Arcade Fire's accordion love on Funeral and Neon Bible. It's an instrument that's been a mainstay in traditional music for years here, but it's also been stuck in the mud...not really going any place special or different...until now
The Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want made me appreciate the French horn. Considering the French horn's minor role in popular music, one song is enough to sway me
Gerry Rafferty's City to City (specifically the track "Baker Street") made me fall in love w/tenor sax. I even played it for a few years in high school. :bandgeek:
Arcade Fire's use of strings is really appealing to me. I try and experiment a little with different sounds such as strings and brass when I write songs now (keyboard produced...).
The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin - Mellatron, but it's a love hate relationship, because most of the times it was played live, it was out of tune, but then again, so was Plant's voice. However, when it all came together ..... it was unbelievably beautiful.
Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart - Mandolin .... introduced me to the sound of the mandolin and i've loved it ever since. It is still my favourite mandolin song