paul. Absolutely magical.

Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should've Come Over. A song that just builds and builds until it reaches the sky (from 5:05 on).

Someday We'll All Be Free - Donny Hathaway. Just all of it really. Perfection.

Television - Marquee Moon - Tom Verlaine's solo is hypnotic, it sways beautifully, almost Eastern? Live version on The Blow Up is possibly even better.

Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking? - Sanatanesque licks, as Jagger goes 'Yeah' or something like that in background at climax.

Velvet Underground - Waiting for the Man - towards the end Lou Reed remarks 'That's alright' as great bass line comes to the fore, then track fades out tantalisingly too soon, leaving me wanting more.

As the last notes fade away on The Last Waltz version of The Weight, Mavis Staples leans forward and whispers a single word: "beautiful", an enthralled reaction to a performance she's just been a part of. The first time I noticed this (it's not obvious) was watching the DVD with a group of friends, the volume pumped right up, everyone transfixed. It generated a spontaneous round of applause from the room. It's a great moment.

Rob,
I had my ACL reconstructed in June, so I know the feeling. My advice to you is to hire a mobility scooter while you've got the chance. You can check out my facebook pictures to see just how wonderful it looks.

As for the thread, I agree with seanioio about the Smiths, but it's There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, and it's the line "...and in a darkened underpass, I thought O God my chance has come at last..." that does me, as well as How Soon Is Now with "...there's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who really loves you..."

Enjoy your recovery

The bit in R.E.M's "World Leader Pretend" where the pedal steel comes in,; "Reach out for me, and hold me tight, hold that memory..." (2.20)

The last chorus of Teenage Fanclub's "Sparky's Dream" where the Beach-Boys-type harmonies come in (2.27)

Thin White Rope's ""; Last verse.. "Now that I have planted a seed, maybe these triangles can form without me, Surround the world in their crystalline ache....." a final four bar crescendo before the end of the song (4.01)

The segue from Slayer's "Postmortem" into "Raining Blood".... atonal guitar feedback, rain and thunder, toms, then 16 bars of gloriously mental riffing and double-bass-pedal frenzy

I could go on all day but should really get some work done. I'll close with my embarrasing Genesis moment; Three Sides Live, "Fountain of Salmacis", the closing guitar from 7:00 to the end... not even Steve Hackett, probably Daryl Steurmer but get enough Mellotron and Moog Bass Pedals behind and it sounds fantastic.

There has been a lot of comment about drum fills but I think the best, without question, is on Big Bird by Eddie Floyd. I presume it must have been Al Jackson and the whole arrangement was pilfered by Tom Jones for his cover of "I bet you look good on the dancefloor."
The drums and the brass make you feel ALIVE and it deserved much better than Tom.

Why don't drums sound like that anymore?

....just as the fade is starting, there's a single handclap.
Which leads you to wonder, can you have a single hand clap? Is it like those "a tree falls in the forest" puzzles?
Anyway, I listen for it every time and I note on the most recent Greatest Hits it's been remixed so that you can't hear it. All concerned should be horse whipped.

... Does the most amazing extended rap in Rage against the Machines "sleep now in the fire" (about 2 mins 50 into the song)that takes the song to a whole new level.

The twiddly dee guitar in Peace Frog (yeah, ok, not very technical, maybe someone else can articulate!)

Just picked this song as one of my three favourite soul tunes on Jimmy McCracken's Soul Hour on BBC Radio Merseyside!

Intro to Blowin' Free, beginning of Bullfrog Blues, CPL 5938,

First 30 seconds of Van's 'sweet thing'. Perfect.

The beginning of 'America', Simon and Garfunkel, the soundtrack to many a 21 year olds daydream....

Half way through 'The Boy with the Arab Strap' - it's what happiness sounds like.

'I only have eyes for you', 2.17-2.55, possibly the most romantic line ever committed to record, with the exception of 2.27 - 2.41 of The Pogues 'The body of an American'.

Also the final minute of 'Real Gone Kid' by Deacon Blue (no really, it's life-affirming!)

Yes, all of you.

If we're talking about the greatest few seconds of recorded music, then we must be talking about the first appearance of Mark Feltham's astonishing harmonica work on Talk Talk's 'The Rainbow', from 1988's Spirit Of Eden.

At about 2:40 in, he blows just two long, amped-up, quavering and saturated notes, stretched out over some 20 seconds, and the world turns upside down. The first time I heard these sounds, and all the tracks on this sublime album, 19 years ago, I was near paralysed by their beauty. Even now, every hair on the back of my neck stands to attention whenever I hear these few seconds of otherworldliness.

All of 'The Rainbow', all 23 minutes of it, is breathtaking, due in no small part to Feltham's contributions. In all the time since its release, I've heard very little to challenge my opinion that Spirit Of Eden is a contender for the one album that could provide you with all the music you would ever need, should you find yourself shipwrecked on a desert island.

Just my tuppence-worth.

...you could swap entire careers of overrated white rock bands for the twenty seconds that begin at 1.19 on Aretha's "Chain Of Fools". I think the question is settled now.

Up there with Aretha is the bit at 1:56 on 'Belle' where the Leslie organ comes in, Al Green sings 'Seems so real to me...' and my heart fills with sheer joy every time.

The drums which signal the abrupt end to the Isley Brothers' Behind a Painted Smile, never fail to thrill me & more often than not, prompts me to restart the track, to go through the whole "fairground ride" experience again.

...but would it sound better in mono or stereo?

... to define the greatest recorded music.

Abbey Road, Side 2, for example. All of it.

Having said that, I must admit that after a particularly spirited session of Rizla origami, it is possible to perceive greatness in a fleeting musical moment or two.

The little piano figure Paul taps out for a couple of bars, soothing instant calm after the exhilaration of the preceding 3 minute blast, which still hangs in the air, and full of gentle anticipation before he sings, "...and in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make."

Hmmmm. I'd venture it IS just the pills after all.

The music that nourishes me and my soul is 'Nobody knows the trouble that I've seen' by Charlie Haden and Hank Jones from the album 'Steal Away'. Two absolute masters of their craft, bass and piano, weave in and out of each other in service of the song. After a long day it washes away all of the strains and stress. Sometimes it's exactly what I need.
I always smile when Gram Parsons says 'Pick it for me James' on The Return of the Grievous Angel.
And the way Peter Perrett sings the opening two notes of the guitar solo in 'Another Girl, Another Planet'. Whoo oo.

Okay, this is never going to top the many worthy suggestions above but I defy any man of a certain age (say 45 - 50) to hear the very start of The Sweet's Blockbuster without a shiver of anticipation. "Are you ready Steve......Uh Huh"

I know it's corny, but my favourite bit is in the second half of Fade to Grey by Visage when the synth drum booms in for the first time: "ah-ah, we fade to grey (fade to grey) BOOM!"

.. on Sunny Border Blue, track 2 - Spain - A change in tempo and the lyric I, I, I, I, I was sick of being asked..

The gravelly vocal and intonation reaches into your chest and rips your heart out.

Everyone goes on about Dylan, but the piano intro on 'Before the Flood' when 'Like a Rolling Stone' kicks off and The Band all pile in is ace.

Alternatively, on 'Flashlight' by Parliament when it goes accapella and then the tune comes back in. Now THAT's good.

Finally, 'Ode to Joy' has a certain something about it...

Guitar solo from The Carpenters Goodbye To Love

Check the guy in the orchestra behind Tony Pelusa's right arm. He got his session money easy, don't think he moved!

The drum work just before the last chorus on Everlasting Love by The Love Affair. The air drums come out everytime.

The piano at the start of Daydream Believer.

American Music Club's "Apology for an Accident" (1.20) - a pause, then Mark Eitzel sings;

"Well I've... been praying a lot, lately - it's because I no longer have a TV. Just a flourescent hangover to light the way between the things you say and the things I see."

Misery was never so appealing

1. Cake - I Will Survive - Bass solo toward the end
2. Golden Earring - Radar Love - "reverse" drumming at 3.50
3. Roxy Music - Editions of You - drum solo and a "whooa" or "whooh" after "..drifting pass the Lorelei, I saw the sickly sirens wail..."
4. Hall & Oates - She's Gone - the build up of the song to a crescendo in the last minute

1. The moment just before the guitar solo in Roadhouse Blues where Jim Morrison says "Do it Robbie do it"

2. The drum roll by Jim Gordon before the start of the fade out on the Byrds' version of Goin' Back from The Notorious Byrd Brothers

3. The last minute or so of Aretha Franklin's version of I Say A Litle Prayer where the track lifts off into the stratosphere

4. The end of You Set the Scene by Love where the trumpets play a repeated phrase

5. Another great drum roll - BJ Wilson on Procol Harum's Broken Barricades

You think the song's ending and then WOLLOP!!! - it kicks again with another "Forever, forever....". Sublime.

After days of consideration (No really), the MuttnJeff household have come up with their greatest moments:

Your correspondent: Where Johnny Marr's second overlay of guitar comes in 30 seconds from the end of "Some girls are bigger than others"

Mrs MuttnJeff: (Bidding for the obscurity award) Randy California's second guitar solo on Spirit's version of "Like a Rolling stone" on 'Spirit of '76'
(P.S. Does anyone know where I can get a download of this. Can't find it anywhere)

Mutt Junior: (18 and stroppy) Start of Aretha's "Respect" - so breeding will out!!

Let Down - Radiohead. Best vocals/ harmony bar none.
Kennedy - The Wedding Present. Ending is as good as it gets.
The Cutter - Echo & the Bunnymen. Is there a better intro?
Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack. Yes there is!
Planets - Teenage Fanclub. Best synth in a `rock` song.
Age of Consent - New Order. Best bassline ever. Yes, ever.
Don`t do drummers, but, Steven Morris devserves a mention.

Thanks for a wonderful magazine, The Word.

... bass rumble at the start of Into the Valley by SKIDS, I just have to get up and do that 'idiot dance' he did way back when on TotP . Ahoy! Ahoy! I say to you.

The final chorus of Kim Salmon's astonishing, feedback-drenched version of Leonard Cohen's Suzanne.

Specifically, the moment when Kim shouts: "AND YOU THINK MAYBE SHE'LL TRUST YOU" and the guitar, which has been over-revving like an industrial angle grinder, suddenly compresses itself into a mangled melody.

Hello everyone. A little late into the debate, I know, but I have just been doing some detailed checks on what actually is the best bit of any song.

I saw the early nomination of 3:08 into The Bends, and nearly concurred. Then just to be sure, I thought I'd better check 3:05 into Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley (the bit where everything, kitchen sink included, is thrown into the mix, and the whole song kind of blasts heavenwards). I wasn't quite sure if it was better that The Bends, so I checked 1:56 into There is a Light... by The Smiths. It's the bit just after Morrissey has delivered his finest ever line (‘and the in darkened underpass, I thought, ‘Oh God, my chance has come at last, and then a strange fear gripped me, and I just couldn't ask'). The echoes of the words snicker away through that soft honey swirl of a sound that only The Smiths ever quite managed to distill into music.

I checked that bit again.

Yep, it's that bit. Definitely that one.

the break in this puts the mental into instrumental - is it totally brilliant ( as I believe ) or veering dangerously close to cheesy ?

Sorry for being 4 years late everybody !

The 'ah's' from 1:35 - 1:57 could make you cry...

Long intro to Steppin' Out.

Ach, actually the whole thing

Recorded March 10, 1968 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco (not the Fillmore, as claimed on the album sleeve), Cream's Crossroads is possibly the most perfect example of ensemble playing in rock history, in particular the second guitar solo, 36 bars of swaggering genius which comes between 2:32 – 3:36.

Everything about this heavy rock tour de force is faultless. Clapton's guitar soars, snarls and crackles with paint-stripping intensity as he plays some outrageously lyrical lines, while Jack Bruce's bass farts, spits and rumbles along underneath. Ginger Baker sounds like three drummers all playing at once as he pulls his wayward soloists into line with a rafter-shaking, ramshackle wall of sound.

The second guitar solo almost spins out of control toward the end, yet just as it seems to be collapsing into mayhem, they pull it from the jaws of chaos and slide into the last verse with absolute precision.

As an 18 year-old what I liked most about this record was that, to paraphrase Ian Gillan from 4 years hence, everything was louder than everything else. You could hear the bass and drums playing right up there at the same volume as the guitar and vocals.

43 years later, Crossroads still sounds breathtaking.

Sax break in 'Honk Tonk Women'.
The klaxon-type effect at the end of 'Street Fightin Man' replicating the sounds of the Paris May.
The organ at the end of 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'.

But the winner is The Byrds....
The out of tune horns before the final chorus in 'Lady Friend'.