What's your favourite 20 seconds of music?
Listening to The Beach Boys' California Girls made me realise how sublime the opening twenty seconds or so of the song are.
It's Brian at his mini-symphonic best, Strauss (the Richard one) meets Gershwin meets pop heaven. Then it's like, "who let the special kid loose on his, ahem, organ?". Normal service is resumed. The rest of the song is fine in a pre-Pet Sounds/Smile context, but nowhere near as transcendent as opening twenty seconds.
What are your favourite bits or sections of otherwise ordinary songs?
The intro to Paradise City. 
Got it on my iPhone. 
Funny that the Beach Boys should have started this off because I have always thought that the intro to 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' was one of the greatest ever. Even after 45 odd years. it still makes me feel good (and the rest of the album ain't too shoddy either!!). Not sure if it's my favourite but it must be pretty close as it was the first one that came to mind when I read the post.
Great thread!
so many to choose from, but has to be a guitar riff for me
The intro to Hells Bells - even when I play it I get goosebumps
Opening 20 seconds to "Holy Grail" by Hunters and Collectors.
For me the guitar break in Radiohead's "Bodysnatchers" towards the end of the middle eight before the breakdown is phenomenal. I wish I'd come up with that chord sequence.
Also you've got to love Michael Jackson's thriller when it breaks down to bass/drums/rhythm guitar before Vincent Price pops up. I could listen to those seconds on loop for ever.
Can I have 3 favourites, please?
The (ahem - bit cheesy) sax bit in Buddy Holly's 'True Love Ways' always makes me melt into another world.
The intro to 'Telstar' by the Tornadoes; still find it a bit spooky.
The Intro to 'Days' by the Kinks or indeed by Kirsty MacColl. The Kirsty one in particular stops me in my tracks every time.
Origin Unknown - Valley of the Shadows.......hang on that might be 31 seconds.
Hi Charlie Jefferson
Not twenty seconds but relatively short nonetheless -
Cynthia Snodgrass & Jim Oliver - Gayatri Mantra (first fifty five seconds)
Lisa Gerrard - Towards The Tower (7.55 to 9.15)
All the best
Rick @ Musicraft
Musicraft (Derby), Specialist Hi-Fi/AV & Multimedia Dealer
good accurate audio monitoring and good sound reproduction to all 
The first 20 seconds of Joni Mitchell's "California" are heaven. Her voice in the first verse is just amazing - close your eyes and let the music play!
Also, not sure if anyone's heard it but that part in "Rock Island Line" by Johnny Cash when the tempo speeds up - impossible to listen without tapping your feet and humming along!
The first break in "Your hand in mine" by Explosions in the sky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36U4ez7AzKA#t=2m22s
The break in "Mir" by Lights out Asia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVLiFviKKzM#t=2m20s
The break in "Nobody Noticed the fire" by September Malevolence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwjMOSKzP-4#t=5m02s
On Raglan Road, by Sinead O'Connor
best bit, for some reason...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6zqb3gf5aA#t=3m20s
Xanadu,by Rush...
Love the vocals here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAoUgKVpe10#t=8m24s
Loads more.
The best songs always have goosebump moments imo.
I forgot to add - "We Used To Vacation" by Cold War Kids is amazing. Really great band. There are plenty of "goosebumps" moments in this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rfDvpfC2bw
The song takes a lot of inspiration from "Ballad Of A Thin Man" by Bob Dylan, at least to my ears!
By the way. Just add #t=8m24s to any Youtube video to start at the relevant part. ie 8 minutes, 24 seconds.
The drum solo in Paul Simon's "Obvious child", preferably a well recorded live version. Ask me later and I will have changed my mind , of course.
First 20 seconds of Disco Hospital, which is the first track on both the vinyl and CD release of Coil's utterly awesome album Love's Secret Domain.
I have a lot of history with this album, and the first 20 seconds of the first track are so distinctive and evocative that listening takes me right back to some very very funny times. I also know what's coming next.