# Favorite opening tracks from debut albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [June 14, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622 "2025-06-14T12:55:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/81 "2025-06-17T15:21:43Z")
Billy Joel’s debut album Cold Spring Harbor led off with [She’s Got a Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOPm_Zoaj9k). The Outlaws - [There Goes Another Love Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofehaWOtoNM) Georgia Satellites - [Keep Your Hands to Yourself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WonOudGMSdc) Ram Jam - [Black Betty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_2D8Eo15wE) ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/82 "2025-06-17T15:49:03Z")
[Jackie](https://youtu.be/agnbUvEQthg?feature=shared) - Sinéad O’Connor This is not the track you choose to open your album if you want to maximize sales, but Sinéad didn’t really give a shit. A great introduction to her vocal range and uniqueness. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/83 "2025-06-17T16:27:36Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Tangential, but the podcast “Life of the Record” has a terrific episode on the making of “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”, narrated by Richard and Linda (or Linda’s daughter reading her notes, IIRC, because of her misophonia). Thank you so much, @Maserschmidt for the link! I learned a lot of revealing and surprising things about one of my favorite albums (it’s in my personal top five). As you might remember, I just saw Richard Thompson a few weeks ago for the first time in a small club, and on this podcast he was just as eloquent and entertaining as on stage. And Linda has some wonderfully sarcastic howlers. I bookmarked the podcast, I sure will listen to more. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/84 "2025-06-17T17:16:16Z")
Since we’ve kind of gotten off on an RT tangent here… Andrew Hickey recently did an episode (part 1) on Fairport Convention in his “500 Songs” podcast, and a few people in the comments posted the following link to a recent interview with Richard Thompson: > **[Richard Thompson | Broken Record](https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/broken-record/richard-thompson)** > > On Broken Record, Bruce Headlam talks to Richard Thompson about his love of traditional Scottish music, and how he’s reworked old folk songs over the years. Richard also plays examples of his unique playing style on the guitar and talks about the... Anyway, back to the opening tracks! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/85 "2025-06-17T18:08:34Z")
The Black Angels - Passover starts with Young Men Dead [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VvKjpGP6P5Y/hqdefault.jpg "Young Men Dead - The Black Angels") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKjpGP6P5Y) Just the title makes me shiver. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/86 "2025-06-17T18:17:42Z")
First track off Mahavishnu Orchestra’s debut album _The Inner Mounting Flame_ is “Meeting of the Spirits”: https://www.youtube.com/embed/WhzDBGiOTvg?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDWhzDBGiOTvg ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/87 "2025-06-17T19:55:50Z")
Checking my personal top 40, the winner is: Funkytown by Lipps Inc. Second place is More than a Feeling ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/88 "2025-06-17T22:47:30Z")
Cowboy Junkies. Album - The Trinity Session. “Mining for Gold” song. Great freaking song, and an album in my top 3. Do not ignore this album. It is country-ish, but does a cover of Lou Reeds Sweet Jane that must be seen - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa9nN3G2CSg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa9nN3G2CSg) Oh, wait. KT Tunstall album Eye to the Telescope. First song “Other Side of the World”. Amazing album. She did others, but don’t come close to this album. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/89 "2025-06-18T02:17:07Z")
Carly Simon - [That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard it Should Be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYUZxp12gQI) Mission Of Burma - [That’s When I Reach for my Revolver](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpTKcv-SmR0) Arlo Guthrie - [Alice’s Restaurant Massacree](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaKIX6oaSLs) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/90 "2025-06-18T02:25:29Z")
Metallica - [Hit the Lights](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bW2DMOeDEM) Metal Church was close to it but they made their eponymously named song on their first eponymously named album number 2. So close! - [Metal Church](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBP_mdB2RUE) My dipping into metal made me think of Kerry King on the first Beasties album (Eat Me!). While Kerry didn’t play on their intro track, the great Tony Iommi did (awesome Sweet Leaf sample). Plus, the great Bonham drum sample. The good ole days when sampling was rampant…and awesome. Give Paul’s Boutique a spin for the ultimate example. Beastie Boys - [Rhymin & Stealin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4m_M0JwGLI) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/91 "2025-06-18T05:45:24Z")
I’ll add another vote for R.E.M.'s “Radio Free Europe.” A winner leading off an album full of winners. I think I’ll always find it rather remarkable that they were that good that quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/92 "2025-06-18T13:12:27Z")
The history on this one seems a little iffy. After Joe Walsh left the James Gang, he formed a band called Barnstorm and cut three albums. However it seems that some or all of them were released as Joe Walsh solo albums. Wikipedia lists “The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get” (which is an awesome album title) as his first solo album, so here you go. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4Fz-mHGXgzs/maxresdefault.jpg "Rocky Mountain Way") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fz-mHGXgzs) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/93 "2025-06-25T14:12:55Z")
[“Sleep To Dream”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9Wnh0V4HMM&pp=ygUac2xlZXAgdG8gZHJlYW0gZmlvbmEgYXBwbGU%3D) by Fiona Apple is an amazing career launch ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/94 "2025-06-25T14:20:07Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > “Black Sabbath” on the album “Black Sabbath” from the band Black Sabbath. Lays out their unique (at the time) sound and whole later career. As others have said about other bands tracks, it lets you know what you’re going to get. That’s even more true with the album cover. Just looking at the album cover, before you even played it, you know that you were in for a heavy metal album, even though the term hadn’t been invented yet. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622/95 "2025-06-25T15:00:41Z")
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FO4l02HNQkc?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDFO4l02HNQkc From my teenage years, a rather obscure one. The local AOR station pushed the band pretty hard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-tracks-from-debut-albums/1019622.md?page=4)