# Best Debut Albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902 "2003-05-13T06:36:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/1 "2003-05-13T06:36:21Z")
I was listening to “Appetite for Destruction” the other day and got to thinking about how vastly superior it is to any of GnR’s other stuff. I realized that there are some bands (not the majority by any means) whose debut album is better than their others. There are also bands whose debut albums are just really good. What are your favorite debuts? Four off the top of my head[ul] [li]Guns and Roses- Appetite for Destruction[/li][li]Marylin Manson- Portrait of an American Family[/li][li]Rammstein- Herzeleid[/li]Evanescence- Fallen (Don’t know if this one should be included, as it’s their only to date) [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/2 "2003-05-13T06:46:51Z")
Sports: Huey Lewis and the News A classic, as opposed to all their other dreck. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/3 "2003-05-13T06:51:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*Sports: Huey Lewis and the News > > A classic, as opposed to all their other dreck. \*\* But that wasn’t their debut. That wasn’t even their first album to have a hit – “Picture This” was. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/4 "2003-05-13T07:00:46Z")
Van Halen I Pretty Hate Machine I’m not sure if The Queen Is Dead was a debut Led Zeppelin I ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/5 "2003-05-13T07:03:14Z")
Bjork: Debut. (This is just in the “really good” category, since I like “Post” a lot more.) Pixies: Surfer Rosa (still their best album) ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/6 "2003-05-13T07:12:55Z")
Warren Zevon’s first album was amazing. Radiohead’s first one was a breakthrough as well. REM’s first EP, Chronic Town, was a sign of great things to come. ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/7 "2003-05-13T07:24:37Z")
Disturbed- The Sickness Disturbed had a great debut, which is pretty good since it had the fact it’s nu metal against it, because most nu metal bands have been crappy throwaway “We want to be linkin park or nickelback” type bands. The lyrics/singing of lyrics is well done, and they only real problem is some of the songs music is “generic metal background”, but on others it’s rather well done. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/8 "2003-05-13T07:27:42Z")
Monster Magnet’s ‘Spine of God’ is far superior to anything they have done since. In fact, it’s one of my favorite albums, and there hasn’t been a Monster Magnet album since that I have liked. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/9 "2003-05-13T07:44:03Z")
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, and people will point at me and laugh, but I’ll continue to say it: Men At Work’s first album, Business As Usual, was an incredibly good album, start to finish, first note to last. One of the best albums of the 80’s, IMHO. Of course, that was pretty much all they had in them. Also, The Pogues ‘Red Roses For Me’ Robyn Hitchcock ‘Black Snake Diamond Role’ And I’ll echo Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa’ ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/10 "2003-05-13T07:47:26Z")
John Prine’s first album has to be one of the best debuts ever. “Sam Stone”, “Donald and Lydia”, “Hello in There”, “The Great Compromise”, “Spanish Pipedream”, “Six O’clock News”, “Far from Me”, “Pretty Good”, and “Paradise” have all been covered a million times by other artists. Prine is one of the great songrwiters of all time, and this is the definitive collection of his work. Other albums had individual great songs, but he never again put together a package this tremendous. **Mr. Visible:** Warren Zevon’s first album wasn’t “Warren Zevon” (which I agree is a great album - one of the top ten best albums of the 70’s, in my opinion), but Zevon put out an album a few years before called, “Wanted - Dead or Alive”. It wasn’t all that good. BTW, it’s been re-released on CD, so if you’re looking to fill your Warren Zevon collection… ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/11 "2003-05-13T08:22:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrVisible \* > **Radiohead’s first one was a breakthrough as well.** Their first album (_“Pablo Honey”_) didn’t do anything here compared to the follow-up _“The Bends”_. Was it big Stateside? I offer up the Stone Roses first album, brilliantly and imaginatively titled _The Stone Roses_. I wil also recommend The Corrs first outing _Forgiven Not Forgotten_ ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/12 "2003-05-13T09:51:20Z")
**Rage Against The Machine** self titled debut basically kicked off the 90’s with a bang opening up the gates for all the other rap-metal bands to follow. Of course they did it best though. ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/13 "2003-05-13T11:44:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrVisible \* > **Radiohead’s first one was a breakthrough as well.** Zuh? Anyway, I humbly submit The Velvet Underground and Nico. One of the best albums ever, and also a debut album. Every time I hear it I’m amazed that it was made in '67. ---
**Author:** ![Wyld\_Stallyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Wyld\_Stallyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wyld_Stallyn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/14 "2003-05-13T13:07:59Z")
Lest we not forget the thrash-metal genre-inducing _Kill 'Em All_ by Metallica, aka _Metal Up Your Ass_, the latter title being rejected by the “damn record company people”. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/15 "2003-05-13T13:15:40Z")
_Blizzard of Ozz_ was damn good. I think _Diary of a Madman_ is probably better in a technical sense, but _Blizzard_ set the tone for Ozzy’s career. Fiona Apple’s _Tidal_ was pretty awesome. _When The Pawn…_ didn’t live up to it at all. Fugee’s _The Score_ was, I believe, their first and only album. Excellent stuff. I’ll think of more and come back later. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/16 "2003-05-13T13:29:23Z")
_Are You Experienced_ by the Jimi Hendrix Experience changed rock guitar forever. _Guitar Town_ by Steve Earle made alt-country possible. ---
**Author:** ![JeanLinen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@JeanLinen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeanLinen)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/17 "2003-05-13T13:31:02Z")
Oasis Definitely Maybe “I live my life in the ciiiiiittyyyyy, but there’s no easy way out…” ---
**Author:** ![NYR407](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@NYR407](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NYR407)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/18 "2003-05-13T13:39:55Z")
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View Counting Crows - August and Everything After Ryan Adams - Gold Van Morrison - Moondance Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run Metallica - Kill 'em All (way before they became Metallika) Wall Flowers - Bringing Down the Horse ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/19 "2003-05-13T13:44:06Z")
**The Cars** self titled debut was darned good. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902/20 "2003-05-13T14:21:14Z")
Boston’s eponymous debut is up there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-debut-albums/174902.md?page=2)