Top Five All-Time Greatest Debut Albums

Joe Jackson – Look Sharp
The Clash – The Clash
Tragically Hip – Up To Here
Led Zeppelin – I
Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan

I really don't know anything about Tragically Hip, but allmusic says "Up to Here" is there second album/

I'll play along. And since ggw chose Up To Here, I'll assume we can discount any EPs etc that came before the main debut CD/album.


1. Ten - Pearl Jam
2. Smeared - Sloan
3. Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
4. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
5. Love Junk - The Pursuit of Happiness

I'm sure that there are more "worthy" CDs (like The Clash, Dylan, Ramones, The Who, etc) but these 5 CDs have all changed my life in some substantial way. Not bad for a band's first effort.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I really don't know anything about Tragically Hip, but allmusic says "Up to Here" is there second album/

Yeah - they had a self-titled EP that came out in '87.

EPs don't count. Only LPs.

Thus, you could select Murmur, but would have to forgo the more worthy Chronic Town.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I really don't know anything about Tragically Hip, but allmusic says "Up to Here" is there second album/

1) The Ramones – The Ramones (cliche, but imagine hearing that for the first time when the musical climate was what it was in 1976…it must have seemed like God's band coming to save rock'n'roll)
2) Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
3) The Clash – The Clash
4) Descendents – Milo Goes to College
5) The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

1. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
2. Ramones - Ramones
3. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
4. The Smiths - The Smiths (production sucks, though)
5. The Strokes - Is This It

No making fun, I'm NOT a hipster… as for The Strokes, I know I'll get a lot of shit for including it, but I like them an awful lot.

6. The Band - Music From Big Pink
7. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

Two records that are better than The Strokes, but perhaps it's a sentimental thing… I'll probably regret posting this because I'll change my mind and forget something… I'm also wasted right now… (I know it's the afternoon but I don't work for 2 days and I'm going to see Wilco in a few hours [and I'm not driving])…

pavement–slanted & enchanted
the clash–s/t
fugazi–repeater
galactic heroes–how about san francisco?
weezer–blue

Rage Against The Machine - s/t
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Counting Crows - August And Everything After
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Sex Pistols - Nevermind the Bullocks (does the ONLY album count?)

zeppelin-zeppelin
g n' r - appetite
weezer - weezer
sex pistols - bollocks (hell yes it counts)
coldplay - parachutes

Another thread where everyone has way overlapping tastes. Yawn.

suede - suede
stone roses - stone roses
pavement - slanted & enchanted
REM - Murmur

dunno #5, but i will point out that repeater though technically fugazi's first LP, was preceded by both fugazi and margin walker both long playing EPs (ie 6+ songs each). but a quibble i suppose.

jane's addiction - 'nothing's shocking'
pixies - 'surfer rosa'
wu-tang clan - 'enter the 36 chambers'
jeff buckley - 'grace'
bob marley & the wailers - 'catch a fire'

1. TELEVISION - MARQUEE MOON
2. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
3. Verve - A Storm in Heaven
4. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
5. The Flying Burrito Bros - The Gilded Palace of Sin

Originally posted by sparky:
zeppelin-zeppelin
g n' r - appetite
weezer - weezer
sex pistols - bollocks (hell yes it counts)
coldplay - parachutes

yeah, Apetite for Destruction is definitely a Top 5.

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Another thread where everyone has way overlapping tastes. Yawn.

made complete with rhett complaining instead of posting his own list

Just a few worthy selections I haven't seen mentioned yet:

King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King
The Who Sings My Generation
The Stooges - The Stooges
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
The Kinks - The Kinks
Talking Heads - '77

And my list,

U2- Boy
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
The Clash – The Clash
Social Distortion - Social Distortion

Jeff Buckley - Grace
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
Ryan Adams (solo debut) - Heartbreaker
Nick Drake - Fives Leaves Left
Rage Against the Machine - RATM

The La's-The La's
Jason & The Nashville Scorchers-Reckless Country Soul
Gang Of Four-Entertainment!
John Prine-John Prine
Sugar-Copper Blue

Originally posted by vansmack:


Social Distortion - Social Distortion

I'm pretty sure that Mommy's Little Monster was SD's first proper LP……didn't the self titled record come out sometime in the 90's?