To many listeners my age or older, Chicago's "25 Or 6 To 4" contains one of rock's most memorable opening riffs. Peter Cetera's vocals, the guitar, and horns all convey dramatic urgency about debating whether to call it a day in the middle of the night and just go to sleep.
Hearing the song in a store last week made me want to pick up the pace, select the items I wanted without hesitating, pay for them quickly, and rush home--so I could put them away and go to sleep.
"25 Or 6 To 4" pulls off the clever trick of sparking a hurried frenzy to do nothing. Decades after first hearing it, I still applaud Chicago for it.
