THE SCORE: The Ecstasy of 'The Ecstasy of Gold'

It starts with a slow but powerful buildup, creating a sense of anticipation without revealing the central melody. Then it flows forth, like water after the destruction of a dam, with soaring notes that evoke sadness and hope -- simultaneously. There's somehow grace in its force, depth in its simplicity. Perhaps that's part of the explanation for the survival of "The Ecstasy of Gold," a classical composition that has found safe havens across generations and genres.

It was written by Ennio Morricone, a prolific Italian composer whose credits include hundreds of soundtracks over seven decades. The piece in question -- part of Morricone's score for "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," a highly regarded 1966 film starring Clint Eastwood and set during the American Civil War -- accompanies a graveyard search for gold:

Ennio Morricone -- L'Estasi dell'Oro

By the early 1980s, "The Ecstasy of Gold" had become precious metal for Metallica, which injected the song with heavy guitars and pounding percussion (and, later, a full-fledged symphony. Exactly why the band decided to kick off every live show with the Marricone masterpiece is anyone's guess, but it's easy to see why the tradition still exists -- namely, because it is musical euphoria. It sounds something like the inner workings of Einstein's brain at the moment he finalized his theory of relativity:

Metallica -- The Ecstasy of Gold

The tune also made its rounds in the hip-hop world in 2002, when Jay-Z and Nas were engaged in a much-publicized series of spats. Unfortunately, Jay-Z trashes the epic potential of the "Blueprint 2" beat, peppering it with digs at his fellow New York emcee instead of turning it into a rap classic. (If there's any beat that should have stayed above the diss-track fray, it's this one.) Still, the Jay-Z joint is relevant because it reiterated Morricone's far-reaching legacy and inspired other rap renditions of the song. It doesn't complete the classical-to-classic cycle, but it's at least worth a listen:

Jay-Z -- Blueprint 2

THE SCORE: Drops of 'Drift Away' in Her Hair

There are only so many appealing chord progressions in music. Even with synthesizers and other technological developments, artists often find themselves navigating through sonic waves that were staples of their predecessors. And so, as time passes, it seems inevitable that contemporary songs -- subconsciously or not -- borrow from ones that were written decades earlier.

Take the Offspring's seemingly effortless (and decade-old!) radio hit, "Why Don't You Get a Job?," whose similarities to the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" did not go unnoticed. To be sure, there are probably hundreds -- if not thousands -- of examples. There's even a cleverly satirical performance by stand-up comedian Rob Paravonian about the almost-unavoidable recycling of classical music.

Here's a juxtaposition that can be added to the proverbial list, although it should be noted that other listeners have heard the connection as well:

• Dobie Gray -- "Drift Away" (1973)
• Train -- "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (2001)

Not surprisingly, the chord constructions in the corresponding choruses -- (B-F#-E) and (C-G-F) -- are essentially congruent. But, as is audible below, the resemblance is more obvious than letters on a screen might suggest:

Dobie Gray didn't write this classic, but his version is perhaps the most famous:

Nearly 30 years later, Train's "Drops of Jupiter" dominated the charts for months:

When you put them together, it comes out something like this ... sort of. Give him the beat, boys.