I've always used James Taylor, Live(2 disc) as my standard.

 

Pink Floyd (The Dark Side of the Moon). The whole album.

 

Test for Echo by Rush.

 

Every time I upgrade one of my sound systems I put in Heart......Dreamboat Annie album. Covers the whole spectrum of tones for me. Especially "Magic Man". Then I know how everything from James Taylor to Black Sabbath is gonna sound.

 

I'll be the odd man out here. If I had tunes on the bike I'd listen to music that would make you guys cringe. ***** out pure underground metal via Slayer, Fear Factory, Hatebreed. I feel if my bike's going to offend, then so should my tunes. LOL!! But I don't have tunes yet on my ride. After all the metal I listen to, I like no noise other than the wind and pipes when I ride (for now). Even though I'm a metalhead I have to say there are some great selections you guys have listed so far though. I do have a wide variety, but metal's my bread and butter.

 

I sure like Gorillaz Stylo cranked in the truck
Because I don't know how to link Youtube vids as above

 

Two tunes no one has mentioned yet, for a great bass line, Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath on the Aqualung album is pretty good. Guitar lines? Try Layla by Derek and the Dominoes, Clapton and Duane Allman playing guitars, not just the lead but the second lead.

For out and out loud, great horns, James Brown's Living in America is also pretty good. If you can find some old Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, or Springstein's Born to Run are also great choices. They may not be audiophile quality recordings, but then again a bike is not your home theater either.

 

+1, surprised no one mentioned it earlier.

 

Money is the first track on the second side of Dark Side of the Moon.. It is absolutely one of the best recorded songs of all time and is certainly a goto track for testing any stereo... It is number 2 on my list of songs I use and posted earlier

If you have ever heard Money For Nothing on a good stereo, a really good stereo you will no why I listed it as number one. The dynamics in that song are crazy... The opening keyboards, Stings "I want my......" and POUNDING drums that open in to Mark Knopfler's finger picked highly distorted guitar riff is just mind blowing. Not to mention the throbbing bass line that kicks in as the groove takes hold... In my opinion this song covers all of it...

There are several other artists who have made GREAT recordings, many of which are from the late seventies early eighties before the levels got cranked and everything became overly compressed.

Billy Squire? John Cougar? Triumph? Journey? Boston????????

 

I have to say very impressed with all the suggestions. Many songs I the best but certainly some tunes/artists I have not heard before. Thanks to all. Now to download/compile some killer playlists.