If you’ve read my blog, you already know that I am a HUGE fan of Guns N’ Roses’ debut album Appetite for Destruction. So I won’t bore you more by gushing about “Welcome to the Jungle.” But in writing about that album three other times already, I got into a conversation with my buddy Eric about other bands’ first forays into the public eye. So here’s my take on the greatest first songs from first albums in rock history:
- Chuck Berry – “School Days” (from After School Session, c 1956)
- Elvis Presley – “Blue Suede Shoes” (from Elvis Presley, c 1956)
- The Beatles – “I Saw Her Standing There” (from Please Please Me, c 1963)
- The Byrds – “Mr. Tambourine Man” (from Mr. Tambourine Man, c 1965)
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Purple Haze” (from Are You Experienced?, c 1967)
- The Doors – “Break On Through” (from The Doors, c 1967)
- The Bob Seger System – “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” (from Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, c 1968)
- Led Zeppelin – “Good Times, Bad Times” (from Led Zeppelin, c 1969)
- Crosby, Stills, & Nash – “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (from Crosby, Stills, & Nash, c 1969)
- Eagles – “Take It Easy” (from Eagles, c 1972)
- Bruce Springsteen – “Blinded by the Light” (from Greetings from Asbury Park, c 1973)
- Tom Waits – “Ol’ 55” (from Closing Time, c 1973)
- Heart – “Magic Man” (from Dreamboat Annie, c 1975)
- Ramones – “Blitzkrieg Bop” (from Ramones, c 1976)
- Boston – “More Than A Feeling” (from Boston, c 1976)
- The Clash – “Janie Jones” (from The Clash, c 1977)
- Van Halen – “Running with the Devil” (from Van Halen, c 1978)
- Rickie Lee Jones – “Chuck E.’s in Love” (from Rickie Lee Jones, c 1979)
- U2 – “I Will Follow” (from Boy, c 1981)
- The Go-Go’s – “Our Lips are Sealed” (from Beauty and the Beat, c 1981)
- Madonna – “Lucky Star” (from Madonna, 1983)
- Bon Jovi – “Runaway” (from Bon Jovi, c 1984)
- Salt N Pepa – “Push It” (from Hot, Cool, and Vicious, c 1986)
- Guns N’ Roses – “Welcome to the Jungle” (from Appetite for Destruction, c 1987)
- Nine Inch Nails – “Head Like A Hole” (from Pretty Hate Machine, c 1989)
- Oasis – “Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” (from Definitely Maybe, c 1994)
- Bush – “Everything Zen” (from Sixteen Stone, c 1994)
- Buckcherry – “Lit Up” (from Buckcherry, c 1999)
- Zac Brown Band – “Toes” (from The Foundation, c 2008)
I left off this list one-hit wonders like Big Country’s “In A Big Country” and bands with great first albums but only good first songs, like The Black Crowes’ “Twice As Hard,” (at best the fourth best song on that album) or The Cars’ “Good Times Roll.”
Anyway, what do you think? Which bands did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
