Pop music quiz: Name these recent Billboard hits by their first second.

Pop Quiz: Can You Identify These Hit Songs by Just Their First Second?

Pop Quiz: Can You Identify These Hit Songs by Just Their First Second?

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Brow Beat
Slate's Culture Blog
July 2 2014 12:35 PM

Pop Quiz: Can You Identify These Hit Songs by Just Their First Second?

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How sharp is your ear for recent pop hits?

Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Reuters & Getty Images.

The first few seconds of a song have to set a tone and hook the listener. In those precious moments when your attention is fresh, you can usually register a song’s mood, grasp its tempo, and perhaps recognize the artist or the song itself.

But what about a song’s very first second? Can you guess these 16 recent Billboard hits by just a couple of beats or notes? Let's find out.

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Chris Kirk is a web developer at New York magazine and Slate’s former interactives editor. Follow him on Twitter.