# Best Rock Band Debut Album? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698 "2011-10-25T02:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/1 "2011-10-25T02:07:57Z")
I’d have to go with Led Zeppelin I. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/2 "2011-10-25T02:10:23Z")
The Pretenders. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/3 "2011-10-25T02:11:25Z")
Boston ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/4 "2011-10-25T02:13:23Z")
So far, I have to give the nod for best 1st album to **Turbid North** ’s _Orogeny_. BTW, I don’t think it’s fair to count, say, Neil Young’s first solo album since he was already a recording artist for many years before he went solo (substitute another name if the condition is the same, is what I’m sayin’). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/5 "2011-10-25T02:14:32Z")
**The Doors** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/6 "2011-10-25T02:16:57Z")
Please Please Me. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@I\_Made\_French\_Toast\_For\_You](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Made_French_Toast_For_You)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/7 "2011-10-25T02:27:15Z")
I vote Talking Heads: 77. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/8 "2011-10-25T02:30:08Z")
Either _Entertainment!_ by **Gang of Four** or the self-titled debut by **The Clash**. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/9 "2011-10-25T02:38:14Z")
The Cars ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/10 "2011-10-25T02:48:35Z")
I’ll go a little out the box and say the first Chicago album (when they were still called the Chicago Transit Authority). Cause if you just remember them as a cheesy 80s pop act, [tracks](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQsYERta38k&feature=related) [like these](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNcTJnQepNE&feature=related) show you how awesome the debut album is. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/11 "2011-10-25T02:57:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **The Doors** My pick too. You can complain all you want about their subsequent albums, but this initial release came out of nowhere and was fantastic. I can still listen to it all the way through. (OK, _The End_ gets a little tiring and verbose, but what a great album.) ---
**Author:** ![GovernmentMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/12 "2011-10-25T02:58:27Z")
REM - Murmur ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/13 "2011-10-25T03:04:18Z")
> [@GovernmentMan](#): > > REM - Murmur I enjoy REM’s music, and “Murmur” is truly a great album, but in all seriousness, if I had to pick ONE (1) American public figure, of any note, that I would describe as THE archetypical, original, primordial Hipster, Michael Stipe would be that person, hands down. (David Byrne would have beat him out by a hair, but he was born in Scotland) ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/14 "2011-10-25T03:12:32Z")
Jimi Hendrix Experience: _Are You Experienced?_ Meat Loaf: _Bat Out of Hell_ Santana Traffic: _Mr. Fantasy_ Renaissance Kak Emitt Rhodes ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/15 "2011-10-25T03:19:34Z")
Crosby, Stills & Nash. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/16 "2011-10-25T03:20:17Z")
Van Halen I ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/17 "2011-10-25T03:23:31Z")
No one has mentioned **Appetite for Destruction** yet? Seriously? It totally blows away every one listed so far. I really don’t see what other album could compete with this one for best rock band debut album. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/18 "2011-10-25T03:39:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Traffic: _Mr. Fantasy_ See, this is what I was talking about in my post: I’m not sure this band should even be a consideration since it’s principal player and songwriter had already been recording for years before he started a new band called **Traffic**. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/19 "2011-10-25T04:10:36Z")
If the OP’s asking for acts whose first album was their best, I nominate Cheap Trick. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698/20 "2011-10-25T04:11:46Z")
King Crimson: **In the Court of the Crimson King** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-band-debut-album/600698.md?page=2)