Best Debut Albums


Just saw that it was 50 years ago that Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced was released. Being 61 remember it's release well. One of the great debut albums. Would like to hear what are your favorite first albums from a group or solo artist. A few of mine are;
The Doors - The Doors
The Cars - The Cars
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced  
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Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Bad Company - Bad Company
Eagles - Eagles
Aerosmith - Aerosmith
Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Van Halen - Van Halen
David and David-Boomtown (unfortunately the only release)
Steeley Dan-Can't Buy a Thrill
Yes-Yes
Jefferson Airplane-Takes Off
Asia-Asia
Warren Zevon-Wanted Dead or Alive
Peter Gabriel-"Car Album"
just to name a few, great topic Lenmc2964 we share the same age
and we have seen (heard) a lot of great music through the years 










A favorite topic of mine.

The Band: Music From Big Pink (what a surprise ;-)

Dave Edmunds: Rockpile (the album title later used by Dave as a band name)

Nick Lowe: Jesus Of Cool (UK title)

Rockpile: Seconds Of Pleasure

Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True

Moby Grape: s/t

Randy Newman: s/t (aka Something New Under The Sun)

Van Dyke Parks: Song Cycle

The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace Of Sin

Iris Dement: Infamous Angel

Buddy Miller: Your Love And Other Lies

The Kinks: s/t

The Sons Of Champlin: Loosen Up Naturally

Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks: s/t (aka Original Recordings)

Cream: Fresh Cream

The Electric Flag: A Long Time Comin’

The Blasters: American Music

Los Lobos: And A Time To Dance (okay, it’s their 1st English Language release, they previously putting out a Spanish album)

There are plenty more, these are just off the top of my head.

Allman Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, Alanis Morissette, Ricky Lee Jones, October Project, Dan Fogelberg, Bill Quateman...
Supertramp...Crime of the Century
The Cranberries....Everybody Else Is doing it, Why Can't We?
Lynyrd Skynyrd....Pronounced....
Led Zeppelin 
Queen
Portishead....Dummy 
Patti Smith....Horses
Carole King....Tapestry
Chicago Transit Authority




Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young....Deja Vu
King Crimson....Court of the Crimson King 
The Smiths
Babe Ruth....First Base
Armageddon 
Blondie
Jeff Beck....Truth
Sade....Diamond Life
George Harrison...All Things Must Pass
Stevie Ray Vaughan....Texas Flood


Oh yeah, the 1st Jeff Beck, good one! Deja Vu has also reminded me of the great C,S &Y debut album.

Deja-Vu by CSNY is great call -- somewhat underappreciated, but on the peak of rock definitely.


Willing to add some of my favorite debut picks:


Enya- Self titled album

Orchestral Maneuvers In the Dark -- Self-titled

Can -- Monster Movie

Kraftwerk -- Self-titled

Tangerine Dream -- Electronic Meditation

Residents -- Meet The Residents

Legendary Pink Dots -- Only Dreaming

This Mortal Coil -- It'll End in Tears

Cokteau Twins -- Garlands

Talking Heads -- 77

White Stripes -- The White Stripes

Dead Can Dance -- self titled 

byrds, mr tambourine man
moby grape (suggested above)
feelies, crazy rhythm
thin white rope, exploring the axis
graham parker, heat treatment
James Taylor- Sweet Baby James
Simon and Garfunkel- Sounds of Silence
Not a debut record but Santana-Abraxas- instant classic 
Moody Blues- I don't know which came 1st, but they're all good.
+ 1 on Texas Flood? Very good call..... I'm a big Doors fan, so my pick was covered by the OP.  Also spun The Cars LP recently, which was an early pressing, and it sounded great. Not a huge fan of the Cars, but it is a heck of a debut.
@siddh - Crime of the Century was not the debut album from Supertramp. It was actually their third album.
As the OP reminds us of 'Are you Experienced' turning 50- it is hard to fathom our music world without it.

Happy Listening!
Absolutely, jafant. Hendrix is definitely the most influential guitarist of our lifetimes, by far. Whether for better or worse is a separate matter ;-) ! I just saw some pics of him on stage only a year before Are You Experience was released, playing for Wilson Pickett. And wearing a suit and tie!
Although neither of theses bands started with the idea of staying together their first release was great.
Travelling Wilburys
KGB

Yes Len! First Buffalo Springfield, too. The Ramones and The Beat (Phil Collins group, not The Beat U.K.) debuts as well. Lots more, if I could just remember them.

Are You Experienced?
Days of future Passed
Pet Sounds
Sgt Pepper
The Doors

are all  turning "50" this year. Are we missing any other pivotal albums of the Rock era?

Happy Listening!
Remember,

Days of future Passed
Pet Sounds
Sgt Pepper

are the first set or (3) "concept albums" of the Pop/Rock era introduced into the mainstream culture of 1967.
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Oscar Brown Jr. - Sin and Soul
Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills
Thelonious Monk - Genius of Modern Music
The Band - Music from Big Pink
1) Carole King - Writer (1970) was her debut album... not Tapestry (1971)
2) Cheap Thrills (1968) is by Big Brother and the Holding Company... not Janis Joplin.  Also it's not their debut album. They had an album out in 1967 called Big Brother and the Holding Company.
3) Pet Sounds came out in May, 1966.

John Prine John Prine
Steve Earle Guitar Town
Norah Jones Come Away with Me
Lucinda Williams Lucinda Williams
Joan Osbourne Relish
Pearl Jam Ten
Post removed 
Costello - My Aim Is True
Just a brilliant album that I still listen to pretty regularly.
Lucinda Williams had 2 albums before her self-titled album: Ramblin' in 1979, and Happy Woman Blues in1980.
Hendrix-are you experience
Doors-doors
Yes-Yes
CSN-couch record
King Crimson-Court of
Led Zep-Led Zep
Jeff Beck-Truth

Agree with many of the classic rock responses but for something a little fresher...

Tame Impala... InnerSpeaker