00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the tracks that contain
00:12musical multitudes and defy genres during their run time.
00:25We all need a cheesy ballad in our lives now and again.
00:38Come Sail Away provides everything you could hope for, with Dennis DeYoung's voice and glorious piano.
00:44I'm bored, I'm the captain, so climb aboard.
00:51The opening section sounds like a traditional piece with a few classical and pop flourishes.
00:57Before too long, the band really kicks in with a full-blown rock transformation.
01:03This includes plenty of chances to stand, cheer, and repeat the title over and over.
01:08Come Sail Away, come sail away, come sail away with me lads.
01:15Styx gives you the full experience here with a slower first half and an outro fit for an
01:20arena.
01:22In between the changes, you might not even discover the alien subject matter.
01:27Number 9, Land, Patti Smith.
01:39Johnny fell in his knees, started crashing his head against a locker.
01:43Started crashing his head against a locker.
01:45Others might switch genres during songs, but Patti Smith also changes mediums.
01:52The singer spends the first part of this piece doing a mix between music, poetry, and prose.
01:58Her spoken word gives way to a rock cover of an R&B classic, with Smith more than capable on lead vocals.
02:05Her backing group provides a full-thrusted performance all the way through.
02:17With odes to songs like Land of a Thousand Dances, the artist keeps audiences on their toes throughout
02:23this punk classic.
02:23There is a sea up there, there is a sea up there.
02:31It's an epic composition that's novel in concept and delivery.
02:35This track, and the entire Horse's album, helped to revolutionize the idea of what music
02:41could be.
02:46Number 8, Bad Guy.
02:51Billie Eilish.
02:52On her debut album, Billie Eilish was already destined for greatness.
03:05The singer and her producer brother Phineas crafted this richly textured pop tune.
03:11You could argue that it's much more dynamic than the usual chart toppers, avoiding many
03:16cliches with its soundscapes.
03:18I'm the bad guy, duh.
03:26Eilish offers a self-assured performance over bouncy rhythms until one massive shift.
03:32Bad Guy slows down dramatically with what sounds like a more trap-inspired beat.
03:37Bad Guy.
03:45The artist creates a number that could be considered equally indebted to pop, dance and hip-hop.
03:52With all of these genres together, it's no wonder that the single became so successful.
03:59The spirit of radio, Rush.
04:17Anybody that knows this Canadian trio should expect something wildly entertaining and complicated.
04:22The spirit of radio comes after some of their most fondly-remembered progressive work.
04:27It also mixes together a few different time signatures and rock sub-genres.
04:37Before the lyrics have even started, the listener is treated to a slew of ideas that could each be their own song.
04:43One minute, you're hearing Alex Lifeson's awesome riff, and the next, the group goes into a laid-back groove.
04:57The latter part even carries something of a reggae flair.
05:01Through each incarnation, the band delivers immaculate performances on their respective instruments.
05:15Number 6. Feel Good Inc.
05:18Gorillaz featuring De La Soul.
05:29While Damon Albarn started this project back in the 1990s,
05:33Gorillaz became a global sensation after Demon Days in 2005.
05:37The album's single, Feel Good Inc., feels like it defies categorization.
05:49You have funky bass lines, catchy hooks, and a danceable intro.
05:52By the time you reach the chorus, there's a guitar part that could be considered rock or even pop.
05:58This doesn't even count the work of hip-hop group De La Soul.
06:09With their verses, the song transforms into a believable rap production.
06:13Al Barn and co-producers like Danger Mouse come together for a multi-layered track that effortlessly transcends genres.
06:28Number 5. Live and Let Die – Wings
06:32When you were young and your heart was an open book
06:38When Paul McCartney got the chance to write a James Bond theme, he went all out with the production.
06:53He starts at the piano before a glorious transition into a rock section.
06:57The former Beatle and his group Wings have producer George Martin on board with a symphonic touch fit for 007.
07:04Live and Let Die
07:09The track takes more than a few detours before the amazing finish.
07:13This includes a reggae breakdown that provides a musical twist, eventually building to one of McCartney's best screams.
07:19Live and Let Die might very well be one of the musician's finest and most diverse efforts in the 1970s.
07:33So live and let die
07:36Live and Let Die
07:39Live and Let Die
07:41Live and Let Die
07:43Number 4. Walk This Way – Run DMC and Aerosmith
07:48In what became a groundbreaking crossover, these two groups came together for music history.
08:00Aerosmith released the original version back in the 1970s. The rise of Run DMC and hip-hop in the 1980s led to this unlikely collaboration.
08:15While the rap group does the verses, Aerosmith shows up for the chorus. The rockers seem like an odd fit to do this kind of song until you hear it, even on the first Walk This Way.
08:33Walk This Way
08:42Steven Tyler's voice almost sounds ready for a hip-hop remix. You could argue that this mash-up predicted rap rock. Or you could just say it's surprisingly fun.
08:52Number 3. Layla – Derrick and the Dominoes
09:11In only one album, this band became legendary for songs like Layla. Eric Clapton led a group of talented musicians on one of his most famous tracks.
09:21The main part of the composition centers around the killer guitar riff and Clapton's rock vocals. All of a sudden, it starts to slow down and a piano takes over. What started as a rocking tune about obsessing over a woman turns into something much different.
09:43The coda is much more of a soulful ballad, making listeners cry without the need for lyrics.
10:01There's also the incredible slide guitar of Dwayne Allman. From an exciting start to a melancholic ending, this one takes you through a whole bunch of emotions.
10:12Number 2. A Day in the Life – The Beatles
10:30I read the news today, oh boy.
10:36At the end of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles unleashed one of their most powerful tracks. John Lennon and Paul McCartney came together for an incredible combination of their writing talents.
10:48About a lucky man who made me great.
10:52John Lennon creates a contemplative story, starting the song off with somber lyrics. He tackles tragedy until McCartney takes over.
11:01Woke up, fell out of bed, tried to comb across my head.
11:08The latter songwriter gives listeners a joyful interruption, bringing his show tune energy to A Day in the Life.
11:15These composers offer up such a perfect blend of jaunty pop and ballads.
11:20To top things off, the track swirls with chaotic string arrangements. Leave it to the Fab Four to create such a wild journey.
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11:571. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
12:10Few groups could pull off such a show-stopping performance in one song.
12:15Caught in a landslide
12:18No escape from reality
12:22Queen assembled for one of their most iconic works.
12:25Wowing audiences with Bohemian Rhapsody
12:28The band make their voices known in the opening before Freddie Mercury takes the wheel.
12:32In the second movement, the singer sits at the piano for a tragic tale.
12:44This ballad is impressive enough before the quartet tries opera.
12:48Thunderbolt and lightning
12:51Very, very frightening me
12:53Galileo
12:55Whether you're a Wayne's World fan or not, you probably love this sing-along into the rocking transition.
13:01The Elzebub has a devil put aside for me
13:06For me
13:07For me
13:08For me
13:09For me
13:10This penultimate phase gets your blood pumping with more chances for the bandmates to shine.
13:21Mercury's songwriting abilities were never better utilized with this track featuring so many inventive ideas in one package.
13:30Nothing really matters to me
13:40Did we forget another music track with a major left turn? Let us know in the comments below.
13:45Let us know in the comments below.
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