Note: The following list is comprised of my favorite album openers and feel free to comment on your own. When I mean album, I mean full length, studio, LPs. In other words, no EPs, live recordings, single compilations or Greatest Hits. So, what constitutes greatest? Why do these stand out? Well, they have to be outstanding tracks, which goes without saying, but also they must set the tone for the rest of the album and for debut albums that artists’ music as a whole, message, attitude, etc. Greatest closers are coming next.

1) Pink Floyd- Speak to Me/Breathe- Darkside of the Moon (1973)

2) Rage Against the Machine- Bombtrack- Rage Against the Machine (1992)

3) Velvet Underground- Sunday Morning- The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

4) Ramones- Blitzkrieg Bop- Ramones (1976)

5) The Stooges- Search and Destroy- Raw Power (1973)

6) Sonic Youth- Teenage Riot- Daydream Nation (1988)

7) Animal Collective- Peacebone- Strawberry Jam (2007)

8) Against Me!- Pints of Guiness Make You Strong- Reinventing Axl Rose (2002)

9) Black Flag- Rise Above- Damaged (1981)

10) Bad Brains- Big Takeover- Rock For Light (1983)

11) Beach Boys- Wouldn’t It Be Nice- Pet Sounds (1966)

12) Who- Baba O’Riley- Who’s Next (1971)

13) Girls- Lust For Life- Album (2009)

14) Page France- Chariot- Hello, Dear Wind (2005)

15) King Khan & BBQ Show- Anala- Invisible Girl (2009)

16) Pixies- Debaser- Doolittle (1989)

17) Sex Pistols- Holiday In the Sun- Nevermind the Bollocks (1977)

18) N.W.A- Straight Outta Compton- Straight Outta Compton (1988)

19) GZA- Liquid Swords- Liquid Swords (1996)

20) Dinosaur Jr- Little Furry Things- You’re Living All Over Me (1987)

21) Metallica- Battery- Master of Puppets (1986)

22) Kimya Dawson- Tire Swing- Remember That I Love You (2006)

23) Radiohead- Airbag- OK Computer (1997)

24) Tool- Stinkfist- AEnema (1996)

25) Bright Eyes- At the Bottom of Everything- I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (2005)

26) Jay Reatard- Blood Visions- Blood Visions (2006)

27) Black Lips- Sea of Blasphemy- Let It Bloom (2005)

28) The Doors- Break On Through- Doors (1967)

29) Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention- Hungry Freaks, Daddy (1966)

30) Nirvana- Serve the Servants- In Utero (1993)

31) Led Zeppelin- Good Times, Bad Times- Led Zeppelin (1969)

31) Jimi Hendrix- Purple Haze- Are You Experienced? (1967)

31) Beatles- Taxman- Revolver (1966)

32) Shellac- My Black Ass- At Action Park (1994)

33) Wu-Tang Clan- Brind Da Ruckus- Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

34) Elliott Smith- Speed Trials- Either/Or (1997)

35) The Clash- London Calling- London Calling (1980)

36) The Nightwatchman- California’s Dark- One Man Revolution (2007)

37) Sly and the Family Stone- Stand!- Stand! (1969)

38) Glassjaw- Pretty Lush- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence (2000)

39) Mark Sultan- Beautiful Girl- The Sultanic Verses (2007)

40) Deftones- Feictera- White Pony (2000)

41) Slayer- Angel of Death- Reign In Blood (1986)

42) Weezer- My Name Is Jonas- The Blue Album (1994)

43) David Bowie- Five Years- Ziggy Stardust (1972)

44) Galaxie 500- Fourth of July- This Is Our Music (1990)

45) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Mercy Seat- Tender Prey (1988)

46) Box Elders- Jackie Wood- Alice and Friends (2009)

47) Black Sabbath- War Pigs- Paranoid (1971)

48) Deerhunter- Cover Me (Slowly)- Microcastle (2008)

49) Harlem Soon- Someday Soon- Hippies (2009)

50) System Of A Down- Suite Pee- System Of A Down (1998)

… and some more!
Bob Dylan- Rainy Day Woman #12 and 35- Blonde On Blonde (1966)

Arctic Monkeys- The View From the Afternoon- Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I Am Not (2006)

Lost Sounds- There’s Nothing- Lost Sounds (2004)

Mabuses- Dark Star- Mabused (2007)

Smashing Pumpkins- Cherub Rock- Siamese Dream (1993)

Head Automatica- At the Speed of A Yellow Bullet- Decadence (2004)

Strange Boys- Woe Is You and Me- The Strange Boys and Girls Club (2009)

Those Darlins- Red Light Love- Those Darlins (2009)

Spacehsits- Can’t Fool With Me- Misbehavin’ (1998)

Chris