Best First Tracks

[Romero]

What are the best album openers/first songs?
Which song starts a record in the most kick ass way possible?
Which song did you listen to five times in a row before you even heard the rest of the album?

Some of mine:
"Search and Destroy" The Stooges from "Raw Power"
"Want" by Jawbreaker from "Unfun"
"Waiting Room" by Fugazi from "13 Songs"
"Regular John" by QOTSA from S/T album
"Millionaire" by QOTSA from "Songs for the Deaf"
"The Wagon" by Dinosaur Jr. from "Green Mind"
"Blue Orchid" by White Stripes from "Get Behind Me Satan"
"Godzilla" by Fu Manchu from "Eatin Dust"

[howyadoin]

"Detroit Rock City" from Destroyer comes to mind.

[berk]

Most of my favourite records have great opening cuts, so too many to mention, really. But one that I don't hear many people talk about is the first song on Robin Trowers's Bridge of Sighs album: Day of the Eagle. Tremendous power and energy to that one, always revs me up. Rest of the album's great, too.

[J. Robb]

A few well-known ones that spring to mind: "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Welcome to the Jungle" and " My Name is Jonas".

[TheMagneticSteve]

" My Name is Jonas".

Yeah Weezer are great for scorching openers

My Top 5 would probably consist of

Troublemaker by Weezer
Everyday I Love You Less and Less by Kaiser Cheifs
At The Bottom of Everything by Bright Eyes
Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth
Forget The Swan by Dinosaur Jr

[DrewTheXenocide]

I really like how Q and not U's Power opens up with Wonderful People. It's like there's this explosion that tells you you're in for a super fun dancy time.

[Ilash]

The Stones have a ludicrous amount of great first tracks, especially if you go by their American discography. Gimme Shelter, Brown Sugar, Sympathy for the Devil, Ruby Tuesday, Lets Spend the Night Together, Miss You, Start Me Up, Paint It Black, Rocks Off, Not Fade Away - that's a pretty stupendous selection of songs, is it not?

[mattx110]

Third Eye Blind, "Losing a Whole Year", and "Anything" is also pretty cool off the second album.
George Michael's "Faith" from the album of the same name.
John Hiatt has "Cry Love", from "Walk On", and "Something Wild", from "Perfectly Good Guitar" are good openers.
"Last of the Famous International Playboys" from Morrissey's "Live at the Hollywood Bowl".
Paul Gilbert's "Get Out of My Yard" is mindblowing.
The version of "Native Stepson" on Sonny Landreth's "Grant Street" live album is very awesome.
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a hell of an opener too (U2).

[rick]

My favorite "First Track" is probably, One Of These Days from Pink Floyds Meddle album.

[Spike-X]

Thunder Road (Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen)

Bandlands. (Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen)

Magnolia Mountain (Cold Roses - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals)

[Aubergine~!]

Pixies - Debaser (Doolittle)
The Who - Baba O'Reilly (Who's Next)
Oasis - Rock n' Roll Star (Definitely Maybe)
Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone (Parallel Lines)
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind)

[mattx110]

The Who - Baba O'Reilly (Who's Next)

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind)
These are two big ones. Like, awesomely big. Perfect starters for the albums.

[twilight]

Wouldn't It Be Nice from The Beach Boys Pet Sounds.

Disorder from Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures.

I Will Dare from The Replacement's Let It Be.

-Twi

[AbsurdistEmergence]

Some I've always liked:

Holiday in the Sun - Never Mind the Bollocks by the Sex Pistols

Help! - Help! by the Beatles

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles

Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan

Like a Rolling Stone - Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

Cherub Rock - Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins

[Kirayoshi]

Ride my Seesaw, Moody Blues "In Search of the Lost Chord"

Beautiful Day, U2 "All That You Can't Leave Behind"

Helter Skelter, U2, "Rattle and Hum" ("This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, we're stealing it back!")

[Imaginos666]

Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones
Twist of Cain by Danzig
Message in a Bottle by The Police

[howyadoin]

"Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns N' Roses

"Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

"Baba O'Riley" - the Who

"Refugee" - Tom Petty

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

A couple ones not already picked:

"Bone Machine," by Pixies (Surfer Rosa)
"100%," by Sonic Youth (Dirty)

[the goddamn batman]

"To Our Friends in the Great White North" by Botch on "We Are The Romans"

"Carnival" by Burning Airlines on "Mission Control" Serisouly one of the best records ever.

"Academy Flight Song" by No Knife on "Fire in the City of Automatons" ...also, another fucking brilliant record front to back.

[AbsurdistEmergence]

One that I forgot was:

Purple Haze - Are You Experienced by the Jimmy Hendrix Experience

[mattx110]

"Refugee" - Tom Petty
Also, "Rebels" and "Freefallin'" are great starts.

[berk]

Needle in the Camel's Eye - Eno, Here Come the Warm Jets
Remake/Remodel - Roxy Music, Roxy Music
Do the Strand - Roxy Music, For Your Pleasure
Street Life - Roxy Music, Stranded

[stealthwise]

Enter Sandman - Black Album (Metallica)
Battery - Master of Puppets (Metallica)
Black - Sevendust
Twin Cinema - Twin Cinema (New Pornographers)
War Pigs - Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
Black Dog - IV (Led Zeppelin)

[jesse_custer]

"Welcome to the Working Week" from Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True

"No Action" from Elvis Costello and the Attractions' This Year's Model

[Ayo]

"Abandon All Hope" - Aesop Rock Music for Earthworms

"Good Morning" - Cage Hell's Winter

"Average Man" - Obie Trice Cheers

"Figure 8" - Ghost Mice The Debt of the Dead

"Kill the Poor" - Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

"Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes Elephant

"The Start of Your Ending" - Mobb Deep The Infamous

"Rise Above" - Black Flag Damaged

"Bang" - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs [s/t]

"Timz n Hood Chek" - Smif-N-Wessun Dah Shinin

"Liquid Swords" - GZA/Genius Liquid Swords

[Spike-X]

Post reported.

Let's see if it actually does any good this time.

[ZombieHavoc]

-Matthew Sweet- Girlfirend
-The Clash- Clash City Rockers (on the US version)
-Mission of Burma- Revolver
-Ministry- Effigy

[Agent Helix]

Definitely seconding "Debaser", "Kill the Poor", "Help!", "Wouldn't it Be Nice" and a few others.

I'll add:

Tired of Sex - Pinkerton (Weezer)
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces - Whatever and Ever Amen (Ben Folds Five)
Generator - Generator (Bad Religion)
The Infanta - Picaresque (The Decemberists)
Civil Twilight - Reunion Tour (The Weakerthans)
Like Eating Glass - Silent Alarm (Bloc Party)

[parrish]

"Everything in its Right Place" - Radiohead, Kid A

"The Game Needed Me" - Minus the Bear, Menos el Oso

[Infra-Man]

-Matthew Sweet- Girlfirend

Actually, the opening track on Girlfriend is "Divine Intervention", which is still a nice song.

Some of my favs trying not to repeat...
"Outside the Aviary" from Burning Airlines' Identikit
"A Life of Possibilities" from The Dismemberment Plans' Emergency & I
"Sick of Myself" from Matthew Sweet's 100% Fun
"London Calling" from The Clash's London Calling
"Fake Empire" from The National's Boxer
"Me and Mia" from Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' Shake the Sheets
"Shoot You Down" from APB's Something to Believe In
"Jailbreak" from Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak
"See No Evil" from Television's Marquee Moon
"Young Americans" from David Bowie's Young Americans
"Lust for Life" from Iggy Pop's Lust for Life
"Age of Consent" from New Order's Power, Corruption, and Lies

[jesse_custer]

Here's a great opening kick to the nuts:

"Back in the Saddle," from Aerosmith's Rocks

[Pinball]

2112

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[Romero]

Some more I thought of:

"On warmer music" Chisel from "Set You Free"

"Wrong Way" by TV on the Radio from "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes"

"Web in Front" by Archers of Loaf from "Icky Mettle"

[Agent Helix]

Some more:

Everything Sucks - Everything Sucks (Descendents)
Pluto - Super Mercado (2 Skinnee Js)
Not an Addict - Paradise in Me (K's Choice)

[ZombieHavoc]

Actually, the opening track on Girlfriend is "Divine Intervention", which is still a nice song.


Oh yeah, I like that song too.

I think I made a mix with "Girlfriend" as the first song...maybe.

[Spike-X]

And how on Earth could we forget Hell's Bells by AC/DC, off Back In Black?!

[jessecuster3]

Go - Apples in Stereo
Girls and Boys - Blur
I Wanna Be Adored - Stone Roses
Kinder Words - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Twice as Hard - The Black Crowes
I Am One - Smashing Pumpkins
Them Bones - Alice in Chains


I will have to think of more.

[dan bailey]

Safe European Home -- Clash (Give 'Em Enough Rope)
Mekons -- Memphis, Egypt (Mekons Rock'n'Roll)
Cramps -- TV Set (Songs the Lord Taught Us)
Gun Club -- Sex Beat (Fire of Love)

[Shellhead]

"Love is the Drug" by Roxy Music, from the album "Siren"

"Swamped" by Lacuna Coil, from the album "Comalies"

"If I Were Going" by the Afghan Whigs, from the album "Gentlemen"

"Fight the Youth" by Fishbone, from the album "The Reality of My Surroundings"

"Protection" by Massive Attack, from the album "Protection"

"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, from the album "Vivid"

[elheffe]

"Want" by Jawbreaker from "Unfun"

Doesn't that song just about cover it?

[Spike-X]

Draw The Line - Draw The Line (Aerosmith)
Rehab - Back To Black (Amy Winehouse)
One Crowded Hour - Moo, You Bloody Choir (Augie March)
Wouldn't It Be Nice - Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys)
I Saw Her Standing There - Please Please Me (The Beatles)
Faded - The Will To Live (Ben Harper)
Greetings To The New Brunette - Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (Billy Bragg)
Tangled Up In Blue - Blood On The Tracks (Bob Dylan)
The E Street Shuffle - The Wild, The Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle (Bruce Springsteen)
Surrender - Heaven Tonight (Cheap Trick)
Decadence Dance - Pornograffiti (Extreme) - this one would have been a hell of a shock to all the teenage girls and housewives who bought the album after only having heard More Than Words.

[Spike-X]

Shake Some Action - Shake Some Action (the Flamin' Groovies)
Maggot Brain - Maggot Brain (Funkadelic)
Rock'n'Roll Soldiers - Tora Tora DTK (The Hitmen)
Aces High - Live After Death (Iron Maiden)
Knocked Up - Because Of The Times (Kings Of Leon)
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin III (Led Zeppelin)
What's Going On? - What's Going On? (Marvin Gaye)
Enter Sandman - Metallica aka The Black Album (Metallica)
Ace Of Spades - Ace Of Spades (Motorhead)

Why yes, I am going through my entire collection alphabetically.

[Spike-X]

Cinnamon Girl - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young and Crazy Horse)
Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
Let's Go Crazy - Purple Rain (Prince And The Revolution)
Tie Your Mother Down - A Day At The Races (Queen)
Brighton Rock - Sheer Heart Attack (Queen)
Sympathy For The Devil - Beggar's Banquet (The Rolling Stones)
Rocks Off - Exile On Main St. (The Rolling Stones)
Gimme Shelter - Let It Bleed (The Rolling Stones)
New York, New York - Gold (Ryan Adams)
(I'm) Stranded - (I'm) Stranded (The Saints)
Know Your Product - Eternally Yours (The Saints)
Strangers When We Meet - Especially For You (The Smithereens)
Dirty Boots - Goo (Sonic Youth)

[Totoro Man]

"Cowboys", the opening track from Portishead's self-titled second album is pretty awesome.

"Brilliant Corners" by Thelonious Monk by the album of the same name.

"Breathe, by Pink Floyd, from Dark Side of the Moon

"Taxman" by the Beatles, from Revolver

[Ullar]

Angel of Death-from Slayer's Reign In Blood
Battery-from Metallica's Master of Puppets
Can't Stand Me Now-from The Libertines self titled

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

A few more...

"Stop!," by Jane's Addiction (Ritual De Lo Habitual)
"Let Me Drown," by Soundgarden (Superunknown)
"Pop Song '89," by REM (Green)

[CJ Lentze]

"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, from the album "Vivid"I have to throw 'Go Away' from their 'Stain' album in there. It sets the mood of the entire album, really, it has a great intro and a great ending (I think it's important that an opening track doesn't end in a fade out!).

[hawkeye comeback]

Ladies and Gentlemen - Love songs for the patriot by american music club.
Brianstorm - Favourite worst nightmare by the Arctic monkeys
Carry on up on the Morning - shotters nation by the Babyshambles
Sonny's burning - The bad seed E.P./ mutiny reocrding by the birthday party
Tangled up in blue - Blood on the tracks by Bob Dylan
Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bringing it all back home by Bob Dylan (not gonna go into all his albums i'd be here for a long time)
London Calling - London Calling by the Clash
Deadwood - From waterloo to anywhere by the Dirty Pretty things.
Break on Through to the Other Side - The Doors by the Doors
Touch Sensative - The Marshall suite by the Fall
come to mind to me at the mo

[jessecuster3]

I don't know how I missed:

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart off of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

[DrewTheXenocide]

Has Welcome to the Jungle been mentioned yet? If not, that's a shame.

Also, the new Parts and Labor album starts with Satellites, which is all sorts of awesome.

[HectorP]

The Human Factor by Metal Church's album of the same name.

[HectorP]

The Human Factor by Metal Church's album of the same name.

[hawkeye comeback]

Get it on : Grinderman's self titled debut album
When the Man Comes Around : 4th American album by Johhny Cash
Everyday I love you less and less + Ruby: from the 1st two kaisercheifs albums, Employment and here's to you the angry mob
See the Sun: from Konk by the kooks
The Age of the Undersatement: from the debut album of the same name from the Last Shadow Puppets
Can't Stand Me Now : from the 2nd self-titled album of the Libertines
Vicious: from Transformer by Lou Reed
America is not the world: from You Are The Quarry by Morrissey
Get Ready for Love: From Abbatior Blues by Nick Cave
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!: From the album of the same name by Nick Cave
Papa won't leave you, Henry: From Henry's Dream by Nick Cave
The Mercy Seat: From Tender Prey by Nick Cave
Rock "n" Roll star: From Definetly Maybe by Oasis
Romantic Type: From Wait for me by the Pigeon detectives
Mis-Shapes: From Different Class by Pulp
Steady, As She Goes: From Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs.

[40footwolf]

"Born Under A Bad Sign" from Albert King's self-titled
"For Tomorrow" from Blur's "Modern Life Is Rubbish"

[Ideal.]

Acknowledgement from John Coltrane's A Love Supreme
London Calling from the Clash's London Calling
Personality Crisis from the New York Dolls' the New York Dolls
Sunday Morning from Velvet Underground's the Velvet Underground & Nico
Taxman from the Beatles' Revolver
Reality Check from Binary Star's Masters of the Universe
Subterranean Homesick Blues from Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home
So What from Miles Davis' Kind of Blue
Solo Dancer from Charles Mingus' the Black Saint & the Sinner Lady
Dust my Blues from Elmore James' Blues After Hours
I Ain't No Joke from Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full
Intro from Organized Konfusion's Stress: the Extinction Agenda
Sign o' the Times from Prince's Sign o' the Times
1999 from Prince's 1999
Rocks Off from the Rolling Stone's Exile on Main Street
Don't Start Me Talkin' from Sonny Boy William's Down and Out Blues
You are the Sunshine of my Life from Stevie Wonder's Talking Book
See No Evil from Television's Marquee Moon

[edhopper]

Hotel California
The Eagles-Hotel California

[StoneGold]

And how on Earth could we forget Hell's Bells by AC/DC, off Back In Black?!

How about Long Way to the Top off High Voltage Thunderstruck off High Voltage, and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Highway to Hell, For Those About to Rock, and Who Made Who off the albums of the same names?