Most famous songs sound like something prior. The influence is often very obvious. Sometimes, it seems like out and out thievery. But some songs seem to come out of nowhere, either musically or production and arrangement-wise, or both. I will throw out 2... I Am The Walrus Bennie And The Jets Are there any prior songs that are anything like these 2? Not that I know of...except in the case of Bennie And The Jets, Elton himself did a song called I'm Going To Be A Teenage Idol which is sort of similar...the feel and the subject matter. I believe that Elton was influenced by R&B in some manner, but what, exactly? The slow staccatto major7 chords seems very distinct and unlike anything that I'm aware of. So the idea is songs that seemingly have no precedent, and maybe some people have the answers.
Agreed. "I Am The Walrus" was a blending of John Lennon's "primitive" (as he described it) artistic sensibilities and the sophisticated abilities of George Martin. I can't recall such a combination happening before this track appeared in 1967. It is also empowered with nonsensical Lewis Carrol-like lyrics (although this was tackled previously in psychedelic fashion by Grace Slick in 1966).
There was a time in 1967 where it seemed like just about every record that came out was unique, a world of its own.
Not as a song, but as a total production “Strawberry Fields Forever” seemed to come out of nowhere, to me when it was originally released. I felt the same way about “A Day in the Life” also, with the wild orchestra buildup sections.
The mellotron being somewhat new, those flutes had to seem completely new. And the way John sings in that light monotone, similar to Lucy In The Sky...where did that come from? Also uses his "new" voice on Day In The Life...and the "I'd love to turn you on" part, the weird chord there, the rising bass, the siren melody similar to Walrus...where did that stuff come from!
"Mr. Tambourine Man." Most of what Dylan had done prior, as accomplished as it was, had some kind of precedent. I can't think of anything prior to "Tambourine Man" that was remotely similar, unless someone somewhere was writing folk tunes from Arthur Rimbaud poems and I never heard about it.
Bob Dylan 'Like a Rolling Stone' Out of nowhere comes the greatest of all rock songs in 1965. Nothing like it before , nothing like it since. Playing it right now, f...... loud !