Great opening tracks

[RexNFX79]

I was listening to a couple of Van Halen albums the other day and started thinking how on these albums in particular, they started the album with a great track. The albums in question would be 5150 and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Good Enough and Poundcake are great songs to open those albums with. It kinda sets the mood and lets you know it's time to ROCK
It got me thinking. What do you guys think are some of the best opening tracks on an album?

 

[Chrisk-K]

"Gates of Delirium," "Ritual" & "Closer to the Edge" by Yes. These tracks are so freaking good that they don't need follow-up tracks!

 

[pgolliher]

The Hold Steady- "Stuck Between Stations" on the album Boys and Girls of America. It sounds like Elvis Costello fronting the E-Street Band. You can probably find it on YouTube. Good Album all the way through, but I have loved that song since I first heard it.

 

[TripleDouble]

Led Zep I...that's the first song, first album, first time anyone ever heard of these guys...holy cow, look out.

 

[oldrocker]

There are a lot of albums with great opening tracks - but I always thought that the opening 3 songs on SRV's In Step were particularly strong:

The House is Rockin'
Crossfire
Tightrope

 

[Jim Campbell]

21st century schizoid man comes to mind

 

[bassslater19876]

Never Meant by American Football is THE opening track, so is This Equation by A Month Of Somedays.
Baby Lemonade by Syd Barret, At The Bottom Of Everything by Bright Eyes, Solitude by Candlemass.

 

[leegreenman]

21st century schizoid man comes to mind

Good call!

 

[plangentmusic]

Good Times Bad Times

21st Century Schizoid Man

Your's is No Disgrace

Come Together

changed the world.

 

[Emm9T]

Tom Sawyer - Rush's Moving Pictures
Roadrunner - The Modern Lovers' eponymous album
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors' Morrison Hotel

 

[RexNFX79]

Tom Sawyer, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JCampbell72]

Maxwell Murder! Great song AND it has a bass solo!

 

[I<34080]

 

[Emm9T]

I was going to suggest it along with "Spirit of Radio" and "Bastille Day" but thought 4 Rush songs was a little biased!

 

[N.F.A.]

The song Black Sabbath off their first album. Much like Zep's first song, it really made an impact upon people then, that might be hard to understand for those who weren't teens back then. All I can say is, "Wow"!

Maybe Smells Like Teen Spirit from Nevermind is similar for the grunge age teens. Either way it is another great opening song for an album.

 

[TC2112]

London Calling, from London Calling - The Clash

 

[N.F.A.]

I would also rate London Calling from the Clash as another high impact first song...

 

[N.F.A.]

Can't forget Purple Haze from Jimi.

 

[JamcoPasamerson]

Led Zep I...that's the first song, first album, first time anyone ever heard of these guys...holy cow, look out.

Ya, it would be a lot more impressive however if seven of the nine songs on that album weren't blatant rip offs.

 

[JSK5String]

Aces High into Two Minutes To Midnight from Maiden's Powerslave did it for me. Then, when I went to see them on that tour and they opened with those two songs that sealed the deal.

Cheap Trick's Hello There was always a pretty good one too...