# best opening track on an album **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2003, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889 "2003-06-19T09:37:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/1 "2003-06-19T09:37:12Z")
does what it says on the tin. the best opening tracks on any album, any genre. my ball starts rolling with **Seneca** from standards by **Tortoise** , and **I wanna be adored** off the stone roses by, well, the **Stone Roses** ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/2 "2003-06-19T09:48:58Z")
**Bombtrack** off of _Rage Against The Machine’s_ self titled debut. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/3 "2003-06-19T09:55:52Z")
**Ana Ng** , the first track on “Lincoln”, by They Might Be Giants. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/4 "2003-06-19T10:46:59Z")
Bat out of hell by Meatloaf kicks of with the stunning title track. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/5 "2003-06-19T10:53:19Z")
**Dance on a Volcano** from _A Trick of the Tail,_ Genesis’ first album with Phil Collins as lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/6 "2003-06-19T10:54:16Z")
**Debaser** , Doolittle, The Pixies. Enough said. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/7 "2003-06-19T11:27:53Z")
Frank and Jesse James, Warren Zevon’s self-titled album. Sgt Pepper, from the album by the Beatles. What’s Goin’ On, same titled album, by Marvin Gaye. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/8 "2003-06-19T11:33:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kantalooppi \* > \*\ ***Debaser** , Doolittle, The Pixies. > > Enough said. \*\* Ooohhhhhh…you were so close. Actually, it’s the opening drumbeat on **Bone Machine** , the first track on _Surfer Rosa_. Speaking of which, why was the Pixies’ post-_Surfer Rosa_ production all so flat and boring? ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/9 "2003-06-19T11:47:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyomara \* > > Speaking of which, why was the Pixies’ post-_Surfer Rosa_ production all so flat and boring? \*\* because steve albini didnt record it, gil norton did. noone gets a better sound than albini cite- in utero, shellac, wedding presents seamonsters back to my OP, **papa wont leave you henry** off henrys dream by **nick cave and the bad seeds** ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/10 "2003-06-19T11:58:37Z")
Both **Dragon Phoenix** and **RobuSensei** have great ones there. I’ll add **Thunder Road** , first track off of Springsteen’s **Born to Run**. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/11 "2003-06-19T12:07:21Z")
**Good Times Bad Times** by Led Zeppelin. Not only is it a great track, but the opening chords are an announcement that something new was in town. **21st Century Schizoid Man** by King Crimson – same thing (though musically quite different) ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/12 "2003-06-19T12:36:53Z")
Ooh, good thread. Agree with lots so far. How about Foo Fighters **This is a call** off their eponymous debut? I like the Foos, but I don’t think they’ve bettered this track. Queens of the Stone Age **Feelgood hit of the Summer** off Rated R. The Pogues **The Sickbed of Cuchulainn** off Rum, Sodomy & the Lash. Queen **Death on two legs** off A Night at the Opera. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/13 "2003-06-19T12:38:57Z")
**VNV Nation** - Chosen, off of “Praise the Fallen”. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/14 "2003-06-19T13:00:23Z")
**Sympathy for the Devil** from “Beggars Banquet” by the Rolling Stones. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/15 "2003-06-19T13:05:32Z")
Elvis Costello - “No Action”, off of _This Year’s Model_ Pink Floyd - “In The Flesh?”, _The Wall_ Odds - “Someone who’s Cool”, _Nest_ Get Up Kids - “Holiday”, _Something to Write Home About_ ---
**Author:** ![gruven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9a28c/32.png) [@gruven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gruven)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/16 "2003-06-19T13:15:01Z")
**Blind** , on the self-titled _Korn_. AAAAAARE YOU READY??? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/17 "2003-06-19T13:21:09Z")
Girls Against Boys – “Super-fire” off of _House of GVSB_. It starts off with a surging bass-line and a growled “Check your lifespan,” and then it explodes. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/18 "2003-06-19T13:42:13Z")
Maybe not my favourite, but I feel that _Welcome To The Working Week_ from Elvis Costello’s “My Aim Is True” must be mentioned in this thread. It’s so good that you’ve got to play it again as soon as you’re done, and in my case, that means lifting up a stylus and putting it back down again. Hard wok for someone of the track skipping generation. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/19 "2003-06-19T13:46:09Z")
_Immigrant Song_, Led Zepplin. Was that I? (roman numeral 1, not . . me) ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889/20 "2003-06-19T13:50:17Z")
You wanted the best and you’ve got the best. The hottest band in the world… **KISS**!! \ From Kiss Alive II. As a TeenJoe, I wanted to be “that announcer guy” so bad. Oh, and Peter Criss 😃 MeanJoe [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-track-on-an-album/182889.md?page=2)