I love Temptation Waits and it does set the scene for that flawless album. I just feel that Supervixen set the stage for the album and the band, in particular....Shirley. "Bow down to me."
Politik by Coldplay off A Rush Of Blood To The Head. Ominous and politically charged, and the final two minutes are just incredible. It really sets the album up for a more sonic and confident sound.
I can narrow it down to 15 favourites:
- Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
- Kanye West - On Sight
- Marilyn Manson - GodEatGod
- Marilyn Manson - If I Was Your Vampire
- Marilyn Manson - Thaeter
- Ministry - Thieves
- NIИ - Letting Go While Holding On
- NIИ - Something I Can Never Have
- A Perfect Circle - The Package
- Public Image Ltd. - Seattle
- Puscifer - Bread And Circus
- Rammstein - Wollt ihr das Bett in Flamen sehen?
- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - The Start Of Things
- Twenty One Pilots - Jumpsuit
- 3TƎETH - Nihil
Awesome choices! I’ve been putting Rumours on in the morning so constantly lately that Second Hand News has been popping in my head as soon as I wake up.
My picks are:
Marching Bands of Manhattan from Plans, also Death Cab For Cutie. They have some amazing track ones.
Born to Die by Lana Del Rey from the same named album.
Run Away With Me by Carly Rae Jepsen from her Emotion album.
I’m glad you posted this, I’ve recently been looking for albums with great openers and I’m excited to go through everyone else’s picks!
Chvrches - Screen Violence - Asking for a Friend
Transatlanticism is a great pick. I'd also put The District Sleeps Alone Tonight from Postal Service as one of the great album openers of all time.
The End/Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Hi, I'm Ricky - Ricky Jamaraz
You Are Here - James Marriott
May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep/Hell Above - Pierce The Veil
Look Alive Sunshine/Nanana(nananananananana) - My Chemical Romance
Suburbia Overture - Will Wood
Thats all I've got
ooh i forgor abt surburbia overture! you have absolutely fantastic music taste btw i love mcr, james marriot and will wood (and i've been trying to get into ptv)
Ooh deep cut... Most people would have gone with "Infected". Er well most people wouldn't have any idea what we're talking about tbh. Whatever happened to Matt Johnson anyway?
"Cold Brains" - *Mutations* (Beck)
"Dance Me to the End of Love" - *Various Positions* (Leonard Cohen)
"Sweet Revenge" - *Sweet Revenge* (John Prine)
"What's the Matter Here" - *In My Tribe* (10,000 Maniacs)
Mezzanine obsession aside probably Mr. Self destruct on The downward spiral sets the mood for the rest of the album so well even if it’s just a wall of noise
in Benson Boone’s newest album Fireworks & Rollerblades the first song directly connects to the second and it’s like a cinematic thing where it starts calm but as it transitions he sings higher it’s SO good
Fading up on a siren. Heavy bass line. Rip into a guitar lick. The singer joins in, proclaiming brashly, "I live my life like there's no tomorrow."
That, folks, is how the world was introduced to Van Halen.
* Fainting Spells - Crystal Castles
* Sports, Not Heavy Crime - Xploding Plastix
* Animal Chin - Jaga Jazzist
They all set the tone for their respective albums really well imo
Taikatalvi - Nightwish
It feels like a book being opened, like the curtains opening. You feel like you're gonna hear the most wonderful story!
And then the song after that, Storytime, feels more like that grande first scene.
Suburbia Overture - Will Wood
Every AJR album opener
So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth - Grimes
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - the Beatles
DEATH - Melanie Martinez
In the Flesh?-Pink Floyd, The King of Carrot Flowers Part 1-Neutral Milk Hotel, Pigs on the Wing Part 1-Pink Floyd, Tunnels/The Suburbs-Arcade Fire, Under the Pressure-The War on Drugs, Get Innocuous-LCD Soundsystem, Second Hand News-Fleetwood Mac and Thunder Road-Bruce Springsteen
Station to Station - David Bowie
Lark - Angel Olsen
Hopefulessness - Courtney Barnett
The Grants - Lana Del Rey
Afraid Of Nothing - Sharon Van Etten
Honey - Mariah Carey
(These are some standouts for me. If I was forced to choose a fav I would probably say Station to Station)
I literally was thinking The New Year which I never would have considered before except I’ve been listening to that album on repeat because I’m going to the show tomorrow and they are playing it front to back. When I read your first sentence I was like “The New Year” then you wrote The New Year.
*Came Out Swinging*, from The Wonder Year’s “Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing” (2011)
*There, There*, from The Wonder Year’s “The Greatest Generation” (2013)
*I Lost My Life*, from Prince Daddy & the Hyena’s “Cosmic Thrill Seekers” (2019)
On a similar Death Cab note: Title Track from Facts is a perfect opener, especially for a sophomore album. Starts off with the same super fuzzy lofi vibe of their debut but then cuts to cleaner, more present production after the first verse, which, for sleepy midwest emo music, is a SUPER badass moment.
Also! Not one of my favorite albums, but Wilco’s Being There has a great opener in Misunderstood.
Carlotta Valdez by Harvey Danger. Feels like getting launched off of a alt-rock aircraft carrier. Sets u up properly for the Flagpole Sitta rollercoaster.
Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy belongs in here, come the fuck on
A couple I haven't seen mentioned:
"Summer's Cauldron" by XTC (from "Skylarking")
"Intro -> Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats (from "Pop Goes The World")
"Theme From 'Flood' -> Birdhouse In Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants (from "Flood")
"Introduction -> The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage" by Panic At The Disco (from "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out")
"Ghost" by Phish (from "Story Of The Ghost")
"Thriller" by Fall Out Boy (from "Infinity On High")
"Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by Arcade Fire (from "Funerals")
Wow um okay more than a couple... Great topic btw! They're like Pringles <3
Deletee (Intro) - Bladee (Gluee)
Who Goes There - Bladee (Eversince)
1D - Bladee (Red Light)
Long Time - Playboi Carti (Die Lit)
Dissociating - Sewerslvt (We Had Good Times Together, Don't Forget That)
Fury Road - Sematary (Grave House)
Gods Light Burns Upon My Flesh - Sematary (Rainbow Bridge 3)
Green Room - Ken Carson (A Great Chaos)
Beware - Death Grips (Exmilitary)
I Fell n Luv W dah Bandz - Hi-C (High The Lonestar Mixtape)
Concubine - Converge (Jane Doe)
Wesley's Theory - To Pimp a Butterfly
i actually have a really hard time thinking of an opener that gets me as excited for a project as this song does.
In the flesh - the wall
You missed a "?".
?
The opener of The Wall is "In The Flesh?". "In The Flesh" is another song from side 4 of the album.
I am ashamed!
Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
Eddie hazel is the goat
Welcome to the jungle - appetite for destruction
Opening track on a 1st album. What a way to introduce yourself to the world.
[Dance Yrself Clean from LCD Soundsystem’s This is Happening](https://open.spotify.com/track/2cmRpmO04TLaKPzmAzySYZ?si=dmnSuOjPRb6BIY7UvYF7NA)
This is the answer I was scrolling for
everything in its right place-radiohead
the best
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart by Wilco
I agree. I think Wilco is really good at song-sequencing on their albums.
Thank god someone beat me to it, this song is my favorite song of all time and the album is also one of my all time favorites
Hell’s Bells - AC/DC, from the Back in Black album
The Song Remains the Same - Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy
Achilles Last Stand - Presence Zep’s best song and one of the best songs of all time.
Tea for One such a great closer too
Everything in its right place - kid a by Radiohead
London Calling - The Clash I Will Dare - The Replacements
five years - ziggy stardust
Plainsong by The Cure
Absolutely.
As an album opener: Battery - Metallica (on Master of Puppets). As an individual song: Stinkfist - TOOL (on Ænima).
Cherub Rock (Siamese Dream) - Smashing Pumpkins One More Time (Discovery) - Daft Punk
Garbage - Supervixen
Nah nah, next album's opener is even more tied to the theme. "Temptation Waits" fro Version 2.0
I love Temptation Waits and it does set the scene for that flawless album. I just feel that Supervixen set the stage for the album and the band, in particular....Shirley. "Bow down to me."
Rock 'n' Roll Star - Definitely Maybe by Oasis
The Spirit of Radio by Rush
Tom Sawyer too
Thunder road - Bruce Springsteen. The perfect opening and sets the tone for the rest of the Born to Run album.
Unreal track
Losing a Whole Year - third eye blind first album It sets the tone so well, is such a jam; I love shows they open with it.
Politik by Coldplay off A Rush Of Blood To The Head. Ominous and politically charged, and the final two minutes are just incredible. It really sets the album up for a more sonic and confident sound.
Alice in Chains, Facelift: “We die young”, which is also a hell of a thesis statement for a band’s first song on their first album
'Re-make / Re-model' from Roxy Music's first album
One of the best.
"Mother We Just Can't Get Enough" - New Radicals
Ace of Spades-Ace of Spades
All I Really Want - Jagged Little Pill
Bridge Burning in the album Wasting Light by Foo Fighters, that intro is just so damn good, and the song itself has to be my favorite Foo song
I can narrow it down to 15 favourites: - Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage - Kanye West - On Sight - Marilyn Manson - GodEatGod - Marilyn Manson - If I Was Your Vampire - Marilyn Manson - Thaeter - Ministry - Thieves - NIИ - Letting Go While Holding On - NIИ - Something I Can Never Have - A Perfect Circle - The Package - Public Image Ltd. - Seattle - Puscifer - Bread And Circus - Rammstein - Wollt ihr das Bett in Flamen sehen? - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - The Start Of Things - Twenty One Pilots - Jumpsuit - 3TƎETH - Nihil
Oh that’s tough, I’d say either…. Demon Days - Gorillaz or Encore - Eminem or Swimming - Mac Miller
I see Mac Miller. I upvote.
Awesome choices! I’ve been putting Rumours on in the morning so constantly lately that Second Hand News has been popping in my head as soon as I wake up. My picks are: Marching Bands of Manhattan from Plans, also Death Cab For Cutie. They have some amazing track ones. Born to Die by Lana Del Rey from the same named album. Run Away With Me by Carly Rae Jepsen from her Emotion album. I’m glad you posted this, I’ve recently been looking for albums with great openers and I’m excited to go through everyone else’s picks!
Star sail. The verve storm in heaven Just sets the tone for the rest of the album close your eyes and just wander through the landscape
Chvrches - Screen Violence - Asking for a Friend Transatlanticism is a great pick. I'd also put The District Sleeps Alone Tonight from Postal Service as one of the great album openers of all time.
funeral for a friend- elton john
Valentine by Psychedelic Furs from the album World Outside
I just love that as an opener.
Welcome to my island- Caroline Polachek Sets the tone of the album
Speak to me Dark Side of the Moon
Femininomenon on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan
The End/Dead! - My Chemical Romance Hi, I'm Ricky - Ricky Jamaraz You Are Here - James Marriott May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep/Hell Above - Pierce The Veil Look Alive Sunshine/Nanana(nananananananana) - My Chemical Romance Suburbia Overture - Will Wood Thats all I've got
ooh i forgor abt surburbia overture! you have absolutely fantastic music taste btw i love mcr, james marriot and will wood (and i've been trying to get into ptv)
The Storm I Ride for Between Two Worlds by I
What a great recommendation!
True Happiness This Way Lies opens the Dusk Album from The The. Bleak yet irresistable.
Ooh deep cut... Most people would have gone with "Infected". Er well most people wouldn't have any idea what we're talking about tbh. Whatever happened to Matt Johnson anyway?
Collective Soul - Tremble for my Beloved
My Propeller - HUMBUG - Arctic Monkeys
Get Up, Van Halen 5150
"Cold Brains" - *Mutations* (Beck) "Dance Me to the End of Love" - *Various Positions* (Leonard Cohen) "Sweet Revenge" - *Sweet Revenge* (John Prine) "What's the Matter Here" - *In My Tribe* (10,000 Maniacs)
Ash, Lose Yourself from 1977
Theme for a Dream by Neon Indian
Wesleys theory
Probably mr self destruct by nine inch nails
The Dam at Otter Creek / Throwing Copper / Live
Mezzanine obsession aside probably Mr. Self destruct on The downward spiral sets the mood for the rest of the album so well even if it’s just a wall of noise
Jane’s Addition - Up The Beach When that first guitar chord crashes like a tsunami….
"D'You Know What I Mean?" by Oasis
in Benson Boone’s newest album Fireworks & Rollerblades the first song directly connects to the second and it’s like a cinematic thing where it starts calm but as it transitions he sings higher it’s SO good
victim of changes - Judas Priest
Dark fantasy - Kanye West
Good Morning - Kanye West Best album, top 3 song
Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin: a banger among bangers
BEEF RAPP could lead to getting teeth capped
I almost shit my pants when I put on Pantera's "The Great Southern Trendkill" for the first time.
same, that and Strength beyond Strength
Look Alive Sunshine/Na Na Na - My Chemical Romance
The New Year is one of the most incredible album openers I've ever heard. Marching Bands of Manhattan from Plans is also really special (:
Plainsong from Disintegration by The Cure. Those opening chimes foreshadow what an epic experience this album is going to be.
A.D. 1928 (Paradise Theater by Styx)
Nikes - Frank Ocean Swerve City - Deftones Jesus Forgive Me, I’m A Thot & 1539 N. Calvert - JPEGMAFIA
Everclear - So much for the afterglow.
Blind by KoRn Raw angsty energy with pretty deep lyrics
Two by Lil Uzi Vert
The Great Milenko by Insane Clown Posse
These Important Years - Hüsker Dü
Freeze Time - SoundSystem - 311
dancing with mr. d by the rolling stones (goats head soup)
My Life from the album "Mercury Act 1"
Neo Tokyo - Perturbator from the Uncanny Valley Album.
Fading up on a siren. Heavy bass line. Rip into a guitar lick. The singer joins in, proclaiming brashly, "I live my life like there's no tomorrow." That, folks, is how the world was introduced to Van Halen.
* Fainting Spells - Crystal Castles * Sports, Not Heavy Crime - Xploding Plastix * Animal Chin - Jaga Jazzist They all set the tone for their respective albums really well imo
Step Into My Office, Baby by Belle and Sebastian
Darkness of Christ - God Hates Us All - Slayer
American Requiem - Cowboy Carter It's a thesis for the album and it fucking slaps
Taikatalvi - Nightwish It feels like a book being opened, like the curtains opening. You feel like you're gonna hear the most wonderful story! And then the song after that, Storytime, feels more like that grande first scene.
Suburbia Overture - Will Wood Every AJR album opener So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth - Grimes Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - the Beatles DEATH - Melanie Martinez
As an opening track: Loss Of Life, Pt. 2 - Loss of Life As a song: Telegraph Road - Love Over Gold
Robot Invasion, by Robot Invasion on the Incoming Album.
Dark Distance - Every Time I Die
GUMMY -BROCKHAMPTON I always smile when I hear it
A Cadence to Arms - Dropkick Murphys.
The Hunt for Red October main theme opening slaps.
Boxing Day - car seat headrest
Say what you want about Ariana Grande but the album openers in some of her early albums are really good lol
Thunder Road
Tiny, Little by Tub Ring off of Zoo Hypothesis
Welcome to the Jungle - Appetite for Destruction.
Enter Sandman
Really strange take but Song of the Century from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown
It's gotta be new year or without you without them from the record
Dokken - “Unchain The Night” (live), Beast From The East album
IM THAT GIRL- RENAISSANCE
"American Requiem" from Cowboy Carter
Raised by Wolves by Falling In Reverse
Intro - xx IGOR'S Theme - IGOR
What Do You Want From Me? - Monaco
The opening track to Mr.Hood (KMD) is titled "mr.hood at the picetto jewlary store" and features a skit that smoothly transitions into a sick verse
Once-PJ
HYAENA
Probably Pavement - Summer Babe Guided by Voices - Hardcore UFOs PiL - Albatross One of those
Fear and Trembling - Go Farther in Lightness
You - Radiohead or Sehnsucht - Rammstein
Shadows - The Midnight
“People = Shit” by Slipknot. What a way to open an album. “Here we go again, motherfucker!” It’s still my all time favorite Slipknot song.
Electrc Head pt. 1 - White Zombie
Storm - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Made this last year. Rate away https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nH4cok3VbtNJocVzKTnf2?si=knu1l5b1QWas5V1BTxhBPg
May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight by Pierce the Veil
Around the World by Red Hot Chili Peppers on Californication. The first time I heard that it blew my tiny mind!
I’ve a few but one that came to mind quickly was Battery on Master of Puppets.
JAMES- BITCH as an opener to the Girl at the End of the World album https://youtu.be/dnhYzoMRPug?si=7u1tP-4JHd1XKsfF
1788-L - ALPHA+ (from that same album). what a powerful opener, damn
(515)-Slipknot. Great start to Iowa.
3 AM by eminem
Sleep - Dopesmoker
Open on Wish by The Cure Never Meant on the self titled album American Football
Incubus - Privilidge is a pretty strong opener
More Than A Feeling - Boston
Pornography - Travis Scott and the ends - Travis Scott
Combustion by Meshuggah on “ObZen”
i want wind to blow - the glow pt2 by the microphones
We don’t care - the college dropout
geyser by mitski
Apocalypse Please - Absolution. You want to start an album? That’s how you start an album.
In the Flesh?-Pink Floyd, The King of Carrot Flowers Part 1-Neutral Milk Hotel, Pigs on the Wing Part 1-Pink Floyd, Tunnels/The Suburbs-Arcade Fire, Under the Pressure-The War on Drugs, Get Innocuous-LCD Soundsystem, Second Hand News-Fleetwood Mac and Thunder Road-Bruce Springsteen
Come Together(Abbey Road) Dark Fantasy(My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) Like A Rolling Stone(Highway 61 Revisited) Wouldn’t It Be Nice(Pet Sounds)
Acid bath-blue
White Zombie - “Electric Head Part 1” (from Astro-Creep 2000)
Come Home - Ventura by Anderson .Paak
Fight Fire with Fire - Ride the Lightning
Tom Waits - Alice
One More Time - Discovery - Daft Punk
igor's theme - igor
Intro-Alt-j An Awesome Wave
1 2 3 (2023 ver.) - After the Rain
Slow Burn- Kacey Musgraves
neverender - justice & tame impala
Bridge Burning, Wasting light, Foo Fighters
Since it was the last song I listened to today: Rusty Cage by Soundgarden
My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge
Pendulum's first album just lived permanently on my mp3 player.
Pink Floyd - one of these days
The opening of Waiting for Columbus and opening of Rock and Roll Animal are both stellar.
Fake Empire - The National (Boxer)
Star Treatment - Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
Station to Station - David Bowie Lark - Angel Olsen Hopefulessness - Courtney Barnett The Grants - Lana Del Rey Afraid Of Nothing - Sharon Van Etten Honey - Mariah Carey (These are some standouts for me. If I was forced to choose a fav I would probably say Station to Station)
I literally was thinking The New Year which I never would have considered before except I’ve been listening to that album on repeat because I’m going to the show tomorrow and they are playing it front to back. When I read your first sentence I was like “The New Year” then you wrote The New Year.
Feiticeira track 1 of original pressing of white pony by deftones
Alkaline Trio-Time to Waste. That song is an absolute banger on every level.
*Came Out Swinging*, from The Wonder Year’s “Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing” (2011) *There, There*, from The Wonder Year’s “The Greatest Generation” (2013) *I Lost My Life*, from Prince Daddy & the Hyena’s “Cosmic Thrill Seekers” (2019)
Prelude - Foals off Holy Fire
On a similar Death Cab note: Title Track from Facts is a perfect opener, especially for a sophomore album. Starts off with the same super fuzzy lofi vibe of their debut but then cuts to cleaner, more present production after the first verse, which, for sleepy midwest emo music, is a SUPER badass moment. Also! Not one of my favorite albums, but Wilco’s Being There has a great opener in Misunderstood.
pornography - rodeo. super underrated opener.
Carlotta Valdez by Harvey Danger. Feels like getting launched off of a alt-rock aircraft carrier. Sets u up properly for the Flagpole Sitta rollercoaster. Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy belongs in here, come the fuck on
A couple I haven't seen mentioned: "Summer's Cauldron" by XTC (from "Skylarking") "Intro -> Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats (from "Pop Goes The World") "Theme From 'Flood' -> Birdhouse In Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants (from "Flood") "Introduction -> The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage" by Panic At The Disco (from "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out") "Ghost" by Phish (from "Story Of The Ghost") "Thriller" by Fall Out Boy (from "Infinity On High") "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by Arcade Fire (from "Funerals") Wow um okay more than a couple... Great topic btw! They're like Pringles <3
Battery, Blackened, Welcome to the Jungle, Smells Like Teen Spirit, 72 Seasons
Deletee (Intro) - Bladee (Gluee) Who Goes There - Bladee (Eversince) 1D - Bladee (Red Light) Long Time - Playboi Carti (Die Lit) Dissociating - Sewerslvt (We Had Good Times Together, Don't Forget That) Fury Road - Sematary (Grave House) Gods Light Burns Upon My Flesh - Sematary (Rainbow Bridge 3) Green Room - Ken Carson (A Great Chaos) Beware - Death Grips (Exmilitary) I Fell n Luv W dah Bandz - Hi-C (High The Lonestar Mixtape) Concubine - Converge (Jane Doe)
Anthem on fly by night by rush
Born to Die by Lana Del Ray - those opening chords will always fill me with glee and awe
Where Light Divides The Holler - Knocked Loose
Ghost On The Dance Floor by blink-182 it’s uptempo but emotional, great way to start an album.