good call on the classical soundtrack:appl:, might i also suggest "Conan the Barbarian" soundtrack, runs the gamut of range from triangle highs to deep kettle drum lows. Another one is the Halo 2 soundtrack in particular the Mjolnir Mix with guitar solo by Steve Vai, his shredding with the monastic chanting provides a good range of sound imo, not to mention its an instant nerd call out :loser:along with the Imperial March from Star Wars on the Empire Strikes back soundtrack.

Surprised no one mentioned the TELARC recording of the 1812 overture.

Every time I listen to a rock song in my car, I keep thinking "SQ" in the back of my head ...

Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

My winter setup can't get enough bass ...
The stock components and tweaters are not giving me what I want out of them ...
I can't get the guitar solo loud enough in my car ...

I think we have the makings of SQ ...

I agree with the Eagles, Hotel California, excellent SQ song

It's been said in an earlier post but Madonna - La Isla Bonita and Like a Prayer.


Rush - Tom Soyer
Extreme - Am I Ever Gonna Change, Rest In Peace. Most of the III Sides To Every Storey album is good quality.
And of course the Telarc Also Sprach Zarathustra (shake your chair lows), Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, etc.

Been out of SQ car audio for about 15 years. Will have to give some of the previous posters suggestions a try.

If you all like hard hitting clean no screaming metal music, Check out this Swedish Progressive Metal Band called Darkwater, album is Calling The Earth To Witness.
They are my fav metal band.
Heres a music link to preview a few songs, its really clean music.
click the next song, the intro is all noise
I can provide anyone with this album, just let me know
http://www.myspace.com/darkwaterofficial

My favorites are "Aliens ate my Buick" by Thomas Dolby and Spies "Music of Espionage"

I am the walrus that also enjoys a DIAMOND Darrel ear thrashing.
The instrumentals in IATW is color inducing!!

Funny thing, not sure which company uses it but I've heard of the ROB ZOMBIE test... where they use his music to basically deathmatch the equipment into submisson

havenot heard this in my truck thou

Ween -Chocolate n Cheese (mister would u please help my pony!)

two pina coladas :appl:

Michael Jackson - PYT

4ad
 

Anything at all by Dead Can Dance. In fact just about anything on 4AD Records. DCD, This Mortal Coil, The Hope Blister, Cocteau Twins...fabulous, involving, moving, jarring, hauntingly beautiful...Ivo Watts-Russel's iconoclastic label is a feast of auditory delights, in motion and otherwise.

Black Label Society - Fear

Beauty & the Beast
 

For visceral impact & subwoofer torture tests, Mickey Hart's Planet Drum is a superbly recorded CD. It WILL let you hear how well (or poorly) damped your woofer system is. Bass articulation or lack thereof will be immediately obvious.
Track 5 (Jewe) has some body percussion that has to be heard to be believed.

For staging and image stability, Crosby,Still & Nash's Daylight Again, with the title track being the standout. In a well designed system, you should be able to pick out the placement of the three vocalists in a very well-defined space. Three voices were sharing one mic in the studio. And Stephen Still's dropped-tuning on the Martin acoustic guitar should have convincing depth, sustain and resonance.

Favorite SQ Music
 

Hi

I am a high end home audio guy who tries to pay for his obsession by selling audio gear. I recently put a new car audio system in my 03 Matrix.
I demonstrate at audio shows in Vegas and Montreal fairly often.

Here are some of my go to music for these shows:

Paricia Barber: Cafe Blue - jazz
Nils Lofgren: Live acoustic - acoustic rock
Reference Recordings: Tutti - classical sampler

Thats all I can think of this early in the morning...:retard:

I'll post more later

Car: Kenwood KDC X994 Deck
Focal 165 KRX2 Speakers

Home APL NWO 4.0 DVD/CD player
Nuforce 9.0SE V2 amplifiers
Jamo Reference R909 Speakers
(possibly the best speakers on the planet)

Kerry

I second the DCD recommendation.:thumbsup: If you want to pick just one to start with, I would suggest 'Into the Labyrinth' for a studio album or 'Toward the Within' for a Live album of their best music.

Good recommendation on the 4AD records angle. I'll have to pick up some other artists on this label.

Kerry

OK I've read the entire thread. Sorry for the dup recs but I still stand by them 100%

Others: (mainstream) Clapton Slowhand MoFi Gold (OP)
SRV Couldn,t stand the weather MoFi (OP) esp Tinpan
Alley

I have lots of outstanding OP esoteric stuff that I don't normally divulge (to win best of show at audio shows, your best weapons are music that no one else has!) Not to be a tease, but I will exchange some of these software recommendations privately for good SQ advice from the SQ pros.

One can get really crazy with comparing CD releases of outstanding music. If you want another great website that deals with this in great detail, check out the forums on www.stevehoffman.tv

Also "Spiritchaser". An incredible album and sadly DCD's last before Lisa Gerrard and Brenda Perry decided to go their separate ways. Some wonderful low bass on this album--along with a whole lot of, well, just wonderful. And Musicfirst, gotta point out that if you like DCD, you will absolutely adore This Mortal Coil. Only 3 albums between 1984 and 1991--each one incredible. I'd start with the final one, "Blood".

And for Floyd fans who feel incomplete--pretty sure that would be most of us--after Waters and Gilmour let their giant egos put an end to the greatest band ever: Check out Waters' 1992 solo album "Amused to Death". Absolutely stunning album sonically and every other which way. The album they would have made had Gilmour been able to just shut up, play his guitar and sing what Roger told him to--and had Waters not gotten all pissy and decided to take his ball and go home. I think of it as "The Great Lost Pink Floyd Album". No Gilmour--but Jeff Beck seems to manage. Some wonderful background vocals from Rita Coolidge. Thematically a logical progression from "Animals", "The Wall", and "The Final Cut (really the first Waters solo album)"--and almost as good as my personal favourite album of all time, "Wish You Were Here".

Speaking of great advice from the pros. Thanks Julian

Kerry

The Wall live 'Is There Anybody Out There?', while not perfect, has some great cuts as well.
However, I may be a little bit biased as this is my favorite album, perhaps of all time from a music perspective.

Kerry

Along the lines of the Wall Live, another great album for outstanding Music and with some amazing cuts is Peral Jam's Rear View Mirror....:thumbsup:

Dave Brubeck-Time Out
Old School Jazz

Dr. Dre - Kush

SQ track
 

A good Canadian Girl Holly Cole and the track is call "I can see clearly now" album is don't smoke in bed.

Eagles - Hotel California baby!

Flying Lotus - Caravan of Delight

^This is a really cool song to listen to if you have a strong, wide soundstage.

Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band.

The snare at the beginning has quite a crack to it.

Enjoy.

Current Fav SQ Tunes:
---------------------
#1) Sting's 'If I ever loose my faith in you' (from Ten Summoner's Tales, 1995). Overall SQ
#2) Tool's 'The Pot' (from 10,000 Days, 2006). Killer Midbass Track

Track #1, I would never be caught dead listening to in public.

Track #2, I crank as often as possible.

Deniz Kurtel - Make Me Feel (extended). Cool left/right imaging.

Peter Frampton - Do you feel like we do

A few months ago, I was looking at all the lists people were making for best songs for driving, demo'ing, just like this one, and it had like, 60+ pages.. going back quite some time ago, and I can't find it anywhere! Anyone have any other "search" tips?

i now use isent she lovely by livinston taylor and fields of gold by eva cassidy. great tracks.

Hellagood by No Doubt
FUNKYTOWN ( you gotta here the cow bell fadeout on a true sq sysem)

If I want to hear the sound quality of a certain system I put in Telarc's time warp, Kenny G and Michael Buble not at the same time of course but they give me the best idea how clean and clear a system is and if anything is out of proportion it is very noticable.

3 inches of blood "Deadly Sinner"

Thank you, all.
Nils Lofgren is exactly what I've been looking for for new demo (SQ) music.

Has anyone ever tried Maxwell? Terrific CD.

Robert Plant reckless love knows no volume limit!

Metallica - "Sanitarium" or "One"
Both kick AZZ!!!!!

^ BUT are hardly SQ.

black magic women - Carlos santana (lots going on in this song)
living lovin maid - led zepplin