OT: Best Debut Album

Cantdoitsal

Well-known member
Sep 26, 2022
3,359
2,705
113
Boston's first was unique in that the members handed over the tape to a record company and they hardly had to do anything to it before releasing. Van Halen's first was another debut explosion. I remember The Cars first as big time event as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IBleedMaroonDawg

Theconnormead

Active member
Jan 26, 2023
161
261
63

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction is the most sold debut album.

I am asking for the BEST Debut Album.

Dire Straits - Dire Straits is mine.

GnR Appetite for Destruction is my vote and all-time favorite album. Read a biography on them and the build-up to it, don't know how they survived.
 

Bulldog Bruce

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2007
3,493
2,472
113
Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut album had
Free Bird
Tuesday's Gone
Gimme Three Steps, and
Simple Man.

There are only 8 songs on the album.

I'd also go with the Sex Pistols. They only put out like two albums but the first one defined a genre (punk rock).

Last Metallica. Kill 'Em All is a badass album. If you like speed metal, that is.
I just listened to Pronounced and the weakest song on the album is Poison Whiskey and that is not a song I would skip. Just saying all 8 songs are solid.
 

bolddogge

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2012
564
560
93
How did this list go almost 2 full pages without the Eagles - Eagles or Chris Stapleton - Traveller?
 

LexSCDOG

Member
Aug 5, 2014
270
36
28
Very underrated band. Ric Ocasek was the face of the band, but Benjamin Orr and Elliott Easton were the ones who really made it great.
I was in NYC back around 2011 and was walking by a hotel and Ric Ocasek was just leaning up against the wall smoking a cigarette. Really nice guy, talk to me as long as I wanted too. I intro my 15 yr old to him. He had played a club the night before. He was married to a super model from what I remember
 

patdog

Well-known member
May 28, 2007
48,312
11,952
113
  • Love
Reactions: MagnoliaHunter

travis.sixpack

Well-known member
Mar 3, 2008
1,031
1,025
113
Very underrated band. Ric Ocasek was the face of the band, but Benjamin Orr and Elliott Easton were the ones who really made it great.
Orr’s turn at Bye Bye Love/Moving in Stereo/All Mixed Up is perfect. The track-to-track-to-track transition gets me every time. The knock on the Cars was they sucked (or were boring) in concert. Then Mutt Lange got his hooks into them and it was over.
 

HumpDawgy

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
4,515
1,513
113

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction is the most sold debut album.

I am asking for the BEST Debut Album.

Dire Straits - Dire Straits is mine.


Appetite for me was not only one of the greatest debut albums, but one of the greatest albums overall, top to bottom of all time.

As for Dire Straits, Knopfler is one of the guitar greats of all time. His sound is special.
 

KentuckyDawg13

Active member
Aug 15, 2006
1,729
365
83
Devo, ‘Q: Are We Not Men? We Are Devo!’ (1978)

Nirvana, ‘Bleach’ (1989)​

Nine Inch Nails, ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ (1989)​

Metallica, ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)​

Pearl Jam, ‘Ten’ (1991)​

Black Sabbath, ‘Black Sabbath’ (1970)​

N.W.A, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ (1988)​

Rage Against the Machine, ‘Rage Against the Machine’ (1992)​

Beastie Boys, ‘Licensed to Ill’ (1986)​

Van Halen, ‘Van Halen’ (1978)​

Led Zeppelin, ‘Led Zeppelin’ (1969)​

PJ Harvey, ‘Dry’ (1992)​

Guns N’ Roses, ‘Appetite for Destruction’ (1987)​

The Jimi Hendrix Experience, ‘Are You Experienced’ (1967)​

 
Jul 5, 2020
145
90
28
Bleach was an awesome album, and you kind of have to count it.
I went back and listened yesterday, and Bleach is rad. I think that I still call Nevermind a great first album since it was their first wide release. Also, it was the first album that I immediately went to Bebop to buy after seeing the SLTS video the night before, so I'm clearly biased.
 

FormerBully

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2022
1,220
1,816
113
Britney Spears- ...Baby One More Time

The cover alone awoke feelings within me I never new existed.
 

MSUDAWGFAN

Active member
Apr 17, 2014
883
318
63
Best by general understanding and my intent is singular. I appreciate the lists, but I could have done that initially. Many of the albums mentioned are great to me also. Let's try to keep this as a deserted island thing and you can have only one debut album.
I'm following the rules here: Pearl Jam Ten is the GOAT of debut albums. "Oceans" is the worst song on the album (should have been replaced by Breath, State of Love and Trust, Brother, or Dirty Frank) but all of the other songs are songs I could hear on repeat until I die.

If I could sneak another album onto the deserted island though (and this one hasn't been mentioned yet), it would have to be Godsmack.
 

POTUS

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2022
1,615
3,563
113
 
  • Like
Reactions: IBleedMaroonDawg

vhdawg

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2004
3,901
890
113

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction is the most sold debut album.

I am asking for the BEST Debut Album.

Dire Straits - Dire Straits is mine.

Stone Temple Pilots - Core is a banger all the way through
 

Villagedawg

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2005
862
503
93

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction is the most sold debut album.

I am asking for the BEST Debut Album.

Dire Straits - Dire Straits is mine.

Appetite for Destruction. Period. Most of the ones I see listed here are great, but, for me, nothing compares to the first time I heard that album and went straight to Album Alley in Tupelo to get it. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever heard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dorndawg and eckie1

eckie1

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2007
3,241
2,377
113
Great thread. Two candidates I have to throw in not yet mentioned

STP. Core
Clint Black. Killing Time
Both great albums, but Killing Time has shown up in my Spotify feed the past few weeks and I always let it ride. Also forgot how good “The Hard way” single is…. Several other great tracks from that album, but nowhere near as good as the debut.
 

HailStout

Well-known member
Jan 4, 2020
2,294
5,577
113
The one thing i have determined from this thread is that Magnoliahunter is really not a fan of 90’s alternative and grunge.
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: eckie1

eckie1

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2007
3,241
2,377
113
The one thing i have determined from this thread is that Magnoliahunter is really to a fan of 90’s alternative and grunge.
That’s some passive a$$ aggression. Ya never know what the 17 it means, but c’est la vie, I suppose.
 

Dawgbite

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2011
6,224
4,635
113
Boston's first was unique in that the members handed over the tape to a record company and they hardly had to do anything to it before releasing. Van Halen's first was another debut explosion. I remember The Cars first as big time event as well.
Actually when the tape was presented to the record company there was no band Tom Shultz played all the instruments one the recording and had a friend sing the lyrics so it was just the two of them. The record company wanted to see them live so they had to scramble to creat a band out of friends and studio musicians. It’s even more amazing that that album is essentially one guy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cantdoitsal

Cantdoitsal

Well-known member
Sep 26, 2022
3,359
2,705
113
Actually when the tape was presented to the record company there was no band Tom Shultz played all the instruments one the recording and had a friend sing the lyrics so it was just the two of them. The record company wanted to see them live so they had to scramble to creat a band out of friends and studio musicians. It’s even more amazing that that album is essentially one guy.
Shultz was a bad A$$. Invented "The Rockman" (ear phones connected to electric guitar) and a photo lens enhancement he patented and sold to Kodak. Oh, and he's a MIT Grad. Prolly did okay on the math portion of the ACT.
 
Get unlimited access today.

Pick the right plan for you.

Already a member? Login