It’s a familiar frustration in the digital age: you stumble upon a hilarious meme, and it’s perfectly soundtracked by a catchy tune, often featuring a killer electric guitar riff. The problem? You have absolutely no idea what that song is. You’ve hummed it to Shazam, typed vague lyrics into Google, and even asked your musically inclined friends, all to no avail. You’re stuck in meme song purgatory.
This scenario is surprisingly common. The internet is awash with people desperately trying to identify snippets of music from online videos and memes. Entire online communities, like Reddit’s r/NameThatSong, and websites such as WatZatSong, are built around the collective effort of crowdsourcing song identifications.
While these crowdsourced solutions can be helpful, sometimes you want to take matters into your own hands. You might think you need to be a musical genius to crack the code, but often, that’s not the case. Many times, identifying these mystery meme songs, even those with obscure electric guitar parts, boils down to methodical detective work and leveraging readily available online resources. The key is to utilize the clues within the meme itself and apply some strategic online searching.
This guide will walk you through a step-by-step process to identify those elusive meme songs, particularly focusing on how to pinpoint tracks featuring electric guitar that often appear in meme soundtracks. You don’t need to be a music expert; just follow these steps, and you might be surprised at your meme song sleuthing abilities.
One example of this online musical detective work in action comes from the music blog Slicing Up Eyeballs. They once posted a query on social media, trying to help a reader identify a funky, post-punk track ripped from an old radio broadcast. The reader had been searching for the song for over three decades!
Can you ID this funky post-punk song taped off WNYU in the ’80s?
A Slicing Up Eyeballs reader sent us the following note:
“I write from Germany so sorry if i put words wrong. A Friend of mine was in America in the 80s and he listened to WNYU – FM. He heard a Song there but did not hear the Name and Artist. So i have the Link here where you can listen to. If you don`t know it, maybe you can help us with the Lyrics. We went them up and down with no Result. Especially after the beginning words “Oh well oh welcome ….. This might be the Refrain of the Song because he repeats it often in this Song. I would be very glad to get an answer from you because this Song is searched for more than 33 Years.”
The post included a Soundcloud link to the audio and noted that the song had already been a mystery case on WatZatSong for months. Let’s break down how to approach this kind of musical mystery, which is directly applicable to finding those electric guitar meme songs.
1. Mine Audio and Lyrics for Clues, and Start with Discogs
Discogs is an invaluable resource for music identification. It’s a massive database detailing discographies of artists across genres and decades. Beyond being a marketplace and cataloging tool, Discogs boasts a powerful search engine, particularly its Advanced Search function. You can use this for free, without even creating an account, to search specifically within Track (song) Titles.
Discogs Advanced Search
When tackling a meme song, especially one where the lyrics are unclear or mumbled (common in low-quality meme audio), start by trying to decipher any lyrics you can understand. Even fragmented phrases can be a starting point.
In the Slicing Up Eyeballs example, the clearest lyric snippet was:
Oh well, oh welcome [turncoat?] SamHe said he was a killer manHe doesn’t care about your [love / life]
The first line, “Oh well, oh welcome,” repeated at the beginning of each verse, seemed like a potential key phrase, possibly part of the song title. A Track Title search on Discogs for “oh well oh welcome” initially yielded 44 results, containing some combination of those keywords in song titles across different albums.
This same approach works for meme songs. If you can pick out a distinct lyric, even if you’re unsure of some words, try searching Discogs Track Titles. For electric guitar meme songs, listen for any sung vocals or spoken word parts that might accompany the guitar.
2. Filter Search Results by Decade, Region, and Genre
Discogs Search Results
Context is crucial in song identification. For meme songs, think about the meme’s style, era, and any visual clues. Does the meme have a retro vibe? Does it seem to be referencing a particular decade? This can help narrow down your search.
In the WNYU radio song case, the original poster mentioned it was from the ’80s, and the recording itself had a distinct 80s sound. Filtering the Discogs search results by Decade > 1980 reduced the results from 44 to just 7.
Discogs Filtered Results
Genre filtering can also be helpful, but can be more subjective. In the original example, the song sounded like punk or funk. Instead of relying solely on Discogs genre filters, which can be broad, it’s often better to manually scan results and eliminate those that clearly don’t fit. For example, skipping results with “gospel” or “soul” in the titles if you’re looking for a punk-funk track.
For meme songs featuring electric guitar, consider genres commonly associated with guitar music: rock, metal, blues, indie, alternative, and even electronic genres that incorporate guitar samples or riffs. If the meme has a comedic or ironic tone, the genre might be unexpected or deliberately juxtaposed.
In the WNYU example, after filtering and eliminating irrelevant results, only one promising lead remained: Maxi Dance Pool Vol. 2 – Musikladen Eurotops. Even though the title seemed unlikely (“Dance Pool”), it was worth investigating.
3. Leverage Streaming Services and YouTube to Investigate Leads
Discogs Master Release Page
Once you have potential leads from Discogs, use streaming services like YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Music to listen to those tracks. YouTube is particularly useful as it often has a vast library of music, including obscure tracks and uploads from fans.
In the WNYU example, the Discogs result “Maxi Dance Pool Vol. 2” had track titles “Oh Well” and “Welcome, Machine Gun.” The lyric “Oh Well” seemed like a stronger match. Following the link to the artist “Oh Well” on Discogs led to a single release page with an embedded YouTube video of the song “Oh Well.” A quick listen confirmed it wasn’t the mystery song.
Discogs Single Release Page
Similarly, for meme songs, if your Discogs search points to a potential track or album, search for that title on YouTube. Often, you can find the full song or at least a clip to verify if it’s the one from the meme. Pay close attention to any electric guitar parts in the song and compare them to what you remember from the meme.
4. Repeat and Refine Your Search Strategy
If your initial searches don’t yield results, don’t give up. Song identification often requires iterative searching and refining your approach.
In the WNYU example, “oh well” alone wasn’t distinctive enough. The search was broadened to “turncoat Sam,” another lyric snippet. While this search initially didn’t produce results, searching simply for “Sam,” and filtering by the 1980s, yielded nearly 2700 results.
Scanning the results, focusing on album art that seemed to fit the post-punk vibe, led to a single called “Uncle Sam” by Rhythm of Life. The album art looked promising – dark and arty.
Discogs Sam Search
Clicking through to the “Uncle Sam” release page revealed it was a UK release from 1981, categorized as New Wave. The “similar artists” listed (Josef K, Cabaret Voltaire) further reinforced the potential match.
Discogs Uncle Sam Page
A YouTube search for “Rhythm of Life Uncle Sam” finally revealed the song. It turned out the lyric was “Oh well, oh welcome to Uncle Sam,” with “to” and “Uncle” blending together.
This iterative process is key for meme songs. If your initial lyric searches fail, try focusing on other elements:
- Instrumental clues: If the meme song is primarily instrumental or features a prominent electric guitar riff, try describing the guitar style in your search terms (e.g., “80s shred guitar instrumental,” “blues rock guitar riff”).
- Genre keywords: Combine genre terms with vague lyric snippets or instrumental descriptions (e.g., “indie rock song ‘walking away’,” “electronic music with distorted guitar”).
- Meme context: Think about the meme itself. Is it associated with a particular trend, movie, or game? The music might be related to that context.
Further Examples: Applying the Method to Meme-Like Scenarios
Let’s look at how these steps can be applied to identifying songs in scenarios similar to encountering a meme song.
Example #2: American Alt-Radio Meme Vibe (1988)
Imagine this scenario: You hear a song in a meme that sounds like it could have been played on an American alternative radio station in the late 80s. It has a roots-rock feel but with a polished sound, maybe a touch of Paisley Underground influence, and features a jangly electric guitar.
Lyrical Clues: You catch lyrics mentioning “Jerry Falwell,” suggesting an American origin. The closest thing to a chorus repeats variations of:
Whatever name you go by, she goes by now tooWhat else would she do?She’s got her last resorts in the mailTo box three five comma oh oh oh
The Search: The unusual phrase “box three five comma oh oh oh” is a strong starting point. The number “35,000” spoken as individual components is distinctive. Searching Discogs Track Title for “35,000” and filtering the Year to 1987 (or 1988, the likely release window) leads directly to “35,000” by Insiders, from the album Ghost On the Beach.
Discogs Insiders Search
This song might be obscure, explaining why it’s hard to identify. It’s an album cut, not a single, and might not be widely available on streaming services. You might need to dig deeper to verify its identity, potentially using older music platforms or fan uploads.
Example #3: British Bingo Meme (Pre-1993)
Imagine this meme scenario: A meme starts with a clip of a British man calling bingo, saying “blue? 22. We have a bingo- in TWO places,” then transitions into a song.
Audio Clues: The bingo intro. No clear musical genre is immediately apparent from the description.
Lyrical Clues: Just the spoken “bingo” intro.
The Search: The bingo intro is the key. Assume a British artist due to the bingo caller. Search Discogs Track Title for “bingo.” This yields many results. Filter by UK origin and 1990s release (or earlier, given the “pre-1993” clue).
discogs_bingo_search_results
Scan the results, focusing on releases before 1993. Eventually, you might find the album Reach by Snuff, released in 1992.
discogs_snuff_reach
Checking the album tracklist or a YouTube video of the album reveals a track called “Bingo.” While the standalone “Bingo” song might not contain the bingo caller intro, the full album version might place the bingo clip at the end of the “Bingo” track, leading into the next song, “Ichola Buddha.” This highlights that meme creators might use audio clips in unexpected ways, sometimes misattributing intros or outros.
Intuition and Persistence
While this method provides a structured approach, intuition and persistence are also vital. Sometimes, luck plays a role. If a meme song is very obscure or from a niche genre, identification can be challenging. However, by combining methodical searching with a bit of musical intuition and online resourcefulness, you significantly increase your chances of conquering those meme song mysteries, even when they feature the most elusive electric guitar riffs.
So next time you’re captivated by a meme song and determined to know its name, remember these steps. Dive into Discogs, listen closely for clues, refine your searches, and explore the vast online music universe. You might just surprise yourself by uncovering that hidden gem of an electric guitar track lurking within your favorite meme.
(cassette photo by Laurent Hoffmann)
