My Bloody Valentine - Soon

Soon is arguably the greatest shoegazing song ever recorded, from a band with one of the worst names ever conceived.  I'll never forgive Kevin Shields for naming his band after a cheesy Canadian horror flick, but this song almost makes me willing to overlook it.

Soon has it all:  The definitive guitar drone that made Loveless the definitive album in the shoegaze pantheon; Belinda Butcher's beautiful moaning droning lyrics; and a Madchester beat that makes you want to dance naked while you play air guitar.

I only wish more MBV songs had that beat.  But this was a fluke—MBV's token nod to the dance scene of the day—and it's that one-of-a-kind fusion of Shields guitar drone and English club-thug beat that sets this song apart in the annals of shoegaze, never to be equalled.

The official music video above, cut down to 3:29, is for sissies.  The full 7-minute track below is the real deal.