Best song for immediate impact when presenting or testing?

@tostadosunidos, Damn great list! Robert Gordon’s first album knocked me out when it was released in ’77; great songs, great band, great sound. It was produced by Richard Gottehrer, who also did Blondie’s first couple. "The Way I Walk" is a song written and first recorded by Jack Scott, one of the best of the 50’s Rockabillies. Also on the album is one by a favorite of mine, "Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track)" by The Rock and Roll Trio (Johnny Burnette).

Robert isn’t as good a singer as the 50’s guys, but that’s all right. I like the albums he did with English guitarist Chris Spedding taking Link Wray’s place even more. On his third album (the first with Spedding) he does another Johnny Burnette song, the fantastic "Rockabilly Boogie", as well as a cool version of "Black Slacks" (Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones). Great guitar playing by Spedding.

Just for fun, I use "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. Great clavichord and drum sound, the drums actually played by Stevie himself. Good album (Talking Book).

In ’73 was in the second high end store to open in the South Bay (San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto, etc.) on the day Bill Johnson just happened to be delivering and setting up a complete ARC system. His new dealer (Walter Davies, now of Last record products renown) put on "Me and Bobby McGee" by Gordon Lightfoot (on his If You Could Read My Mind album). Bill remarked on how good the song sounded, and Walter gave him the LP to take home. Lots of low-level information to be revealed by a high-resolution system. Great acoustic guitar and vocal recording. The same is true of many albums on Rounder Records, including those of Tony Rice.

David Lindley’s first two albums, when cranked up to live SPL, sound great (if you get the chance, see him live). But even they pale in comparison with any of the great direct-to-disk LPs from the 1970’s, which are absolutely startling "alive". Insane immediacy, presence, transparency, and dynamics. The closest to live I’ve ever heard music reproduced. Most contain little of musical interest; I think of them as test records.

In the 1970’s JBL put out an LP intended to be used to evaluate the sound of their new L100 loudspeaker. The LP contains tracks from commercially released albums, one of which is "Donovan’s Colors" from Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle album. The recording contains many different instruments (including harpsichord), as well as some non-instrument sound effects. The song (and the entire album) is as musically interesting as it is sonically stunning. Song Cycle was Van Dyke’s first project after he finished his work with Brian Wilson on the ill-fated Smile album. Song Cycle is very unique, and many will find it not only odd and strange, but also a little spooky. Parks’ is a very, very smart guy, perhaps a genius.

Speaking of odd, strange, and spooky, for a look at what Smile was going to be (a musical representation and celebration of Manifest Destiny), and why it would have been such a milestone album (beating Sgt. Pepper to the marketplace as was intended), listen to "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony)" on the Beach Boys’ Smiley Smile album. Now THAT is what I consider Progressive music. The Beach Boys Progressive?! No, Brian Wilson. Don’t believe it? Go ahead, listen to "FBABTW". It makes Progressive bands sound downright traditional!