Top 3 songs to evaluate a system


Hi everyone,

So here is the question: what are your Top 3 music pieces to evaluate a system?

The songs should be complementary to cover a wider range of features, but not necessary. If you only listen to one type of music, it would make sense to only evaluate with this type.

Bonus: identify one good part of the piece where you pay extra attention because this is where the difference between systems is more visible.

I'll start:

Holly Cole Trio - Girl Talk - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Highlight: The vibrating cord at 1:59

MaMuse - All The Way - Glorious
Highlight - The clean guitar and the high drum beat that rythm the whole piece

Metallica - ... And Justice for All (Remastered) - One
Highlight - The first drums at 0:53, but the whole guitar as well


Doing this myself, I realize it's very hard to only pick 3!!

papyneau
Fantastic topic, especially because you're asking for specifics

I'll start:

Ives, Overture & March "1776" Nordic 2L recording
Highlight: At least first 1/2 of song. High quality recording with a lot going on; great test of soundstage depth, width, instrument separation, and the ability of a system to deal with very complex transients and dynamics across the entire frequency spectrum.
https://www.discogs.com/release/4195543-Various-The-Nordic-Sound-2L-Audiophile-Reference-Recordings

Shelby Lynne -- Just a Little Lovin' (other tunes from this album also excellent)
Highlight - Thump of bass drum at beginning should shake your room, will test bass response and dynamics from the get go. Instruments have a lot of space, are very well recorded; vocals have a tremendous amount of texture. 

Keith Greeninger & Dayan Kai, Looking for a Home (Blue Coast Collection - The E.S.E. Sessions)
Highlight: Male vocals, acoustic guitar and steel guitar; startlingly lifelike recording, extraordinarily precise soundstage locations for both singers and instruments.
I might suggest a slightly different approach to this question.  It's easy to list great sounding music.  The problem being those picks tend to make most every system sound good.  I would suggest using music that has always seemed flat (for want of a better term) on one system and ask does the next system improve the sound?  Would that not better show the difference?  Just a thought.
Thanks @hilde45 for being the first. I should have added a double bonus to have song easily available.. like Spotify. I can't find two of the thee pieces proposed. But Shelby Lynne is great and it's really my style of music!

@bigtwin - Excellent point, and is indicate that your strategy is to use "flat music" to evaluate a system. Really something to think about. But which flat song do you use?