BEST Album Opening Tracks of all time

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What does everyone feel are the best tracks ever that
set the perfect pace for the album to come.

― Ric C Stone, Sunday, 18 July 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Welcome to the Jungle

― Gihad, Sunday, 18 July 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

This is going to be a boring choice, and certainly it's a bit more poppy than anything else on the album, but I can't imagine a song other than "Teenage Riot" opening Daydream Nation.

― Joshua Houk (chascarrillo), Sunday, 18 July 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

in case you missed them:

Best album opening songs

POX: Awesome Album Opening Tracks

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Sunday, 18 July 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"it's a long way to the top (if you wanna rock n roll)"

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 18 July 2004 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Uncontrollable Urge"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 19 July 2004 01:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"salty salute"
guided by voices

― serge, Monday, 19 July 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Angel of Death" - Slayer on Reign in Blood

"Battery" - Metallica on Master of Puppets

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 19 July 2004 03:17 (twenty-one years ago)

If we are still playing this game I'll vote for "Yeah" off Usher's criminally ignored Confessions. Except there is a intro thing before the track so that doesn't count. "White Light/White Heat" is maybe a boring choice. I think I'll pick Tiger Trap of Beat Happening's You Turn Me On if only to draw ire.

― artdamages (artdamages), Monday, 19 July 2004 05:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually I think the real answer is "Liquid Swords" off Gza's Liquid Swords so nevermind.

― artdamages (artdamages), Monday, 19 July 2004 05:11 (twenty-one years ago)

What up Chris. I would have to go with Only Shallow of of Loveless by My Bloody Valentine or 3rd Planet from the Sun off of Moon and Antartica. Not my favorite songs but probably two of the best openers to an album.

― John Gillson, Monday, 19 July 2004 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey bro.

― artdamages (artdamages), Monday, 19 July 2004 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to go with Black Dog off of Zoso. 3rd Planet is an awesome opener too, though

― jedidiah (jedidiah), Monday, 19 July 2004 13:20 (twenty-one years ago)

You really call it Zoso?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 19 July 2004 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Stop", Janes Addiction, Ritual de lo Habitual

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 19 July 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

agree with a salty salute and only shallow and needles in the camels eye from the other thread.

also, some of these others have been said, but whatever...

"sheets of easter" - each one teach one
"paperhouse" - tago mago
"lets go crazy" - purple rain
"metal guru" - the slider
"solo dancer" - black saint & the sinner lady
"come all ye" - fairport convention
"when i get to the border" - i want to see...
"streets of paradise" - pour down like silver
"everything in its right place" - kid a
"airbag" - ok computer
"i saw her standing there" - please please me
"sweet leaf" - master of reality
"hallogallo" - neu!
"the seventh seal" - scott 4
"dont stop til you get enough" - off the wall
"too high" - innervisions
"loves in need of love today" - songs in the key
"little fury things" - yr living all over me
"king of carrot flowers" - in the aeroplane over the sea
"out in the street" - my generation
"down on the street" - funhouse
"astronomy domine" - piper at the gates of dawn
"sunday morning" - vu & nico
"roadrunner" - modern lovers
"remake/remodel" - roxy music
"its time to party" - I GET WET
"practice makes perfect" - chairs missing
"schizophrenia" - sister
"teenage riot" - daydream nation
"is this it" - is this it

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 19 July 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Was listening to it today so I'll say "Some Girls (Dance With Women)" by JC Chasez. You've got to love songs about faux-lesbianism.

― Nick H (Nick H), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The first track off Bad Brains' 'I Against I'

― mei (mei), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

requiem - killing joke (s/t)
can you forgive her? - pet shop boys (very)
prince - dirty mind (dirty mind)
funkadelic - red hot mamma (standing on the verge of getting it on)

― tipustiger, Monday, 19 July 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

requiem - killing joke (s/t)

Shit yeah!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Gil e Jorge, Gilberto Gil & Jorge Ben: "Mel Glorioso Sao Christovao"
Cosmotron, Skank: "Supernova"
La Argentinidad Al Palo, Bersuit, disc one, "Coger No Es Amor"; disc two, "Shit Shit Money Money"
Funkadelic, Funkadelic, "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?"

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

sex beat, fire of love

― dan (dan), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"Holidays In the Sun"
"Summer Babe"
"Something I Learned Today"

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

"Maggot Brain", Funkadelic, Maggot Brain
"Magnificent Seven", The Clash, Sandinista!
"Gasoline Dreams", Outkast, Stankonia
"Devil's Haircut", Beck, Odelay

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 19 July 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

"Clandestino", Manu Chao, Clandestino!!!!!!!!!!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 19 July 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Nothin' wrong with responding to revamped versions of this same old thread, as long as your opinion keeps changing!

Least predictable choice I can think of at thia time is Faith No More's "From Out Of Nowhere", which couldn't have been more appropriately titled. (Same deal with "Epic", which immediately followed it, of course.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 19 July 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

lightning bolt - hello morning + assasins

k you can close the thread now.

― seahorse genius (seahorse genius), Sunday, 3 October 2004 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Genesis: "Dancing With The Moonlight Knight"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 3 October 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

P.J. Harvey "Oh My Lover" off Dry. First album, first track.

This one being my Patti Smith moment. Wow in a bucket.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 October 2004 09:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i cant believe no one has said "rock and roll star" by oasis, yet

im my opinion, the best debut album ever

― Jackson, Monday, 4 October 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine--James Brown, "Sex Machine"
Artificial Energy--Byrds, "Notorious"
Whenever You're On My Mind--Marshall Crenshaw, "Field Day"
O My Soul--Big Star, "Radio City"
Right Off--Miles Davis, "Tribute to Jack Johnson"
Who's Making Love--Johnnie Taylor, "Who's Making Love"
Hey Grandma--"Moby Grape"
Look-Ka Py Py--Meters, "Look-Ka Py Py"
Waters of March--"Elis & Tom"
Chega De Saudade--João Gilberto, "Chega De Saudade"

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 4 October 2004 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

"Hotel Overture" - Escalator Over The Hill
"Marifnaash" - Halim

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 4 October 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Part of the problem with this thread is that many bands try to put their best (or one of their best) songs first on the album, so there are tons of choices.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 03:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Great, great choices here. I'll add "Gimmie Shelter" and "Sympathy for the Devil." And "Brown Sugar" and "Rocks Off," I guess.

Oh oh oh, and "Hard Times" from the first Run-D.M.C. album.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

eighteen years pass...

Interested in one-two punches, albums with the best two opening tracks… speaking of punches:

Talking Heads - RIL:

Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
Crosseyed and Painless

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:50 (two years ago)

Stereolab - Dots & Loops:

Brakhage
Miss Modular

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:52 (two years ago)

Björk has it in at least 3 albums but going for:

Army of Me
Hyperballad

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:54 (two years ago)

ATCQ:

The Space Program
We the People

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:54 (two years ago)

Massive Attack:

Angel
Risingson

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:55 (two years ago)

Lifes Rich Pageant:

Begin the Begin
These Days

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:56 (two years ago)

Kate Bush

Running Up That Hill
Hounds of Love

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:58 (two years ago)

Telex - Looking for St. Tropez

Moskow Diskow
Pakwomast

― frogbs, Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:59 (two years ago)

The Cure - Disintegration

Plainsong
Pictures of You

T. Rex - Electric Warrior
Mambo Sun
Cosmic Dancer

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 02:59 (two years ago)

Beach Boys:

I Get Around
All Summer Long

― Kim Kimberly, Thursday, 14 September 2023 03:12 (two years ago)

Ramones:

Cretin Hop
Rockaway Beach

― Kim Kimberly, Thursday, 14 September 2023 03:15 (two years ago)

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Rock With You

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 14 September 2023 03:28 (two years ago)

Summer Babe
Trigger Cut

― Taylor Swift Reporter (morrisp), Thursday, 14 September 2023 03:38 (two years ago)

Can't think of a better one that Liquid Swords

― kraudive, Thursday, 14 September 2023 17:17 (two years ago)

Blondie, "Hanging on the Telephone"

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 14 September 2023 17:22 (two years ago)

Propaganda - Dream Within a Dream (A Secret Wish)

― or something, Thursday, 14 September 2023 17:30 (two years ago)

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