First Album, First Side, First Song
July 7, 2018 8:36 PM   Subscribe

NPR compiles a Spotify playlist of their 150 favorite First Album, First Side, First Song tracks across history. The first five are Elton John -- Empty Sky; The Shins -- Caring Is Creepy; Jimi Hendrix -- Purple Haze; Jackson Browne -- Jamaica Say You Will; Living Colour -- Cult Of Personality

The second five are Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- The Barbarian; Janis Joplin -- Try (Just A Little Bit Harder); Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers -- Rockin' Around (With You); Steve Winwood -- Hold On; Patty Griffin -- Moses

The other 140 are in the playlist featured in the article linked above. If I had Spotify I'd listen to them all.
posted by hippybear (94 comments total) 38 users marked this as a favorite
 
Odd that they chose Dreams Never End by New Order rather than Disorder by Joy Division.

Glad, and also fairly surprised, to see Peter Gabriel's Moribund the Burgermeister on there.
posted by tclark at 8:57 PM on July 7, 2018 [1 favorite]


That first Living Colour album is actually rather good.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:59 PM on July 7, 2018 [7 favorites]


(slowly continuing my YouTube crawl through the list as far as it lets me see)

One really forgets the total urgency in Stings' voice in If You Love Someone Set Them Free. He's pleading and desperate.
posted by hippybear at 9:06 PM on July 7, 2018 [2 favorites]


That damn Elvis Costello album is start-to-finish amazing, and he was like, what, 21? when he wrote it. I also appreciate the inclusion of Belle & Sebastian (say what you want, they sprang fully formed), the English Beat, and the Specials. Tears for Fears' first track wouldn't have been off the mark, either.
posted by mollweide at 9:11 PM on July 7, 2018 [5 favorites]


It's really too bad that they couldn't "cheat" a little and retcon Bowie's second album (originally titled David Bowie, as was the first, which shows you how quickly and eager Bowie himself was to forget the first one) as the "official" first one, because "Space Oddity." Here's the first official Bowie FAFS, heaven help us. Uncle Arthur follows Batman!
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:15 PM on July 7, 2018 [1 favorite]


FWIW, there's a similar playlist on Spotify that starts with Van Halen's "Running With the Devil" instead of doing something completely weird and starting with something else.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:40 PM on July 7, 2018 [9 favorites]


Oh, I'm looking forward to digging into this throughout the week. First random jumping-around impressions:

totally onboard for Caring is Creepy. It's a great album start.

*hit right in the 90s at What I Am*

I barely remember this DMB song.

"Sun It Rises"! I think I had this as my wakeup song for.. like.. a year.

"My Name is Jonas" is the first song a couple of guys were trying to teach me when they found out I sorta-kinda-not-very-good-at-it had a bass in high school.

I am wearing my Brandi Carlile shirt right now. I haven't listened to her first album in awhile. The best first-song-on-a-Brandi-Carlile album is probably Hard Way Home on Bear Creek. Friend and I have this on every road trip playlist (along with most of her discography but whatever)

Oh man, To Be Young! Possibly the happiest song on that album. (I see they're going with "first song" and not "first track" for obvious reasons)

ROUND HERE

(hello yes I'm just typing up those hot takes as I go through the list in order)

anyway ROUND HERE this album is perfect and I will karaoke this thing straight through but I still have a love/hate relationship with that weird tone shift in the middle of this song

First heard Don't Know Why on local jazz station pretty close to its release. Had that album on heavy rotation for close to a decade, probably.

Tidal! I was talking with someone recently(ish) who discovered what an amazing album this is, and it's interesting to look at the rest of it in the context of Sleep to Dream. That deep bass - sped up, slowed down - is a thread that runs through the album.

I kinda love that the playlist ends with Bat Out of Hell. Actually, that's an interesting thing -- there's no good ending to a playlist of first songs. First songs are pretty much always your "get up and go", yeah? There isn't really a clean way to end this playlist. So go big!
posted by curious nu at 9:40 PM on July 7, 2018


The article mentions Norah Jones' Don't Know Why, which is a great song, and comes from a superb album, but her work with the Peter Malick Group is amazing. It's not the first song on the album, but it's the first song that really showed what direction she was going in. Strange Transmissions

Anyway, derail aside. Neat list. Thanks for pointing it out.
posted by ashbury at 9:40 PM on July 7, 2018


Interesting idea, but I gotta wonder about the method and who was choosing since I haven't followed music very closely for decades and I recognized almost every one of these songs. Feels a bit narrow and, if meant to be in order, somewhat haphazard in principle. Still fun to browse though, so not complaining about the post itself.
posted by gusottertrout at 9:42 PM on July 7, 2018


ashbury, thanks for mentioning that! I had that single track from that album for years and never tracked down the rest of the work -- sounds like it's high time I finally do so!
posted by curious nu at 9:43 PM on July 7, 2018


I realize, if you are an R.E.M. fan, you are supposed to worship “Radio Free Europe”, but I always preferred “Harborcoat” off Reckoning, their second album.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:51 PM on July 7, 2018 [4 favorites]


A lot of significant omissions (In my not-so-humble opinon). NPR's favorite bands suck.

Human Behavior (Bjork)
She's So High (Blur)
Strange Fire (Indigo Girls)
Daft Punk is Playing at My House (LCD Soundsystem)
Mysterons (Portishead)
Super Falling Star (Stereolab)
Summer Babe (Pavement)
Box of Rain (Grateful Dead)
Good Times Bad Times (Zeppelin)
Girls on Film (Duran Duran)
Underwhelmed (Sloan)
It Is Not Meant To Be (Tame Impala)
Birdhouse in your Soul (if you ignore the 27 second intro) (TMBG)
Bring Da Ruckus (Wu-Tang Clan)
Bombtrack (Rage Against The Machine)
posted by simra at 9:52 PM on July 7, 2018 [13 favorites]


Ah, I was way off on TMBG. Flood was their third studio album.
posted by simra at 9:54 PM on July 7, 2018


No King of Carrot Flowers Part 1?
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:05 PM on July 7, 2018 [9 favorites]


Strange Fire is an interesting choice for Indigo Girls because that album didn't have wide release until after their eponymous album which had Closer To Fine as its opening track.

At that point in time, (the late 80s) there was an FM station with a DJ who was amazing and he played Prince Of Darkness on the radio the afternoon of that album's release. I was later in a record store and they played Closer To Fine and I recognized that it was the same band from the radio earlier and I asked about the track and bought the CD. And thus began a decades-long obsession. (I'm Front Row- Emily Side if possible)
posted by hippybear at 10:06 PM on July 7, 2018 [2 favorites]


Bah, first album. Song Against Sex.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:07 PM on July 7, 2018


Is this a reference to High Fidelity?
posted by mad bomber what bombs at midnight at 10:15 PM on July 7, 2018 [3 favorites]


No, but arranging your collection by recording studio is.
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:20 PM on July 7, 2018 [8 favorites]


There are many other songs I might have chosen for my own list but there are some exceptional song on there too and thinking about them as the very first thing anyone heard from those artists is pretty special. Thinking back to those times when a friend would force you to listen to their latest thing and Bone Machine or something starts playing...love this concept.

Damn some bands started out strong.
posted by N-stoff at 10:21 PM on July 7, 2018 [2 favorites]


Is this a reference to High Fidelity?

How does this list not include side one, track one of the Fifth Symphony.
posted by good in a vacuum at 10:24 PM on July 7, 2018 [3 favorites]


Not many know that the fifth symphony was actually Ludwig's first released album.
posted by good in a vacuum at 10:26 PM on July 7, 2018 [9 favorites]


Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath
posted by atoxyl at 10:29 PM on July 7, 2018 [13 favorites]


I found it interesting to go through my spotify collection and realize that a bunch of bands that I though for sure should be included were slow starters. Soundgarden and Nirvana in particular have meh debuts. Beck, too.

Strange Fire is an interesting choice for Indigo Girls.

Indeed, I think most people (myself included) remember Closer to Fine as their first encounter. Do limited print releases count as first albums? If not then there are a bunch more you could add.
posted by simra at 11:02 PM on July 7, 2018


The biggest omissions I noticed that y'all didn't bring up first were

St Vincent - Now Now

Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1

Screaming Females - Foul Mouth

Honorable mention goes to LCD Soundsystem who fucked up and made Losing My Edge the first song on disc 2 of their first album.
posted by fomhar at 11:03 PM on July 7, 2018 [4 favorites]


Arcade Fire actually made the list (#88). I'm partial to the Suburbs.

I was going to mention that about LCD Soundsystem- Losing My Edge really deserves to be The Representative Track.
posted by simra at 11:19 PM on July 7, 2018


there is also

Motörhead
Motörhead
"Motörhead"

Voivod
"War and Pain"
"Voivod"

and the New Pornographers' "Mass Romantic"
posted by Sauce Trough at 1:25 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


While there are some good songs on there, to be sure, overall I find the list to be bafflingly mediocre, to the extent of "not even wrong.." Either there's some important criterion I'm missing or else the person who made the list hasn't listened to a lot of music.

I mean, it's all completely subjective but just going by discs that are sitting here on my desk at the moment, surely at least one of:
  • the 13th Floor Elevators - "You're Gonna Miss Me"
  • the [English] Beat - "Mirror in the Bathroom"
  • King Crimson - "20th Century Schizoid Man"
  • Velvet Underground & Nico - "Sunday Morning"
has to be better list fodder than some Dave Matthews Band track that even Dave Matthews Band fans have trouble remembering.. And many other good candidates have been suggested by other posters here -- again, I'm limiting myself only to albums that are on my desk or within arm's reach..
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:50 AM on July 8, 2018 [6 favorites]


[pedant]Purple Haze is not the first track on the first side of the first Hendrix album as it was originally released. It's the first track on the US release, which was over three months later than the US release. Not that Hendrix doesn't still have a very strong showing on first track, first side, (actual) first album - the original release of Are You Experienced? opens with Foxy Lady.[/pedant]

I thoroughly second Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath as well as King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King - 21st Century Schizoid Man.
posted by Dysk at 2:07 AM on July 8, 2018 [4 favorites]


oops.. in my haste to post I subtracted a century!
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:14 AM on July 8, 2018


Although technically 21stCSM isn't on Spotify (none of the original KC albums are, though the exemplary live albums by the current line-up, which both contain very good versions, are).

Is it me (my reading comprehension isn't great at the best of times), or did they miss XTC, Cocteau Twins, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, The Damned, The Sex Pistols and many many more?
posted by Grangousier at 2:15 AM on July 8, 2018 [4 favorites]


Head East - "Never Been Any Reason"
posted by yhbc at 3:05 AM on July 8, 2018 [3 favorites]


the list only seems to have 100 items when I look at it, but if it's missing head like a hole then I don't know what to say
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:20 AM on July 8, 2018 [3 favorites]


Hm, no "Crucify" (Tori Amos) (unless I scrolled past it) (entirely possible). My infatuation with her has certainly waned, but "Crucify" definitely grabbed 10yo me hard and didn't let go for a long time.
posted by obfuscation at 4:39 AM on July 8, 2018 [2 favorites]


(I am, of course, not counting Y Kant Tori Read as her first album)
posted by obfuscation at 4:40 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


(The classic rock way)

First track is a statement of the distilled essence of the band's sound (debut album) or what's changed with the band's sound since the last album. It may contain the words 'hello' or 'welcome' (or, ahem, "please allow me to introduce myself") at some point, or the name of the band.

Songs 2-4 are the singles and the songs with all the hooks.

Side B - more contemplative stuff, lower tempo, fewer hooks. Break out the acoustic guitars. One song may include a guest musician from another band, who will be credited under a pseudonym.

Second last song - uptempo one to wake everyone up and stop side B from nodding off completely.

Last song - you've got a couple of options here. You can go out with something weighty/haunting/experimental/contemplative. Or you can go out with a big party. (I read an interview with someone who called these approaches the Beatles way and the Stones way - think A Day In The Life or Tomorrow Never Knows vs You Can't Always Get What You Want or Salt of the Earth).

(optional) unlisted fakeout/joke/blast of feedback/inner groove/recording of band members goofing around.
posted by kersplunk at 4:41 AM on July 8, 2018 [4 favorites]


A lot of significant omissions (In my not-so-humble opinon).

I saw these both on the list:

Good Times Bad Times (Zeppelin)
Girls on Film (Duran Duran)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:25 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


What a fun idea! This would make a fantastic idea for any number of party mixes.

Also...no Uncontrollable Urge? Really?
posted by Thorzdad at 5:58 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Ha ha, a lot of our suggestions are on the bottom third of the playlist, which isn’t included unless you click through to Spotify.
posted by simra at 6:20 AM on July 8, 2018


I was thinking "Animal Nitrate" by Suede, but it was track two, for some reason. Perhaps following kersplunk formula.
posted by thelonius at 6:24 AM on July 8, 2018


"First Side" nearing obsolescence already redundant.

Hold On days bringing back some memories.
posted by filtergik at 6:24 AM on July 8, 2018


Crayon Angels by Judee Sill
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:01 AM on July 8, 2018


> What a fun idea!

Yes indeed! (And I'm pleased at the unusually low quantity of "This sucks because..." buzzkills in the thread.) I have to mention the opposite phenomenon, of bands whose first cut you wouldn't want to introduce anyone to before they had already come to appreciate the genius of the later stuff. This is a personal matter to me because I once made the error of trying to introduce a friend to the Mekons by playing "Never Been in a Riot." Now, you may or may not find that a listenable song, but it is definitely not primo Mekons, and my friend was so appalled and turned off he refused to even listen to Fear and Whiskey, which I had hoped to blow his mind with. Sometimes the historical approach is not the way to go.

Anyway, thanks for the post!
posted by languagehat at 7:03 AM on July 8, 2018


I don’t use Spotify - does the list include

Making Plans for Nigel from Drums & Wires?
Precious from the Pretenders debut?
Close to the Edge?
Modern Love from Let’s Dance?
Sympathy for the Devil?
Blue Sky Mine?
One Headlight from Bringing Down the Horse?
Rastaman Vibration from Babylon By Bus?
Do it Again from Can’t Buy a Thrill?
Right in Time from Car Wheels on a Gravel Road?
Introduction from Chicago Transit Authority?
Leonard Cohen’s The Future?
Done Gone Blue from Good Mornig Aztlan?

(Just browsing the iPod for some personal favorites- I’ll stop there)
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:13 AM on July 8, 2018


First Side" nearing obsolescence already redundant.

For some reason, through 20 years of owning Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow on vinyl, I had sides 1 & 2 backward & thought the album began with ‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers & was shocked when I finally bought it on CD.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:16 AM on July 8, 2018


Big Star "Feel" from #1 Record.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:22 AM on July 8, 2018 [3 favorites]


Close to the Edge...Modern Love from Let’s Dance

the concept is, first track of the band's first album
posted by thelonius at 7:55 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


A few from the aul mp3 folder:

Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
The Who - My Generation
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Aphex Twin - Xtal
Beck - Loser
Air - La Femme d'Argent
Planxty - Raggle Taggle Gypsy/Tabhair Dom Do Lámh
Nick Drake - Time Has Told Me
Joanna Newsom - Bridges and Balloons
Modest Mouse - Dramamine
Mazzy Star - Halah

Some disagreement about whether it's actually their 'debut album':
The Beta Band - Dry The Rain
Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick (on a 22 minute EP)

Technically cheating because they only recorded one album:
Mic Christopher - Heyday
Skip Spence - Little Hands
Mountain Man - Buffalo
Gold Leaves - The Silver Lining
Snot - Snot (featuring the immortal intro "same something for the record, tell the people what you feel" "fuck the record, and fuck the people")
posted by kersplunk at 7:55 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Uncle Arthur follows Batman! Aw, I like his first album. It's weird, extremely well-produced, and was leaps and bounds away lyrically from deathless shite like "My girl calls my name, 'Hi Dave!'" And in "Join The Gang", he was putting it out there about fame-chasers like himself. But yes, the 1969 album is much better, though to me, "Space Oddity" feels shoehorned into the rest of it.

Which to count as Luther Vandross's FAFS?
  • The one he did with his R&B group Luther, in which case it's "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)"? Great song, and is the original version of what Bowie reworked as Young American's "Fascination".
  • The first album with the Euro-disco act Change, The Glow of Love? In which case it's "A Lover's Holiday". I remember this one as a kid, and sure, it was the jam in my neighborhood, but kind of a rip off of Chic's style.
  • Or the title track from his first solo album Never Too Much, which is a stone classic?
Similarly, I know Horn of Plenty is Grizzly Bear's first album. It's not that I don't like "Deep Sea Diver", but Yellow House (and "Easier") and is when Dan Rossen was in and that's when I feel like they became the Grizzly Bear I know and love today.

And then there's The Staples Singers' FAFS Uncloudy Day from 1959. Good god, y'all! That is ... deep!
posted by droplet at 8:14 AM on July 8, 2018


the concept is, first track of the band's first album

Oops, I’m utterly illiterate.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:46 AM on July 8, 2018 [2 favorites]


(4 of those were accidentally first albums, though)
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:47 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


That's okay, Devils Rancher, Drums and Wires might be the earliest XTC album I'd recommend to someone unfamiliar with them. I feel like the first two would be a rough place to start.
posted by mollweide at 8:58 AM on July 8, 2018


I'd like to crowbar 13 Songs in there because "Waiting Room" is pretty galvanizing. The first track on Repeater much less so. Throwing Muses "Call Me", though is still like a piercing ray to me from 1986.
posted by fleacircus at 9:08 AM on July 8, 2018


Man alive is this a white, middle-aged list
posted by kittens for breakfast at 10:23 AM on July 8, 2018 [4 favorites]


I'm going to second Mass Romantic by the New Pornos (and Dry the Rain if we count the 3 EPs as a first album) but for me the biggest omission is Tubular Bells Part 1. I'm also going to flag Miracle Drug by AC Newman as a strong contender. Nice to see Moribund in there, though, and a fun list.
posted by YoungStencil at 10:24 AM on July 8, 2018


Joni Mitchell - I Had a King

Maybe not a hit, but a helluva a signal of what was to follow.
posted by kneecapped at 11:10 AM on July 8, 2018


Man alive is this a white, middle-aged list

The The I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)
Thomas Dolby She Blinded Me with Science
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Perfect Skin
posted by bassomatic at 11:12 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Where's the Metal? (I'm not counting Guns N' Roses or Living Colour, who are rock bands, or KISS, who suck. (Your Favorite Band Sucks.)) Hit the Lights from Metallica's Kill 'Em All should absolutely be on that list. Megadeth's first album wasn't spectacular (which is what happens when you blow most of your recording budget on booze and drugs), but Last Rites/Loved to Deth is a great opener.

Smashing Pumpkins' I Am One, from Gish.

We're Only Gonna Die from Bad Religion's How Could Hell be Any Worse?

Also, I'm going to suggest that they get either Derek & The Dominoes, or Eric Clapton's debut, but not both. Same band, different name on the spine. Cheating!

And while we're talking about guys who play blues rock on Strats, Laundromat from Rory Gallagher's eponymous debut. He was incredible.

(I realize that none of these really help the middle-aged whiteness at all.)
posted by curiousgene at 11:38 AM on July 8, 2018


Only 18% (23 out of 150 by my count) of the artists are women or groups with at least one woman in their lineup. Not fucking good enough.
posted by wreckingball at 11:45 AM on July 8, 2018


And now that I think about it, Little Richard's first studio album, Here's Little Richard, opened with Tutti Frutti.

Chuck Berry's After School Session opened with School Days.

Can't get much better.
posted by curiousgene at 11:45 AM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Man alive is this a white, middle-aged list

It's very rockist. Does it even have Donna Lee?
posted by thelonius at 12:00 PM on July 8, 2018


This list is an extended demonstration of the futility of attempting to top this. That every album since doesn't just start with track 2 is a testament to the hubris of performing artists.
posted by multics at 12:06 PM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


.... aaand, Not abusing the edit window: missed that it was first album, dur. Still, the argument holds for that one, too.

(edit: i give up.)
posted by multics at 12:13 PM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Well, finally found something worse than listicles on 20 pages, because I love opening that abomination that is the Spotify client to browse a text-only list.

I started going through my stuff following three rules, plus one theme:
- Immediately sets up who the band were at the time and build from that instead of looking like they had a single and let's make 35 minutes of rubbish to follow it up;
- Works very well as a album opening track instead of being, once again, the song the band had to leave to the end of a festival slot because everyone will bugger off after that;
- Still ranks on the top songs of the album, despite not being, you know by now.

Because I got bored midway, here's So Young.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:50 PM on July 8, 2018


Listening to this playlist now. Surprised there are a few artists I've never heard of, like Steve Forbert. Looking at his other releases didn't help, so im guessing he didn't chart in Australia. Glad Living Colour made the list though.

I also discovered that my husband can spot a Dave Matthews Band song as soon as Dave starts singing, which surprised me because it's exactly the kind of music he hates.
posted by Kris10_b at 1:02 PM on July 8, 2018


"Tears of Rage" The Band
posted by hal9k at 1:14 PM on July 8, 2018 [2 favorites]


Crass - "Do They Owe Us a Living"
posted by Beardman at 1:39 PM on July 8, 2018


Man alive is this a white, middle-aged list

The album as hallowed cultural artefact is a white, middle-aged concept.
posted by kersplunk at 1:45 PM on July 8, 2018 [6 favorites]


To expand a bit on that, (and the Boomer Album Rules I tried to define upthread because/even though I love a ton of those albums) think of who's implicitly ruled out by the criteria:
  • Anyone who got famous before The Age Of The Album As Statement started some time in the mid 60's - before this people just released albums as material was ready. This basically excludes 99% of the best jazz artists of all time - for example Kind of Blue was Miles Davis' 33rd(!) album (his debut The New Sounds is great but nobody cares about it).
  • Anyone on a slow burn towards success. The epitome of famous first song/album is something like Welcome To The Jungle by Guns n Roses or Rock n Roll Star by Oasis - bands who got massive quickly even before the album came out, and for whom the first song on the first album was as carefully crafted a mission statement as anything that ever came from some corporate marketing department.
  • Artists in genres like techno, disco, funk, soul, all genres dominated by a) singles and b) by black artists. I put Aphex Twin on my list upthread - it's no coincidence that he put rock values (focus on the artist, marketable personality, album-first, album-as-statement) front and centre and cleaned up as a result.
posted by kersplunk at 2:08 PM on July 8, 2018


Thomas Dolby She Blinded Me with Science

This one is problematic because that isn't the actual first track on the original version of the album, and it wasn't even on the album when it was first in wide release.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some Thomas Dolby.
posted by hippybear at 2:36 PM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Lists like this are invariably lame because they are aimed at a very narrow, always predictable demographic.
posted by rickjh at 4:37 PM on July 8, 2018


I’m sorry. *How* did they miss Blister in the Sun?
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 5:44 PM on July 8, 2018 [3 favorites]




I definitely thought 10:15 Saturday Night would be there. Also Our Lips Are Sealed and Blue Suede Shoes.

I’m sorry. *How* did they miss Blister in the Sun? yt

It's on there! You have to log in to Spotify to see the final fifty. I was also happy to see You're Gonna Get Yours (Public Enemy) and Push It (Salt N Pepa).
posted by oneirodynia at 6:34 PM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


MC5 -- Ramblin' Rose
Fear -- Let's Have a War
Fugazi -- Waiting Room
Replacements -- Takin' a Ride
posted by AJaffe at 6:46 PM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Or holy shit, It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock and Roll ?!!

"Baby, Please Don't Go" was the first song on the Australian-only version of High Voltage, released in February 1975.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:29 PM on July 8, 2018


On the other hand I would've gone with Mother and Child Reunion for Paul Simon (from 1972's Paul Simon) since The Paul Simon Songbook was basically pre-S&G demos.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:35 PM on July 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


Can someone with Spotify comment with the entire list?
posted by Chrysostom at 7:35 PM on July 8, 2018


Ok, here goes:

Empty Sky Elton John
Caring Is Creepy The Shins
Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix
Jamaica Say You Will Jackson Browne
Cult of Personality Living Colour
The Barbarian - 2012 Remastered Version Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) Janis Joplin
Rockin' Around (With You) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Hold On Steve Winwood
Moses Patty Griffin
Fingertips - Original Studio Version Stevie Wonder
Waiting Santana
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free Sting
Break On Through (To The Other Side) The Doors
What I Am Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
What Do You Want The Girl To Do Lowell George
Like A Feather Nikka Costa
In The Air Tonight - 2015 Remastered Phil Collins
Moribund The Burgermeister Peter Gabriel
Take It Easy Eagles
Magic Man Heart
The Best of What's Around Dave Matthews Band
She's Got a Way Billy Joel
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Remastered Crosby, Stills & Nash
Don't Panic Coldplay
Shine David Gray
Good Times Roll The Cars
Jackson Cannery Ben Folds Five
I Saw Her Standing There - Remastered The Beatles
The Lovely Linda - Remastered 2011 Paul McCartney
Down To The Waterline Dire Straits
Goin' Down to Laurel Steve Forbert
I Will Follow U2
Trouble Ray LaMontagne
Bluebird - Remastered Bonnie Raitt
Ol' 55 Tom Waits
This Empty Place Dionne Warwick
Moving Kate Bush
Precious - 2006 Remastered Version Pretenders
Two Tickets to Paradise Eddie Money
More Than a Feeling Boston
This Is a Call Foo Fighters
Smooth Operator Sade
Once Pearl Jam
No Such Thing John Mayer
Janie Jones The Clash
Blitzkrieg Bop - 2016 Remastered Version Ramones
Talkin' Bout A Revolution Tracy Chapman
Black Sabbath - Remastered Version Black Sabbath
[Theme From] The Monkees - 2006 Remastered Original Stereo Version The Monkees
Talk Talk - 1997 Remastered Version Talk Talk
Sun It Rises Fleet Foxes
Next To You - Remastered 2003 The Police
My Name Is Jonas Weezer
Blinded By The Light Bruce Springsteen
Run, Baby, Run Sheryl Crow
See No Evil Television
Love Struck Baby Stevie Ray Vaughan
Welcome To The Working Week Elvis Costello
Follow Brandi Carlile
Is This It The Strokes
Baby I Need Your Loving Four Tops
Bone Machine Pixies
I Should've Known Aimee Mann
Keep Yourself Alive Queen
Hard Times Run–D.M.C.
I Can't Live Without My Radio LL Cool J
Zip A Dee Doo Dah The Jackson 5
Planet Claire The B-52's
Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town - 2005 Remastered Version Talking Heads
You Radiohead
Do It Again Steely Dan
The Way You Do The Things You Do The Temptations
Can't Get Enough - Remastered Version Bad Company
The First Song Band of Horses
I Must Be High - Remastered Wilco
To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) Ryan Adams
Up The Beach Jane's Addiction
Welcome To The Jungle Guns N' Roses
Twice As Hard The Black Crowes
Round Here Counting Crows
Dreams Never End - 2015 Remastered Version New Order
Tell Me Baby Muddy Waters
Walkin' The Boogie - Single Version John Lee Hooker
Rock ‘n’ Roll Star - Remastered Oasis
Rhymin & Stealin Beastie Boys
Radio Free Europe R.E.M.
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) Arcade Fire
Tears Of Rage - 2000 Digital Remaster The Band
Straight Outta Compton N.W.A.
Gloria: In Excelsis Deo Patti Smith
Feel Big Star
Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine The Killers
Just Like Honey The Jesus and Mary Chain
Mr. Tambourine Man The Byrds
Out In The Street The Who
1969 - Remastered The Stooges
Mojo Pin Jeff Buckley
Don't Know Why Norah Jones
I Wanna Be Adored - Remastered The Stone Roses
Lucky Star Madonna
Sleep to Dream Fiona Apple
6'1" (Remastered) Liz Phair
Slunky Eric Clapton
I Looked Away - 40th Anniversary Version / 2010 Remastered Derek & The Dominos
Introduction - Remastered Chicago
Summer Babe - Winter Version Pavement
Web in Front Archers Of Loaf
Good Times Bad Times Led Zeppelin
Heaven Is In Your Mind Traffic
Illegal Smile John Prine
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - Remastered The Postal Service
Girls On Film - 2010 Remastered Version Duran Duran
She's a Runaway - 2008 Remastered Version Bodeans
Roadrunner The Modern Lovers
Buffalo Stance - 12'' Version Neneh Cherry
Re-Make/Re-Model Roxy Music
Head Like A Hole Nine Inch Nails
Astronomy Domine Pink Floyd
Legalize It Peter Tosh
Mansard Roof Vampire Weekend
Beyond And Before Yes
Mirror In the Bathroom The English Beat
I Am a Rock Paul Simon
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll) AC/DC
Hold On, I'm Comin' Sam & Dave
Fireworks Drake
Six O'Clock News Kathleen Edwards
Uncontrollable Urge DEVO
Blister in the Sun - 2002 Remastered Version Violent Femmes
A Message to You Rudy - 2015 Remaster The Specials
Strutter KISS
Push It Along A Tribe Called Quest
You're Gonna Get Yours Public Enemy
Chuck E's In Love (45 Version) Rickie Lee Jones
Suzanne Leonard Cohen
The Golden Road [To Unlimited Devotion] Grateful Dead
Don't Want You No More The Allman Brothers Band
Broke Down And Busted Todd Rundgren
Sunday Morning The Velvet Underground
Got To Be There Michael Jackson
Crazy In Love Beyoncé
Bring Da Ruckus Wu-Tang Clan
Runnin' With The Devil - 2015 Remastered Version Van Halen
Push It Salt-N-Pepa
Personality Crisis New York Dolls
Waiting Santana
[Somebody Else Been] Shaking Your Tree ZZ Top
Holidays In The Sun Sex Pistols
Bat Out of Hell Meat Loaf
Heartbreaker Pat Benatar
posted by q*ben at 8:27 PM on July 8, 2018 [3 favorites]


Shit, how is The Raspberries' "Go All The Way" not on this list? (Especially given its "classic rock" orientation and the song's revival via Guardians.)
posted by octobersurprise at 6:39 AM on July 9, 2018


Anyway, kersplunk gets it exactly right regarding the limitations of such a list. When I think of it, it's remarkable how many of my favorite songs—even by commercially successful bands—aren't "lead-off" cuts. Please, by the Pet Shop Boys, for example, leads off with "Two Divided by Zero," not "West End Girls." If We Five are remembered at all these days it's for "You Were On My Mind" and that was the first cut on the second side.

Offhand, I guess my favorite lead-off cut—also not on this list—is Saint Etienne's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." Others that come to mind immediately are Neu!'s "Hallogallo" and The Peppermint Rainbow's "Will You Be Staying After Sunday?" one of my favorite pieces of Psych/Sunshine pop.

Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Computer Game "Theme From The Circus"" made almost no splash at all at the time, but listening to it now it feels like they grasped the entirety of our future in one lead-off cut.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:03 AM on July 9, 2018


I would classify about 1/4 of these tracks as totally forgettable even for the bands I like. Bone Machine? Magic Man? Let the Good Times Roll? Cut this list down to 50 and come a little harder than "Yes that was a popular single" or "Yes that is a band I like and therefore their first song is a good one".
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:16 AM on July 9, 2018


Joan Jett - Bad Reputation
posted by e1c at 9:48 AM on July 9, 2018 [3 favorites]


And from Joan Jett on back to the Runaways - Cherry Bomb
posted by e1c at 9:53 AM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]


Please, by the Pet Shop Boys, for example, leads off with "Two Divided by Zero," not "West End Girls."

Two Divided By Zero is a pretty great song, though. The first two PSB albums are really solid.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:40 AM on July 9, 2018


Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Computer Game "Theme From The Circus"" made almost no splash at all at the time, but listening to it now it feels like they grasped the entirety of our future in one lead-off cut.

Discovering YMO a few years ago, it really felt they were on the vanguard of what would be video-game inspired music for the next decade, from when arcades started featuring music, all the way until home consoles ditched FM synthesis for samples and later redbook audio. And lately back again when indies went back to emulate artistic sensibilities of the time.
Not sure if they wrote the future, but those that did certainly had an ear on what they did between 1978 and 1983.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:01 AM on July 9, 2018


I’d also add Reuters by Wire to the list. Pink Flag is one of the best first albums in history.
posted by q*ben at 11:59 AM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]


It's very hard to take any best-of list seriously if it contains John Mayer. 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢
posted by zeusianfog at 2:23 PM on July 9, 2018


Say what you want, he’s a solid pop writer and a good guitarist. Room For Squares was a great album. And the John Mayer Trio album is really solid and I have it in heavy rotation.
posted by PussKillian at 2:27 PM on July 9, 2018


You say that, but I just hear adult contemporary dreck. Also, he famously referred to his penis as a "white supremacist," so, yeah, I feel confident yucking this particular yum.
posted by zeusianfog at 2:30 PM on July 9, 2018


I do say that! And although I regret his penis, I still like his older music. I admittedly haven’t heard much of his recent stuff.
posted by PussKillian at 3:05 PM on July 9, 2018


I came here to complain that "Just Like Honey" by the Jesus and Mary Chain was shamefully omitted because I just assumed it would be but nope, it's in there, so I'm happy and don't care about the rest.
posted by Legomancer at 1:22 PM on July 10, 2018


The Smiths: "Reel Around the Fountain"


Morrissey notwithstanding, it is a nice song.
posted by 4ster at 2:17 PM on July 11, 2018 [1 favorite]


Technically, Deja Vu was a debut album by CSN&Y, making Carry On eligible. Just sayin'.
posted by rocket88 at 11:42 PM on July 11, 2018


Web In Front - Archers of Loaf. Off Icky Mettle
posted by sauril at 4:22 PM on July 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


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