The Top 35 Opening Songs on Debut Albums

You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.

That’s something each artist in the list below of the Top 35 Opening Songs on Debut Albums knows all too well. The first song on that first album is one of the most important decisions an artist can make. One wrong turn could derail a career before it even had a chance.

These tracks, selected by the UCR staff, set moods, tones and narratives; they can make or break an entire album and career. Many of rock’s biggest names are here and for good reason. From the start, they surveyed the landscape and set their marks. They took their chances and then made music history.

35. Meat Loaf, “Bat Out of Hell” (From Bat Out of Hell, 1977)

Meat Loaf had already recorded an album with singer Shaun “Stoney” Murphy, appeared in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and sang on Ted Nugent‘s Free-for-All album before he made his solo debut with 1977’s Bat Out of Hell. Working closely with songwriter Jim Steinman, the pair conceived a sprawling concept album that became a multiplatinum hit. The title track runs nearly 10 minutes, its ambition igniting the story.

 

34. Sex Pistols, “Holidays in the Sun” (From Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, 1977)

Music fans were already familiar with Sex Pistols when “Holidays in the Sun” arrived in October 1977, two weeks before the release of their debut album, the foundation-shifting Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. It was their fourth single, after the pivotal “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “God Save the Queen,” which made them England’s biggest newsmakers. As the LP opener, the song took on new significance.

 

33. The Specials, “A Message to You Rudy” (From The Specials, 1979)

“A Message to You Rudy” isn’t a Specials original; the song was written and first recorded by Dandy Livingstone in 1967 as “Rudy a Message to You.” Twelve years later, the 2-Tone band the Specials retitled and covered the song as their second single, a week ahead of their self-titled debut album. As the LP’s lead track, “A Message to You Rudy” placed the multiracial group firmly at the forefront of the U.K.’s ska revival.

 

32. Nine Inch Nails, “Head Like a Hole” (From Pretty Hate Machine, 1989)

When “Head Like a Hole” was released as the opening track on Nine Inch Nails‘ debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, in 1989, the alternative music revolution was still a couple of years away from its breakthrough moment with Nirvana. But the pulsating song — abrasive electronic industrial music — was on the cusp of the new decade’s open-minded approach to new sounds. In five disquieting minutes, NIN predicted a future.

 

31. Living Colour, “Cult of Personality” (From Vivid, 1988)

Beginning with a quote from Malcolm X’s “Message to the Grass Roots” and sprinkled with samples from speeches by John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Living Colour‘s breakthrough song bleeds the lines between politics and celebrity, the personal and the public. Lifted by a sizzling guitar riff, “Cult of Personality” elevated the group from the initial “Black hard-rock band” press angle to esteemed Grammy winners.

 

30. Television, “See No Evil” (From Marquee Moon, 1977)

In its earliest days, punk music blurred the lines of expectations, dodging the simple and easy clarification that usually greeted new artists. From the start, Television defied punk’s rules by having two guitar players who stretched out their solos and recording songs that broke the three-minute limit expected of the genre. Debut album Marquee Moon is a cornerstone record from the period, with “See No Evil” its nervous opener.

 

READ MORE: Top 40 Album-Opening Songs

 

29. Asia, “Heat of the Moment” (From Asia, 1982)

Formed after the collapse of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes, Asia carried the concept of the supergroup into the ’80s with their self-titled debut album. ELP drummer Carl Palmer and Yes guitarist Steve Howe teamed up with latter-day Yes member Geoff Downes and former King Crimson bassist and singer John Wetton for a streamlined approach to progressive pop. “Heat of the Moment” served as their introduction.

 

28. Duran Duran, “Girls on Film” (From Duran Duran, 1981)

“Girls on Film” became Duran Duran‘s first Top 10 U.K. single in the summer of 1981, helping stir interest in their recently released debut album around the same time. The song originated during an earlier lineup for the band, when singer Andy Wickett was still part of the group. With Simon Le Bon at the microphone, “Girls on Film” received a near-total makeover and gave the fledgling quintet the commercial boost they needed.

 

27. Bon Jovi, “Runaway” (From Bon Jovi, 1984)

Bon Jovi famously got their start after their namesake frontman, who performed odd jobs at the Power Station recording studio owned by his cousin, was given studio time to record a few of his demos with session musicians. “Runaway” was one of his original recordings from those 1981 sessions. Two years later, with his band in tow, Jon Bon Jovi rerecorded “Runaway,” their first single, a Top 40 hit, and the LP‘s opening track.

 

26. Traveling Wilburys, “Handle With Care” (From Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, 1988)

Traveling Wilburys got together for the first time to record a B-side to a George Harrison single. “Handle With Care” went so well, however, that soon Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty were in the studio making an entire album. Mostly a Harrison song with aid by the others, “Handle With Care” recalls the best of his ’70s post-Beatles music, ably assisted by his fellow legends every step of the way.

 

25. Pink Floyd, “Astronomy Domine” (From The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 1967)

The first two singles by Pink Floyd celebrated their unconventional approach to pop music, but the opening song on their debut album showed a different side altogether. Held together by organ, slide guitar and a dual vocal between Syd Barrett and Richard Wright, “Astronomy Domine” displayed the textural depth of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, opening itself to various live interpretations over the decades.

 

24. The Go-Go’s, “Our Lips Are Sealed” (From Beauty and the Beat, 1981)

When the Go-Go’s‘ Beauty and the Beat reached No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart in March 1982, eight months after its release, it seemed like vindication for the all-female Los Angeles group. Paying their dues in the city’s male-dominated punk scene, they were the first to have commercial success. Cowritten by the band’s Jane Wiedlin, along with Terry Hall of the Specials, “Our Lips Are Sealed” opened the door and the album.

 

23. Elvis Costello, “Welcome to the Working Week” (From My Aim Is True, 1977)

At less than a minute and a half and as the B-side to his second single, “Alison,” “Welcome to the Working” has the privileged distinction of opening Elvis Costello‘s debut album. With a cold-open start featuring only Costello and a guitar and a “welcome” in its title, the song plays like a prologue of bigger things to come. My Aim Is True trusts its punk, new wave and pop mix; this song manages to contain all of them.

 

22. New York Dolls, “Personality Crisis” (From New York Dolls, 1973)

New York Dolls don’t so much as introduce themselves in the first song on their debut album as they seem to stumble into the party, hands on hips and with attitude to spare. “Personality Crisis” is one of rock music’s greatest openers, a proper initiation into the New York band’s blend of ’60s pop, ’70s glam, proto punk and Nuggets-schooled garage. It’s a runaway train of a song and the birth of a group that flamed out too soon.

 

21. Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (From Crosby, Stills & Nash, 1969)

Anticipation grew as David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash came together following their departures from their previous bands in 1969. Crosby, Stills & Nash were more than the sum of their parts; expert vocal harmonies were a given considering their respective pasts in the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Hollies. Album opener “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” written for Stills’ ex Judy Collins, was a curvy showcase.

 

20. Patti Smith, “Gloria” (From Horses, 1975)

“Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine,” Patti Smith sings at the start of her debut album, Horses. It’s quite a beginning, even more audacious given its mix of religion, 19th-century poetry and rock ‘n’ roll history. Using Van Morrison‘s garage-rock perennial “Gloria” as its launching point, Smith’s song (full title: “Gloria” [part one: “In Excelsis Deo” / part two: “Gloria]”) tears down and rebuilds its foundations. Essential.

 

19. Oasis, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (From Definitely Maybe, 1994)

What other way for the 1990s’ most brash rock ‘n’ roll band to kick off their debut than with a song that declares, “Tonight, I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star“? Definitely Maybe is a star-making moment, but when “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” was recorded, that prophecy wasn’t guaranteed. The opening track, delivered by a sneering Liam Gallagher, sums up the essence of Oasis in five stealth minutes. They soon lived up to expectations and more.

 

READ MORE: 50 Best Title Tracks From Classic Albums

 

18. King Crimson, “21st Century Schizoid Man” (From In the Court of the Crimson King, 1969)

Progressive rock was in its early stages in 1969, still evolving and carving out its identity. Brainy quartet King Crimson emerged from the psychedelic jazz trio Giles, Giles and Fripp, before the founding lineup made its debut at a London club in early 1969. Six months later, their landmark debut, In the Court of the Crimson King, rewrote the rules from Track One. “21st Century Schizoid Man” is heavy and divine.

 

17. Elvis Presley, “Blue Suede Shoes” (From Elvis Presley, 1956)

Artists and record execs were still about a decade away from treating albums as more than just a product to feed fans hungry for more music from the most popular singers. Elvis Presley‘s career, red hot after a handful of No. 1 singles, began to change all that. Rushed into the studio by RCA, he cut his self-titled debut over three weeks in January 1956, opening with a cover of former Sun labelmate Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.”

 

16. Ramones, “Blitzkrieg Bop” (From Ramones, 1976)

From the opening “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!” to its abrupt conclusion 132 seconds later with that same simple chant, “Blitzkrieg Bop” introduced a new face to American music in 1976. Gathering parts from garage rock, ’60s pop and the emerging punk scene, the Ramones‘ first album remains one of rock’s most important LPs. The torrent that opens the record signals the storm on the horizon. Its influence never left the conversation.

 

15. Ozzy Osbourne, “I Don’t Know” (From Blizzard of Ozz, 1980)

After Ozzy Osbourne was kicked out of Black Sabbath in 1979, his future was uncertain, as his addictions took over both his personal and professional lives. When he resurfaced during the latter half of 1980 with a new band and album, along with renewed purpose, he proved his former bandmates wrong. Blizzard of Ozz was a hit, its opening track, “I Don’t Know,” launching a new era and career for the singer.

 

14. Bruce Springsteen, “Blinded by the Light” (From Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., 1973)

Bruce Springsteen‘s debut LP developed from an audition with Columbia Records’ John Hammond, who wanted a solo acoustic LP from his new signee. Others at the label pushed for a band record and more radio-friendly songs, so the 22-year-old singer-songwriter quickly wrote and recorded “Blinded by the Light” for Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. It opened the album. Manfred Mann‘s Earth Band took it to No. 1 in 1976.

 

13. Metallica, “Hit the Lights” (From Kill ‘Em All, 1983)

The first Metallica song written, and the opening track on both the band’s 1982 demo tape No Life ‘Til Leather and their 1983 debut LP, Kill ‘Em All, “Hit the Lights” holds a canonized place in their catalog. An early favorite that celebrates the power of metal, the song has rarely been omitted from live sets. Prophetic, too: “We know our fans are insane / We’re gonna blow this place away / With volume higher than anything today.”

 

12. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Foxy Lady” (From Are You Experienced, 1967)

No matter what version of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album you choose — the original U.K. edition opens with “Foxy Lady,” the U.S. one, released three months later, starts with “Purple Haze” — the results are the same. Are You Experienced is one of the great debut albums, and its first song rides the line between rock, blues and psychedelic fog. Hendrix’s imaginative guitar defined a generation in either context.

 

11. Steely Dan, “Do It Again” (From Can’t Buy a Thrill, 1972)

The seeds of Steely Dan‘s perfectionism and future studio sanctuary were there from the start on their debut album. Even though Can’t Buy a Thrill displayed some of the era’s perceptions of what a rock group should be, from the opening song, “Do It Again,” there was clearly something else going on beneath the surface. At nearly six minutes, the song eases into its groove, giving everyone a moment to bask in its brilliance.

 

10. Eagles, “Take It Easy” (From Eagles, 1972)

If Jackson Browne hadn’t experienced a bout of writer’s block during the making of his debut album, he may have gotten to “Take It Easy” first. After struggling to complete the song, his friend Glenn Frey stepped in, receiving a co-credit and the chance to record it first with his new group, the Eagles. “Take It Easy” became their debut single and the opening song on their self-titled first album. Browne’s version appeared the next year.

 

9. R.E.M., “Radio Free Europe” (From Murmur, 1983)

“Radio Free Europe” was first released in a scaled-back version as R.E.M.‘s first single in 1981. When they released their debut album in 1983, they returned to the song and rerecorded it as the opener for Murmur. Against a backdrop of haunted, ghosltly hums and barely decipherable lyrics by singer Michael Stipe, “Radio Free Europe” was the perfect introduction to the band’s often oblique worldview of ’60s-meets-’80s pop.

 

8. The Doors, “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” (From The Doors, 1967)

The Doors gained popularity in Los Angeles as the house band at Whisky a Go Go before their debut album was released in early 1967. “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” was issued as their first single, but it stalled at No. 126 on the chart. Follow-up “Light My Fire” fared better, going to No. 1. But as the band’s formal introduction and LP opening cut, “Break On Through” is rock ‘n’ roll history.

 

READ MORE: Top 30 Album-Closing Songs

 

7. The Cars, “Good Times Roll” (From The Cars, 1978)

The Cars‘ self-titled debut arrived in the summer of 1978 as an anomaly. They had a big, driving sound that made them favorites on FM radio and elastic pop hooks that helped push a few songs into the Top 40. But they also sounded unlike anything else that reached the mainstream at the time, sharing icy synths and skittering rhythms with the developing new wave scene. “Good Times Roll” welcomes The Cars with purpose.

 

6. Black Sabbath, “Black Sabbath” (From Black Sabbath, 1970)

Tolling bells, pouring rain and a foreboding sense of approaching dread occupy the initial half-minute of the first song on Black Sabbath’s debut. It sets a mood, but more than that, the song “Black Sabbath” states a defining purpose. Inspired by a late-night encounter with a supernatural figure, occult-obsessed bassist Geezer Butler nudged his band toward the doom-y riffs and dark tones that would define their career.

 

5. Boston, “More Than a Feeling” (From Boston, 1976)

Boston‘s “More Than a Feeling” fades in, as if it’s already in progress and aware of where it’s heading. In the summer of 1976, when Boston was released, the band’s intro took nearly everyone by surprise, including the members and their record company. Before long, their debut was one of the best-selling albums of all time, and its opening song became a radio staple. It’s one of ’70s rock’s most exciting entrances.

 

4. Van Halen, “Runnin’ With the Devil” (From Van Halen, 1978)

The opening sound on the first song from Van Halen‘s debut album doesn’t come from Eddie Van Halen‘s innovative guitar playing; it’s the sound of several car horns slowed down to replicate the summoning of a beast from below. Then comes the guitar. “Runnin’ With the Devil” heralded a new route to late-’70s rock music, with flashy delivery, bottom-heavy rhythm and the most inventive guitarist since Jimi Hendrix.

 

3. Led Zeppelin, “Good Times Bad Times” (From Led Zeppelin, 1969)

While “Good Times Bad Times” may not be Led Zeppelin‘s most characteristic song, it serves as both their debut single and the opening track of their first album. At less than three minutes, it’s one of their shortest songs, but its impact was great. A buzzing riff, complete with a solo achieved by Jimmy Page playing through a Leslie speaker, and a double-tracked Robert Plant vocal make this almost a pop song. Almost.

 

2. Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle” (From Appetite for Destruction, 1987)

It’s never a bad idea to throw the word “welcome” into the first song on a debut album. It’s risky, but the payoff can be immense. It paid off hugely for Guns N’ Roses, who not only began Appetite for Destruction with “Welcome to the Jungle” but also eased into the song with a snaky setup that slides into a powder keg of riffs and howls. It’s a pivotal moment in ’80s guitar rock, laying the groundwork for the next few decades.

 

1. The Beatles, “I Saw Her Standing There” (From Please Please Me, 1963)

“One, two, three, four!” With that ecstatic start, the Beatles launched one of popular music’s greatest stories. In its relative simplicity — really, a count-in for the group to prepare for the song they were about to perform — “I Saw Her Standing There” fired a shot into history. Nothing was the same after this, and everything before became either obsolete or nostalgic. Please Please Me couldn’t have forecasted the future; nobody could have predicted Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band from the 14 songs — a mix of originals and covers — the group tears through in a mere 32 minutes. But there’s something here, something that would reveal itself in just a matter of months.