Side One, Track One: The 25 Greatest Album Openers In Classic Rock History

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reigninblood

2exm0ev11

15

LP-Cover-Pink-Floyd-Wish-You-Were-Here

the_clash_london_calling_0

the_zombies-odessey_and_oracle

1057286083

escape-50abd1fc19b0b

AC_DC_-_Highway_To_Hell-front-www.FreeCovers

bruce-springsteen-born-to-run

71Rh0pdZY-L

ramones[1]

Revolver

1e4a5294_8422.black_sabbath_1970_self_titled

The+Doors+-+The+Doors+-+CD+ALBUM-395014

Off-The-Wall-Austria-Edition-cover

4nss

guns-n-roses-appetite-for-destruction_censored_album_cover

Aretha-franklin-i-never-loved

aagkxz

main

71nFZNXN5ML

led_zeppelin_-_led_zeppelin_II-front

Bob-Dylan-Highway-61-Revisited-Album-Cover

The-Rolling-Stones-Let-It-Bleed-album-cover

-By Frank Donovan

Today we rarely listen to entire albums, track by track, as one cohesive experience painstakingly crafted by musicians and their producers. But it used to be nothing short of crucial, especially for debut albums, to open with a bang. The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” was a jubilant yet bold testament to their new progressive, symphonic sound; Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” introduced not only their album Nevermind, but also the Seattle sound to the world. Like they say, first impressions matter!

To honor the art of the opening track, we’ve ranked the 25 best album openers in rock.