Favorite Album-Opening Tracks

Show me sets up Poison Arrow very well, and indeed the entire album, which is damn near a production masterpiece.

From 1989 ... "Plainsong," the opening song from The Cure's album, Disintegration, is quite memorable. And if you've ever seen the band perform the album live, this first song makes you think the entire stadium is being being transported into this other-wordy experience. .. Quite magical.

“Can You Forgive Her?” - Pet Shop Boys, Very (1993)

“Eagle” - ABBA, The Album (1977)

“Sat on Your Lap” - Kate Bush, The Dreaming (1982)

“L’Horloge” - Mylène Farmer, Ainsi soit-Je (1988)

To name a few

"Funeral for a Friend," Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Boston's self-titled album, "More Than a Feeling."

"Strangers in the Night" on Bette's Songs for the New Depression

The whole album is incredible.

r1 and r2, I've never heard the full albums, but those are great openers.

r3, I'll confess I used to skip "Eagle" and drop the needle on "Take a Chance on Me." ;)

Bruce on harmonica. Roy Bittan on piano. [italic]"The screen door slams..."[/italic]

Iconic.

Heart's album "Little Queen" starts out with the rip-roaring song "Barracuda."

This…

"Save me, free me, from my heart this time around..."

"Lose Again" begins Linda Ronstadt's 1976 Hasten down the Wind.

r9, the first song on side two was no slouch, either.

Tubular Bells rolling into Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls, from the album Lullaby, by Book of Love. 1988.

Dark Side of the Moon - Breathe

Beauty and the Beast-David Bowie (Album "Heroes")

"I Know" on Dionne Farris' "Wild Seed - Wild Flower."

"Spark" - Tori Amos

"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse

"On the Bound" - Fiona Apple

"Delicate" - Damien Rice

"Crayon Angels" - Judee Sill

"Boyfriend" - Best Coast

"Walk This World" - Heather Nova

"Going Under" - Evanescence

"Hounds of Love" - Kate Bush

"Baby I'm a Fool" - Melody Gardot

"Haunted" - Poe

"Manon" - Ana Silvera

Baba O 'Reilly-The Who

r18 Hell yeah to "On the Bound!"

Some poppier ones I forgot:

"Run Away with Me" - Carly Rae Jepsen

"That Day" - Natalie Imbruglia

"Never Ever" - All Saints

"Chandelier" - Sia

"Free Me" - Emma Bunton

"Born to Die" - Lana Del Rey

Jackie - The Lion and the Cobra - Sinéad O'Connor

I listened to this opening over and over and over in the '80s.

Oh, the orchestrations, the production and then Martin Fry's vocals... bliss

Not only intro but intro to their first album

"Our Lips Are Sealed" - the GoGos (from the album Beauty and the Beat)

"Come Together" - Abbey Road

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

"Dreaming" from Blondie's Eat to the Beat

Nsync, Tearin' Up My Heart

Madonna, Like a Prayer

"Gimme Shelter" from Let It Bleed

Welcome to the Jungle, Appetite for Destruction, Guns N Roses.

"Burning Down the House" from Talking Heads' "Speaking in Tongues" album, 1983.

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin 2

The Clash - "London Calling" off the album by the same name, 1979.

“Meatplow,” from “Purple” by Stone Temple Pilots. The nerve!

"For What It's Worth" starts Buffalo Springfield's Retrospective album.

"Planet Claire" - The B-52's first song on their first album.

r38 Totes sets the table, don't it?

Janie Jones, track 1 from the UK version of “The Clash”

"Mother's Talk," Songs from the Big Chair, Tears for Fears.

The Great Annihilator - I Am The Sun

Kid A - Everything In It's Right Place

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Love Deluxe - No Ordinary Love

Houdini - Hooch

“Violet” on Hole’s ‘Live Through This’

I Wanna be Adored, Stone Roses

Debaser from Doolitlle

Rid of me, Rid of me

Help I'm Alive, Fantasies

Black Celebration - Depeche Mode

Green Day - American Idiot.

Yeah!

Yeah! I'm awake now!

Being Boring from Pet Shop Boys "Behaviour" album

Not many fans of her here, but I really like A Sorta Fairytale on Scarlets Walk by Tori Amos-

Fun Times in Babylon- Father John Misty- Fear Fun-

Gloria, Patti Smith's Horses

Runnin' With The Devil -- Van Halen (debut album)

And this will likely get me flamed, but whatever...it was THE album of 1979, especially if you were into roller skating at Flipper's. A song from this album played at least once, every hour:

^^ p.s. many of those songs (on OFF THE WALL) were co-written by Rod Temperton of Heatwave....and Grooveline fame.

American Beauty- Grateful Dead

London Calling

Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

"Beds Are Burning" ... The opening track from Midnight Oil's album Diesel and Dust.

Depeche Mode, "I Feel You" from the album, Songs of Faith and Devotion

Release the Pressure - Leftfield

Celebrity Skin - Hole

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart - Wilco

Safe From Harm - Massive Attack

Girls and Boys - Blur

Joy Division - Disorder

From Power, Corruption & Lies

Goddamnit, New Order is the greatest band. Curtis..."leaving the band" was probably the best thing to happen to them.

There's no tasteful way to say that, is there?

OP here. Just wanna say that I'm loving hearing all these songs that I know a singles or radio cuts in a new context, because an album-opener is a different animal.

"Oh What a World" from Want One (Rufus Wainwright)

It was such a joy and privilege to see him perform both Want One and Want Two (almost back to back) last September at the Proms. No easy feat.

Cherry Coloured Funk - Cocteau Twins Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush The first track on pretty much any Lana Del Rey album

The album version, for reference. While I'm not the biggest fan of Ravel's Bolero, the way Rufus interweaves it into the fabric of the song and vice versa is such a brilliant musical decision, and still somehow takes me by suprise.

Fatboy Slim - "Right Here, Right Now" from the album, "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" (1998)

"She Works Hard for the Money" is right up there with "Hot Stuff".

What am I, chopped livah?

Sad thread

Another one of op’s reply to himself lists. Typical boring and dl killing

Oh yeah, how many did OP post? I just posted 7 and I'm not OP.

Landslide on Olivia's Physical.

The Go-Go's "Head Over Heels" from their Talk Show album

I Wonder...

"That's the Way Boys Are" - Lesley Gore (from her 1964 album Boys, Boys, Boys)

Opening the 1964 album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, "Walking in the Rain"

Over and Over - Tusk. Gorgeous.

The three-part opening to the Beach Boys' SMiLe: Our Prayer, Gee, and Heroes & Villains.

How has this not been mentioned until R90? Iconic (first) song on a great album.

Romeo Void - "Never Say Never" - first track on Benefactor

Dig Me Out

Silent Alarm, Bloc Party

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Life..."

Loveland --Mesopotamia, The B-52s

In The Stone

Some more EWF, from All 'n All

Beau Soir from Classical Barbra.

Stuff Like That -- Quincy Jones, from the album "Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!"

You may recognize some beloved voices.

Terrific opener!!

INXS - "Original Sin" - first song on The Swing (1984)

"I Want to Hold Your Hand" - Meet the Beatles

I agree with R27. There is no other song like it, incredibly unique. Never gets old, either.

Thread reminds me to listen to some of my favorite albums. Remember when they could be great? Seems like ancient history.

The opening track of Dead or Alive's album, Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know:

"Brand New Lover"

Leaning into my me-ness requires its own soundtrack lots of albums like this represented..

25 years later I am still kvetching that this wasn't a single - it's just a great song that always can rewire any bad mood of mine.

Last one, though I agree with the poster above and still think Dreaming is a masterpiece (Lorna Luft on backing vocals for fucks sake), I rank Parallel Lines as their pinnacle for just awesomeness all around.

Haircut 100 - first track off the album, Pelican West:

"Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)"

Hotel California

Nirvana - Nevermind

"Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Refugee from Damn the Torpedos.

"Alone Again Or" from Love's "Forever Changes"

R92 is that song “Dig Me Out” about having fecal impaction?

Yes, it's the most over played song ever.

But when I was an 11 year old kid and heard the first few bars of Smells Like Teenspirit, my whole life changed.

The Doors, "Break On Through".

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart by Wilco, kicking off the album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The otherworldly "Roscoe" from Midlake's "The Trials of Van Occupanther". IMHO one of the best tracks of the last 20 years.

Moby - "We Are All Made of Stars" from the album, 18.

The Smiths - "Reel Around the Fountain"

The beautiful bridge that starts around 3:40 and lasts for about a minute is one of my all-time favorites.

I'd Have You Anytime - All Things Must Pass George Harrison

REM - Feeling Gravitys Pull from Fables of the Reconstruction

Sympathy for The Devil - Beggars Banquet

Loser - Mellow Gold - Beck

Judas Priest's "Exciter"

It was the opening track for their 1978 album "Stained Class"

It was also the opening track on their 1979 live album "Unleashed in the East"

Here's the live version

R125 here - my JP post got me thinking of Rob Halford's solo stuff

He had a hardcore band called Fight during his break from Judas Priest

Here's the opener from their first album. Great opening to re-introduce yourself imo

It's called "into the Pit" from 1993

Patti Smith - "People Have the Power" from the album, Dream of Life

Violet on Hole's "Live Through This" is terrific.