Best Debut Albums

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Here are some of my favorites:

Black Sabbath-s/t
Led Zeppelin-s/t
Pink Floyd-Piper @ the Gates of Dawn
Olivia Tremor Control-Dusk @ Cubist Castle
Velvet Underground & Nico
Bevis Frond-Miasma
Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso UFO-s/t
The Clash-s/t
Patti Smith-Horses
Jimi Hendrix Experience-Are You Experienced?
The Damned- Damned Damned Damned
13th Floor Elevators-Psychedelic Sounds of...
Rain Parade-Emergency 3rd Rail Power Trip
Dream Syndicate-Days of Wine & Roses
Gun Club-Fire of Love
Mothers of Invention-Freak Out
Spacemen 3-Sound of Confusion (was that the 1st one?)

John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Saturday, 22 March 2003 04:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Bad Brains, s/t
The Ramones
Sonic Youth, "Confusion is Sex"

Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 22 March 2003 07:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Fishbone - Fishbone
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Nas - illmatic
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
Basment Jaxx - Remedy
Daft Punk - Homework

Bobby D Gray (bedhead), Saturday, 22 March 2003 07:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Talking Heads '77
PJ Harvey - Dry
Bjork - Debut (kind of)
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (too early for this one? aw, fuck it)
Television - Marquee Moon
Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 07:53 (twenty-three years ago)

immediately coming to mind:
Roxy Music - s/t
Tindersticks - s/t
Nick Drake - Fives Leaves Left
Modern Lovers - s/t
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Smiths - s/t
Smashing Pumkins - Gish

already mentioned:
VU & Nico
PJ Harvey - Dry
Patti Smith - Horses
Dream Syndicate - Days of Wine and Roses

alex in mainhattan (alex63), Saturday, 22 March 2003 08:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Aztec Camera: High Land Hard Rain

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 22 March 2003 09:47 (twenty-three years ago)

And, forgot ABC: Lexicon Of Love

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 22 March 2003 09:48 (twenty-three years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000024AKT.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

JoB (JoB), Saturday, 22 March 2003 10:53 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm sure a veritable nation of folks will disagree with me, but....

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd900/d929/d92985u2o2u.jpg

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 22 March 2003 10:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I was about to mention Mansun, actually. And the Interpol album.

Other than that one:

Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
Magazine - Real Life
OMD - s/t
Paul Simon - The Paul Simon Songbook

Does Joy Division actually count, considering they released an album as Warsaw before Unknown Pleasures?

Tijn, Saturday, 22 March 2003 11:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Lo Fi All Stars 'How To Operate With A Blown Mind' - i really rate it y'know...

stevem (blueski), Saturday, 22 March 2003 11:26 (twenty-three years ago)

(Hey Alex Manhattan - Sinister isn't B&S' debut). Psst, Tigermilk.

Cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 11:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Suede - Suede
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Pulp - It
Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
The Smiths - The Smiths
The Doors - The Doors
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks
Elastica - Elastica

(Is The Kick Inside by Kate Bush her debut? If so, then add that as well)

JJ72 - JJ72 (I love this LP, his voice just is incredible)
McAlmont and Butler - Sound of...
England Made Me - Black Box Recorder

Calum, Saturday, 22 March 2003 12:20 (twenty-three years ago)

many a good 'un named upthread, won't repeat

REM - Murmur
Merz - Merz
Robert Wyatt - The End Of An Ear

t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Saturday, 22 March 2003 13:43 (twenty-three years ago)

and

Pole - 1 (1998)

t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Saturday, 22 March 2003 13:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Clash
Ramones
X
Byrds
Aretha

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Saturday, 22 March 2003 14:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols
Bo Diddley
Beatles - Please Please Me
Modern Lovers
Ted Hawkins - Watch Your Step
REM - Murmer
English Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
Them
Beastie Boys - Liscenced to Ill

Burr (Burr), Saturday, 22 March 2003 15:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Prodigy 'Experience'

stevem (blueski), Saturday, 22 March 2003 15:27 (twenty-three years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre700/e763/e76321uhg2o.jpg

Adam A. (Keiko), Saturday, 22 March 2003 15:41 (twenty-three years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f549/f54995xbhar.jpg

o. nate (onate), Saturday, 22 March 2003 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

(and worst cover art!)

Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 15:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, they really have a Hells Angels thing going, don't they?

o. nate (onate), Saturday, 22 March 2003 16:03 (twenty-three years ago)

No Suicide??? Come On.

rex jr., Saturday, 22 March 2003 16:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Sugarcubes - Life's Too Good

T. Weiss (Timmy), Saturday, 22 March 2003 17:47 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.cs.northwestern.edu/~tisue/jandek-scans/covers/thumb-0739.jpg

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 22 March 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Curtis, what's that?

t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Saturday, 22 March 2003 18:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Jandek Ready for the House

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 22 March 2003 18:27 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.eskimo.com/~bpentium/beatles/intro/vj1mc3.jpg

Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 18:45 (twenty-three years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005JGAB.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 18:48 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.southern.com/southern/band/RYECO/pics/GER29L.jpg

Brock K. (Brock K.), Saturday, 22 March 2003 19:46 (twenty-three years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f520/f52073t6f67.jpg

OleM (OleM), Saturday, 22 March 2003 20:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Entertainment! by Gang of Four

Ferg (Ferg), Saturday, 22 March 2003 20:37 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree. entertainment! is a masterpiece.

Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 20:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Chronic Town predates Murmer by the way....tho' not sure it counts as a proper "album."

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 22 March 2003 20:58 (twenty-three years ago)

massive attack, pavement, autechre, aphex twin, black box recorder, nick drake.

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 22 March 2003 20:59 (twenty-three years ago)

i like mansun, too. also: tricky, the orb, sparklehorse. does "isn't anything" count as MBV's debut, or was there some mini-album before it? Mercury Rev, also. there are gazillions of great debuts...

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:03 (twenty-three years ago)

coldplay, too

*ducks*

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Chronic Town is the best thing they ever did! But I couldn't find a picture of it.

That Mansun album is great!
Also:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000003TAW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


God they suck now.

Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2003-02-07/music_phases14-1.jpg

There's a time to fuck and a time to crave,
But the Shah sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave!!!!!!!!

Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:19 (twenty-three years ago)

jeff buckley, mazzy star, eels...

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 22 March 2003 22:58 (twenty-three years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f550/f55003op4o1.jpg

o. nate (onate), Saturday, 22 March 2003 23:08 (twenty-three years ago)

i'd choose a different top 10 on any given day, but for now...

1. the orb - adeventures beyond the ultraworld
2. aphex twin - saw 85-92
3. jeff buckley - grace
4. autechre - incunabula
5. sparklehorse - vivadixie...
6. nick drake - five leaves left
7. MBV - isn't anything
8.tricky - maxinequaye
9. pavement - slanted and enchanted
10 Mercury Rev - yerself is steam

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 22 March 2003 23:08 (twenty-three years ago)

i forgot about oasis, too...stone roses, g'n'r...so many to choose from...surprised the streets haven't been mentioned yet...

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Saturday, 22 March 2003 23:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think an album should be considered a "debut" until a second album is released (hence no Strokes or Streets)

Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 23:18 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.silverdisc.com/images/70/720642427729.jpg

Mentioned yesterday by Kitchen Person. I needed to post the image though, because it is my favorite album ever.

boy_slayer, Sunday, 2 December 2012 07:53 (thirteen years ago)

yeah there's an album that needs a Deluxe reissue.

piscesx, Sunday, 2 December 2012 08:23 (thirteen years ago)

all time fave

http://991.com/newGallery/Its-Immaterial-Lifes-Hard-And-Th-320327.jpg

piscesx, Sunday, 2 December 2012 08:40 (thirteen years ago)

yes i love ABC's lexicon of love... 'soul mining' by the the deserves a mention as a debut album of comparable quality with a comparable pop sensibility. one of my favs

hector_doepos, Sunday, 2 December 2012 09:58 (thirteen years ago)

i think its martin frys voice that reminds me of matt johnson

hector_doepos, Sunday, 2 December 2012 10:07 (thirteen years ago)

How many acts with an amazing debut had an equally- or doubly-great sophomore outing? Seems like in a lot of these cases, the folks involved put a lot of themselves into the appearance of having emerged into the world fully-formed and wound up with too little gas to get them through a self-assured second outing.

Tangy Flavor Nuggets™ (Old Lunch), Sunday, 2 December 2012 14:40 (thirteen years ago)

You might almost say they experienced a 'sophomore slump'. I'm going to tademark that.

Tangy Flavor Nuggets™ (Old Lunch), Sunday, 2 December 2012 14:42 (thirteen years ago)

r

Tangy Flavor Nuggets™ (Old Lunch), Sunday, 2 December 2012 14:43 (thirteen years ago)

Badly Drawn Boy has to be included here, too.

john. a resident of chicago., Sunday, 2 December 2012 16:22 (thirteen years ago)

interesting sophomore slump chat here
Bands that choked on their second album after a great debut

piscesx, Sunday, 2 December 2012 18:01 (thirteen years ago)

Moby Grape a must (no mention in the text--maybe I missed an image).

clemenza, Sunday, 2 December 2012 18:14 (thirteen years ago)

How many acts with an amazing debut had an equally- or doubly-great sophomore outing?

Cheap Trick springs immediately to mind. In Color is easily as good as Cheap Trick, maybe better.

and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 2 December 2012 18:37 (thirteen years ago)

I think you could name many. X would be the first one that comes to mind for me.

clemenza, Sunday, 2 December 2012 19:50 (thirteen years ago)

Stooges, Velvets, Dolls--you won't get unanimity on those, but I think most people would agree the second is more or less as good as the first. Detouring quite a bit, Marshall Crenshaw.

clemenza, Sunday, 2 December 2012 19:59 (thirteen years ago)

Ramones, Slint, Led Zep all managed that trick too.

Neil S, Sunday, 2 December 2012 20:08 (thirteen years ago)

xp Stooges and Velvets, definitely. The Dolls...eh, I mean, I love Too Much, Too Soon, but I feel like it definitely pales next to the debut. Not Pretenders II pales, just regular pales.

Good call on X!

and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 2 December 2012 22:54 (thirteen years ago)

Suede would be the most obvious choice for me, Dog Man Star is way ahead of the debut. Also Supergrass, Pere Ubu, Daft Punk, Syreeta, Prefab Sprout, Supergrass, Mansun, The Specials, The Blue Nile, Saint Etienne, The Associates (if you don't include Fourth Drawer Down) Earl Brutus, D'angelo, Goldfrapp, Brick, Digable Planets, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Junior Boys, Devo and The Cars. I know a lot of people won't agree with those last three.

Kitchen Person, Sunday, 2 December 2012 22:55 (thirteen years ago)

Think I forgot Supergrass...

Kitchen Person, Sunday, 2 December 2012 22:55 (thirteen years ago)

Just realised Rattlesnakes hasn't been mentioned yet, easily one of the best debuts of the 80's. Metamatic by John Foxx too.

Kitchen Person, Sunday, 2 December 2012 22:59 (thirteen years ago)

LOVE Supergrass' debut. Their drummer was a wonderful beacon of hope for those of us waiting for someone to expand on Keith Moon's innovations. Sadly, subsequent albums found him more and more reined in.

(The second record is fine, but the unbridled enthusiasm of the first record was gone for good)

and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 2 December 2012 23:07 (thirteen years ago)

blimey.
all these posts and no mention of the KISS debut.
having lived with it now for a month on heavy rotation i think its fantastic and surely deserves some ilm love !?
oh, and ta KP for the Earl Brutus mention as that was my first cntrl-f check ..

mark e, Sunday, 2 December 2012 23:21 (thirteen years ago)

LOVE Supergrass' debut. Their drummer was a wonderful beacon of hope for those of us waiting for someone to expand on Keith Moon's innovations. Sadly, subsequent albums found him more and more reined in.

(The second record is fine, but the unbridled enthusiasm of the first record was gone for good)

― and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat)

I know what you mean about the enthusiasm, Coco is all over the place and that is part of it's charm but the second is a bit more consistent. If you compare the second halves of the albums, Money is much stronger. There isn't much in it to be honest.

Kitchen Person, Monday, 3 December 2012 00:45 (thirteen years ago)

The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms

DJ Smoove Groothe (staggerlee), Tuesday, 4 December 2012 03:10 (thirteen years ago)

four years pass...

Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman
Solex - Solex vs. the Hitmeister
Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool

Week of Wonders (Ross), Monday, 31 July 2017 02:11 (eight years ago)

Arcade Fire - Funeral

Shat Parp (dog latin), Monday, 31 July 2017 10:25 (eight years ago)

Violent Femmes - s/t

octobeard, Monday, 31 July 2017 15:41 (eight years ago)

meatloaf

brimstead, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 00:27 (eight years ago)

sorry

meatloaf - bat out of hell

brimstead, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 00:27 (eight years ago)

the main takeaway from this thread is that allmusic and amazon are the most stable "image hosts" on the internet. it's amazing that all those hotlinked album covers from the early part of this thread have already outlasted tinypic and imageshack and yfrog and photobucket, even as the albums themselves have faded from popular memory. this is what time travel feels like probably

pg13tentacion (unregistered), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 01:59 (eight years ago)

Miossec - Boire, still one of the best French singer/songwriter albums of all-time. Together with Gainsbourg's L'homme à tête de chou.

Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 10:24 (eight years ago)

shrubbies - memphis in texas
north sea radio orchestra - north sea radio orchestra

you've never heard of either of these bands but their debuts are honestly up there with my favourites (clearlake's debut lido rounds it out). imagine your confusion then when I affirm that these two bands are in fact...the same band

imago, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 11:07 (eight years ago)

Why is there a thread for this? It's harder to think of bands where the first album isn't the best.

enochroot, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 11:46 (eight years ago)

wrong

imago, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 11:49 (eight years ago)

unless you're a tiresome musical conservative who regards development with suspicion

imago, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 11:50 (eight years ago)

it's this kind of bullshit that gets Pink Flag into all the best punk/best 70s lists, rather than the immensely superior two albums which followed

imago, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 11:52 (eight years ago)

Yeah, it's not hard at all to think of bands who made better records than their debut, although sometimes the debut is (unfortunately) the best album. The second and third Wire albums are definitely better than the first, IMO.

The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 17:48 (eight years ago)

Gish is a pretty amazing debut for a rock band, especially considering where they were at just a few years prior. there was so much growth from 1988 to 1991

flappy bird, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 19:01 (eight years ago)

Gish is a monster. It has always been my fave of the Pumpkins. Very psychedelic hard rock.

Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 19:23 (eight years ago)

one year passes...

and here they is, the best solo debut albums.

Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 February 2019 11:21 (seven years ago)

six years pass...

should probably be a new poll

also it's the cars

mookieproof, Saturday, 29 March 2025 02:46 (one year ago)

George Best though

Pink Flag is better than Chairs Missing anyway I reckon

Colonel Poo, Saturday, 29 March 2025 03:29 (one year ago)

Pink Flag is awesome… I don’t connect with their other stuff. Oh well!

Seems like nearly every debut ever is named in this thread, but The Parable of Arable Land deserves a mention, too…

whisper of milk (morrisp), Saturday, 29 March 2025 03:46 (one year ago)

Three Imaginary Boys was correctly not mentioned along with Born to Die.

Bandwagonesque
MGMT
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Probably doesn't count:
Night Time, My Time

Bee OK, Saturday, 29 March 2025 04:02 (one year ago)

Bandwagonesque is not the debut, it was the first major label album.

Bee OK, Saturday, 29 March 2025 04:04 (one year ago)

Lol, I meant Oracular Spectacular as there is also an album called MGMT.

Bee OK, Saturday, 29 March 2025 04:19 (one year ago)

Overlooked itt:
John Prine
Leonard Cohen
King Crimson

Also worthy of mention:
Julie London
Julee Cruise
Kelis
Kacey Musgraves
Undertones
Chris Isaak
Suzi Quatro
Kingsbury Manx
The XX

Skip Intro (punning display), Saturday, 29 March 2025 16:37 (one year ago)

Um, never mind Kacey Musgraves.

Skip Intro (punning display), Saturday, 29 March 2025 16:55 (one year ago)

Kris Kristofferson

Skip Intro (punning display), Saturday, 29 March 2025 17:47 (one year ago)

Fever to Tell

whisper of milk (morrisp), Saturday, 29 March 2025 17:49 (one year ago)

Bark Psychosis - Hex
Tears for Fears - The Hurting

jeff bezoar (sawdust lagoon), Sunday, 30 March 2025 10:58 (one year ago)


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