AllMusic Loves Debuts

The AllMusic Loves series began just over five years ago. After covering our loved recordings of each year from 1965 through 2012, as well as those of 1956, we decided to change direction -- so, why not start fresh with our favorite debuts? As you'll see, some of our editors were strict with the definition of debut, while others considered first full-length albums, or first widely available albums -- hence the inclusion of two LPs by Belle and Sebastian -- or first charting singles, or first U.S. release. As with our previous features, there's a broad range of universally accepted classics and less-recognized personal favorites that tend not to show up on typical critics lists. This is probably the first time Charlie Daniels, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and the Slits have been placed within the same context.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Elastica - Elastica
The Strokes - Is This It
The Specials - The Specials
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Sugar - Copper Blue
Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties!!
The Breeders - Pod
Lily Allen - Alright, Still
Tricky - Maxinquaye
Charlie Daniels - Charlie Daniels
Suede - Suede
Dr. Feelgood - Down by the Jetty
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw
3rd Bass - The Cactus Album
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird's Bark
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.

John Bush
Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Moby Grape - Moby Grape
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Soft Machine - The Soft Machine, Vol. 1
John Prine - John Prine
Big Star - #1 Record
Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill
10cc - 10cc
Wire - Pink Flag
Van Halen - Van Halen
New Order - Movement
R.E.M. - Murmur
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Ride - Nowhere
Mercury Rev - Yerself Is Steam
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Supergrass - I Should Coco

Elvis Presley - "That's All Right"
Bo Diddley - "Bo Diddley"
Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Suzie Q, Pts. 1-2"
The Stooges - "I Wanna Be Your Dog"
Pere Ubu - "30 Seconds Over Tokyo"
Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
The Damned - "New Rose"
The Sex Pistols - "Anarchy in the U.K."
The Clash - "White Riot"
Human League - "Being Boiled"
Echo & the Bunnymen - "The Pictures on My Wall"
Bauhaus - "Bela Lugosi's Dead"
New Order - "Ceremony"
The Smiths - "Hand in Glove"
Pet Shop Boys - "West End Girls"
Lush - "Thoughtforms"
Verve - "All in the Mind"
Suede - "The Drowners"
Portishead - "Numb"
The Strokes - "Hard to Explain"

Heather Phares
Air - Moon Safari
Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Björk - Debut
The Breeders - Pod
Broadcast - The Noise Made by People
Daft Punk - Homework
Deee-Lite - World Clique
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird's Bark
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
The La's - The La's
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Portishead - Dummy
The Raincoats - The Raincoats
Television - Marquee Moon
The Strokes - Is This It
Suicide - Suicide
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Wire - Pink Flag

Tim Sendra
ABC - The Lexicon of Love
The Apples in Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Aztec Camera - High Land Hard Rain
The Bats - Daddy's Highway
Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
Denim - Back in Denim
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
New York Dolls - New York Dolls
Radio Birdman - Radios Appear
The Rain Parade - Emergency Third Rail Power Trip
Ramones - Ramones
Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes
Shop Assistants - Will Anything Happen
The Specials - The Specials
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Television - Marquee Moon
The Three O'Clock - Sixteen Tambourines

Jonathan Ball
Love and Rockets - Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven
Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
The Doors - The Doors
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
R.E.M. - Murmur
Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Masters of Reality - Masters of Reality
The Cult - Love
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Fear - The Record
The Pursuit of Happiness - Love Junk
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
Bob Mould - Workbook
Crime & the City Solution - Room of Lights

Public Image Limited - "Public Image"
The Police - "Fallout"
The Who - "I Can't Explain"
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - "Perfect Skin"
Morrissey - "Suedehead"
Elastica - "Stutter"
"Grateful Dead - "Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)"
George McCrae - "Rock Your Baby"
Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme"
The Pink Floyd - "Arnold Layne"
The Knack - "My Sharona"
The Damned - "New Rose"
Crowded House - "World Where You Live"
Verve - Verve EP
Pavement - "Summer Babe"
Mudhoney - "Superfuzz Bigmuff"
Bauhaus - "Bela Lugosi's Dead"
X - "We're Desperate"
Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown

Matt Collar
Asia - Asia
Azimuth - Azimuth
Bad Brains - Bad Brains
Big Star - #1 Record
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey
Nick Curran - Fixin' Your Head
Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets
Frankmusik - Complete Me
Joe Henderson - Page One
Rupert Holmes - Widescreen
Hurts - Happiness
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
George Michael - Faith
Roxy Music - Roxy Music
Sade - Diamond Life
Louis Smith - Here Comes Louis Smith
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Paul Williams - Someday Man

Gregory Heaney
The Strokes - Is This It
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Coalesce - Give Them Rope
Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
Floor - Floor
The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me
They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants
Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom
The Specials - The Specials
Stephen Malkmus - Stephen Malkmus
The Nation of Ulysses - 13-Point Program to Destroy America
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
Wire - Pink Flag
Harvey Milk - My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment of What My Love Could Be
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Boston - Boston
James Blake - James Blake
Make-Up - Destination: Love - Live! at Cold Rice

Andy Kellman
A self-imposed restriction -- '80s singles -- wasn't much of a time saver. Who spends 15 minutes decoding a label's seemingly arbitrary catalog numbering system for the sake of determining the first singles from two acts (neither of which made the cut)? Yeah, well…

Bad Brains - "Pay to Cum!" (1980)
Mission of Burma - "Academy Fight Song" (1980)
Was (Not Was) - "Wheel Me Out" (1980)
Cybotron - "Alleys of Your Mind" (1980)
D Train - "You're the One for Me" (1981)
ESG - "You're No Good" (1981)
New Order - "Ceremony" (1981)
Colourbox - "Breakdown/"Tarantula" (1982)
Rammellzee vs. K-Rob - "Beat Bop" (1983)
Run-D.M.C. - "It's Like That" (1983)
The Smiths - "Hand in Glove" (1983)
LL Cool J - "I Need a Beat" (1984)
Propaganda - "Dr. Mabuse" (1984)
Phuture - "Acid Tracks" (1987)
The Sugarcubes - "Birthday" (1987)
Al B. Sure! - "Nite and Day" (1988)
Guy - "Groove Me" (1988)
Neneh Cherry - "Buffalo Stance" (1988)
De La Soul - "Plug Tunin'" (1988)
Inner City - "Big Fun" (1988)

Jason Lymangrover
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
Beck - Mellow Gold
Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Portishead - Dummy
Pretenders - Pretenders
Ramones - Ramones
R.E.M. - Murmur
The Slits - Cut
The Smiths - The Smiths
The Strokes - Is This It
Television - Marquee Moon
Van Halen - Van Halen
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
Wire - Pink Flag
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

James Christopher Monger
Compiling this list, which originally included the first Violent Femmes album 20 times, made me realize that a lot of my favorite records are actually sophomore outings (Number of the Beast, Paul's Boutique, Doolittle, Nothing's Shocking, Ride the Lightning, etc.). Debuts are a tough sell, as they're essentially just shrink-wrapped Hail Marys launched into the gaping maw of pop culture. More often than not they just disappear into the ether (when was the last time anybody played Pablo Honey on purpose?), but when they connect (Marquee Moon, The Clash, 13 Songs), they can leave a mighty bruise.

Gillian Welch - Revival
Fugazi - 13 Songs
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Steeleye Span - Hark! The Village Wait
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Scott Walker - Scott
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Television - Marquee Moon
Love and Rockets - Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven
The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The La's - The La's
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
Jeremy Enigk - Return of the Frog Queen
The Dead Milkmen - Big Lizard in My Backyard
The Clash - The Clash
The Cars - The Cars

Van Halen - "Runnin' with the Devil"
Killing Joke - "Requiem"
Portishead - "Dummy"
Love - "My Little Red Book"
Tears for Fears - "Mad World"
Pixies - "Where Is My Mind?"
Spiritualized - "Shine a Light"
Gorillaz - "Clint Eastwood"
The Godfathers - "Birth, School, Work, Death"
Nick Drake - "River Man"
Goldfrapp - "Lovely Head"
Joe Jackson - "Got the Time"
Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
The Beatles - "I Saw Her Standing There"
Camper Van Beethoven - "Take the Skinheads Bowling"
Suede - "Animal Nitrate"
Elvis Costello - "Less Than Zero"
Big Star - "The Ballad of El Goodo"
Jimi Hendrix - "Are You Experienced?"
King Crimson - "In the Court of the Crimson King"

Sean Westergaard
Twenty albums are way too few, so in the interest of variety I'm leaving off some of my very favorite debut albums, albums that still receive frequent spins at home, mostly because they're mentioned in other lists. Of course, I'm talking about King Crimson, the Mothers, Jimi Hendrix, the Cars, the Clash, De La Soul, Brian Eno, the Specials, Television, the New York Dolls, the Police, the Ramones, Pink Floyd, Pavement, and Devo. If you don't know those debuts, check them out. The ones that made my list aren't necessarily obscure, they just weren't on other lists, and yes, I still listen to all of them on a pretty regular basis.

Bad Livers - Delusions of Banjer
Brian Eno/David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
Jim Carroll - Catholic Boy
Funkadelic - Funkadelic
The Hampton Grease Band - Music to Eat
Ronald Shannon Jackson & the Decoding Society - Eye on You
David Johansen - David Johansen
Mike Keneally - Hat
Kiss Me Screaming - Kiss Me Screaming
Magic Sam Blues Band - West Side Soul
Monks of Doom - Soundtrack to Film: "Breakfast on the Beach of Deception"
The Olivia Tremor Control - Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle
Parliament - Osmium
The Residents - Meet the Residents
The Rezillos - Can't Stand the Rezillos
Roxy Music - Roxy Music
Salo - Sundial Lotus
Stray Cats - Stray Cats
Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77
X - Los Angeles

James Wilkinson
Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
The Beatles - Please Please Me
Love - Love
The Doors - The Doors
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The United States of America - United States Of America
Neil Young - Neil Young
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
The Specials - The Specials
R.E.M. - Murmur
The Smiths - The Smiths
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Inspiral Carpets - Life
The La's - The La's
Elastica - Elastica
Super Furry Animals - Fuzzy Logic
Beth Orton - Trailer Park
Beachwood Sparks - Beachwood Sparks
Broadcast - The Noise Made by People

Elvis Presley - "That's All Right"
Chuck Berry - "Maybellene"
The Marvelettes - "Please Mr. Postman"
Booker T. & the MG's - "Green Onions"
The Kingsmen - "Louie Louie"
Zombies - "She's Not There"
The Kinks - "You Really Got Me"
The Byrds - "Mr. Tambourine Man"
The Lovin' Spoonful - "Do You Believe in Magic"
The Pink Floyd - "Arnold Layne"
The Modern Lovers - "Road Runner"
Eagles - "Take It Easy"
The Sex Pistols - "Anarchy in the U.K."
New Order - "Ceremony"
Blur - "She's So High"
Supergrass - "Caught by the Fuzz"
Broadcast - "Accidentals"
Belle and Sebastian - "Dog on Wheels"
Veronica Falls - "Found Love in a Graveyard"
Nashville Ramblers - "The Trains"