Greatest Sound Check Song

[JLNorthGA]

To resurrect this old thread...
How about Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers? (Dating myself there...). You really get some strange looks... For a bass beat - We're Going Wrong by Cream - gives you a sense of how good the stereo separation happens to be.
Something more modern (sort of) All Along the Watchtower by Bear McCreary.

 

[chausman]

Bohemian Rhapsody hands down. Simply because it has practically EVERYTHING.

 

[JohnD]

Number one on my list is Traffic-Low Spark.
Alternates include Tom Waits from the junkyard orchestration period, especially Swordfishtrombone, and I also like Klaus Ogerman Orchestra-Gate of Dreams(hard to find).
And a must have/just in case would be virtually any Spike Jones.

 

[CrazyTechie]

My go-to for general sound has always been Rods and Cones by Blue Man Group. I have a playlist with a bunch of other songs depending on which end of the spectrum I'm working on but I don't have acess to that list at the moment.

 

[cpf]

Baba Yetu, better known as "that song from Civilization" is my choice - it's a well-recorded song with a huge dynamic range, plus you can instantly identify the gamers in the crowd.

What gets the most looks, however, is testing the subs with some Northern Cree.

 

[Markovich]

I usually use Jake Shimabukaru. Lots of great tones and awesome bass lines.

 

[DrPinto]

I usually use Jake Shimabukaru. Lots of great tones and awesome bass lines.

I saw him in concert. Amazing. Never heard a ukulele sound like that before.

 

[DrPinto]

I use the main theme from "Wallace & Gromit" (extended version).

Sometimes I also use the "Dumb Ways To Die" song (karaoke version).

 

[Markovich]

wow, lucky guy, never did listen to him live, but I bet it would be awesome.

 

[jwolfkill]

Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man.

Those opening cymbal crashes and drumbeats make everybody in the house look up in astonishment. The staccato percussion parts let me hear that I'm getting a good, crisp low end. The brass parts cover a pretty wide range, so I can tell that everything is working too, plus I get a good idea of which frequencies are being most affected by the acoustics of the room.

As an added bonus, after about a minute of the brass fanfare, some stagehand or other usually gets inspired to do a pantomime "slo-mo Olympic moment" sort of thing - you know, arms raised, chest thrown forward, and face contorted into a grimace of exhaustion and jubilation, like a runner breaking the tape at the finish line. The most creative renditions can cause the crew to dissolve in fits of laughter.

 

[alyx92]

I usually start off with "Track 1". I've called it track one cause I've had this song on a CD forever, but I don't know the song title. Anyways, its a nice jazz piece with some nice low end and crisp piano stuff. Then I switch over to a big movie score kinda deal (lately I've been using the theme from The Avengers) and then I wrap it up with Walk This Way by Aerosmith

 

[TheaterEd]

Many different songs, but "Don't stop me now" by Queen will almost always get in the rotation.

 

[DuckJordan]

DIS 'I FINK U FREEKY' by DIE ANTWOORD (Official) - YouTube
Warning contains strong language and weird people.

 

[Koopdaddy]

I have on my "Test" playlist

Marcus Miller "Cousin John" from the M2 album. Marcus Miller - Cousin John - YouTube
Jake Shimabukaru "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Tommy Emmanuel / J.Shimabukuro: While My Guitar Gently Weeps - YouTube
Sade "Soldiers of Love" Sade - Soldier of Love - YouTube
Nils Lofgren "Keith Don't Go" Nils Lofgren - Kieth Don't Go [CD Quality] - YouTube
Michael Buble "Cry Me a River" Michael Bublé - Cry Me A River (Official Music Video) - YouTube
Johann Strauss "Banditen-Galopp, op. 378" Johann Strauss II - Banditen-Galopp, op. 378 - YouTube