What Are Your Reference Discs? or Specific Reference Tracks

While it's true you can tell a lot about a system from how it reproduces Howling Wolf's voice on a mono mid-60s Chess album, it ain't really demo material in my book...Here are some of my favorite music selections that also display the recording art and expose faulty reproduction:

Van Morrison; Virgo Clowns...from His Band and Street Choir - 1970 Warner LP...better than the 180gr. reissue.
NGDB; Tennessee Stud and Nine Pound Hammer...WTCBU...LP
Bruce Cockburn; Kit Carson...from Nothing But A Burning Light...CD
Ry Cooder; Face to Face That I Shall Meet Him...from Jazz...LP
Yuri Honig Trio; Walking on the Moon...from Star Tracks...Tidal
Norah Jones; I've Got To See You Again...from her 1st album...CD
Frank Zappa; Cleetus Awreetus Awrightus...from Grand Wazoo...LP
Mahavishnu Orch; Vision is a Naked Sword...from Apocalypse...LP
Grateful Dead; Uncle John's Band...Workingman's (45RPM MoFi)
NGDB; Tennessee Stud and Nine Pound Hammer...WTCBU...LP
Stravinsky; The Rite...Gergiev
Mahler's 6th...Zander, BYSO (I was at the concert).
Chopin; Piano Sonata #3...Gilels on DG LP

@millercarbon No, I do understand the difference. But if it helps you to think I don't, please -- help yourself. After all, it's the year of the cat, right? ;-)

Correction in my above post.
The Elton John album is called Honkey Chateau.

Let me suggest a fun track track to demo for people, its a 4 part acapella harmony by "The Fairfield Four" doing These Bones on the album "I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray" (it’s on Qobuz ect.)

Turn it up before it starts and watch the look on people’s face when the bass singer starts it off.

When the others join in you would swear they are in the room.

If you want a track to "test " your system let me suggest

Jazz Variants by O-zone Percussion Group off the album La Bamba
(also on Qobuz)

I highly recommend this track, especially for Tekton owners... hint hint.

Check them out, let us know what you think

It is whatever your perception of how a recording should be done to a certain extent.  Vocals, guitar, violins and whatever people can think of are "hard to record".  Long term familiarity with your system will sort out the good ones.  I hear songs/albums all the time and wonder why it was recorded that way.  Once again perception.