While rock albums often save the best for last, several classic records have opened with their strongest song. Much in the same way that bands want to hook audiences in with an epic opener at a live show, a rock album needs to have a strong hook to catch listeners' ears, give them a taste of what’s to come, and lay the groundwork for the style of the record. In some cases, bands did such a great job with their opening song that the album peaked right there and never again reached the same heights as the debut track.
A truly great album can take artists to another level, and all of these rock records have something special to offer. Just because these albums peaked with their opening song does not mean the rest of the music should be dismissed, as in many cases, these collections of songs represented some of the most long-lasting and iconic rock music ever made. An album is a complete listening experience where each track informs the others, but these rock n’ roll records managed to achieve something special with that first song.
10 Ramones (1976)
The Ramones: "Blitzkrieg Bop"
It’s hard to think of a band that better encapsulated sound in just one track than the Ramones did with “Blitzkrieg Bop,” the opening of their debut Ramones from 1976. As a precursor to the trailblazing music that would follow in 1977, the year punk broke, the Ramones laid the blueprint for punk rock in this album opener, which was raw, simple, and to the point. As a signature song blending the destructive violence of German World War II attacks with the danceable energy of punk’s anti-establishment sound, “Blitzkrieg Bop” was the Ramones summed up in 2 minutes 12 seconds.
While Ramones was a record packed with iconic songs like the oddly sentimental and wholesome “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” or the aggressive energy of "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue,” this album had already peaked by the time the first song came to an end. This was a testament to the Ramones' ability to write concise, memorable, and straightforward rock ‘n’ roll that condensed the ethos and attitude of New York’s burgeoning punk scene in quick-fire bursts of trailblazing musical energy.
9 Elephant (2003)
The White Stripes: “Seven Nation Army”
The cultural impact of the White Stripes' hit track “Seven Nation Army” is easy to underestimate, as its ubiquitous presence as a sporting event chant has meant it transcended its origins as an alternative rock single. “Seven Nation Army” was the White Stripes' signature song and a defining event in the garage rock revival of the 2000s. From its memorable repeating bass line to the way the music builds toward a grand crescendo in its powerful chorus, even those with little interest in rock music will immediately recognize this song.
While the White Stripes’ fourth album, Elephant, had another big hit with "The Hardest Button to Button" and memorable songs like "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" and "There's No Home for You Here,” none of these quite match the epic opening that was “Seven Nation Army.” As the 36th greatest song of all time, according to Rolling Stone magazine, this was the track that made Jack and Meg White two of the biggest names in music during the mid-2000s.
8 Violent Femmes (1983)
Violent Femmes: "Blister in the Sun"
As one of the most important acts of the underground folk punk and alternative rock scenes of the 1980s, Violent Femmes have had a major influence on the indie rock musical landscape of today. With a style that blended folk, rock, grunge, pop punk, and emo, Violent Femmes imbued their music with energy and emotion as their longing lyrics of hopeless romance connected with sensitive teens of the 1980s. Violent Femmes' self-titled debut from 1983 has remained their most popular album, and it kickstarted with a bang as listeners were blown away by the power of “Blister in the Sun.”
With a fast-paced energy that captured the excitement of youth paired with the angst of adolescence, “Blister in the Sun” boasted an unapologetic DIY aesthetic, off-kilter and nasally vulnerable vocals of Gordon Gano, and cryptic lyrics of teenage lust, infatuation, and nervous energy. Violent Femmes had other fantastic songs, such as the raw intensity and built-up frustration of “Add it Up,” but nothing on the record had quite the same enduring appeal as “Blister in the Sun.” While Violent Femmes has a great back catalog, it was their first song on their first album that would be forever ed.
7 Are You Experienced (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience: “Purple Haze”
When thinking about the greatest guitarists in rock n’ roll history, one name commonly stands above the rest: Jimi Hendrix. As a defining figure of the 1960s psychedelic musical movement, Hendrix and his group, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, sent shock waves through the music industry in their brief history, tragically ending in Hendrix’s death at age 27 in 1970. While Hendrix’s time on this Earth was brief, he left behind an incredible body of work, and all three of his band’s albums released during his lifetime were included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
It’s incredible just how much Hendrix’s style arrived fully formed, as it’s hard to beat “Purple Haze,” the opening track of the North American edition of the band’s debut album, Are You Experienced. While other songs like “Foxy Lady” and “Hey Joe” stand as some of Hendrix’s best work, “Purple Haze” featured groundbreaking guitar work and otherworldly psychedelic sensibility that was truly ahead of its time. As a firm showcase of Hendrix’s status as a guitar legend, “Purple Haze” laid the groundwork for the hard rock and heavy metal of the following decades.
6 Nevermind (1991)
Nirvana: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
While the Seattle sound known as grunge music had slowly built up since the 1980s, as groups blended punk rock and heavy metal styles to create something new, it exploded in popularity with the release of Nirvana’s second studio album, Nevermind. This record was a defining piece of 1990s music history as the raw lyricism and emotional vulnerability of Kurt Cobain connected with swathes of listeners, and the group became a worldwide sensation. The mainstream acceptance of grunge can be boiled down to just one song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the opening track from Nevermind.
From its catchy, fast-paced opening guitar riff to its thunderous chorus, the quiet-loud approach of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” captured the band’s sound and was the best track on Nevermind. With mysterious yet relatable lyrics that expressed teenage frustration and alienation, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became an anthem of slacker Generation X teens who wanted to stand against the corporatization of music and the commodification of anti-establishment beliefs. While songs like “Come as You Are” and “In Bloom” pack a real punch, Nevermind peaked with its opener.
5 Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Led Zeppelin: “Whole Lotta Love”
As a band that rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin was one of rock’s first supergroups, as it combined the guitar virtuoso skills of Jimmy Page with the undeniable power of Robert Plant’s vocals. While this was on full display in signature tracks like “Black Dog” and “Stairway to Heaven,” it’s hard to beat the incredible album opener on Led Zeppelin II that was “Whole Lotta Love.” With a catchy riff, a singalong chorus, and a hard rock sound that summed up everything great about the band, the appeal of “Whole Lotta Love” has never diminished.
Led Zeppelin II was a groundbreaking album that reached number one in the UK and the US and laid the groundwork for the band to be one of the most impactful groups of all time. While this record boasted plenty more incredible songs like “Ramble On” and “Heartbreaker,” none of the other tracks have the same kind of mainstream recognizability as the opening number. “Whole Lotta Love” was a masterclass in rock music, as its hypnotic riff and heavy groove helped push the psychedelic sounds of the 1960s toward the hard rock innovation of the 1970s.
4 Bat Out Of Hell (1977)
Meat Loaf: “Bat Out of Hell”
While other musicians embraced the quick, fast-paced, and simple stylings of punk rock in 1977, Meat Loaf instead opted to open his debut album with one of the most ambitious and dramatic compositions rock n’ roll had ever seen. The namesake song of the Bat Out of Hell album had an operatic quality and theatrical energy that showcased itself as unlike any other record released during this time. At 9 minutes and 52 seconds, “Bat Out of Hell” combined cinematic imagery with Meat Loaf’s intense vocal performance that transported listeners to a genre-blending world of romantic rebellion.
While an argument can be made that the second track, “You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night),” rivals the title song, this opening was so powerful and energetic that it signaled the record at its peak. As an album that developed out of the musical Neverland. Neverland, a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan, Bat Out of Hell is best enjoyed as a complete work where each song complements the others. Marking the beginning of an extraordinary career, “Bat Out of Hell” was the perfect track to introduce listeners to Meat Loaf.
3 Let It Bleed (1969)
The Rolling Stones: “Gimme Shelter”
From "Sympathy for the Devil" on Beggar’s Banquet to “Rocks Off” on Exile on Main St., The Rolling Stones have a wealth of incredible album openers. However, the most obvious example of an opening track that stood head and shoulders above the rest of the record was “Gimme Shelter” on Let It Bleed. This iconic track immediately set the tone for the album, was one of the Rolling Stones' greatest songs, and earned an undeniable place in mainstream pop culture due to its frequent appearance in movie and TV soundtracks.
Let It Bleed began and ended with two incredible songs as the Rolling Stones signed off with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” However, “Gimme Shelter” was a masterpiece of evocative atmosphere and dark lyricism, perfectly encapsulating the band’s appeal in their late 1960s era. With Mick Jagger's vocals in top form, the power of his performance was boosted by gospel singer Merry Clayton’s iconic backup vocals, which gave the track a feminine energy that made the song stand out in their catalog.
2 David Bowie (1969)
David Bowie: “Space Oddity”
David Bowie is ed for his chameleon-like ability to consistently reinvent himself as he excelled at everything from psychedelic folk to glam rock to drum and bass music. Yet it took Bowie some time to truly find his voice, and after a failed attempt at his first album in 1967, he returned once again with a new sound in 1969 and a hit single with “Space Oddity.” This fascinating story song expressed Bowie’s feelings of alienation at that point in his career and received widespread coverage due to its release in conjunction with the Moon landing.
“Space Oddity” was the first song of Bowie’s second self-titled album, and although other tracks like “Cygnet Committee” and “Memory of a Free Festival" are beloved by Bowie enthusiasts, no songs from this record have had the same kind of enduring appeal as its opening number. While Bowie was later frustrated by the song’s incredible success and even threatened to destroy it, it was a high point on David Bowie that helped lay the groundwork for his later career success with other space-related songs like “Starman” and “Life on Mars.”
1 Who's Next (1971)
The Who: "Baba O'Riley"
Having already become one of the biggest names in music during the 1960s, The Who followed up the trailblazing success of their rock opera triumph, Tommy, with their most urgent and commercially appealing album, Who’s Next, in 1971. While this record began as yet another complex and ambitious concept album by lead songwriter Pete Townshend called Lifehouse, that project was abandoned, and the resulting record was a collection of some of the greatest individual songs he had ever written.
Who’s Next kicked off with a bang as the synthesizer sound of “Baba O’Riley” felt like the dawning of a brand new era for the band, and the power of Roger Daltrey’s vocals sent shivers down the spines of listeners. While Who’s Next had plenty more masterful tracks, such as its epic closer “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” none of them quite reached the same unstoppable energy and anthemic appeal of “Baba O’Riley.” As a song featured prominently on TV soundtracks like the theme tune for CSI: NY, “Baba O’Riley” is instantly recognizable even to those with little interest in rock music.
Sources: Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time