What's the best opening track of an album?

[dahliaclone]

What's a song that kicks off an album that you consider an all-timer? A few...

Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones

Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins on Siamese Dream

Seven Nation Army by White Stripes

 

[Gunnerclone]

 

[Drew0311]

Welcome to the Jungle

 

[Clonehomer]

Enter Sandman
Smells like Teen Spirit
Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Edit (more)
My Name is Jonas

 

[ClonerJams]

 

[cycloneG]

Thunderstruck on The Razors Edge

 

[gipper2001]

 

[DJSteve]

Enter Sandman
Smells like Teen Spirit
Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Edit (more)
My Name is Jonas

Enter Sandman was the one that immediately came to mind for me.

Any answers are almost certainly going to be music that is 20+ years old, since basically nobody listens to whole albums in track order after music migrated to digital instead of physical record/cassette/CD.

 

[Gonzo]

The Smiths - Album: Meat is Murder; Song: The Headmaster Ritual

Pavement - Album: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain; Song: Silence Kid

MGMT - Album: Oracular Spectacular; Song: Time to Pretend

Ludovico Einaudi - Album: Divenire; Song: Uno

Radiohead - Album: Pablo Honey; Song: You

 

[HFCS]

First track is really tough, I could name dozens. Pretty much every band I like has at least one incredible first song on an album.

First track on first album is easily Good Times, Bad Times for me and I'm not even a massive Led Zeppellin fan these days.

The Beatles are my favorite band and "I Saw Her Standing There" isn't a bad song at all for first song, first album. But it's not in the running for their best song the way Good Times Bad Times is.

Again Guns N Roses isn't my favorite, but Welcome to the Jungle is a pretty incredible thing to drop as first song on first album.

Lots of my other favorite artists, solo and bands, I don't even like the first song on the first album.

 

[cycloneG]

Regulate - Regulate.....G Funk Era

 

[1100011CS]

Jane's Addiction - Album: Nothing's Shocking, Song: Up The Beach

 

[Al_4_State]

"Rocks Off" Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones
"The Housefire" A Long Ways From Your Heart - Turnpike Troubadours
"Once" Ten - Pearl Jam
"Thunder Road" Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
"Pagan Baby" Pendulum - Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Doll"/"Monkey Wrench" The Colour & The Shape - Foo Fighters
"I Will Dare" Let It Be - The Replacements
"Round Here" August & Everything After - The Counting Crows
"What's Your Name" Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

 

[cycloner29]

Thunderstruck on The Razors Edge

Or "For Those About to Rock" from the For Those about to Rock" Album or even "Hell's Bells" off the Back in Black Album.

 

[Clonehomer]

First track is really tough, I could name dozens. Pretty much every band I like has at least one incredible first song on an album.

First track on first album is easily Good Times, Bad Times for me and I'm not even a massive Led Zeppellin fan these days.

The Beatles are my favorite band and "I Saw Her Standing There" isn't a bad song at all for first song, first album. But it's not in the running for their best song the way Good Times Bad Times is.

Again Guns N Roses isn't my favorite, but Welcome to the Jungle is a pretty incredible thing to drop as first song on first album.

Lots of my other favorite artists, solo and bands, I don't even like the first song on the first album.

Blew by Nirvana for first song on first album for me.

Although Astonomy Domine by Pink Floyd is pretty tough to beat as well.

 

[JP4CY]

I always thought Down on 311's 311 was a badass album starter.

 

[Mr Janny]

"Dead and Bloated". - Stone Temple Pilots- Core
"Pretty Noose" -Soundgarden -Down on the Upside
"You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, but I Feel Like a Millionaire" -Queens of the Stone Age -Songs for the Deaf

Those three can hold their own.

 

[HFCS]

Blew by Nirvana for first song on first album for me.

Although Astonomy Domine by Pink Floyd is pretty tough to beat as well.

I'm not a massive Nirvana fan but I am fascinated when a band has a good debut album that goes mostly unnoticed, the second album is a worldwide phenomenon, then the first album becomes this new super popular thing retro-actively.

 

[BryceC]

Immigrant Song, Zepplin 3