Best Opening Tracks EVER
Posted by RNS Robot on August 6th, 2009Since it was released for Rock Band last week, my friend James and I were discussing just how damn great the song “My Name is Jonas” by Weezer is. Possibly the best opening track on a debut album EVAH? In that spirit, here is a totally non-definitive list of best opening tracks on albums (that James and I can think of)!
“My Name is Jonas” – Weezer, Blue Album (First track of their FIRST album SO EPIC)
“Thunderstruck” – AC/DC, The Razor’s Edge
“Attack” – 30 Seconds to Mars, A Beautiful Lie
“Baba O’Riley” – The Who, Who’s Next (also in contention for BEST CLOSER OF ALL TIME in “Won’t Get Fooled Again”)
“In Regards to Myself” – Underoath, Define the Great Line
“Where the Streets Have No Name” – U2, The Joshua Tree
“Beautiful Day” – U2, All That You Can’t Leave Behind
“Threshold” – Stavesacre, Friction
“Minuteman” – Stavesacre, Speakeasy
“Once” – Pearl Jam, Ten
“Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction
“Underneath” – Starflyer 59, Old
“A Housewife Love Song” – Starflyer 59, Gold
“Wake Up Early” – Starflyer 59, I Am The Portuguese Blues (seriously though, SF59 have a trend of leading off with a killer cut)
“Crystal” – New Order, Get Ready
“Cherub Rock” – Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream
“(SIC)” – Slipknot, s/t (does this count? There’s a thirty second noise intro to the disc, but this is the first proper SONG)
“Best Kept Secret” – Skillet, Invincible
“I Can” – Skillet, s/t
“Anthem From 4th Place” – Riley Armstrong, La Loop
“Everything in It’s Right Place” – Radiohead, Kid A
“The Spy Hunter” – Project 86, Songs to Burn Your Bridges By
“Stein’s Theme” – Project 86, Drawing Black Lines
“Say Now That You’re Sorry” – Plankeye, Relocation
“Set it Off” – P.O.D., Satellite
“Superman’s Dead” – Our Lady Peace, Clumsy
“Battery” – Metallica, Master of Puppets
“Fight Fire With Fire” – Metallica, Ride The Lightning
“Messes of Men” – mewithoutYou, Brother, Sister
“Man of Action” – Matthew Good Band, Audio of Being
“Giant” – Matthew Good Band, Beautiful Midnight
“Pledge of Allegiance” – Matthew Good, Avalanche
“Flesh:Wound” – Massivivid, Brightblur
“Double” – L.S.U., Grace Shaker
“Work” – Jars of Clay, Good Monsters
“Liquid” – Jars of Clay, s/t
“Aces High” – Iron Maiden, Powerslave
“Jonah” – Grammatrain, Flying
“Supernova” – The Echoing Green, Supernova
“The Flame That Guides Us Home/Not I” – Demon Hunter, The Tryptich (one song, really)
“Hard to Be” – David Bazan, Curse Your Branches
“Stains of Time” – Common Children, Delicate Fade
“Torque” – Chatterbox, Despite
“Thicker” – Chasing Furies, With Abandon
“Communication” – The Brothers Martin, s/t
“Lift me Up” – The Benjamin Gate, Contact
“Temptation” – The Tea Party, Transmission
Add your favorite album openers in the comments section!
Tags: AC/DC, Benjamin Gate, Best Of, Chasing Furies, Chatterbox, Common Children, David Bazan, Demon Hunter, Echoing Green, grammatrain, Guns N Roses, Iron Maiden, Jars of Clay, Jason Martin, Mark Salomon, Metallica, mewithoutYou, Michael Knott, New Order, P.O.D., Pete Stewart, Plankeye, Project 86, Radiohead, Riley Armstrong, Skillet, Slipknot, Smashing Pumpkins, Starflyer 59, Stavesacre, Tea Party, The Who, U2, Underoath, Weezer
awesome, nice to see “underneath.” i’ll add “safe european home” by the clash and “back in the ussr” by the beatles to the list.
Testify – Rage Against The Machine, Battle of Los Angeles
Novocaine for the Soul – Eels, Beautiful Freak
I Want You So Hard – Eagles of Death Metal, Death by Sexy
You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire – Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
Thanks Tim Rath. I can’t wait for the Beatles re-issues in September here. I totally forgot “Sell out” by Reel Big Fish off of “Turn The Radio Off!”
“Talk Is Cheap” — The Toasters, Skaboom!
“Sell Out” — Reel Big Fish, Turn The Radio Off
“Knowledge” — Operation Ivy, s/t
“Maxwell Murder” — Rancid, …And Out Come The Wolves
“Clear Channel (Fuck Off)” — Leftover Crack, Fuck World Trade
I can definitely think of a bunch more, but those are some of my favorites off the top of my head.
Oooh, I have to agree with My Name Is Jonas – excellent song from a great album. Aces High and Battery are good picks too.
I’m partial to Take A Bow by Muse off Black Holes & Revelations – sets the stage for the rest of a very epic album. Opening The Gates of Hell by :wumpscut: is another. In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth by Coheed & Cambria (not counting the instrumental first track, which is just a reprise of the story’s theme).
i feel you on Right place.
can’t really make an order, but from what i can think of:
Deep Puddle Theme Song – Deep Puddle Dynamics. The Taste of Rain…Why Kneel
Cliffs – Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works – Volume 2 – Disc 1
Xtal – Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Work 85- 92
4 – Aphex Twin – Richard D. James
Arcarsenal – At The Drive-In – Relationship in Command
The First Song -Built To Spill – Ultimate Alternative Weavers
Randy Describe Eternity – Built To Spill – Perfect From Now On
Iron Galaxy – Cannibal Ox – Cold Vein
Mars – John Coltrane – Interstellar Space
Hello Morning – Lightning Bolt – Wonderful Rainbow
A Rainbow Journey- Something That’s Troubling You – Mark McGuire – The Garden of Eternal Life
ABCs – Ouija – Room Tapes
100% -Sonic Youth – Dirty
Roman Candle – Elliott Smith – Roman Candle
World Series – Hella – There’s No 666 in Outer Space
Speed Trials – Elliott Smith – Either/Or
Needle in the Hay – Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith
Vacuum Boots – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Take it from the Man!
Spanish Bee – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Thank God for Mental Illness
Just For Today – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Bravery, Repetition and Noise
Intro (Alt) – J Dilla – Ruff Draft EP
Fantastic Interlude – Slum Village – Fantastic volume 1
You May Die – Outkast – ATLiens
Acknowledgment – John Coltrane – Love Supreme
The D. Elkan – Hella – Hold Your Horse Is
Grown Men Don’t Fall in the River, Just Like That – Liars – They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top By Burzum
Bone Machine – Pixies – Surfer Rosa
Birth of the beat – Ras G – Beats of Mind
Kings Highway – Rastafarian Elders – Rastafarian Elders
The Voodoo Curse – Scientist – Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampire
Return – SamiYam – Return
You’re Gonna Miss Me – 13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
Brind Da Rackus – Wu Tang Clan – Enter the 36 Chambers
Intro – Ol Dirty Bastard – Return to the 36 Chambers
The Start of Your Ending (41st Side) – Mobb Deep – Infamous
Ryan told me to post ALL my picks, so here’s all fifty-four…
Blindside – Eye of the Storm (About a Burning Fire)
Stavesacre – Shiv (Absolutes)
Tool – Stinkfist (Aenima)
Sepultura – Against (Against)
Marilyn Manson – Irresponsible Hate Anthem (Antichrist Superstar)
Counting Crows – Round Here (August & Everything After)
The Cure – Out of This World (Bloodflowers)
Bon Voyage – Honeymoon (Bon Voyage)
Mr. Bungle – Sweet Charity (California)
Sepultura – Refuse/Resist (Chaos AD)
*Ween – Take Me Away (Chocolate & Cheese)
The Shins – Kissing The Lipless (Chutes Too Narrow)
*Thrust Hermit – From The Back of the Film (Clayton Park)
*Pedro The Lion – Options (Control)
Moist – Hate (Creature)
Deftones – Hexagram (Deftones)
Slayer – Bitter Peace (Diabolus In Musica)
Nine Inch Nails – Mr. Self Destruct (The Downward Spiral)
*Project 86 – Stein’s Theme (Drawing Black Lines)
*The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up (Fat of the Land)
Zao – Cancer Eater (The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here)
*Nine Inch Nails – Somewhat Damaged (The Fragile)
Stavesacre – Threshold (Friction)
Zao – Breath of the Black Muse (The Funeral of God)
Smash Mouth – Flo (Fush Yu Mang)
*Beastie Boys – Super Disco Breakin’ (Hello Nasty)
*Joy Electric – Hello, Mannequin (Hello, Mannequin)
Radiohead – Everything In It’s Right Place (Kid A)
Ween – La Cucaracha
Zao – Intro (Liberte Te Ex Infernis)
Lure – Bliss’s Pole (Lure)
Marcy Playground – Poppies (Marcy Playground)
Darkest Hour – For The Soul of the Savior (The Mark of The Judas)
Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again (Music For The Masses)
John Coltrane – My Favorite Things (My Favorite Things)
Pep Squad – Angel (No Doy!)
*Choking Victim – 500 Channels (No Gods / No Managers)
Outer Circle – Parasite (Outer Circle)
*Hatebreed – Proven (Perserverance)
*Norma Jean – A Grand Scene For A Color Film (Redeemer)
Rocket From The Crypt – Middle (Scream, Dracula, Scream!)
*Refused – Worms of the Senes / Faculties of the Skull (Refused Are Fucking Dead)
*Blindside – Caught A Glimpse (Silence)
Starflyer 59 – Blue Collar Love (Silver)
*Dropkick Murphys – For Boston (Sing Loud, Sing Proud!)
MXPX – Under Lock & Key (Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo)
Queens of the Stone Age – You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire (Songs For The Deaf)
Stavesacre – Minuteman (Speakeasy)
System of a Down – Chic N Stu (Steal This Album!)
A Perfect Circle – The Package (Thirteenth Step)
Reel Big Fish – Sell Out (Turn The Radio Off)
Joy Electric – Bergundy Years (We Are The Music Makers)
Weezer – My Name Is Jonas (Weezer Blue)
Sparta – Cut Your Ribbon (Wiretap Scars)
* = top thirteen choices
I love listing Favorites.
Andrew picked most of what I’d choose so here is a few additional songs I think deserve some mention.
Godspeed – Anberlin, Cities (Second song after short intro track)
Never Take Friendship Personal – Anberlin, Never Take Friendship Personal
Don’t Panic – Coldplay, Parachutes
We Don’t Say Shut Up – Danielson Family, Fetch the Compass Kids
Storm The Gates Of Hell – Demon Hunter, Storm The Gates Of Hel
Dance or Die – Family Force 5, Dance or Die
Rest Stop Cleaning – Faxed Head, Chiropractic
Handbook For The Sellout – Five Iron Frenzy, Our Newest Album Ever
This Old Man – Guardian, Buzz
I Can Almost See You – Hammock, Raising Your Voice…Trying to Stop an Echo
Hall Of The Dead – Isis, Wavering Radiant
Work – Jars of Clay, Good Monsters
Gnaahh – Joe Satriani, Is There Love In Space?
Sugar Rush – Joy Electric, Robot Rock
Flatline – Living Sacrifice, The Hammering Process
Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus – The Mars Volta, Frances The Mute
Bullet to Binary – Mewithoutyou, [A-->B] Life (simply for the french part, So intense)
Cast Me Away – Michael Knott, Life of David
Everyone I Went To High School With Is Dead – Mr. Bungle, Disco Volante
The Return of Sathington Willoughby – Primus, The Brown Album
Little Green Men – Project 86, Truthless Heroes
Controller – Prong, Rude Awakening (because it is the same riff from “Argyle Park”‘s Doomsayer)
Hard Road – Sam Roberts, We Were Born In a Flame
Head Down – The Showdown, Temptation Come My Way
Building the Church – Steve Vai, Real Illusions: Reflections
Ruin of the Beast – Steven Delopoulos, Straightjacket
Image Of The Invisible – Thrice, Vheissu
I choose these songs on the basis that they set up the album perfectly by being a catalyst for the rest of the album or just simply kicking Ass; in many cases both.
Yes – Fragile – “Roundabout”
Cheap Trick – At Budokan – “Hello There”
The Beatles – Meet the Beatles – “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
ELO – Out of the Blue – “Turn to Stone”
Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic – “Toys in the Attic”
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies – “Hello, Hooray”
Some CCM:
Keith Green – For Him Who Has Ears to Hear – “You Put this Love in My Heart”
Steve Taylor – I Want to Be A Clone – “Steeplechase”
Daniel Amos – Horrendous Disc – “I Love You #19″
Stuff you may have never heard of (but should check out):
Toy Matinee – Toy Matinee – “Last Plane Out”
Spock’s Beard – V – At the End of the Day
[...] most of last night and today thinking and making lists, that the Weezer song My Name is Jonas is the best opening track on a debut CD EVER. I can’t argue with [...]
[...] This post was Twitted by RNSRobot [...]
Led Zeppelin – “Good Times,Bad Times”