The Greatest Debut Albums In Rock Music History? (1 Viewer)

[Mike Broadman]

Oh, I see how it is James, you're fighting back with the technicalities. Touche.
I consider SRV rock because he gets played on rock radio stations. Not the greatest system of categorization, I know, but there it is.
If Cowboys From Hell is Pantera's debut album, than you can add that one to my list, too. Great stuff.
I was going to include Tool's Undertow, but I don't know if that's considered there first album, since they released Opiate before that. I've never heard that one.
If EPs count, than I'd add Queensryche's debut.
NP: Dreamtheater, Images And Words, CD, as part of my practice of listening to a band's entire discography prior to seeing them in concert.

 

[Larry Geller]

Beatles-Please Please Me

Meat Loaf-Bat Out Of Hell

The Who-My Generation

The Cars

Joe Jackson-Look Sharp

Steely Dan-Can't Buy A Thrill

Dire Straits

Jefferson Airplane-Takes Off

Moby Grape

The Doors

Sex Pistols-Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

Van Morrison-Blowin' Your Mind

Chicago Transit Authority

The Yardbirds-Five Live Yardbirds

The Allman Brothers Band

Vanilla Fudge

Led Zeppelin

The Move

Santana

The Police-Outlandos D'Amour

Boston

Jimi Hendrix Experience-Are You Experienced?

James Taylor

Neil Young

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Buffalo Springfield

Hot Tuna

Jethro Tull-This Was

Elvis Presley

Steppenwolf

Procol Harum

and yes---Pink Floyd-The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (Their BEST album!)

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Son Volt's Trace is probably the best thing the band ever did. Not that what followed was bad, but WOW, what an album. Wilco's A.M. is pretty good too, but subsequent albums have taken it to another level.

How about The La's self-titled album? Their only record as far as I'm aware. Probably not one of the greatest, but I played it a lot at the time.

 

[Matt Birchall]

Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville.

And it's been all downhill from there. . .

-mwb-

 

[KrisM]

Most of my favs have been listed, but I would also include:

Big Sugar - Big Sugar

Bob Marley - Catch A Fire

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

KrisM

NP - The Tragically Hip-LIve In Detroit

 

[Darrel McBane]

One old and one new

Emerson Lake & Palmer, This LP just blew me away on it's debut

David Gray "White Ladder",

 

[Brian Lawrence]

Nirvana- Bleach

Aerosmith - Aerosmith

 

[Bill Wilkins]

Eddie Money

 

[Mavrick]

Todd Snider....Songs for the daily planet

Queen

Montrose

Tonio K.......Life in the food chain

 

[Blaine Skerry]

KING CRIMSON - In The Court Of The Crimson King

BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS - Child Is Father To The Man (superb album cover)

BLODWYN PIG - Ahead Rings Out

I guess I'm showing my age.

 

[KeithH]

Two of my favorites:

The Doors The Doors: Great music that definitely had an impact on the otherwise Flower Power '60s. Many groups have come along with a unique sound, which The Doors had, but The Doors also brought unique content to the music landscape. To say The Doors were influential is a tremendous understatement.

Boston Boston: Boston had a unique sound in that their music was more melodic and musical than a lot of other '70s rock groups, in my opinion. "More Than A Feeling" has a beautiful sound, and this band could really jam, as evidenced by "Smokin'" and "Foreplay/Long Time". Truly outstanding.

 

[StevenW]

TOOL - Undertow

 

[Keith Paynter]

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full Of Blues

Proclaimers - Sunshine On Leith

Madness - One Step Beyond

Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 1

 

[Mark Lee]

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
U2 - Boy
Van Halen - Van Halen
Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground & Nico
....and while I wouldn't by any stretch call it one of the "greatest in rock history," Aztec Camera's High Land, Hard Rain.

 

[Jay W]

In addition to a lot of the others mentioned here gotta echo

Jeff Buckley - Grace as my #1 choice, amazing album.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

At the risk of being nit-picky, is it really sensible to pick "debuts" like Plastic Ono Band, Peter Gabriel or Paul Simon. Y'know, I believe all involved had created quite a few prior records. Granted, one could argue the same for Led Zep or Pearl Jam, I suppose; both acts included folks who came from other bands. However, those went from one band into others, while the ones I mention above left bands to go solo. They were all very experienced and established when they did so - the same can't be said for Led Zep or PJ. (Yeah, Page was well established as a guitar hero, but there was no real reason to believe he could lead a band on his own...)

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

I'd say the same goes for Peter Gabriel; sure he could sing, write wack lyrics, and pound on a bass drum with a flower on his reverse-mohawk-shaved head while playing the flute, but could he carry an album? The answer: yes, and it's one of the best albums of the 1970s.

 

[Erling Pedersen]

Stone Roses

Wedding Present

Fountains of Wayne

La's

Elvis Costello

Oasis

There are many more, but these are all I can think of right now.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Eagles - Eagles

Blues Traveller - Blues Traveller

Crosby Stills and Nash - Crosby Stills and Nash

Aerosmith - Featuring "Dream On" (wtf ?)

Can't tell I grew up in the '70's ?

 

[Mike Broadman]

I gotta say that solo albums from people in prior bands should count. It's a totally different thing to be a collaborating member of a group than to be the main creative force in a project.

To that end, I'm adding Blizzard of Oz in case I forgot it before.

And I can't believe I forgot Van Halen's first album. My favorite of theirs.