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A thread of what I consider to be the Top 30 debut albums ever released, including a track from each album.
Hope you enjoy them
Hope you enjoy them
30. N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Violent and relentless gangsta rap. Thereâs no hope, no message, no politics: just a brutal depiction of life in the hood. An album that unquestionably changed the course of hip-hop.
Straight Outta Compton
Violent and relentless gangsta rap. Thereâs no hope, no message, no politics: just a brutal depiction of life in the hood. An album that unquestionably changed the course of hip-hop.
Straight Outta Compton
29. The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out! (1966)
Ambitious and satirical; a double album targeting societyâs behavioural patterns and hypocrisies. Edgy, sarcastic and freaky - a debut that is equal parts experimental, demanding and rewarding.
Trouble Every Day
Ambitious and satirical; a double album targeting societyâs behavioural patterns and hypocrisies. Edgy, sarcastic and freaky - a debut that is equal parts experimental, demanding and rewarding.
Trouble Every Day
28. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
Soaring hymns, beautiful arrangements, impeccably-chosen covers; all showcasing the gentle rawness of Buckleyâs multi-octave voice. Hear it once and itâll stay with you forever.
Last Goodbye
Soaring hymns, beautiful arrangements, impeccably-chosen covers; all showcasing the gentle rawness of Buckleyâs multi-octave voice. Hear it once and itâll stay with you forever.
Last Goodbye
27. Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980)
Passionate and full-throttle - pairing the emotion of soul music with the energy of punk. Unconventional vocals, punchy brass, wry lyricism: their tightest and most consistent album.
Geno
Passionate and full-throttle - pairing the emotion of soul music with the energy of punk. Unconventional vocals, punchy brass, wry lyricism: their tightest and most consistent album.
Geno
26. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)
Shades-n-leather cool, buzz-saw guitars, gorgeous melodies, doleful vocals. A feedback-drenched marriage of classic Spector pop, primitive drumming and distortion. Seminal.
Never Understand
Shades-n-leather cool, buzz-saw guitars, gorgeous melodies, doleful vocals. A feedback-drenched marriage of classic Spector pop, primitive drumming and distortion. Seminal.
Never Understand
25. The Laâs - The Laâs (1990)
Bursting with hooks, clip-clop rhythms and melody; a glorious little nod to 1960s pop. Inspired by the past, but not bound by it - a timeless blend of Merseybeat, chiming guitars and catchy as hell vocals.
There She Goes
Bursting with hooks, clip-clop rhythms and melody; a glorious little nod to 1960s pop. Inspired by the past, but not bound by it - a timeless blend of Merseybeat, chiming guitars and catchy as hell vocals.
There She Goes
24. The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
Melding classic Nashville, deep south soul, and sun-kissed psychedelia. Too druggy and subversive for the good olâ boys, too hillbilly for the rock crowd. A country-rock masterpiece.
Christineâs Tune
Melding classic Nashville, deep south soul, and sun-kissed psychedelia. Too druggy and subversive for the good olâ boys, too hillbilly for the rock crowd. A country-rock masterpiece.
Christineâs Tune
23. Patti Smith - Horses (1975)
Visceral and articulate - a punk poetess without precedent fusing free verse with three-chord garage rock. Cale-produced, directed by Kaye, featuring Verlaine; but the words are the star of the show here.
Horses
Visceral and articulate - a punk poetess without precedent fusing free verse with three-chord garage rock. Cale-produced, directed by Kaye, featuring Verlaine; but the words are the star of the show here.
Horses
22. Big Star - #1 Record (1972)
Out of, and ahead of its, time; this debut brims with driving guitars, anthemic pop hooks and energy. Melancholic and joyous, wistful and reckless. One of power-pop's defining moments.
Thirteen
Out of, and ahead of its, time; this debut brims with driving guitars, anthemic pop hooks and energy. Melancholic and joyous, wistful and reckless. One of power-pop's defining moments.
Thirteen
21. The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
Taking psychedelia into wilder territories with an abrasive, infectious punk sound. Howls, electric jugs, echoed guitars. Essential music to expand the mind.
Youâre Gonna Miss Me
Taking psychedelia into wilder territories with an abrasive, infectious punk sound. Howls, electric jugs, echoed guitars. Essential music to expand the mind.
Youâre Gonna Miss Me
20. Guns Nâ Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
Chronicling the wild life of Sunset Strip with obnoxious, cocksure swaggers. A thunderous, screeching, heavy metal paean to recklessness, drugs and fucking. The greatest hard-rock record of its time.
Paradise City
Chronicling the wild life of Sunset Strip with obnoxious, cocksure swaggers. A thunderous, screeching, heavy metal paean to recklessness, drugs and fucking. The greatest hard-rock record of its time.
Paradise City
19. Wire - Pink Flag (1977)
Intellectual yet oikish punk; like an art school Ramones. Brief choruses, plenty of bile, 21 songs, in 36 minutes - a band that knows the value of less is more. There isn't another album like it
Mannequin
Intellectual yet oikish punk; like an art school Ramones. Brief choruses, plenty of bile, 21 songs, in 36 minutes - a band that knows the value of less is more. There isn't another album like it
Mannequin
18. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die (1994)
A concept album about Smallsâ life from birth to death. Brimful of personality, humour and slick production. Raw storytelling, with a loose easy flow. Itâs clear to see why he was so revered.
Juicy
A concept album about Smallsâ life from birth to death. Brimful of personality, humour and slick production. Raw storytelling, with a loose easy flow. Itâs clear to see why he was so revered.
Juicy
17. The Stooges - The Stooges (1969)
Simplistic three-chord punches, tight primal beats and manic howling. Apathetic and nihilistic; dispelling the notion that the late-60s were all hippie harmony and love. A sonically brutal punk landmark.
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Simplistic three-chord punches, tight primal beats and manic howling. Apathetic and nihilistic; dispelling the notion that the late-60s were all hippie harmony and love. A sonically brutal punk landmark.
I Wanna Be Your Dog
16. De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Deft, self-deprecating and humorous - in stark contrast to their counterpartsâ increasingly violent, misogynistic world of hip-hop. A sample-heavy, and acknowledged, classic.
Eye Know
Deft, self-deprecating and humorous - in stark contrast to their counterpartsâ increasingly violent, misogynistic world of hip-hop. A sample-heavy, and acknowledged, classic.
Eye Know
15. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
Creating the blueprint for a new breed of indie band with arty arrogance, inventive guitars and irresistible songs. An intense, lean and fun rewiring of rock ânâ roll in the age of the superstar DJ.
The Modern Age
Creating the blueprint for a new breed of indie band with arty arrogance, inventive guitars and irresistible songs. An intense, lean and fun rewiring of rock ânâ roll in the age of the superstar DJ.
The Modern Age
14. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)
A perfect marriage of band and producer serving up an atmospheric vision of gloom. Deep-toned, cavernous and grand. Four decades later; still feeling contemporary, still sounding like the future.
Sheâs Lost Control
A perfect marriage of band and producer serving up an atmospheric vision of gloom. Deep-toned, cavernous and grand. Four decades later; still feeling contemporary, still sounding like the future.
Sheâs Lost Control
13. New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973)
A snotty mixture of Stones raucousness, girl group choruses and Noo Yoik sleaze. Fusing elements of glam and glitter to a crude street attitude, this is one of the most thrilling debut albums ever released.
Personality Crisis
A snotty mixture of Stones raucousness, girl group choruses and Noo Yoik sleaze. Fusing elements of glam and glitter to a crude street attitude, this is one of the most thrilling debut albums ever released.
Personality Crisis
12. The Specials - The Specials (1979)
Jamaican ska played with the intensity of punk. Raucous, sophisticated and unapologetically political. A classic example of capturing lightning in a bottle. A must have.
A Message to You, Rudy
Jamaican ska played with the intensity of punk. Raucous, sophisticated and unapologetically political. A classic example of capturing lightning in a bottle. A must have.
A Message to You, Rudy
11. The Who - My Generation (1965)
Disaffected teen anthems set to squealing feedback. Aggressive guitars, ferocious drumming, and amplified tough-nut RânâB. The hardest sound any popular album had achieved up until that point.
Disaffected teen anthems set to squealing feedback. Aggressive guitars, ferocious drumming, and amplified tough-nut RânâB. The hardest sound any popular album had achieved up until that point.
10. The Clash - The Clash (1977)
Cataloguing problems big and small with high-octane, aggressive music. Giving the listener something to rally against, then asking them what do about it. Rapid-fire, righteous and political. Essential.
Londonâs Burning
Cataloguing problems big and small with high-octane, aggressive music. Giving the listener something to rally against, then asking them what do about it. Rapid-fire, righteous and political. Essential.
Londonâs Burning
9. Illmatic - Nas (1994)
Dark tales of ghetto life, razor-sharp production and a butter-smooth flow. Thoughtful narrative, sharp articulation, deep analysis. A staggering feat from a 20 year-old. Flawless.
One Love
Dark tales of ghetto life, razor-sharp production and a butter-smooth flow. Thoughtful narrative, sharp articulation, deep analysis. A staggering feat from a 20 year-old. Flawless.
One Love
8. Ramones - Ramones (1976)
Dumb, crude, fast and exhilarating. 14 rock ânâ roll songs in the space of 29 minutes. Three chords, zero solos, one truly revolutionary album. Nothing else sounded quite like this in 1976. Essential.
Blitzkrieg Bop
Dumb, crude, fast and exhilarating. 14 rock ânâ roll songs in the space of 29 minutes. Three chords, zero solos, one truly revolutionary album. Nothing else sounded quite like this in 1976. Essential.
Blitzkrieg Bop
7. 10. The Doors - The Doors (1967)
Rock, blues, jazz and flamenco - teamed with lyrics about sex, death and getting high. Dark, hypnotic and spacey, with superb interplay throughout. A stoned, immaculate classic.
Break On Through
Rock, blues, jazz and flamenco - teamed with lyrics about sex, death and getting high. Dark, hypnotic and spacey, with superb interplay throughout. A stoned, immaculate classic.
Break On Through
6. Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
Lumped in with the New York punk explosion, but they were no mere 3-chord heroes. Lean, crisp, virtuoso musicianship. A guitar rock album unlike any other.
Marquee Moon
Lumped in with the New York punk explosion, but they were no mere 3-chord heroes. Lean, crisp, virtuoso musicianship. A guitar rock album unlike any other.
Marquee Moon
5. Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)
Swaggering songs of escapism, hedonism and optimism that reignited UK guitar music in the 90s. Self-pitying grunge this was not. The high water mark that, rightfully, propelled them onto superstardom.
Rock ânâ Roll Star
Swaggering songs of escapism, hedonism and optimism that reignited UK guitar music in the 90s. Self-pitying grunge this was not. The high water mark that, rightfully, propelled them onto superstardom.
Rock ânâ Roll Star
4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (1967)
Fusing psychedelia, blues, jazz and funk to distortion, feedback and volume. An almost supernaturally gifted display of six-stringed casual brilliance. Contemporaries obliterated, overnight. A tour de force .
Hey Joe
Fusing psychedelia, blues, jazz and funk to distortion, feedback and volume. An almost supernaturally gifted display of six-stringed casual brilliance. Contemporaries obliterated, overnight. A tour de force .
Hey Joe
3. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks (1977)
Far more than just an anti-everything diatribe; this is truly one of the great rock ânâ roll records. Explosive, maximum-impact social critiques. This kind of lightning can strike only once.
Anarchy in the UK
Far more than just an anti-everything diatribe; this is truly one of the great rock ânâ roll records. Explosive, maximum-impact social critiques. This kind of lightning can strike only once.
Anarchy in the UK
2. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)
Fusing groove with 60s guitar pop, capturing the optimism of the acid house era, all with unshakeable self-belief, swagger and cool. Often imitated, never bettered. Perfect.
She Bangs the Drums
Fusing groove with 60s guitar pop, capturing the optimism of the acid house era, all with unshakeable self-belief, swagger and cool. Often imitated, never bettered. Perfect.
She Bangs the Drums
1. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
Streetwise tales of hard drug use and sordid sex, balanced by songs of beguiling beauty, whilst contemporaries wore flowers in their hair. Perverse, gritty, nihilistic, extreme. Peerless.
Iâm Waiting for the Man
Streetwise tales of hard drug use and sordid sex, balanced by songs of beguiling beauty, whilst contemporaries wore flowers in their hair. Perverse, gritty, nihilistic, extreme. Peerless.
Iâm Waiting for the Man
