The 50 Best Debut Albums of My Experience:

Introduction: Welcome to my top 50 Debut Records. There are several things to keep in mind: The first is this is my list, so my rules. Secondly, I appreciate feedback but not things like “your list is stupid”. If you disagree with any placements or omissions, tell me what you’d do different and why. Lastly remember, there are NO RIGHT answers, it’s all relative and it’s all good. If Kenny Loggins floats your boat, that’s wonderful. Music is amazing in that it means so much to so many and very impressively, it brings us together. In fact, if you made a list of the top 10 things that bring us together, you’d find so many negative events like war, violence, hatred, or tragedy. Music may be the number one positive thing that brings all of us together!

I know what you are thinking; Ed, why are you doing this? My first reason is because I feel like it. I often live in the moment and at the moment I started this it seemed like the thing to do. Secondly, I’m doing this because I am interested how people feel after seeing this list. Do you agree, disagree? Did I leave something out? I like the discussion. Thirdly, I want to come back to this list a few years from now and see what I think then. Every week I discover some new band or record and I’m sure if I did this list even 3 months from now there would be noticeable changes. I always like looking back at things I wrote in the past and thinking what a tool I am. Do you do that? Do you look at your previous writing, or your previous work and think what was I thinking? I always believe that we are our wisest, smartest and awesomest at this moment. We are so much more awesome than we were yesterday. We are wiser and smarter too. So looking back at this list down the road might be as much fun as putting it together now.

This took me 3-4 weeks of research, listening, re-listening, and love. I’d work on a little bit each day and finally it’s done. So Let’s Get it Started!


Preface:

Before we begin with the actual list here are things you WON’T find on this list:

-Debut records I don’t know or haven’t heard so I can’t in good conscience put them on this list. Maybe I’ll get to them one day and they’ll crack a future list.

Apologies to: the Beatles, The Who, the Stones, MC5, Bob Dylan, the Band, Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, Love, Big Star, Cream, Traffic, Roxy Music, Booker T & the MGs, Cheap Trick, Genesis, Queen, The Ramones, Elvis, etc.

-Great bands/Artists with so-so debut records who got better as they went along:

Way to pace yourselves: Radiohead, Prince, Wilco, David Bowie, Alanis Morissette (Jagged Little Pill was her 3rd record), Feist, Sloan, Spoon, Stereolab, Andrew Bird, Ani DiFranco, Flaming Lips, T.Rex, Green Day (Dookie was their 3rd record), White Stripes, Billy Joel, Bob Marley & the Wailers and on and on.

-Some bands who won’t make this list simply because I don’t like them (remember my list, my rules):

Gets the Gas Face: Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, CCR, Black Crowes, Oasis.


Honorable Mention: Good debut records that didn’t quite make the cut: (they get lovely parting gifts)

• De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
• Sade – Diamond Life
• The Beta Band – The Three EPs
• Dr. Dre – The Chronic
• REM – Murmur
• Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes
• Doves – Lost Souls
• Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic
• Stray Cats – Stray Cats
• Maxwell – Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite
• Kool and the Gang – Kool and the Gang
• Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
• Eminem – The Slim Shady LP
• Fugazi – Repeater
• Postal Service – Give Up
• Curtis Mayfield- Curtis
• Massive Attack – Blue Lines
• St. Vincent- Marry Me
• D’Angelo – Brown Sugar
• AC/DC- T.N.T.
• ABC – The Lexicon of Love
• NAS – Illmatic
• Morrissey – Viva Hate
• Wire – Pink Flag
• Gang of Four – Entertainment!
• Daft Punk – Homework
• 3rd Bass – The Cactus Album
• Nirvana – Bleach
• Barenaked Ladies – Gordon
• Le Tigre – Le Tigre
• Lenny Kravitz – Let Love Rule
• LL Cool J- Radio
• Alicia Keys – Songs in A Minor
• Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
• Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
• PJ Harvey – Dry
• N.W.A. – N.W.A and the Posse
• Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
• Echo & the Bunnymen- Crocodiles
• Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell
• Run DMC – Run DMC
• Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
• Modest Mouse - This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
• Gorillaz – Gorillaz
• Poe – Hello

Without any further ado

My 50 Best Debut Albums:


50. Stone Temple Pilots – Core: One of the things I disliked about “grunge” was how murky it felt. I didn’t like a lot of the bands that came out of the Seattle scene and the primary reason was that it seemed too much kind of like how once upon a time Slayer was a little too much for me but Motley Crue was just fine. In that same vein, while Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and many others didn’t do it for me, Stone Temple Pilots seemed like a breath of fresh air in a smoky room. It felt like grunge without the grunge. Unlike most of those bands this had a bit of glam, finish and style to it and whether or not that was Scott Weiland’s fault, I don’t know but this unlike those other records clicked with me and remains a classic.

Recommended Tracks: Plush, Creep, Wicked Garden, Dead & Bloated, Sex Type Thing

49. The The – Soul Mining: An ex-girlfriend introduced me to Matt Johnson aka The The about 10 years ago. This is one of those bands a lot of people don’t know about and for good reason. Matt has always maintained a pretty low profile and his penchant for experimenting with everything from country to dark dance music makes it harder to put a name to the beat, so to speak. Many The The records are very different from the one before it which makes it hard to build a fanbase. To make a long story short, if you were going to buy one start with their/his official debut Soul Mining. The record is dancing in the rain, skipping in the sunshine and laying in the grass without a care in the world. This record is fun but not outrageous fun, it’s more the kind that will just put a big smile on your face for a while. The dancey pop music has a bit of darkness to it, but that’s what makes it so attractive.

Recommended Tracks: Uncertain Smile, This is the Day, Perfect, Giant

48. Whiskeytown – Faithless Street: In the footsteps of Uncle Tupelo, the Replacements and Bruce Springsteen came Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown. This was alternative country as it was called back then but it had an edginess to it due to Adams’ powerful and passionate delivery. This is down home warm weather late afternoon music for people who can appreciate the balance of rock and country and not want to sleep with their relatives.

Recommended Tracks: Midway Park, Top Dollar, Here’s To The Rest of the World, Faithless Street, Empty Baseball Park, Yesterday’s News

47. Sex Pistols – Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols: This is the record your mother warned you about. It’s full of angst, anger and venom and one listen is all it takes to know this is an important album. The first time I listened to this all the way through I was so energized I wanted to go outside, break stuff and bring anarchy to my neighborhood. Instead I probably got together with a friend or two and talked a lot of crap about breaking things and probably brought anarchy to the Pizza Hut buffet.

Recommended Tracks: God Save the Queen, Submission, Anarchy in the U.K., Pretty Vacant, Holidays in the Sun

46. Jesus & Mary Chain – Psycho Candy: You know this is a fine debut record when you consider the 1st track on this 1st record could very well be their best song! Psycho Candy is probably one of the most influential records you’ve never heard as the impact was well below the radar but important nonetheless. Bands like Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine may never have existed without this band and this record.

Recommended Tracks: Just Like Honey, Never Understand, The Living End, Taste of Cindy

45. Funkadelic – Funkadelic: Before the mothership landed on planet Earth and before Parliament smoothed out the funk sound, Funkadelic led one nation under a groove that just happened to get down for the funk of it. If you heard this record you might be a little surprised. It’s not the George Clinton you came to know much later on. This record brings the funk but also packs a soulful punch, perhaps due to the time (1970) and that George wasn’t too far removed from a soul/doo wop group himself. You can hear the formula for funk starting to come together and this record started a run of 3 great Funkadelic records in a row through Maggot Brain.

Recommended Tracks: I Got a Thing, I Bet You, Mommy What’s a Funkadelic, Good Old Music

44. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: When Lauryn left the Fugees there wasn’t too much expected. Everyone assumed Wyclef and Pras were the primary creative forces behind that group and Lauryn was simply a voice and not the big time talent she proved to be. Credit Lauryn with bridging the gap between hip hop and soul. This record had me nodding my head the way I would listening to a hip hop record.

Recommended Tracks: Doo Wap, Everything is Everything, Sweetest Thing, Ex-Factor

43. G Love & Special Sauce – G Love & Special Sauce: When I first heard G Love and Special Sauce it was on a very early Late Night with Conan O’Brien. They performed “Baby’s Got Sauce” from this 1st record. I thought man this was a band that was having fun and doing it cool. I became an instant fan and remained so throughout the 90’s until their later work started to slip and I lost interest. Above, I have a small list of bands or artists whose first record was ordinary and the greatness came later. These guys were the opposite. Their first record was great. The second was good. The third was fine. The 4th was okay and so on. The bluesy hip hop style is perfect for a summer night with friends or any chilled out occasion.

Recommended Tracks: The Things I Used To Do, Garbage Man, Blues Music, Baby’s Got Sauce, Cold Beverage

42. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker: When Whiskeytown dissolved I was just getting into them and then to find out they were no more, well I was not pleased but when I heard Heartbreaker I knew everything was going to be alright. Ryan matched all the Whiskeytown efforts with Heartbreaker and even broke new ground as a songwriter with somewhat hopeful tones on a few tracks. Upon hearing this you could tell this was the beginning of something big and 10 records later this prolific and talented artist continues to grow.

Recommended Tracks: To Be Young, Why Do They Leave, Oh My Sweet Carolina, Come Pick Me Up, My Winding Wheel

41. Public Enemy – Yo Bum Rush the Show: P.E. exploded onto the scene in 1987 and in doing so ripped hip hop and rap music off the road it was on and sent it into a whole new direction. With Chuck D.’s relentless rhymes and delivery and Flavor Flav adding his spastic takes on the tracks, this was the future revealed. You could tell 2 things about Public Enemy by listening to this record: 1- They were among the most important voices in rap right out of the gate and 2- They were only scratching the surface of their skills. When the next record came out we expected it to be better and it was. This was a truly important group, especially during the first 10 years of their career.

Recommended Tracks: Public Enemy #1, Miuzi Weighs a Ton, Timebomb, You’re Gonna Get Yours

40. Strokes – Is This It: One of the newest records on my list. You have to keep in mind that it’s tough to take a recent debut record and say it’s one of the best ever. Part of what makes a record great is staying power and how it sounds years after the initial buzz and novelty has worn off. That’s why a record from 2001 is being considered a recent one on a list like this. Recapturing the late 70’s New York city rock scene, The Strokes perfected the sound. There was a lot of hype surrounding this record and it was well deserved, even converting the non-believers after they took a full listen. This record was just too good for the first time out and while they released 2 solid records later, they were never able to catch the magic in a bottle they had with Is This It.

Recommended Tracks: Someday, Take it or Leave It, Last Nite, The Modern Age

39. Replacements- Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash: All puns aside, this record is complete garbage. It’s messy, sloppy and they sound like they are either drunk off their butts playing the record or they can barely play a chord. As far as punk rock goes, try to find a band or a record that sounds like this. It’s as unique a record as you can find from the time period it came out in and when you take into account what the Mats did later on and how different they sounded, it makes this record even more of a rare classic. The record is loose, ridiculous and a ton of fun. This is rock N roll with punk, garage, booze and who knows what else thrown together and played very fast… and great.

Recommended Tracks: Johnny’s Gonna Die, Takin a Ride, Shut Up, I Hate Music, Customer, Otto

38. Talking Heads – 77: Out of that aforementioned late 70’s New York City rock scene came the Talking Heads and their unique sound. Odd but catchy they were tough to predict but easy to enjoy and this record really laid down the groundwork for a noteworthy career of unusual gems.

Recommended Tracks: Psycho Killer, Don’t Worry About the Government, Uh-Oh Love Comes to Town, and Sugar on My Tongue & I Wish That You Wouldn’t Say That (from 2005 reissue)

37. UB40 – Signing Off: When people think of UB40 they think of Red Red Wine, and even worse their cheesy poppier sounding music from the late 80’s and 90’s. On their debut record Signing Off this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The 1980 release showed an English reggae sound that was unique and powerful. With elements of Dub and political and social commentary throughout the record, Signing Off plays like a chilled out yet powerful release and made UB40 look more like a reggae version of the Clash than what they are remembered for now. It’s by far their best release and one of the best English reggae records ever.

Recommended Tracks: Tyler, Burden of Shame, King, Food For Thought, 12 Bar

36. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle: Snoop debuted in a way many of us wish we could. He was a guest rapper on several tracks of Dr. Dre’s largely successful “The Chronic” a year or two before releasing his own record. How can you do better than that? You guest on a smash record that introduces you to the world and wets their appetite for your own work. There’s one catch though. Your record had better be good or else you would probably disappear as fast as you rose to the top. With Snoop’s Doggystyle we know what happened. He became arguably the biggest star in rap.

Recommended Tracks: Gin and Juice, Who Am I, Serial Killa, Murder Was the Case That They Gave Me, Lodi Dodi

35. The Stone Roses – Stone Roses: Quite simply this record influenced all 90’s British pop and rock music. Ian Brown’s cool vocal and the uptempo tracks were a match made on the hipster dancefloor. The Stone Roses made British music fun again and although their contributions were fairly brief, this record goes down as one of the best ever. I confess that the first time I heard this I didn’t totally “get it”, but several years later, perhaps when I had learned that British music didn’t have to be droning guitars and vocal flamboyance, I realized how great a record this is.

Recommended Tracks: I am the Resurrection, She Bangs the Drums, I Wanna Be Adored

34. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell: Although they released a few small EPs prior to this, Fever To Tell marks the 1st full length record of this still improving group. The record goes all over the place with volume, depth, crashes and burns but makes up for the messiness with some amazing songs. The record starts out beating your behind and ends up making you misty. It’s a strange ride but one you won’t forget.

Recommended Tracks: Y Control, Rich, Maps, Date With the Night, Pin

33. The Jam – In The City: The Jam were very unique, even among the dozens of punk bands coming out of England in the 70’s. They were unique because they were not really a “punk” band. Yeah there were some punk rock tendencies but more often than not there were also nods to Motown and classic R&B music. The mixture of styles separated them from the pack but they still had the respect the other more conventional punk bands had. That said, In The City is a bit raw in places and shows a good balance of the potential greatness yet to come and goodness already achieved. The energy of the tracks gets you moving and in the end that’s really all that matters.

Recommended Tracks: In The City, Art School, Sounds From the Street, Non Stop Dancing

32. Arcade Fire – Funeral: This is not a record you can hear in passing. You’d be cheating yourself if that were the case. If you have not heard this record yet, you should get yourself a copy, find a place to relax, detach yourself from all distractions and get ready for the beautiful, emotional tidal wave of Funeral. This record has it all: romance, sadness, hope and power. There are catchy tunes and brilliant arrangements. The only thing you can think after experiencing this record is “where have you been all my life”. That’s it. That’s the only bad thing I can say about Funeral is that after you’ve heard it, you wish you had heard it sooner.

Recommended Tracks: Wake Up, Neighborhood #1, Rebellion, Crown of Love, Neighborhood #3

31. Weezer – Blue Album: I was attracted to this record not so much by the sounds, but from what I saw in the band’s first video for Undone, the Sweater Song. I thought wow these guys look like total nerds rocking out, and because I’ve always imagined myself as a member of Lambda Lambda Lambda I was totally into it. Plus the songs weren’t too shabby either, covering many topics I could relate to and most importantly, being catchy as hell. Many claim this record was responsible for influencing Emo which makes me cringe, but it certainly showed those in Indie rock how to Power Pop. It’s really a delicate balance to be popular with the cool kids and crossover to the mainstream no taste kids at the same time but for a short while Weezer made the leap. Inevitably scorn settled in and their 2nd record Pinkerton was panned by critics and fans alike although I consider it right there with the Blue Album in terms of quality, and THIS album has quality.

Recommended Tracks: Say it Ain’t So, Buddy Holly, My Name is Jonas, Undone-the Sweater Song, In the Garage

30. Wu Tang Clan – Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers): From the slums of Shaolin, the Wu Tang Clan struck hard with this influential debut. The West coast was riding high and ruling rap with Dr. Dre, Snoop, Tupac and many gangsta rappers leading the way but The Wu Tang Clan struck a blow back for the East Coast and the birthplace of hip hop with the Enter the Wu Tang. The beats were slammin but not duplicates of the G-Funk sound that was sweeping California. The Rza’s production style was a breath of fresh air and the Clan injected something back into gangsta and hardcore rap that was becoming harder to find: fun. As the 90’s went on more and more rappers talked about nothing but bitches, money and violence and the novelty of N.W.A. was replaced by the new norm and boredom. The Wu Tang took the message and evolved it, making it fun again to listen to serious hip hop. I remember many nights in the cars with friends, pumping Enter the Wu Tang and having a great time trying to solve da mystery of chessboxin.

Recommended Tracks: C.R.E.A.M., Method Man, Protect Your Neck, Da Mystery of Chessboxin, Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin to F*** With

29. The Pretenders – The Pretenders: Few bands have made a stronger opening statement than The Pretenders did on their self titled debut. They come to rock. They come to kick butt and they come to do their own thing. As evidenced by Chrissie Hynde’s unique vocal, the Pretenders and this record may sound a little like this band or that band, but it also sounds a lot like something new and different, which they were. They captured a style all their own that got them lumped in with pop bands, rock bands, punk bands and even new wave bands. Maybe they were all those things but after one listen to the raw emotion in Chrissie’s voice one has to think it doesn’t matter.

Recommended Tracks: Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement, Kid, Up the Neck, The Wait, Precious

28. U2 – Boy: Unfortunately when Boy came out I wasn’t really into music that much. I was probably too busy watching Scooby Doo, the Flintstones, Sesame Street, the Electric Company and Tom & Jerry to care. Eventually I started to watch Sha Na Na because my parents watched it. Then it was Solid Gold. Shortly after that I became addicted to this new thing called MTV. The first U2 video I ever saw was Sunday Bloody Sunday. From that point on I jumped aboard but by then U2 had already put out 3-4 records. After buying The Joshua Tree and finding out what an amazing album that was I started to get curious about their earliest stuff. I figured the only record of theirs I had ever heard was their best work (Joshua Tree) so to hear their first record from 6 years earlier would probably be a letdown. I thought it was their 1st time out and there’s probably a lot of growing they had to do. Then I heard Boy and realized they were pretty darn good right out of the gate. From the classic 1st track “I Will Follow” through to the end of the record, this ranks among their best.

Recommended Tracks: I Will Follow, Electric Company, Out of Control, Twilight, Another Time, Another Place

27. Coldplay – Parachutes: I worked at WBNY when this record came into rotation at the station. As I would often do, I talked with other station members about what new stuff was good and a few females mentioned this new Coldplay record. When I was next on air I played “Shiver” and never looked back. I don’t believe this record is as popular or sold as many copies as their subsequent work and that’s a shame. When I heard this record it reminded me what I liked about British pop music and why I hate Oasis. Both are British pop music but Coldplay didn’t take themselves so seriously back then unlike the Gallaghers and you can hear the difference. Plus this record actually had me forget about Radiohead for a few weeks which was saying something back then.

Recommended Tracks: Shiver, Trouble, Don’t Panic, Sparks, Yellow, High Speed

26. Pixies – Surfer Rosa: I’ll start by saying I know Come on Pilgrim came out first, but I really don’t like the idea of using EPs on my list of best debut albums so I am going with the first full length record the Pixies released, Surfer Rosa. And what a record it is! When it comes to the Pixies a lot of times I’m left to wonder, how can music so raw and unbridled be so damn catchy? That’s the magic of this band. Most of the alternative bands of the 90’s and since owe a debt of gratitude to the Pixies and it begins with this magnificent record which rips your arm off and beats you with it.

Recommended Tracks: Where is My Mind, Bone Machine, Gigantic, Vamos, Broken Face

25. Smashing Pumpkins – Gish: Before grunge and the alternative music revolution of the 90’s really kicked in a lot of bands hung under the radar receiving huge critical praise but little commercial attention. One of those bands were the Smashing Pumpkins. Now we all know that later on they blew up something fierce but back in 1991 they released their first album unnoticed by most. Back then they were only really known to college radio and the critics. Often times critically regarded bands stay under the surface and never get the public recognition but the Pumpkins kept going and eventually broke through and became massive for a few years. This debut record is no step down from the records that scored on the charts. In fact, some might argue this record is better.

Recommended Tracks: Siva, Suffer, Daydream, I am One, Bury Me

24. The Police – Outlandos de Amour: The Police were very similar to the Jam in how they separated themselves from the English punk rock pack because they were far more than that. Outlandos de Amor has some punkish sounding tunes plus a few simple sounding ones, but also some heavyweight classics. Much of the songwriting on this record is advanced for a young band hitting the scene with their first record. “Roxanne” is just too good of a song for a relatively new band to write but The Police weren’t exactly kids who hooked up in a band. All 3 members were somewhat accomplished players by the time they hooked up and it shows on this classic record.

Recommended Tracks: Roxanne, Can’t Stand Losing You, Next To You, So Lonely, Hole in My Life

23. Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted: Something you’ll notice about many of the records I have on my list is that they are genre defining records. They are albums that took elements of other styles but used them in such a unique way that they created a new genre themselves. That’s where Pavement comes in. Slanted and Enchanted helped to usher in the indie rock genre and college radio stations everywhere took notice. While too unusual to the mainstream this experimental masterpiece broke down subtle rules of song and paved new roads down which thousands of bands have followed.

Recommended Tracks: Here, Summer Babe, Conduit For Sale, Trigger Cut/Wounded Kite at:17

22. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine: The first time I heard this it was over my head. I wasn’t ready yet. A few years later I had the chance to listen to it again and that time it blew my mind. That probably sums up Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor altogether. NIN were ahead of their time. Not many records with such raw emotion are danceable but this one is. Not only that but you can break stuff to it, have relations, workout, etc. It’s an impressive and versatile debut.

Recommended Tracks: Head Like a Hole, Down in It, Terrible Lie, Sin, Something I Can Never Have

21. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico: This was another record I didn’t discover until the last decade. Some would say when you discover something that moment must be the right time because that’s when you discovered it, but damn if I don’t feel guilty about not hearing this one sooner. There are so many different types of songs on this record it’s no wonder it was so influential to bands of many genres. Ah, the advantages of having an artist like Andy Warhol as your “producer”. You think someone like Warhol is going to a tell you to tweak songs, or to go for more continuity on the record? The Velvet Underground and Nico is one of the most “free” records you’ll ever hear.

Recommended Tracks: Heroin, I’m Waiting for the Man, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Femme Fatale, There She Goes Again,

20. Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes: When punk rock met folk. The Violent Femmes sounded new and unique at the time and if you listen to this record now, 25+ years later, you might feel the same way. I mean, who sounds like these guys did, especially on this record? There are more timeless classics here than some groups’ greatest hits compilations. Gordon Gano’s voice really drives the record and sets the tone for the angst ridden and self depreciating songs. Even the use of vulgarity is done in a cool and not gratuitous manner. Well before “alternative” music came to prominence in the 90’s this record captured the essence of the sound and deserved a debt of gratitude as one of first and one of the best.

Recommended Tracks: Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Gimme The Car, Add it Up, Gone Daddy Gone

19. Blondie – Blondie: Right in the heart of the New York City new wave/rock scene was the attitude of Debbie Harry and Blondie. They weren’t as tough or played as fast as some other bands in the scene but their artistic sensibility was exceptional. More often than not, they knew just how poppy, just how dancey and just how punk rock to be. They knew how to mix genres and styles. They made up for their lack of edginess with an abundance of coolness. How’d they do it? It began and ended with Harry, who was as believable as a sweet girl as she was as someone who shouldn’t be trifled with. Her ability to blow kisses and snarl when needed made her not only a very effective singer but also a huge sex symbol of the late 70’s and early 80’s. That combination of sex appeal and grit is on full display on this fantastic debut.

Recommended Tracks: In The Flesh, Rip Her to Shreds, X Offender, Kung Fu Girls, Look Good in Blue

18. A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm: While not the first of the abstract hip hop bands to emerge from the east coast in the late 80’s, A Tribe Called Quest might be the Best. The Jazz samples, the clever rhymes, and the courage to experiment became calling cards for ATCQ and it’s all on display here. Plus you get the legendary balance and flow of Phife and Q-Tip, whose contrasting but similar styles meshed perfectly. There’s love, humor, social awareness and the type of bragging we are all used to in rap music with none of the thug, pimp or jerk stuff. What more do you need?

Recommended Tracks: Bonita Applebaum, Can I Kick It, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Ham n Eggs, Push it Along, Public Enemy

17. The Cars – The Cars: First you take the New Wave sound that is blowing up all over the east coast, then you take some good ol’ rock n roll which never goes out of style and add them together. What the Cars got from that formula was one of the great debuts ever. Every track on this record is good. How many bands can say that about their records let alone their first? The whole album is feel good, hanging with your friends type of music and plays as well today as it did over 30 years ago.

Recommended Tracks: Just What I Needed, Bye Bye Love, My Best Friend’s Girl, Good Times Roll, Moving in Stereo, Don’t Cha Stop

16. Television – Marquee Moon: If you are a fan of drugs and guitars, you might have heard of this record. Actually that’s not fair, as I only like guitars and I have it. That goes to show you the far reaching beauty of this classic debut release. The songs are not just songs, they are art and the extended bouts of guitar are not bothersome but awesome. Maybe the fact that Television dissolved shortly after helped to cultivate the legend but the small body of work the band left behind may be as creative or brilliant as anything any band has ever done.

Recommended Tracks: See No Evil, Marquee Moon, Friction, Venus

15. Ben Folds Five- Ben Folds Five: Much like Weezer impacted the nerds of the world, Ben Folds Five reached out to a similar demographic. Nerds, Geeks and Dweebs of all shapes and sizes chuckled at the witty lyrics and playful delivery of Ben Folds Five. Needless to say BFF didn’t achieve nearly the success and acclaim as Weezer did but on the bright side, that made them cooler for me. Plus while I think Weezer sometimes catered to pop culture, especially during the last decade, Ben only caters to himself and his own experiences. The songwriting on this record are on topics I relate to, understand and find extremely interesting. Plus it seems like there’s a little Elton John, Violent Femmes and They Might Be Giants in there, and if there is how can you complain about that? Ben’s smart-alecky yet non-obnoxiously delivered lyrics entertain and inform and the guitarless band proves a fun and still rocking sound on this debut.

Recommended Tracks: Philosophy, Underground, Julianne, Best Imitation of Myself, Where’s Summer B, Uncle Walter

14. Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park NJ: Here’s a record I didn’t actually hear until this past year (shame on me) but wow, what a great one. Something that is remarkable about this record and that is remarkable about pretty much every one on my list is that the music is so good, so advanced and so right that it is hard in most cases to believe that this is that artist’s first release. Bruce is light years ahead of 99.9% of debut songwriters on this 1st release. He started out way in front and stayed ahead of the pack for most of his career.

Recommended Tracks: Growin Up, It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City, Mary Queen of Arkansas, Blinded By the Light

13. The Clash – The Clash: This is one steady debut all the way through. It kicks your teeth down your throat with the first track, “Clash City Rockers” and continues to do so until the end. There’s fire and passion in abundance and they are just scratching the surface. I think on later records they became more focused in terms of where the fire and passion would go but on this record they are still at their best, just in a more raw way.

Recommended Tracks: White Riot, Clash City Rockers, Police and Thieves, Complete Control, Career Opportunities

12. Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn: This is one of those albums that blows people’s minds. It certainly blew the doors off of rock music and sent it in a new direction. Yeah the record sounds British but to compare this album to stuff that came out at the same time by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who or anyone else is not valid… that’s how unique and distinctive the Pink Floyd sound is. The lyrics are beyond pop music. The guitar work and song structure or lack thereof was very creative and they still managed to have a top 10 album in the UK out of it. When you can be experimental and still very successful, that’s when you know you have something.

Recommended Tracks: See Emily Play, Astronomy Domine, Interstellar Overdrive, Bike, Lucifer Sam

11. New Order – Movement: If you know the history of the band, listening to this record is like listening to a haunting. The band was obviously still reeling from the loss of former singer Ian Curtis and this was the first step without him. The tracks are sad and yet darkly beautiful at the same time, a quality often shared by the Joy Division work. While not an overly long record, there’s plenty of quality to make up for the lack of quantity.

Recommended Tracks: Dreams Never End, I.C.B., Denial, Truth

10. The Smiths – The Smiths: How did British Rock music move from New Wave in the mid-80’s to Brit Pop, Shoegazer and the British Rock that dominated the 90’s? It was mostly The Smiths. They bridged the gap and created something that was imitated right away and very often, even deep into the 90’s. Many of the songs sounded like real art and Morrissey had a hypnotic voice capable of locking you in and making you a believer. For their existence The Smiths wrote a ton of excellent songs and this album like every other Smiths album is full of them.

Recommended Tracks: This Charming Man, Hand in Glove, What Difference Does it Make, Pretty Girls Make Graves

9. Bjork – Debut: When I think of the 90’s musically and what was excellent about it, I can’t help but think of Bjork. For a long while in that decade I was only into the male stuff: Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Violent Femmes, N.W.A, Beck, Tribe Called Quest, etc. but at some point I began to get a little curious. I got curious about this new stuff the ladies were listening to. I started to check out Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, and Bjork. Of the 3, and all 3 are great, I like Bjork best. I’d put on Debut and it’s like a big goofy smile for an hour. That’s what I’m talking about.

Recommended Tracks: Big Time Sensuality, Venus as a Boy, Human Behaviour, One Day, Violently Happy

8. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures: Listening to this record should really be done with your eyes closed. If you let it, this album can take you away into a dreamworld the likes of which you never knew. I mean it. You should do this at night, turn the lights down, make sure you are alone or with people who will be silent, close your eyes and flip this on. It’s dreaming without being sleep. It is dark and wonderful.

Recommended Tracks: She’s Lost Control, Shadowplay, Insight, Disorder, Wilderness

7. Beastie Boys – License to Ill: It was inevitable right? With Run DMC and others emerging and beginning to put rap music on the map, it was only a matter of time that a novelty act emerged to help crossover the rap genre onto the pop charts. In this case the novelty was that these were 3 white guys but unlike nearly every novelty act that entered the genre afterward, these guys had the skills, charisma and style to pull it off for the long haul. Def Jam could have put any mediocre white rapper group together and they might have scored a hit and got white kids all over the burbs to buy their record but because the Beasties had the skills they not only scored a hit, they scored a monster #1 smash and a lengthy, noteworthy career. While their later work is more critically acclaimed, this record is pure fun.

Recommended Tracks: Fight For Your Right To Party, Brass Monkey, Girls, Paul Revere, Hold it Now Hit It, The New Style

6. Beck – Mellow Gold: I remember asking questions when “Loser” hit the airways: Who is this “loser“ guy? Are all his songs like this one? The answers are I still don’t know who he is and no, his songs are not like Loser. Over the course of his career Beck has experimented and tapped into so many genres that it’s hard to classify him. I believe Mellow Gold fell under the umbrella of Alternative because it was tough to figure out and consequently this record put a reluctant Beck as the figurehead of Generation X. When you hear all the work he’s done over the years this record isn’t that much of a surprise but consider those of us who heard this back when it came out and this is all we knew of him. We were scratching our heads but thoroughly fascinated. The record is creative and fresh and schizophrenic… but in a good way.

Recommended Tracks: Beer Can, Loser, Nitemare Hippie Girl, Pay No Mind, Soul Sucking Jerk

5. Doors – The Doors: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern." -Aldous Huxley. I didn’t hear this record until the early 90’s but once I did I couldn’t stop listening to it. To an 18 year old who is just finding himself, “The Doors” is like crack. Their redefinition of blues rock was unparalleled and combined with the lyrical content of the great poet Jim Morrison with his raw and passionate delivery made for one of the most explosive debut records of all time. Half the songs on this record are some of the best rock songs of all time. How many records, let alone debut records can make such a claim?

Recommended Tracks: Light My Fire, The End, Break on Through, End of the Night, Whiskey Bar

4. Elvis Costello – My Aim is True: Much like Beck but to a lesser extent, Elvis Costello sampled a lot of styles on the way to finding his own. Depending on which track you listen to you can hear traces of punk, folk, twang, new wave and even a little reggae. Even better than his multi-dimensional music style is his lyrical content and delivery. The lyrics are clever and well written with a sarcastic or maybe cynical streak and the vocal delivery is simply legendary.

Recommended Tracks: Alison, Watching the Detectives, Less Than Zero, Miracle Man, (The Angels Want to Wear My) Red Shoes

3. Jeff Buckley – Grace: Listening to the record the first time was reminiscent of the first time I had candy. I wasn’t sure what it was that I had just ingested but it was sweet, great and I had a natural attraction and strong feeling that it would become a permanent part of my life. This and Portishead’s Dummy are my go to albums when I am sad. I think that the tragic death of Buckley before releasing his 2nd record makes this album even more dramatic and more melancholy than it would have been received and remembered otherwise. His voice is quite possibly the best male voice I’ve ever heard in pop music and we will always be left wondering what might have been.

Recommended Tracks: Hallelujah, Lover You Should Have Come Over, Grace, Last Goodbye, Mojo Pin, Forget Her (added on as 11th track on reissues)

2. Portishead – Dummy: Speaking of Portishead’s Dummy, it grabs my #2 spot. This groundbreaking record has every thing I love in music: moody lyrics, strings, beats, razor sharp guitar riffs and a classic female vocal. They took all those things and melded it into a beautiful debut record. Nearly every song on this is a classic and still play as fresh and amazing as they did 15 years ago. This is one of those rare instances where a whole lot of good things are mixed together to make something greater. Too often we take good things, combine them with other good things and have less than good results but with Portishead and this record, it’s like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups all around. This record is on my if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take 5 CDs with you list.

Recommended Tracks: Glory Box, Numb, Strangers, Roads, Wandering Star, Mysterons, Sour Times

1. Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction: Once upon a time I was writing the names of bands like Cinderella, Def Leppard, and Ratt on my trapper keeper. I ate up all those power ballads and glam metal rock songs. Then one day I heard Appetite For Destruction. A short time later when my butt healed after Guns N Roses had whooped it, I began one of the most important musical journeys of my life when I realized there was more to life than Poison and there was certainly more to rock than Bon Jovi. Guns N Roses broke the chains that bound me to glam metal and from there, once free, I began to test the waters of hip hop, classic rock, alternative and later on indie rock, electronica, and underground things. It’s all because of this record. It takes no prisoners. Thank you Izzy Stradlin!

Recommended Tracks: Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Mr Brownstone, Out Ta Get Me