Songs to Test Your Speakers

When it comes to buying new speakers, the person selling the speakers to you will discuss things like the
response bandwidth, the signal-to-noise ratio, driver units, nominal output power and the magnet type. These
specs are all fine and dandy, but when you are buying a new speaker set, you want to know how it sounds. But
how do you know the speakers you are buying are good ones?

Some of these songs feature a strong bass line, others feature face-melting guitar riffs.

#10 Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses

 
Background: Originally
released in 1987 on the
Appetite for Destruction
Album, Welcome to the
Jungle led the pack of
other iconic hard rock
anthems such as
Paradise City and Sweet
Child o' Mine. This song
was co-written by Axl
Rose and Slash and it
reflects the harsh
environment of the big
city.

Why It Works for a

Speaker Test: Axl's
voice. The screeching
screaming combined
with the occasional
high-pitched "uh!" will
make sure your tweeters
are doing what they're
supposed to. Also, the
memorable opening with
the echoing guitar riff
(and screeching) is a
prime way to test your
speakers. Plus, when the drums and bass guitar kick in, you can make sure you have the subwoofer
power that you want and need. 
#9 Caribbean Blue - Enya

Background: This song came from Enya's meditation-

inducing album Shepherd Moons. Enya was quite
involved with this song, doing the percussion,
keyboards, piano and, of course, the vocals. The album
was released in 1991, and Caribbean Blue reached No.
13 on the UK Singles chart. Although you can't tell
what she's saying most of the time, Enya does mention
the names of several Greek wind gods during this song.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Before you get

after us for putting any new age music on this list,
please note that the Irish-born Enya is known for
layering her songs. She'll put multiple audio tracks over
one another to create an ethereal and other-worldly feel.
Caribbean Blue creates a twirling, swirling, enveloping
sound that makes you feel like you're floating on water
in a tropical sea. If this song doesn't evoke strong
feelings of serenity in your mind, then you're not using
the right speakers.
#8 Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys

Background: Straight out of Brooklyn, the Beastie Boys have been creating memorable rhymes and
bass lines since 1979, believe it or not. Originally a hardcore punk group, Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock
found success in 1986 with their rap/hip-hop hybrid album, Licensed to Ill. Brass Monkey, named after
an alcoholic drink, takes its musical background music from the song Bring it Here, by a band called
Wild Sugar.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: One word: Bass! While other songs on the Licensed to Ill album,
like Fight For Your Right and Girls, may have received more radio play, Brass Monkey is the acid test
of a good subwoofer. This song is likely responsible for a number of blown-out speakers from people
who didn't realize how much boom this song was going to produce. Here's a tip: wait 10 seconds after
this song starts before you crank it up. It starts soft, but it shakes the room shortly after.

#7 Clair de Lune - Claude Debussy

Background: Clair de Lune is the third movement

from Claude Debussy's piano piece, The Suite
Bergamasque. Debussy took 15 years to complete all
four movements. The phrase, "clair de lune," is French
for "moonlight." You'll probably recognize this song
from the numerous times it has been used in TV and
film. From Ocean's 11 to The Simpsons, this serene
piano number is usually played during contemplative
media moments.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Speakers need to

produce silence as much as they need to produce sound.
Clair de Lune takes its time and allows for pauses and
rests. If your speakers have a high sensitivity rating,
then you should not hear a hissing or buzzing during
these quiet times. Crank the speakers up and listen to
the beautiful high-pitched melody, as well as what's
behind the piano notes.

#6 All Along the Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix

Experience

Background: This song was originally written by Bob

Dylan in 1967. The Jimi Hendrix Experience saw the
value of this protest song and covered it a year later.
Hendrix's version had a slower tempo and more guitar
distortion, but it kept the same haunting feel as the
original. Some say that the enigmatic lyrics echo
passages from the Bible, but one can only speculate
what Mr. Dylan or Mr. Hendrix were trying to say.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: Though the lyrics

of the song get a lot of attention, the real test of your
speakers comes in between the lyrics. From the
beginning, with the short guitar riffs and sharp
percussion, to the final moments when "the wind
[begins] to howl" this song is constantly testing the
limits of high and low frequencies and left to right
balance. Listening to this song on a good set of
speakers will, inevitably, cause you to play air guitar
along with Jimi. It may also cause hallucinations.
5 Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer

Background: This
immediately
recognizable
instrumental song was
used as the theme song
for the 1984 film,
Beverly Hills Cop. The
main character of that
film, played by Eddy
Murphy, was named
Axel Foley and so his
theme was entitled,
logically, Axel F. Three
different synthesizers
and a drum machine
were used to create this
iconic 80's tune.

Why It Works for a

Speaker Test: Axel F
has been remixed and
remade multiple times,
but the original piece is
the one you want to test
your speakers. There are
also moments of silence
and moments of full
sound. Make sure to
listen closely to see if
you can hear the crisp clicking noise in
the background. It is mostly high tones,
but Axel F is constantly moving around
in a way that no traditional instrumental
piece can.

#4 William Tell Overture - Gioachino

Rossini

Background: The William Tell Overture

is more than just the "ba-da-dum ba-da-
dum ba-da-dum-dum-dum" theme song
from The Lone Ranger TV series. The
entire overture is around 12 minutes long
and features a number of familiar
melodies. Various Merrie Melodies and
Silly Symphonies used pieces from this introduction to Gioachino Rossini's opera. It is in four parts:
Prelude, Storm, Ranz de Vaches and the Finale.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: At 12 minutes long, this musical masterpiece will take some time,
but it has an impressive range of sound. "Prelude" is quiet and somber, testing how quiet your speakers
can really be. "Storm" is a raging, full-blown sound tempest, with booming kettle drums and racing
violin chords. In "Ranz de Vaches," a serene oboe and flute take the lead with minimal accompaniment.
Finally, in the romping "Finale," the trumpets blare and all the instruments begin to gallop into a
cavalcade of sound. This purely symphonic tale can prove if you made the right
#3 Hotel California (Live) - The Eagles

Background: Hotel California was released in 1977 on The Eagle's album of the same name. Almost
20 years later The Eagles released another album, called Hell Freezes Over, featuring a live, and
enhanced, version of Hotel California. Don Henley, lead vocals for The Eagles, once stated that this
song was their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles." It insinuates that, while everything may
look fine on the surface, there is a darker side to all the money and fame.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: While the original song is musically complex enough, the live
version brings a whole new level of audio testing to the table. We have actually heard professional
sound engineers use this track to test the high and low levels of their equipment. In particular, the
acoustic guitar solo at the beginning showcases clear high-pitched tones, and a surprising amount of
bass comes out when the bongo drums kick in. This live version of Hotel California is sure to get an
approving nod from anyone watching you test the speakers

#2 Baba O' Riley - The Who

Background: Incorrectly called "Teenage Wasteland" by some, Baba O' Riley was released by The
Who in 1971 on the album Who's Next. The title comes from the people who influenced The Who to
compose this song: Meher Baba and Terry Riley. An experiment in sound, this song combines heavily
synthesized music with traditional instruments. An altered version of this song is the theme for CSI:
New York.
Why It Works for a Speaker Test: If the beginning of this song doesn't make you dizzy, you're not
listening to the right speakers. The constant left to right motion of the intro is a great way to test each
speaker for high-fidelity. The intro eventually gains piano chords, followed by crashing drums,
rhythmic guitar and, finally Roger Daltrey's defiant voice. If that weren't enough of a variety of sound,
a violin solo just over four minutes in leads into a frantic Irish jig that boils into a frenzied finale.
WARNING: Using this song as a speaker test may cause exhaustion.

#1 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Background: Bohemian
Rhapsody was originally
released on the 1975 Queen
album, A Night at the
Opera. It took three weeks
to record, and it was created
in five different studios.
This rock opera can be split
up into six different
sections: intro, ballad,
guitar solo, opera, hard rock
and outro. It did quite well
in the 70s, staying at the top
of the UK Singles chart for
nine weeks. However, it
climbed the charts again
almost 20 years later, after
it was featured in the movie
Wayne's World. It is
possibly the most complex
rock song you will ever
hear. With no real repeating
chorus, no continuous
melody and bizarre,
nonsense lyrics, this song
was a musical experiment
that could have failed - but
it didn't.

Why It Works for a Speaker Test: It has every speaker test imaginable. Bohemian Rhapsody features
a cappella singing, soft, melodic piano music, booming bass and face-melting guitar riffs - and that is
just the first half of the song. There are over 180 separate overdubs in this song. Each level of sound
should come through crisp and clear if you're listening to really good speakers. The chorus of voices,
led by Freddy Mercury depicts the range of the human voice. There are constant changes to the decibel
level and the tempo, as well as continual back-and-forth between the left and right speaker outputs. In
short, if the salesperson, who keeps mentioning the input impedance of the speakers, only lets you test
one song on the speakers you're looking to buy, make it Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.