Heave Media

Top 10 Debut Rock Albums of all Time

The ten best debuts as seen through a twenty-six-year-old's eyes

Compiling any music list containing the words "of all time" can be a very tedious and tricky task. Alliteration aside, I have not lived long enough to experience everything. Fortunately, I have dedicated a fair amount of time to listening to both the rock and the roll. Now, before I get all kinds of hate mail about why wasn't this or that band in the top ten I will explain the methodology. Bob Dylan, The Who, The Beatles, The Stones and The Kinks all had solid debuts, but they recorded a number of much better albums later on. We can probably agree that CCR's self-titled debut was very good, yet we listen to CCR's chronicles way more often. Most of the aforementioned bands early work was not nearly as revolutionary or influential as their later works. No offense to those great '60s musicians, it's just a little too obvious. Since this is the debut of our website I felt it fitting to write a piece about debuts.

This list is compiled of the best ten debut rock albums of all time.

10. Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

I liked this album from the moment I dropped it in my CD player. Considering I was not a post-rock fan at the time, I think Fugazi's first album is greatly underappreciated. On the song Merchandise Ian Mackaye and Guy Piciotto scream "You are not what you own," years before Fight Club would echo the same message to the masses. It's hard to believe this album came out 17 years ago but it's even more amazing that it doesn't sound at all dated compared to contemporary music.

9. Bruce Springsteen - Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)

Bruce Springsteen is pretty hit or miss. Yes, it's true: I probably like Springsteen more than the average music fan. On his first album The Boss was basically a folk singer with an electric band using elaborate arrangements including piano, organ, and saxophone. I will go ahead and go on record as saying that this is one of his least hit or miss records of his career, right behind Born to Run.

8. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1969)

When I was in fifth grade Led Zeppelin was a band I liked. A lot. Little did I know that they would become the music that would allow me to get over the hair bands that I dearly loved. Although I believed Poison and Motley Crue ruled, Zeppelin was one of only two bands I liked that were actually good (don't worry, I still like Poison and Motley Crue). Anyway, Led Zeppelin achieved their trademark sounds on the opening seconds of Good Times, Bad Times. You may not like Zeppelin, but you have to respect them for six and a half minutes during Dazed and Confused.

7. The Smiths - The Smiths (1984)

Three quick points. Morrissey is a weirdo. Johnny Marr is in Modest Mouse. The Smiths' music is dated. Really dated. After taking all of this into consideration, I still think this album is one terrific debut. All the songs are solid. The album has a great "sound" (whatever that means). It is hard to compare a band from the mid eighties to bands of today, so I won't even try. I know some people who don't like the Smiths first album. Those people are no friends of mine.

6. The Cars - The Cars (1978)

Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love - More than half of this debut should be on their greatest hits album. Some of you might say the Cars are a guilty pleasure. Others will say they just suck (hey, watch your language. This is a family website.). A small minority will agree with me. The Cars are a good band that made a great debut record.

5. Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)

That other band I liked in fifth grade that was actually good. You got it. G n' F n' R. I am aware this is an uncool pick. Hipness does not even enter the equation. Just admit it. You know the words to Paradise City. When Sweet Child O' Mine starts playing on the jukebox you're tapping your feet and playing air guitar along to Slash's riff. No need to apologize. You're not a robot. And you're still cool to me.

4. Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)

My Aim is True blasts out of the stereo with "Welcome to the working week," a one minute twenty-two second rocker that leaves us aching for more. It is hard to imagine the near fifty-three year old Elvis Costello as being a rocker. After all, he did make a record with Burt Bacharach in the nineties. Elvis was punk without even trying. He engineered a great debut in spite of having to work with musicians from Huey Lewis's band. Huey Lewis! If that doesn't justify his spot on the list, I don't know what would.

3. The Clash - The Clash (1977)

Many people think that London Calling is the best Clash album, but I beg to differ. Although Spanish Bombs is one of my favorite songs, I think that the Clash's self titled debut is their best body of work. It's confusing that the U.K. edition came out in '77 and the U.S. version came out in '79. Anyway you slice it, they were both great.

2. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (1992)

Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, and Gary Young. They had no bass player. They didn't even use a bass during the recording of Slanted and Enchanted. Pavement helped to redefine indie rock for the nineties with this album. They had a distinct sound combined with mass appeal. Malkmus's talk style vocals, while annoying to some, were undeniably influential to rock music.

1. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

You see the Andy Warhol banana from the cover of this album on posters, t-shirts, shoes, and even purses. You probably know the famous quote about how "everyone who heard the Velvet Underground went out and started a band." You would recognize Nico's terrible vocals anywhere. That being said, even the Nico sung songs have begun to grow on me over the years. From Lou Reed's lyrics to Moe Tucker's stripped down cymbal-less drum set there are too many positives about this album to even list. If you don't already own this you should probably invest the twelve bucks. At the very least go borrow it from the library.

Honorable Mentions: Jeff Buckley - Grace, Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island, Talking Heads - 77', The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy, Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?

Posted by Greg Herald on Aug 24, 2007 @ 12:00 am