TUNELIT

Megadeth · 1992 · Studio album

Countdown to Extinction tuning.

E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD. All 11 songs use it.

Countdown to Extinction album cover

Album tuning

E Standard

At concert pitch (A 440), measured on the CD.

MeasuredWidely reported

Tune like thisPlay alongAll 11 songs

Measured by TuneLit

At concert pitch

SourceOffsetEquivalent ASongsSpreadConfidence
CD, Capitol CDP 7 98531 2 (1992)+3.0 ¢A 440.811+0.7 to +4.5 ¢High
 Offset from concert pitch (A 440). Spread: the middle half of the songs, when four or more share the album's pitch. Confidence: how well the notes agree with one grid.

Before we measured, sources said: E Standard, with no pitch given (widely reported).

E Standard at concert pitch, every song within about 10 ¢ of A 440. The 2004 remix reads about 2 ¢ higher.

11 songs

Every song, ready to tune

Tune opens the tuner in that song's tuning, pitch included. Play along opens the song player set to that tuning, so the track plays in yours. What the labels mean

  1. 1. Skin o' My Teeth

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  2. 2. Symphony of Destruction

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  3. 3. Architecture of Aggression

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  4. 4. Foreclosure of a Dream

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  5. 5. Sweating Bullets

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  6. 6. This Was My Life

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  7. 7. Countdown to Extinction

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  8. 8. High Speed Dirt

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along
    Notes

    On its own, this song measures sharper: CD +9.8 ¢. Tune uses the album's A 440.

  9. 9. Psychotron

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  10. 10. Captive Honour

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

  11. 11. Ashes in Your Mouth

    E StandardMeasured

    Tune Play along

What the labels mean

Measured
TuneLit measured the pitch on an original CD or LP. The tuning name still comes from the sources.
Official
The band, a member, their producer or their guitar tech said it.
Widely reported
Trusted outlets, guides and tabs agree, but the band did not say it directly.
From tabs
From community tabs, or from players who tune along with the record.
Disputed
Sources disagree. The likeliest setting is shown; the notes name the other one.

Each song shows one label, the strongest it has, in this order. How we measure recordings →

Questions

What tuning is Countdown to Extinction in?

Megadeth recorded Countdown to Extinction (1992) in E Standard at concert pitch (A 440), measured by TuneLit on the CD. Every song uses it.