TOP 10 DEBUT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
I was under the impression that this list would be easy. I was wrong. A band’s first CD usually isn’t amazing. For example, the best band of all time, The Beatles, didn’t even make the list. Please Please Me is a good album, but not great. Each album on this list is either great from start to finish, highly influential to its genre, or both.
THE TOP 10 DEBUT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
10. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I (1969)
This is a great album, but not Led Zeppelin’s best. But, it is the Zep, and it has ranked in at #10 on the list.
9. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)
This album ushered in Dr. Dre as the best Hip-Hop producer of all time. With guest spots from Snoop, this album is great from beginning to end and contains two of the best songs in the history of Hip Hop, “Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang”.
8. Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind (1997)
As one of the best rock albums of all-time, this album will live the test of time and be listened to by generations to come. This album is one of the best of the 90s and every single song is outstanding.
7. Guns ‘n Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
“Welcome To The Jungle”, “Paradise City”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” …. enough said.
6. Weezer - Weezer (1994)
This album means a lot to us kids born in the 80s. This album is a soundtrack of the early 90s and every last song is a classic. This album is alternative rock perfection.
5. Boston - Boston (1976)
8 tracks of outstanding rock music. Every single track on this album could be a single, and most were. Each one of these songs you have probably heard at some point in your life - even if you’ve never actually sit down and listened to it all the way through.
4. Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)
The best album to come out of the Seattle Grunge movement in the early 90s. Pearl Jam is what everything Nirvana wishes they were. Nirvana gets more attention because Kurt Cobain killed himself - but slowly people are starting to realize that Nirvana was good and Pearl Jam was great.
3. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)
I remember when I first bought this album in 1995 and popped it in the CD player - I was blown away. Never had I heard so much emotion through a female pop record. The entire album works and flows amazingly.
2. The Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)
The best hip hop album of all time. Also, the first platinum selling hip hop album ever - and it’s members are all white. From start to finish, this album delivers.
1. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (1991)
Rage Against The Machine’s first album is the best hard rock album of all time. Not only did Rage start Rap-Rock, Rage defines Rap/Rock. There have been many imitators, but this 4 piece, pissed-off-politically-driven group made a statement that they are the best band to come out of the 1990s.
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Hey J….nice qualifier on The Beatles..although if you didn’t mention “influential” and dare I say NONE of the titles listed or groups would even have existed without that middling PLEASE PLEASE ME…which is only “good” when compared to their ever escalating great and greater works..
but any album from 1963 with
“I Saw her Standing There”, “Love me Do”, “Please Please , Me”, “Twist and Shout”, “Do You Want To know a Secret”, “PS. I Love You”..and more is hardly good by any other groups comparisons and dare I say The DOORS debut from 40 years ago blows most all your list out of the woods and these artists would even admit that themselves…but good job you really did “Light My Fire” and “Break On Through”…
although adding the much better CARS debut over BOSTON would have been “Just what I needed”.
JJ
OOOPS..I forgot a more influential and harder rocking album than MANY on your list..probably because its a little after my generation and before that of the blogger..but the debut and self titled album of “VAN HALEN” rocks harder than most of these and certainly has a truckload more balls than …BLECH Boston! The opening intro to “Runnin With the Devil” is one of the coolest ever and by the time “Eruption” was done a whole generation had a new Guitar HERO! talk about influence?
well I “Aint Talkin Bout Love” but their burning take on legendary KINKS “You Really Got Me” left “Jamie’(s) Cryin”.
“The chronic” over NaS’ “Illmatic?” seriously? every song save for “genesis” is better than any song on Dre’s album excluding “nuthing but a g thang”. Plus, Dre had ghostwriters, and Jones was 19 at the time, without dropping group albums prior, and Dre was much older.
two comments:
First, since when is Third Eye Blind one of the best albums of the 90’s???? According to what critics or magazines?
Second, “Chronic” trumps “Illmatic” is several ways: total sold, genre changing/defining, those songs are forever in the pop culture lexicon, and it was a major cross over hit. Even my mom knows who Dr. Dre is.
Lists are always fun for discussion but really, this list leaves out some critical debuts that are passing the test of time and not hoping to e.g., Third Eye Blind, Boston, Weezer, Rage Against The Machine. I am not saying these are not great albums since I have them all but if we are talking influence (Boston did poorly), units sold (Boston did well), current popularity or any other criteria that I, the following need to be in the top ten:
The Doors The Doors
“Are You Experienced” Jimi Hendrix Experience
Van Halen Van Halen
The Beatles Please, Please Me