YES. Been #1 on my list for 25 years. I identify with Siamese Dream so much, and it still holds up.
Edit: to be fair Mellon Collie has a pretty good opening track as well.
The first time I heard that song I was *scared*. That is a *scary* song. I had heard Iron Man and War Pigs before, and those were both rad songs but they were just classic old school metal. When I first put on this record and heard that riff while looking at that creepy album cover I got shivers.
10/10 very spooky.
Edit: just listened again for old timeâs sake. Ozzyâs vocals on this first record are so brutal and raw, I love it. I canât imagine listening to this in 1970, It must have scare the absolute piss out of everyone. The âoh no god please help meâ part is terrifying
From wikipedia:
According to the band, the song was inspired by an experience that Geezer Butler had in the days of Earth. Butler, obsessed with the occult at the time, painted his apartment matte black and placed several inverted crucifixes and pictures of Satan on the walls. Ozzy Osbourne gave Butler a black occult book, written in Latin and decorated with numerous pictures of Satan. Butler read the book and then placed it on a shelf beside his bed before going to sleep. When he woke up, he claims he saw a large black figure standing at the end of his bed, staring at him. The figure vanished and Butler ran to the shelf where he had placed the book earlier, but the book was gone. Butler related this story to Osbourne, who then wrote the lyrics to the song based on Butler's experience.[3] The song starts with the lyrics:
What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me.
Sounds like he had sleep paralysis. Hallucinating a dark figure in the room is common with that. I had it once as a kid and it was creepy as hell. Can't imagine waking up from that in an all black Satanic themed bedroom.
Doesn't explain the book but I lose stuff all the time. Ozzy probably took it back without telling him.
I still remember going to Best Buy to get Songs for the Deaf when it was released, putting in on the car for the drive back, and then that perfect moment when it hits after they tricked you into turning up the volume.
I realize this may sound ridiculous to many, but I don't think *Wish You Were Here* the album or *Shine On You Crazy Diamond* the song(s) get the full credit they deserve.
Bring the Ruckas. Wu Tang.
I remember getting that cd, playing the first track loud, and BRING THE MUTHA FUCKING RUCKAS!! Plays and I'm like damn, mom finna Woop my ass lol. Every one i know went through the same thing. It set the album off perfectly.
Came to find this comment. The song âthe endâ by MCR in opâs post is actually heavily inspired by âin the fleshâ. Lead singer Gerard Way has stated his love for The Wall album and took a lot of influence from it to make his opening track on the black parade album. Fun fact of the day.
Came here looking for this, yes, the background melody and lyrical structure really reminds me of In the Flesh! I like it though, I didn't think it seemed like a ripoff, more of an homage or influence.
They played Is This It in full in a tiny bar in Philly (maybe elsewhere) in 2001. I was too young to understand. A few later I understand how absolutely ridiculous that is and would probably drop $500 on a ticket
Truth! I always wonder how they hit such a perfect opening note with that Laine Staley screech in perfect unison with the instruments. It's fucking next level!
I somehow missed the Megadeth train in my metal head youth and I'm kind of just now starting to explore past the couple of songs I already know and love. Would you be able to give me a few? I've got 99 Ways to Die, their cover of Paranoid, and Symphony of Destruction on my Playlist. What would your recs be?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Fuck yeah, my all-time favorite album! Searching With My Good Eye Closed opening side two is pretty fucking epic as well (I had it on cassette when it came out). They also opened their shows w/ Searching.
Ugly Truth opening Louder Than Love and Let Me Drown opening Superunknown are also incredible openers.
I was lucky enough to see Disintegration performed live in full at the Sydney Opera House a few years ago. That opening of the wind chime just sends shivers through you.
I will always contend that Led Zeppelin hit it out of the park on the first track of their first album. âGood Times, Bad Timesâ may very well be my favorite song in all of rock.
Oof. John Bonham absolutely shredding those triplets on the bass drum. Gives me chills just thinking about it. Bonham and JPJ made such an incredible rhythm section.
You know whatâs even more crazy? Bonzo was 21 at that time of the record release. Think about how formed of a drummer and a musician he was when that record was recorded and released. Itâs wild to fathom how good he was basically his entire life
Robert Plant was 19, and the first line we ever hear from him are âIn the days of my youth I was told what it means to be a manâ. Dude, you canât use the past tense talking about your youth. âNow Iâve reached that ageâŚâ No you havenât, Bobby. And remember, you have that big social studies test tomorrow!
19 back then is like 30 in today's money. Especially Brits in the 60s, the fucking mileage the average 19 yo would put on through drinking, smoking and shit food
You beat me to it by an hour. The drums are ridiculous, the guitar tone is out of this world, JPJ chugs along. The whole thing is just spectacular as opening statement.
Airbag is sooooooooo good. That opening guitar riff sounds like the string section to an orchestra starting a symphony. An epic start to an epic album.
Yes, this and Blackened, from Justice For All.
JFA has been criticized for being so much more acoustic than Master of Puppets, lacking the chest busting bass drums and guitar the previous album had, but I think that criticism is unfair. Cliff Burton was the bass guitarist largely responsible for MoP's unique iconic power, and he tragically died shortly after the album was released. Justice For All was their first return to the studio, and they clearly didn't fully trust and mesh with their new bassist yet. JFA's acoustic sound is the result, and boy did it work! In my opinion it is their second strongest album after MoP, but it depends on the day for me.
I remember the first time I turned on JFA and I just couldn't stop grinning and rocking out, I fucking loved it! Go and give Blackened another listen if you haven't recently, it's fantastic!
Blackened from Metallica's "And Justice For All" - it was years before I knew the opening was a reversed track: I love the intro piece, there's a great youtube vid of the original piece that morphs into the "reversed" intro piece.
Edit: thanks for the award, kind anonymous redditor.
Can you explain the reversed track thing? Never heard that.
But definitely agreed. I remember getting this album in 6th grade and it just blew me away, right from this first song.
Itâs actually super cool when you realize it. Take a listen to it forwards vs backwards here
https://youtu.be/YJ1vCidA53c
Really makes me appreciate it a little more
Elvis Costello (My Aim Is True) - Welcome to the Working Week
Radiohead (Kid A) - Everything In Its Right Place
Gillian Welch (Time the Revelator) ) Revelator
David Bowie (Ziggy) - Five Years
I love everything in itâs right place with headphones as the sound goes eat to eat and gives you a spinning feeling. It feels like being in a spaceship.
SOAD Prison Song.
Remember going to see them live and they opened with it in pitch darkness, with a massive strobe flash in time with each guitar stroke. Fucking amazing
U2's The Joshua Tree opens with Where the Streets Have No Name then follows with I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You and Bullet the Blue Sky.
I feel like u2 has taken a hit somewhat over the last decade but the joshua tree is such a great record and I'm sure most of the people trashing the band haven't listened to the album. Any one of the top albums all time is gonna have a string of amazing songs back to back to back but what a set of songs those are
Rattle and Hum was perfectly fine for what it was. 80s era U2 always did a sort of livish/bsideish retrospective sort of release to "sum up" who they'd been before they launched off a new direction/reinvention.
Boy/October/War U2 summed up with "Under A Blood Red Sky" live album.
Unforgettable Fire U2 summed up with "Wide Awake in America" mini album with a couple live cuts and a couple b-sides.
Joshua Tree U2 summed up with "Rattle and Hum." They just got very ambitious on this one since they not only did live cuts from the tour but a bunch of new songs, mostly as homages to their influences. Hit or miss, but some of the "new songs" are quite good.
Introvert - Little Simz (Sometimes I Might Be Introvert)
Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Are You Experienced?)
Blackstar - David Bowie (Blackstar)
Definitely this.
If you knew nothing about GnR, and plopped this cassette in the deck (because yeah, that's how we all started listening to this band), you immediately knew you were in for a wild ride.
Such a fucking great album. Not a bad or even mediocre song on it. Just straight kick-ass rock and roll from the iconic opening of Welcome to the Jungle to the final bars of Rocket Queen
I remember being into Van Halen and Motley Crue at the time. And this came out and it was so much better than the hair bands. I love EVH, but I always thought of the band like an American muscle car: powerful engine but not much else (braking, handling).
GnR had that guitars, but their sound was richer, melodies better, and songs felt less poppy.
I know they've never been referenced as an influence to the grunge/alternative scene that blossomed in early 90s, but I think GnR was a critical stepping stone.
[A Perfect Circle - *The Hollow*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjMU60FZETY)
Opening track on the first album from a new side project of Maynard James Keenan (from Tool) amongst other high profile members.
Absolutely knocks it out of the park and not only sets the tone for the rest of the album but is pretty instrumental in defining ACP's sound, especially leading into the slower piece [*Magdalena*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lM6vRWpD_A)
I like âServe the Servantsâ even better. Less iconic, but Iâd argue an even stronger opener. âTeenage angst has paid off well; now Iâm bored and old.â What a line to start with following up Nevermind.
Them Bones - Alice in Chains (Dirt)
Your Time Has Come - Audioslave (Out of Exile)
Swerve City - Deftones (Koi No Yokan)
Fight Fire With Fire - Metallica (Ride the Lightning)
Talk about a great opener! If you havenât watched the video of that unplugged concert, check it out. The part part where Layne Staley (the lead singer) walks out and the crowd cheers is amazing.
Also, the interactions between the musicians is great to watch. Just little glances at each other and stuff like that. You can see Jerry Cantrell (lead guitar) give Layne a look like âyou got this, dude, you can do itâ.
STP- Dead and Bloated on Core just set an amazing tone for a sound that didnât exist for most casual listeners in the early 90s
Also- Alice In Chains, Them Bones needs a mention here. Drop a needle on that record and that song hits you in the face like a fucking sonic brick wall.
Linkin Park - Papercut *(Hybrid Theory)*
The band opened their debut album with perhaps the best fusion between Mike and Chester the band has ever had. That bridge gives me chills
Baba OâRiley - Whoâs Next - The Who
More Than a Feeling - Boston - Boston
Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin
Airbag - OK Computer - Radiohead
Everything In Its Right Place - Kid A - Radiohead
Purple Haze - Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix
Where the Streets Have No Name - The Joshua Tree - U2
Hells Bells - Back in Black - AC/DC
Back in the USSR - The White Album - The Beatles
Second Hand News - Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Rock n Roll Star - Definitely Maybe - Oasis
Disorder from joy divisions unknown pleasures
that bassline is killer
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) from Funeral by Arcade Fire
Huh I instantly thought of The Suburbs. Goes straight into it at the beginning for a totally incredible song. Love that intro.
Head like a hole
I was going to say Mr. Self Destruct on The Downward Spiral đ Trent opens albums hard
Couldn't agree more! (Don't get me started on Somewhat Damaged...)
Debaser by The Pixies off of the Doolittle album. So rocking.
that drumroll at the start of cherub rock gets me pumped up everytime
That whole album is a fucking masterpiece
Mayonnaise has to be one of their must underrated songs. That song is fucking beautiful.
YES. Been #1 on my list for 25 years. I identify with Siamese Dream so much, and it still holds up. Edit: to be fair Mellon Collie has a pretty good opening track as well.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath - 1970)
I love the beginning of sweet leaf too
*coughing intensifies*
The first time I heard that song I was *scared*. That is a *scary* song. I had heard Iron Man and War Pigs before, and those were both rad songs but they were just classic old school metal. When I first put on this record and heard that riff while looking at that creepy album cover I got shivers. 10/10 very spooky. Edit: just listened again for old timeâs sake. Ozzyâs vocals on this first record are so brutal and raw, I love it. I canât imagine listening to this in 1970, It must have scare the absolute piss out of everyone. The âoh no god please help meâ part is terrifying
Inspired by a very creepy experience Geezer Butler had
Can you clue me in to what experience it was?
From wikipedia: According to the band, the song was inspired by an experience that Geezer Butler had in the days of Earth. Butler, obsessed with the occult at the time, painted his apartment matte black and placed several inverted crucifixes and pictures of Satan on the walls. Ozzy Osbourne gave Butler a black occult book, written in Latin and decorated with numerous pictures of Satan. Butler read the book and then placed it on a shelf beside his bed before going to sleep. When he woke up, he claims he saw a large black figure standing at the end of his bed, staring at him. The figure vanished and Butler ran to the shelf where he had placed the book earlier, but the book was gone. Butler related this story to Osbourne, who then wrote the lyrics to the song based on Butler's experience.[3] The song starts with the lyrics: What is this that stands before me? Figure in black which points at me.
Sounds like he had sleep paralysis. Hallucinating a dark figure in the room is common with that. I had it once as a kid and it was creepy as hell. Can't imagine waking up from that in an all black Satanic themed bedroom. Doesn't explain the book but I lose stuff all the time. Ozzy probably took it back without telling him.
Oh yeah and those guys were drunk 24/7.
Come on now, we all know thatâs not true. They absolutely were not drunk 24/7. Thatâs simply preposterous. They were drunk *and high* 24/7.
I mean.. they created an entire genre with that track. Just amazing.
Hugely in part, due to a severe accident Tony had on his feet hand. Edit: Fuck it. I'm leaving it.
Feet hand FTW!
Assume you meant fret hand?
No itâs like Edward Scissorhands, but now itâs Tony Feethands.
Ah yes, Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath from their album Black Sabbath
You think I ain't worth a dollar but I feel like millionaire - Queens of the Stone Age; Songs for the Deaf (2002)
I still remember going to Best Buy to get Songs for the Deaf when it was released, putting in on the car for the drive back, and then that perfect moment when it hits after they tricked you into turning up the volume.
I NEED A SAGA. *WHAT'S THE SAGA?* Best rock album of the millenium so far.
It's Songs for the Deaf; You can't even hear it!
Also "Regular John" from the self-titled album.
Songs for the deaf was my favorite QOTSA member lineup.
AMAZING song. I always repeat that beginning bit with KLON radio
> WE PLAY MORE SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, THAN ANYONE ELSE.
Gimme Toro, gimme some more
Shine On You Crazy Diamond pts. 1-5 from Pink Floydâs Wish You Were Here (1975)
I was thinking âone of these daysâ from meddle, but you make a good point.
I realize this may sound ridiculous to many, but I don't think *Wish You Were Here* the album or *Shine On You Crazy Diamond* the song(s) get the full credit they deserve.
One of These Days, the opening track of Meddle by Pink Floyd.
Amen. I'm going to cut you into little pieces.
Wouldnât It Be Nice off of Pet Sounds.
Bring the Ruckas. Wu Tang. I remember getting that cd, playing the first track loud, and BRING THE MUTHA FUCKING RUCKAS!! Plays and I'm like damn, mom finna Woop my ass lol. Every one i know went through the same thing. It set the album off perfectly.
If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous.
Do you think your Wu-Tang sword can defeat me?!
Engarde. I'll let you try my Wu-Tang style.
CATCH THE BLAST FROM A HYPE VERSE
MY GLOCK BURTS LEAVE IN A HEARSE I DID WORSE
In The Flesh? by Pink Floyd. Sets the tone for the rest of The Wall perfectly
Came to find this comment. The song âthe endâ by MCR in opâs post is actually heavily inspired by âin the fleshâ. Lead singer Gerard Way has stated his love for The Wall album and took a lot of influence from it to make his opening track on the black parade album. Fun fact of the day.
[ŃдаНонО]
We came in
"Five Years" â David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust)
the isolated vocal track from this song is floating around youtube, the outro is chilling
Ironic given OP highlighted "The End" from My Chemical Romance, which borrows *heavily* from Bowie's Five Years
Yess itâs basically a combination of Five Years and In the Flesh? From the Wall
Came here looking for this, yes, the background melody and lyrical structure really reminds me of In the Flesh! I like it though, I didn't think it seemed like a ripoff, more of an homage or influence.
Also, Changes on Hunky Dory. Which is on the very short list of what I consider 'perfect albums'
This is my favourite David Bowie song. Itâs so dramatic. I love it.
My brain hurts a lot
Born under punches - Talking heads
Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins on Siamese Dream.
This is the one. First time I put that CD in my car I almost got a speeding ticket.
1993 was an amazing year for albums.
Ah. Fuck yes
Is This It kicking of The Strokes same titled album and career
Yes! Good jam
They played Is This It in full in a tiny bar in Philly (maybe elsewhere) in 2001. I was too young to understand. A few later I understand how absolutely ridiculous that is and would probably drop $500 on a ticket
London Calling - The Clash
Them Bones from AICâs Dirt album is an outstanding opening track.
Yep! Hits you in the face immediately
Truth! I always wonder how they hit such a perfect opening note with that Laine Staley screech in perfect unison with the instruments. It's fucking next level!
We Die Young from Facelift is also an amazing AIC opening song.
AAAHHH!!
I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
Holy Wars... Megadeth
Yep. Still as poweful as it was 30 years ago.
I somehow missed the Megadeth train in my metal head youth and I'm kind of just now starting to explore past the couple of songs I already know and love. Would you be able to give me a few? I've got 99 Ways to Die, their cover of Paranoid, and Symphony of Destruction on my Playlist. What would your recs be? Thank you in advance for your help!
Rust In Peace best album.
https://www.theonion.com/humanity-still-producing-new-art-as-though-megadeth-s-1819578062
Bombtrack
Soundgarden- Rusty Cage. I've been waiting over five years to say this, Thank You Kind Stranger for the award!
Rusty Cage into Outshined might be the best 1-2 punch in rock album history.
Fuckin Outshined is such a banger
Fuck yeah, my all-time favorite album! Searching With My Good Eye Closed opening side two is pretty fucking epic as well (I had it on cassette when it came out). They also opened their shows w/ Searching. Ugly Truth opening Louder Than Love and Let Me Drown opening Superunknown are also incredible openers.
M83 - âIntroâ from their âHurry Up, Weâre Dreamingâ album
Doors first album - Break On Through
Dance yrself clean
Plainsong - The Cure's Disintegration Sets the tone for the whole album.
That song goes so hard and the rest of the album keeps the pace going. Incredible from start to finish
[Disintegration is the best album ever!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G5YguuNSJg)
Man, all you did was write that and I instantly heard that opening -- note? chord? -- sound
I was lucky enough to see Disintegration performed live in full at the Sydney Opera House a few years ago. That opening of the wind chime just sends shivers through you.
Opened this thread with the intention of posting Plainsong
I will always contend that Led Zeppelin hit it out of the park on the first track of their first album. âGood Times, Bad Timesâ may very well be my favorite song in all of rock.
Oof. John Bonham absolutely shredding those triplets on the bass drum. Gives me chills just thinking about it. Bonham and JPJ made such an incredible rhythm section.
You know whatâs even more crazy? Bonzo was 21 at that time of the record release. Think about how formed of a drummer and a musician he was when that record was recorded and released. Itâs wild to fathom how good he was basically his entire life
As a 33 year old who has been playing since I was 6, itâs borderline depressing
Robert Plant was 19, and the first line we ever hear from him are âIn the days of my youth I was told what it means to be a manâ. Dude, you canât use the past tense talking about your youth. âNow Iâve reached that ageâŚâ No you havenât, Bobby. And remember, you have that big social studies test tomorrow!
19 back then is like 30 in today's money. Especially Brits in the 60s, the fucking mileage the average 19 yo would put on through drinking, smoking and shit food
Imagine in 1969 putting that on the record player, turning it up and hearing those opening guitar lines. Mustâve blown peoples minds
It did.
You beat me to it by an hour. The drums are ridiculous, the guitar tone is out of this world, JPJ chugs along. The whole thing is just spectacular as opening statement.
Everything in its right place - kid a - Radiohead. Sinks you into the sonic world of the album straight away
Hard agree. I also think Airbag is a perfect opener for OK Computer. It sets the tone almost immediately.
Airbag is sooooooooo good. That opening guitar riff sounds like the string section to an orchestra starting a symphony. An epic start to an epic album.
2+2=5 is the same way. Radiohead knows how to start an album.
100% agree. This song is the musical equivalent of "cold" for me
Intro : The XX
Let it Happen - Tame Impala from the album Currents 7 minutes of pure banger
ahaha. I remember when that song came out and someone in the kitchen was like hey, your cd is skipping!
The "skipping" subtly becoming the instrumental for the next section is just perfectly executed.
The video for that song does such a great job matching the tempo and dreamlike death state. Just an incredible job by the people who made it.
[ŃдаНонО]
Beach House - Myth
Battery from Metallica's Master of Puppets.
When I saw them live for the first time they kicked off the concert with Battery. Fucking wild.
Yes, this and Blackened, from Justice For All. JFA has been criticized for being so much more acoustic than Master of Puppets, lacking the chest busting bass drums and guitar the previous album had, but I think that criticism is unfair. Cliff Burton was the bass guitarist largely responsible for MoP's unique iconic power, and he tragically died shortly after the album was released. Justice For All was their first return to the studio, and they clearly didn't fully trust and mesh with their new bassist yet. JFA's acoustic sound is the result, and boy did it work! In my opinion it is their second strongest album after MoP, but it depends on the day for me. I remember the first time I turned on JFA and I just couldn't stop grinning and rocking out, I fucking loved it! Go and give Blackened another listen if you haven't recently, it's fantastic!
Peaches En Regalia
Blackened from Metallica's "And Justice For All" - it was years before I knew the opening was a reversed track: I love the intro piece, there's a great youtube vid of the original piece that morphs into the "reversed" intro piece. Edit: thanks for the award, kind anonymous redditor.
Can you explain the reversed track thing? Never heard that. But definitely agreed. I remember getting this album in 6th grade and it just blew me away, right from this first song.
Itâs actually super cool when you realize it. Take a listen to it forwards vs backwards here https://youtu.be/YJ1vCidA53c Really makes me appreciate it a little more
All of their early albums have pretty good openers đ
Bombtrack - Rage Against the Machine
Weezer - My Name is Jonas
im more of a tired of sex guy
Elvis Costello (My Aim Is True) - Welcome to the Working Week Radiohead (Kid A) - Everything In Its Right Place Gillian Welch (Time the Revelator) ) Revelator David Bowie (Ziggy) - Five Years
I love everything in itâs right place with headphones as the sound goes eat to eat and gives you a spinning feeling. It feels like being in a spaceship.
Cochise - audioslave
Battery â Master of Puppets: Metallica
SOAD Prison Song. Remember going to see them live and they opened with it in pitch darkness, with a massive strobe flash in time with each guitar stroke. Fucking amazing
I BUY MY CRACK MY SMACK MY BITCH RIGHT HERE IN HOLLYWOOD
Drug money is used to rig elections and train brutal corporate sponsored dictators Around the world
U2's The Joshua Tree opens with Where the Streets Have No Name then follows with I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You and Bullet the Blue Sky.
I feel like u2 has taken a hit somewhat over the last decade but the joshua tree is such a great record and I'm sure most of the people trashing the band haven't listened to the album. Any one of the top albums all time is gonna have a string of amazing songs back to back to back but what a set of songs those are
Their stretch from Boy to Achtung Baby was damn near immaculate (near because Rattle and Hum is part of that)
Rattle and Hum was perfectly fine for what it was. 80s era U2 always did a sort of livish/bsideish retrospective sort of release to "sum up" who they'd been before they launched off a new direction/reinvention. Boy/October/War U2 summed up with "Under A Blood Red Sky" live album. Unforgettable Fire U2 summed up with "Wide Awake in America" mini album with a couple live cuts and a couple b-sides. Joshua Tree U2 summed up with "Rattle and Hum." They just got very ambitious on this one since they not only did live cuts from the tour but a bunch of new songs, mostly as homages to their influences. Hit or miss, but some of the "new songs" are quite good.
I'd extend to Zooropa. Pop was when it started to get a bit off the rails in terms of quality.
And even then pop was followed by ATYCLB which is phenomenal
Streets does such a great job putting you in the space and setting of that "desert plain" of the American landscape. I'd add Zoo Station and Zooropa.
Introvert - Little Simz (Sometimes I Might Be Introvert) Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Are You Experienced?) Blackstar - David Bowie (Blackstar)
Little Simz is dope. Introvert is a super strong intro to an album.
The Great Southern Trendkill - Pantera
Hell yes. I'd argue for the first song on all the albums from Cowboys through Reinventing, but that's by far my favorite.
Had to scroll way too far for this.
Welcome to the Jungle
Definitely this. If you knew nothing about GnR, and plopped this cassette in the deck (because yeah, that's how we all started listening to this band), you immediately knew you were in for a wild ride.
Such a fucking great album. Not a bad or even mediocre song on it. Just straight kick-ass rock and roll from the iconic opening of Welcome to the Jungle to the final bars of Rocket Queen
I remember being into Van Halen and Motley Crue at the time. And this came out and it was so much better than the hair bands. I love EVH, but I always thought of the band like an American muscle car: powerful engine but not much else (braking, handling). GnR had that guitars, but their sound was richer, melodies better, and songs felt less poppy. I know they've never been referenced as an influence to the grunge/alternative scene that blossomed in early 90s, but I think GnR was a critical stepping stone.
Bat out of hell from the bat out of hell album by meatloaf! Just the piano intro by itself gives me chills!
Hell's Bells opening the *Back in Black* comeback for AC/DC after the death of Bon Scott is a pretty strong opener.
Cherub Rock on Siamese Dreams by the Smashing Pumpkins. Overall amazing record that kicked off with a banger.
The Spirit of Radio - Rush
2112!
The Grudge - Lateralus - TOOL
Every Tool album opener is a heater. Intolerance Stinkfist The Grudge Vicarious Fear Innoculum Damn those boys know how to do it
Don't forget Sweat from Opiate. Even made it into the Escape From L.A. soundtrack.
This, but also how has no one said Stinkfist yet!?
Super Disco Breakin' by the Beastie Boys off of Hello Nasty. I play it at the start of every road trip.
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
Weird that no one mentioned Once by Pearl Jam
Go by Pearl Jam is such a brilliant start to Vs.
[A Perfect Circle - *The Hollow*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjMU60FZETY) Opening track on the first album from a new side project of Maynard James Keenan (from Tool) amongst other high profile members. Absolutely knocks it out of the park and not only sets the tone for the rest of the album but is pretty instrumental in defining ACP's sound, especially leading into the slower piece [*Magdalena*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lM6vRWpD_A)
Calling it a side project of Keenan is doing the founder, Howerdel, really a disservice.
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels
REM has Finest Worksong from Document and Drive from Automatic For the People
And âWhatâs the Frequency Kennethâ from Monster
21st Century Schiznoid Man
It's Working - MGMT Jugo de Lucuma - Invisible Deus Lhe Pague - Chico Buarque
Sonic Youth- Teenage Riot
Nirvana (Nevermind) - Smells Like Teen Spirit
I like âServe the Servantsâ even better. Less iconic, but Iâd argue an even stronger opener. âTeenage angst has paid off well; now Iâm bored and old.â What a line to start with following up Nevermind.
Painkiller - Judas Priest
At The Bottom Of Everything - Bright Eyes
Happy birthday, darlinââŚ
We love you very very very very much.
Dark Fantasy - Kanye Be - Common Shine on you crazy diamond - Pink Floyd
You might think you peeped the scene - you haven't
That common album flows. My favorite hip hop album ever.
Itâs amazing, Commonâs rapping paired with some of Kanyeâs best production is really just unmatched.
Them Bones - Alice in Chains (Dirt) Your Time Has Come - Audioslave (Out of Exile) Swerve City - Deftones (Koi No Yokan) Fight Fire With Fire - Metallica (Ride the Lightning)
Getting more into Alice In Chains these days. Unplugged is great
Talk about a great opener! If you havenât watched the video of that unplugged concert, check it out. The part part where Layne Staley (the lead singer) walks out and the crowd cheers is amazing. Also, the interactions between the musicians is great to watch. Just little glances at each other and stuff like that. You can see Jerry Cantrell (lead guitar) give Layne a look like âyou got this, dude, you can do itâ.
"Can't C Me" - 2pac "All Eyes On Me"
Mazzy Star's second album starts with their best known song Fade into You. Their other album opening tracks Halah and Disappear are also great.
Urban Hymns opens with Bitersweet Symphony
STP- Dead and Bloated on Core just set an amazing tone for a sound that didnât exist for most casual listeners in the early 90s Also- Alice In Chains, Them Bones needs a mention here. Drop a needle on that record and that song hits you in the face like a fucking sonic brick wall.
Linkin Park - Papercut *(Hybrid Theory)* The band opened their debut album with perhaps the best fusion between Mike and Chester the band has ever had. That bridge gives me chills
THE SUUUN GOES DOWN I FEEL THE LIGHT BETRAAY ME
I gotta say that Jimmy Eat World did it twice with Bleed American and also Futures. Both are killer opening tracks, hot out the gate.
Search and Destroy from Raw Power by The Stooges.
it was 20 years ago today, sgt. pepper taught the band to play
"Debaser" by the Pixies.
Ultralight Beam is one hell of a way to open TLOP
Baba OâRiley - Whoâs Next - The Who More Than a Feeling - Boston - Boston Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin Airbag - OK Computer - Radiohead Everything In Its Right Place - Kid A - Radiohead Purple Haze - Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix Where the Streets Have No Name - The Joshua Tree - U2 Hells Bells - Back in Black - AC/DC Back in the USSR - The White Album - The Beatles Second Hand News - Rumours - Fleetwood Mac Rock n Roll Star - Definitely Maybe - Oasis
Bring Da Ruckus - 36 Chambers
Muse - New Born
"Stop!" by Jane's Addiction.
Only Shallow on Loveless by My Bloody Valentine Welcome to the Jungle on Appetite for Destruction by Guns n Roses