Name some of the best album openers

[Caponata 151]

Listening to some old Pumpkins albums recently and Cherub Rock has to make the list:

 

[Dennis Taylor 18,828]

Three way tie for first. What do I win?

Edited June 13, 2022 by Dennis Taylor

[Deej 76,797]

Edited June 14, 2022 by Deej

[ztejas 43,454]

I could sit here and do this all day. There's five off the top of my head. 

[D_Goose 489]

“My Name is Jonas”

[Rimbo 25,939]

 

[4th&Five 41,557]

 

[83Horn 1,641]

 

[ztejas 43,454]

I see this thread has not gotten much traction. OP's qualification still intrigues me. 

---

This is #1 all-time for me for a few reasons. 

Not only is it a phenomenal song, it both sets the album up perfectly and also sort of establishes a transition for an entire genre. @4th&Five provided another great example of that with "Smells like teen spirit" but ultimately I just think this is a better song that unlike "Smells like" no one ever really gets tired of hearing. 

Also - Nevermind as a record sort of goes downhill from the first track - while YHF kind of keeps you entranced from the beginning. 

Idk. Personally I think Nirvana is overrated. Sue me. Gun to my head "greatest album opener ever" and it's this.

Oh yeah - I think @oSuJeff97 is a big Wilco fan.

Edited June 14, 2022 by ztejas

[South Austin 52,511]

Pretty great anthemic opening for a classic album.  And even though the song can get overplayed, hearing it live, decades later, can still produce a charge.

[ztejas 43,454]

5 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Pretty great anthemic opening for a classic album.  And even though the song can get overplayed, hearing it live, decades later, can still produce a charge.

Totally iconic. That track will never get old. Hate that U2 somewhere along the line became a band that you had to justify liking for whatever reason. Let U2 be U2.  

[SizzleChest 8,284]

 

[ztejas 43,454]

5 minutes ago, SizzleChest said:

 

Yep. Quite simply one of the best songs ever written. Sort of unfairly diminishes everything else they did. 

[ztejas 43,454]

Can I throw another Prince track out there?

Wait... can I throw ANOTHER Prince track out there? 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by ztejas

[Guest]

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by slorch

[ConferenceRoom 6,141]

 

[harold 81]

 

[smuggs 9,353]

 

 

 

[Seasick Sailor 3,747]

 

[ConferenceRoom 6,141]

 

[oSuJeff97 3,435]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

Pretty great anthemic opening for a classic album.  And even though the song can get overplayed, hearing it live, decades later, can still produce a charge.

Fuck yeah.

I picked up a 1987 pressing of The Joshua Tree at a record store a few years ago. Love putting in on and cranking it to 11 for this track. Soooo good.

[elguapo 4,586]

 

[utee94 15,824]

 

 

[davidg 4,038]

 

[sidis 9,828]

where the streets have no name, red rain, rhythm of the heat, smells like teen spirit, gimme shelter, everything in its right place, straight out of compton, immigrant song, what's going on, gimme all your lovin.

i'd pick streets.  great concert opener as well.

 

[Al_4_ISU 12,463]

11 minutes ago, sidis said:

where the streets have no name, red rain, rhythm of the heat, smells like teen spirit, gimme shelter, everything in its right place, straight out of compton, immigrant song, what's going on, gimme all your lovin.

i'd pick streets.  great concert opener as well.

 

I came here and couldn't believe that there were 24 posts and no mention of "Gimme Shelter".  It's arguably the greatest rock song of all time.

This is pretty cool, naked track kicks in around 2:17 (you can here Mick clear as day hooting in the back ground):

 

[Al_4_ISU 12,463]

The Stones had more than their share of top shelf openers.

 

[dcbc 14,485]

36 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I came here and couldn't believe that there were 24 posts and no mention of "Gimme Shelter".  It's arguably the greatest rock song of all time.

This is pretty cool, naked track kicks in around 2:17 (you can here Mick clear as day hooting in the back ground):

 

Chills at 2:17

[elguapo 4,586]

 

 

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

First song and on a debut album, no less.  Next three songs were Sunday Papers; Is She Really Going Out With Him; Fools in Love.  

Quite an opening batting order.  

 

[4th&Five 41,557]

 

[ConferenceRoom 6,141]

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

6 hours ago, SizzleChest said:

 

Never mind...I thought Surrender was on In Color....forgot it was on the second album.    

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by hullabelew

[utee94 15,824]

 

 

 

[Goredho 17,406]

 

[Carl Spackler 3,483]

7 hours ago, hullabelew said:

Never mind...I thought Surrender was on In Color....forgot it was on the second album.    

 

In Color *was* the second album.  Surrender kicked off their third studio album, Heaven Tonight.

When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of Surrender along with Baba O'Riley and More Than A Feeling.  Others beat me to the punch on all three.

 

[Bookman 4,639]

 

[Nole-4-Life 804]

When my buddy turned me on to Led Zeppelin in about 1970 and I heard the first cut on their first album, I was hooked at the very first chord.

 

[Shoxthemonkey 1,981]

I might have been aroused by the cover art but the song really sets the tone for the rest of the album.

 

[hullabelew 3,724]

10 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

In Color *was* the second album.  Surrender kicked off their third studio album, Heaven Tonight.

When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of Surrender along with Baba O'Riley and More Than A Feeling.  Others beat me to the punch on all three.

 

How have I lived this long and not realized this?  

[sidis 9,828]

the list i gave above is unforgivably missing a couple...

"sympathy for the devil" on beggars banquet.  the please allow me to introduce myself lyric is so ideal.

"cult of personality" on vivid...which, the more i think about it, is the only one that may truly approach streets on joshua tree for me.  that was such an amazing way to start an album.  

[South Austin 52,511]

21 hours ago, utee94 said:

 

A little underrated gem.  Nicely done.

[smuggs 9,353]

First face-melter from a whole album of face-melters:

 

 

 

[Deej 76,797]

3 hours ago, sidis said:

"cult of personality" on vivid...which, the more i think about it, is the only one that may truly approach streets on joshua tree for me.  that was such an amazing way to start an album.  

And their only song anyone can remember. 

[C-Man 27,230]

 

 

[C-Man 27,230]

I can't argue these are the best but LCD Soundsystem usually smacks you in the face with that first track:

 

 

[C-Man 27,230]

 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6,559]

A few more to add.....

 

 

 

and what may be the best song off of one of the best albums ever made.

 

[PRONG HORN 3,146]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PRONG HORN 3,146]