Top Ten Debut Albums

These are mine.

What are yours?

1) Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets (1973)



Following Brian Eno’s departure from the seminal Roxy Music, he embarked on his own influential solo career spanning 30 years, starting with this 1973 album. Here Come the Warm Jets is not only the work of an avid experimentalist, but a master craftsman of intelligent and accessible - yet very bizarre - pop-structured music. The album fuses studio experimentation with elements of glam-rock, making for an album that can be compared to no other album or artist other than Eno himself, who would later delve into more ambient territory on his following albums.

2) Roxy Music – Roxy Music (1972)



Roxy Music’s debut album launched the band into the spotlight in the U.K. in 1972, where they were one of the country’s hottest bands at the time. Featuring the aforementioned Brian Eno, Roxy Music fused elements of atonal, avant-garde experimentation with a sleek, stylish glam-pop sound, coupled with the crooning, sometimes vampiric vocals of Bryan Ferry. This album influenced an entire genre of music which would later come to be known as “New Wave.”

3) Television – Marquee Moon (1977)



Television were mainstays on the New York, CBGB “punk” circuit long before the release of their seminal 1977 debut. Much like the Talking Heads, Television was often unfairly lumped in with the punk scene, though their music transcends most all of the cliches of New York City punk music. Television had the attitude and delivery of Patti Smith, with the instrumental abilities of Buffalo Springfield. Marquee Moon, like most of Television’s work, is centered around the guitar interplay of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, creating a heady mix of some of the best, most intelligent yet moving guitar-based rock ever created. This, coupled with the surrealist street poetry of Tom Verlaine.

4) Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - Freak Out (1966)



This is the album that first exposed the world to the genius that is Mr. Frank Zappa. This is also arguably the first concept album ever made. This 1966 masterpiece mixed elements of social satire with music styles ranging from doo-wop, to psychedelia, to avant-garde experimentation. Yet, most of the songs retain an accessible pop sensibility, as on tracks such as ‘Hungry Freaks, Daddy’, ‘Wowie Zowie’, and ‘Trouble Every Day’.

5) The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)



Going virtually unnoticed upon its release in 1967, The Velvet Underground & Nico has since become one of the most inspirational and influential albums in the history of rock & roll, influencing everything from punk to alternative rock. In a time of peace & love, the music of the Velvet Underground reflected anything but these ideals. Instead, they favored lyrics dealing with hard drugs (‘Heroin’) and sadomasochistic sex (‘Venus in Furs’). The music backing Lou Reed’s lyrics – sung between both Reed himself and German chanteuse Nico Paffgan - is avant-garde in nature, yet accessible at once. It features elements of dissonant, sometimes violent atonality, coupled with some more gentle moments.

6) Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)



The Rosetta Stone of 60’s, British psychedelia, Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn stands in a category by itself, sounding unlike anything that has been released prior to it. Since then, many bands have tried to mimic the sounds of this album, but few have succeeded. This music features the sometimes cosmic, sometimes funny, sometimes downright strange lyrics of visionary Syd Barrett, the band’s original singer/songwriter and guitarist. The music is a heady stew of psychedelic guitar and organ-driven textures, with some avant-garde and even jazz influences mixed in.

7) Talking Heads – Talking Heads ’77 (1977)



Like Television, the Talking Heads were much different from their New York City, CBGB counterparts. Unlike bands such as the Ramones and the Voidoids, the Talking Heads had a more rhythmic, intellectual and artistic approach to their nerdy brand of nervy new wave. Featuring the quirky, erratic vocals of lead singer/songwriter David Byrne, coupled with the rhythm section of bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz, the Talking Heads fused elements of punk, new wave and pop to create their own unique sound, found on this album. This album also features the band's first hit, ‘Psycho Killer’.

8) Can – Monster Movie (1969)



Featuring American-born Malcolm Mooney on vocals, this Can album might best be described as sounding like the Velvet Underground on on acid, featuring elements of avant-garde minimalism and abrasive psychedelic textures, all backed by the steadfast, metronomic beats of drummer-extraordinaire Jaki Liebezeit. And although not as visionary and influential as their later albums, this is one solid but rather small collection of songs from the most important German band in rock history, still in their embryonic stage.

9) John Cale – Vintage Violence (1970)



For being the most experimental member of the Velvet Underground, John Cale’s solo work presents a surprise to those unfamiliar with his non-VU work. Vintage Violence is a very easily accessible album filled with mature, intelligent and sophisticated pop-structured songs, often sounding very pastoral and whimsical in nature. Along with Cale’s following albums, this offers some of the best, most thought-provoking pop music of the 70’s decade.

10) The 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (1966)



The 13th Floor Elevators were the first band ever billed as “psychedelic,” and in many ways this is the first psychedelic album ever released. This is psychedelic garage-rock lacking the cliches of some later bands and albums from the same genre. Featuring the acid soaked vocals of lead singer and songwriter Roky Erickson, to the fluid and melodic guitar lines of guitarist Stacy Southerland, this stands as one of the enduring albums of 60’s psychedelic rock. Also, on this album, something called an electric jug can be heard, which was an instrument invented by the Elevators’ own Tommy Hall, in a sense stamping the music with its own, easily recognizable trademark.

 

1. piper at the gates of dawn - pink floyd
2. bauhaus - in the flat feild
4. the doors - self titled
5. the cure - three imaginary boys


im tired at the moment and cant think of any others. but those debuts were the best albums those bands ever made

 

oh wait yes i can

6. yes - self titled
7. tommorow - self titled (well it was their only album, but its pretty good)
8. trafic - mr fantasy
9. sex pistols - never mind the bollocks
10. guns and roses - appetite for destruction - im assuming that was their first album??? - i cant remember.

 

1. Piper at the Gates of Dawn -- Pink Floyd
2. Led Zeppelin I -- Led Zeppelin
3. In the Court of the Crimson King -- King Crimson
4. Monster Movie -- Can
5. Plastic Ono Band -- John Lennon
6. Kill Em All -- Metallica
7. Frizzle Fry -- Primus
8. Velvet Underground & Nico -- Velvet Underground
9. Peter Gabriel (car) -- Peter Gabriel
10. Van Halen I -- Van Halen

 

hmmm, I can't really respond on this, but for some reason the title of this thread made me wonder, what was THE debut album. The first ever music recording that is. Anyone know the answer?

 

1. the velvet underground & nico - the velvet underground & nico 1967
2. leonard cohen - songs of leonard cohen 1968
3. pink floyd - the piper at the gates of dawn 1967
4. the 13th floor elevators - the psychedelic sounds of 1966
5. captain beefheart - safe as milk 1967
6. oasis - definitely maybe 1994
7. mc5 - kick out the jams 1969
8. badly drawn boy - the hour of bewilderbeast 2000
9. the jesus and mary chain - psychocandy 1985
10. the jimi hendrix experience - are you experienced? 1967

 

Many of my fav debut albums have already been mentioned... anyway

1. Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Pink Floyd) - This album's acid for the ears.
2. Are You Experienced (Jimi Hendrix)
3. In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson)
4. The Doors (The Doors)
5. Velvet Underground & Nico (Velvet Underground)
6. Catch A Fire (Bob Marley & the Wailers)
7. Freak Out! (Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention)
8. My Generation (The Who)
9. Cheap Thrills (Big Brother & the Holding Company/Joplin)
10. Madcap Laughs (Syd Barrett solo)

 

Ugh, yeah, my list is going to be quite similar to the others, but...


1.) Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
2.) The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
3.) The Doors - The Doors
4.) The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators
5.) Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs
6.) Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
7.) Cream - Fresh Cream
8.) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
9.) John Cale - Vintage Violence
10.) The Who - My Generation

By the way, Pressed_Rat, your setup there is quite nice with the album covers as well as an informational paragraph. I commend you on some nice work!

 

I thought Big Brother & the Holding Company had a 1967 self-titled debut album...

 

You know my vote is for Gish.

 

Ahh, d'oh, you're right. I didn't know that...

 

oh shit, i forgot those two albums...

 

Heh, don't worry about it man. I almost put Cheap Thrills on my list as well, but then realized it wasn't their debut.

Well, you can only have ten, and I think your list is still good, so I wouldn't sweat it.

 

i just can't get into that album... maybe i just don't like janis joplin's voice

 

Great choices, Matt

Me, I just can't make a top 10. I can make a top 50... but that would take too much of my time

 

I agree with The Doors, and Led Zep's debut albums and I'll add the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Are You Experienced?".

 

The Band-Music from Big Pink

 

many of these have already been said but thats because their good

-the velvet underground &nico
- led zeppelin
-music from big pink~the band
-the doors~the doors
-are you experienced?~jimi hendrix experience
-piper at the gates of dawn~pink floyd
note that these aren't in any particular order and there's so many more that i just don't want to continue, but i think this is a good start

 

1. Violent Femmes-Self Titled
2. Stone Roses- Self Titled
3. Velvet Underground- & Nico
4. Jane's Addiction - XXX (self titled)
5. NIN - Pretty Hate Machine
6. Spiderworks - Shiver (only Riverside CA heads will understand)
7. The Jesus & Mary Chain - PsychoCandy
8. Jimi Hendrix - Axis:Bold as love
9. Minor threat - Self Titled
10. Agent Orange - 7inch ep (self Titled)

 

Best second effort ever....

The Clash - Give 'em enough rope.