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First impressions are everything. With short attention spans so common, artists don’t always have the luxury of saying what they want to say over an extended period.\u00a0There’s a good reason so many classic albums begin with their best songs.<\/p>\n
From the Beatles<\/a> and Led Zeppelin<\/a>\u00a0to U2<\/a>\u00a0and Nirvana<\/a>, rock history is filled with great album-opening songs. Whether it’s a prologue to an LP-length concept or a killer single, the first song on an album not only sets the mood and pace but also plays a key role in determining whether a listener will stick around for the next 40 or so minutes. Without that first hook, the odds get much, much slimmer.<\/p>\n As\u00a0you’ll see in the list below of the\u00a0Top 40 Album-Opening Songs, the fundamental starting point is often a make-or-break moment for a\u00a0classic record. Would the Jimi Hendrix<\/a> Experience’s debut still matter all these years later without “Purple Haze”‘s famous guitar introduction welcoming listeners?\u00a0And since we’re on the subject of that color,\u00a0Prince<\/a>‘s from-the-pulpit invitation to\u00a0Purple Rain<\/em>\u00a0undoubtedly helped make the album the longest-running No. 1 in 1984.<\/span>\u00a0And the best thing about the Top\u00a040 Album-Opening Songs below is that they’re just the start of LPs worth diving into. But you\u00a0gotta\u00a0start somewhere.<\/p>\n 40. David Bowie, “Five Years” (From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars<\/em>, 1972)<\/strong><\/p>\n The opening track on Bowie<\/a>‘s star-making LP serves as the prologue to the story of an extraterrestrial rock star who falls to Earth in an attempt to save it from destruction. “Five Years” slowly fades in as news of an impending apocalypse is relayed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 39. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Refugee” (From Damn the Torpedoes<\/em>, 1979)<\/strong><\/p>\n From the rolling drums that introduce “Refugee,” Tom Petty<\/a> and the Heartbreakers’ third album sounded like something big was on the horizon. Damn the Torpedoes<\/em> <\/a>was\u00a0Petty’s first Top 10 LP, filler-free\u00a0rock ‘n’ roll straight from the heartland.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 38. Nine Inch Nails, “Head Like a Hole” (From Pretty Hate Machine<\/em>, 1989)<\/strong><\/p>\n The minute-long instrumental intro to the first song on Nine Inch Nails<\/a>‘ debut album set the template for their career: skittering electronic drums, buzzing synths and chainsaw guitars. Then Trent Reznor<\/a>‘s scraped vocals show up. A career-making moment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 37. U2, “Beautiful Day” (From All That You Can’t Leave Behind<\/em>, 2000)<\/strong><\/p>\n U2 had spent much of the ’90s in the wilderness, experimenting with new sounds and styles. For 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind<\/a><\/em>, they returned to the classic U2 sound, starting with the familiar-sounding guitar leading “Beautiful Day.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 36. Ramones, “Blitzkrieg Bop” (From Ramones<\/em>, 1976)<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Ramones<\/a>‘ template is evident in the opening seconds of the first track on their\u00a0debut album<\/a>.\u00a0Power-chord guitars collide with booming bass and a steady 4\/4 … and then it’s all over in less than two and a half minutes. Not a second is wasted.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 35. New York Dolls, “Personality Crisis” (From New York Dolls<\/em>, 1973)<\/strong><\/p>\n New York Dolls<\/a> made their intentions clear in the opening song of their self-titled debut. The band stumbles in as singer David Johansen lets loose with a throat-clearing scream, followed by “yeah, yeah, yeah” and then “no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!”<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> 40 Songs With Titles Not in the Lyrics<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 34. Led Zeppelin, “Immigrant Song” (From Led Zeppelin III<\/em>, 1970)<\/strong><\/p>\n Brief feedback hiss gives way to a galloping hard-rock rhythm that charges through ice and snow on its way to Valhalla. “Immigrant Song” is a deceiving start to Led Zeppelin’s third album<\/a>, a mostly acoustic record that revealed new layers to the supergroup.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 33. The White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army” (From Elephant<\/em>, 2003)<\/strong><\/p>\n The most famous guitar riff of the century began as a potential\u00a0James Bond<\/a>\u00a0theme when\u00a0Jack White<\/a>\u00a0came up with it during a 2002 tour in Australia.\u00a0His band with ex-wife drummer Meg, the White Stripes<\/a>, became rock saviors\u00a0with\u00a0its fourth LP,\u00a0Elephant<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 32. Rush, “Tom Sawyer” (From Moving Pictures<\/em>, 1981)<\/strong><\/p>\n Rush<\/a> had already started moving to a more accessible sound when their eighth album catapulted them to the big leagues.\u00a0From the opening attack of “Tom Sawyer,”\u00a0Moving Pictures<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>honed the Canadian power trio to their peak.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 31. The Rolling Stones, “Start Me Up” (From Tattoo You<\/em>, 1981)<\/strong><\/p>\n An album of castaways dating back to\u00a01972\u00a0carried the Rolling Stones<\/a>‘ streak into a new decade.\u00a0And\u00a0Tattoo You<\/em><\/a>\u00a0started strong with “Start Me Up” \u2014 featuring another in a long line of classic Stones riffs \u2014 sailing to No. 1, followed by the LP reaching the top.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 30. King Crimson, “21st Century Schizoid Man” (From In the Court of the Crimson King<\/em>, 1969)<\/strong><\/p>\n Thirty seconds of\u00a0mostly inaudible silence greet the start of King Crimson<\/a>‘s debut album<\/a>.\u00a0But once\u00a0Greg Lake<\/a>‘s distorted voice and a hard-rock thump, driven by\u00a0Robert Fripp<\/a>‘s slashing guitar, join in, it’s prog mayhem at its razor-sharp, disciplined peak.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 29. Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin'” (From Escape<\/em>, 1981)<\/strong><\/p>\n Journey<\/a>‘s best album<\/a>\u00a0starts with their one undeniable classic. Inspired by new keyboardist Jonathan Cain<\/a>, “Don’t Stop Believin'” pulls off\u00a0a big tease, saving its fist-raising chorus until the song’s final minute. Surprisingly, it’s not the LP’s biggest single.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 28. AC\/DC, “Highway to Hell” (From Highway to Hell<\/em>, 1979)<\/strong><\/p>\n AC\/DC<\/a> has no shortage of great album openers, but “Highway to Hell” strengthens that position with a killer riff and a Bon Scott<\/a> entrance that makes\u00a0the impending road trip sound more than a little menacing. It’s one of their all-time best choruses, too.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 27. Aerosmith, “Back in the Saddle” (From Rocks<\/em>, 1976)<\/strong><\/p>\n The opening track on\u00a0Rocks<\/em><\/a>\u00a0moves from a trot to a gallop in its first 30 seconds, clearing the way for a larynx-shredding scream from\u00a0Steven Tyler<\/a>\u00a0before one of\u00a0Aerosmith<\/a>‘s most recognizable riffs kicks in.\u00a0The LP’s next 35 minutes rarely let up.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 26. Metallica, “Enter Sandman” (From Metallica<\/em>, 1991)<\/strong><\/p>\n Metallica<\/a>‘s commercial breakthrough starts with an introduction to their dark, foreboding world. “Enter Sandman” cracked the Top 20 \u2014 a first for the band \u2014 and propelled the quartet to another level of success.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 25. R.E.M., “Radio Free Europe” (From Murmur<\/em>, 1983)<\/strong><\/p>\n The first song on R.E.M.<\/a>‘s debut album begins with ghostly static calling from another dimension. Then it gets weirder as Michael Stipe<\/a> stitches words together \u2014 some real, some\u00a0possibly made up \u2014 that fans still debate. It’s an invitation to Murmur<\/em><\/a>‘s gothic draw.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 24. Bruce Springsteen, “Badlands” (From Darkness on the Edge of Town<\/em>, 1978)<\/strong><\/p>\n The rolling drums that ushered in “Badlands” marked the end of a three-year album break for\u00a0Springsteen \u2014<\/a>\u00a0almost an eternity in the ’70s.\u00a0From there,\u00a0Darkness on the Edge of Town<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>goes\u00a0to other lands, some more promising than others.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 23. Black Sabbath, “War Pigs” (From Paranoid<\/em>, 1970)<\/strong><\/p>\n Just as\u00a0Black Sabbath<\/a>\u00a0opened their\u00a0self-titled debut album<\/a>\u00a0seven months earlier with a tolling bell, they slowly lead into the first track of their\u00a0follow-up LP, which opens<\/a>\u00a0with a minute-long instrumental intro. Eight minutes later, they bring it to a close.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 22. Radiohead, “Everything in Its Right Place” (From Kid A<\/em>, 2000)<\/strong><\/p>\n Following the landmark\u00a0OK Computer<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Radiohead<\/a>\u00a0turned toward electronic music for their fourth LP.\u00a0The opener, “Everything in Its Right Place,” stalled until they added synths and layered\u00a0Thom Yorke<\/a>‘s vocals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A new\u00a0world awaited.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/strong>: Top 40 Albums of 1983<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 21. U2, “Where the Streets Have No Name” (From The Joshua Tree<\/em>, 1987)<\/strong><\/p>\n U2 had been building toward\u00a0The Joshua Tree<\/em><\/a>\u00a0since\u00a0War<\/em><\/a>, their 1983 album.\u00a0The next year’s\u00a0The Unforgettable Fire\u00a0<\/em><\/a>revealed the Irish band’s deep interest in American culture, a theme explored on their next album.\u00a0<\/span>The opening track\u00a0goes full widescreen.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 20. The Beach Boys, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (From Pet Sounds<\/em>, 1966)<\/strong><\/p>\n From the opening notes of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,”\u00a0the\u00a0Beach Boys<\/a>‘\u00a0Pet Sounds<\/em><\/a>\u00a0revealed new\u00a0layers of depth to their music. Brian Wilson<\/a>\u00a0engineered the record as a concept album about experiencing\u00a0complex emotions for the first time.\u00a0It’s still inspiring.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 19. Boston, “More Than a Feeling” (From Boston<\/em>, 1976)<\/strong><\/p>\n Boston<\/a> came out of nowhere in 1976, breaking\u00a0sales records\u00a0with their bestselling debut<\/a>. From the fade-in of the opening\u00a0track, “More Than a Feeling,” their take on ’70s AOR helped pave the way for the\u00a0next decade.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 18. Black Sabbath, “Black Sabbath” (From Black Sabbath<\/em>, 1970)<\/strong><\/p>\n Falling rain, a tolling bell, thunder … Black Sabbath made quite an entrance with the opening track of their debut album. Not much happens in the six-plus minutes it takes for “Black Sabbath” to unfold, but it sure sets a mood that shaped their entire career.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 17. AC\/DC, “Hells Bells” (From Back in Black<\/em>, 1980)<\/strong><\/p>\n Like “Black Sabbath,” AC\/DC’s “Hells Bells” begins with a ringing bell. And like its 10-year-old predecessor, it serves a purpose: Singer Bon Scott<\/a> died in 1979, replaced by Brian Johnson<\/a> for the band’s seventh album<\/a>. It signals the end and a new beginning.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 16. The Beatles, “Come Together” (From Abbey Road<\/em>, 1969)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Beatles<\/a>‘ catalog has many noteworthy starts, from the “one-two-three-four” count-off on their\u00a0debut album<\/a>\u00a0to the bittersweet opening of\u00a0Let It Be<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0But the snaky bass and drums that introduce their last recorded LP stand out.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Rock’s Most Hated Records<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 15. The Rolling Stones, “Gimme Shelter” (From Let It Bleed<\/em>, 1969)<\/strong><\/p>\n Let It Bleed<\/em><\/a>\u00a0was the\u00a0Rolling Stones<\/a>‘ requiem for the ’60s, and its opening song creeps in like a malevolent storm, bringing dread and despair.\u00a0Not even the gospel voices can save the\u00a0battered souls looking for shelter. Just\u00a0pray it passes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 14. Prince and the Revolution, “Let’s Go Crazy” (From Purple Rain<\/em>, 1984)<\/strong><\/p>\n “Dearly beloved, we\u00a0have gathered here today to get through this thing called life<\/em>,” Prince preaches at the top of his monster-selling album, Purple Rain<\/em>. And then the music \u2014 a mix of pop, funk and rock –\u00a0rushes in, and everything is going to be all right.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 13. Queen, “We Will Rock You” (From News of the World<\/em>, 1977)<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s not much of a song, just 135 seconds of repetitive percussive hand claps and foot stomps accompanied by a group-sing stadium chant. Then a guitar solo barges in and goes into repeat mode. But what a way to start an album.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 12. Led Zeppelin, “Black Dog” (From Led Zeppelin IV<\/em>, 1971)<\/strong><\/p>\n Is there a more perfect intro to one of the greatest rock albums than a swaggering\u00a0Robert Plant<\/a>\u00a0intoning, “Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move \/ Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove<\/em>“?\u00a0A filler-free 42 minutes follows.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 11. Van Halen, “Runnin’ With the Devil” (From Van Halen<\/em>, 1978)<\/strong><\/p>\n The slow fade-in signals something big is on the horizon.\u00a0The opening song on\u00a0Van Halen’<\/a>s\u00a0first album\u00a0<\/a>makes a grand entrance, effectively shifting the hard rock landscape as the ’80s begin.<\/span>\u00a0Everyone here gets a show-stopping showcase.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 10. Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” (From What’s Going On<\/em>, 1971)<\/strong><\/p>\n Casual conversations\u00a0start one of the all-time best protest songs before a wounded saxophone\u00a0brings in the rest of the band. All these years later, “What’s Going On”‘s message is still needed. Marvin Gaye<\/a>‘s sublime\u00a0song cycle<\/a> hasn’t aged one bit.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 9. Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone” (From Highway 61 Revisited<\/em>, 1965)<\/strong><\/p>\n Bob Dylan<\/a>‘s first fully electric album starts out swinging. With a single drum hit, the rest of the band joins in on one of rock’s all-time greatest LP openers. Dylan snarls, accuses and spits his way through a bitchy putdown that made it to No. 2.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 8. The Clash, “London Calling” (From London Calling<\/em>, 1979)<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the greatest albums<\/a> ever made begins with a declaration over a marching beat: “London calling, now don’t look to us, phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust<\/em>.” The next hour flips through punk, pop, rockabilly, jazz, R&B, reggae, new wave and classic rock.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 7. The Who, “Baba O’Riley” (From Who’s Next<\/em>, 1971)<\/strong><\/p>\n Pete Townshend<\/a>\u00a0fed the opening repeated notes of “Baba O’Riley” into an organ, kicking off the Who<\/a>‘s 1971 classic Who’s Next <\/a><\/em>with something futuristic-sounding. The LP was scaled\u00a0back from a more ambitious project; it remains their leanest work.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> 25 Under the Radar Albums From 1973<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Purple Haze” (From Are You Experienced<\/em>, 1967)<\/strong><\/p>\n “Purple Haze” first appeared as a single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in their native U.K. But the song introduced the trio to U.S. listeners, leading off their\u00a0debut album<\/a>\u00a0with guitar heroics never heard before. A great start to an essential debut.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle” (From Appetite for Destruction<\/em>, 1987)<\/strong><\/p>\n Stuttering, echoing guitars introduce one of\u00a0rock’s most powerful bands. By the time Axl Rose<\/a>\u00a0closes\u00a0the intro\u00a0with an\u00a0anguished howl, the rest of Guns N’ Roses r<\/a>oll in like a heavy storm. One of the fiercest welcomes\u00a0ever heard in music.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (From Nevermind<\/em>, 1991)<\/strong><\/p>\n The opening guitar riff of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is not only one of the most famous in rock history; it was also a rallying cry for a revolution. With Nevermind<\/em><\/a>, Nirvana\u00a0fired a warning shot for a new generation of artists. Nothing would be the same after this.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Led Zeppelin, “Whole Lotta Love” (From Led Zeppelin II<\/em>, 1969)<\/strong><\/p>\n The opening track of Led Zeppelin’s\u00a0second album<\/a>\u00a0features one of\u00a0rock history’s most iconic guitar riffs.\u00a0By the time the song fades to a close five and a half minutes later,\u00a0there are canyon-filling howls, thundering drums\u00a0and a mid-song freakout.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 2. The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil” (From Beggars Banquet<\/em>, 1968)<\/strong><\/p>\n Ghostly\u00a0percussion ushers in instruments one at a time until nearly six and a half minutes later, “Sympathy for the Devil” winds down in a flurry of screams and guitar squeals. The Beggars Banquet<\/em><\/a> opener\u00a0launched one of music’s all-time greatest runs.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Bruce Springsteen, “Thunder Road” (From Born to Run<\/em>, 1975)<\/strong><\/p>\n “Thunder Road” slowly sneaks in from the opened screen door Bruce Springsteen sings about in the\u00a0first line of his legend-making LP. It lays out the theme of\u00a0Born to Run<\/a><\/em>: everyday losers looking for new starts. No song sets an album’s scene better.<\/p>\n