ROCK'S GREATEST DEBUT SINGLES

[NightTrain]

A buddy of mine is putting together a list for the website www.digitaldreamdoor.com of the Greatest Debut Singles of the Rock Era. Here's what Bruce has come up with so far. See what you think:

? & the Mysterians - 96 Tears
Ad-Libs - The Boy From New York City
Aerosmith - Dream On
America - A Horse With No Name
Arrested Development - Tennessee
Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On / A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues
B-52s - Rock Lobster / 52 Girls
Bad Company - Can't Get Enough
Beau Brummels - Laugh, Laugh
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues
Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley / I'm A Man
Bobbettes - Mr. Lee
Booker T. & the MG's - Green Onions
Boston - More Thanh A Feeling
Box Tops - The Letter
Rhythm Orchids (knox/Bowen) - Party Doll /I'm Stickin'With You
Buster Brown - Fannie Mae
Cadillacs - Gloria / I Wonder Why
Capris - There's A Moon Out Tonight
Captain Beefheart - Diddy Wah Diddy
Cars - Just What I Needed
Champs - Tequila
Channels - The Closer You Are
Chantays - Pipeline
Chantels - The Plea / He's Gone
Charts - Desire / Zoop
Chords - Sh-Boom
Chris Montez - Let's Dance
Chuck Berry - Maybellene / Wee Wee Hours
Clarence Henry - Ain't Got No Home
Clash - White Riot
Cleftones - You Baby You
Cookies - Chains
Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
Crazy Elephant - Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
Crosby, Sills & Nash - Marrakesh Express
Cyrkle - Red Rubber Ball
Dandleers - One Summer Night
Danny & the Juniors - At The Hop / Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)
Dee Dee Sharp - Mashed Potato Time
Deep Purple - Hush
Del Shannon - Runaway
Del-Vikings - Come Go With Me
Desmomd Dekker & the Aces - Israelites
Dick & Dee Dee - The Mountain's High
Dionne Warwick - Don't Make Me Over
Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing
Dixie Cups - Chapel Of Love
Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby
Donovan - Catch The Wind
Doors - Break On Through
Drifters - Money Honey / The Way I Feel
Dusty Springfield - I Only Want To Be With You
Duprees - You Belong To Me
Eagles - Take It Easy
Elegants - Little Star
Elmore James - Dust My Broom
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man
Elvis Presley - That's All Right / Blue Moon Of Kentucky
Essex - Easier Said Than Done
Etta James - The Wallflower
Exciters - Tell Him
Fats Domino - The Fat Man
Fleetwoods - Come Softly To Me
Fortunes - You've Got Your Troubles
Foundations - Baby, Now That I've Found You
Freddy Cannon - Tallassie Lassie
Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll (Part 2)
Gary U.S. Bonds - New Orleans
Gene Vincent & Bluecaps - Be-Bop-A-Lula / Woman Love
Gerry & the Pacemakers - How Do You Do It
Go-Gos - We Got The Beat
Guess Who - Shakin' All Over
Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle
Harptones - Sunday Kind Of Love / I'll Never Tell
Harry Chapin - Taxi
Heart - Magic Man
Herman's Hermits - I'm Into Something Good
Honeycombs - Have I The Right
Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years / Moaning At Midnight
Jackie Brenston - Rocket 88
Jackson Browne - Doctor My Eyes
James Brown - Please, Please, Please
Jan & Arnie - Jennie Lee
Janis Ian - Society's Child
Jeff Beck Group - Hi Ho Silver Lining / Beck's Bolero
Jerry Butler & Impressions - For Your Precious Love
Jerry Lee Lewis - Crazy Arms / End Of The Road
Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe
Jive Five - My True Story
Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones - Black Slacks
John Lee Hooker - Boogie Chillun
Johnny Cash - Cry Cry Cry / Hey Porter
Knack - My Sharona
Led Zeppelin - Communication Breakdown / Good Times, Bad Times
Left Banke - Walk Away Renee
Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
Lesley Gore - It's My Party
Little Esther - Double Crossing Blues
Little Eva - The Loco-Motion
Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy / Mailman Blues
Los Bravos - Black Is Black
Love - My Little Red Book
Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe In Magic
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Magnificent Men - Peace Of Mind
Magnificents - Up On The Mountain
Mamas & Papas - California Dreamin'
Mar-Keys - Last Night
Marcels - Blue Moon / Goodbye To Love
Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By
Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman
Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days
Max Frost & the Troopers - Shape Of Things To Come
McCoys - Hang On Sloopy
Medallions - Buick 59 / The Letter
Melanie - Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)
Mello-Kings - Tonite, Tonite
Monkees - Last Train To Clarksville
Monotones - Book Of Love
Moody Blues - Go Now
Music Machine - Talk Talk
Nashville Teens - Tobacco Road
Nazz - Hello It's Me / Open My Eyes
Newbeats - Bread And Butter
Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky
Orioles - It's Too Soon To Know
Paragons - Florence / Hey Little School Girl
Pastels - Been So Long
Percy Mayfield - Please Send Me Someone To Love
Peter & Gordon - A World Without Love
Pointer Sisters - Yes We Can Can
Procol Harum - Whiter Shade Of Pale
Ram Jam - Black Betty
Randy & the Rainbows - Denise
R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
Ritchie Valens - Come On Let's Go
Rivieras - California Sun
Rosie & the Originals - Angel Baby
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
Ruby & the Romantics - Our Day Will Come
Run-D.M.C. - It's Like That
Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The U.K.
Shadows Of Knight - Gloria
Shirelles - I Met Him On A Sunday
Shirley & Lee - I'm Gone
Shocking Blue - Venus
Silhouettes - Get A Job
Skyliners - Since I Don't Have You
Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee
Southside Johnny - I Don't Wanna Go Home / The Fever
Spades - You're Gonna Miss Me
Spaniels - Baby It's You
Spiders - I Didn't Want To Do It / You're The One
Spiral Starecase - More Today Than Yesterday
Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Stealer's Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You
Steam - Na-Na-Hey-Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense And Peppermints
Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
Swingin' Medallions - Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)
Teddy Bears - To Know Him Is To Love Him
Teen Kings - Ooby Dooby
Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Thunderclap Newman - Something In The Air
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Traffic - Paper Sun
Turbans - When You Dance
So Much In Love - Tymes
Van Halen - You Really Got Me
Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On
Young Rascals - I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
Zombies - She's Not There

[jpgray]

1. Undertones - Teenage Kicks

Great debut single. Pink Floyd's "Arnold Layne" was also an incredibly innovative and high-quality debut single. I'd also throw in the Smoke with "My Friend Jack" and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators' "You're Gonna Miss Me."

[General Zod]

2. What about "I Want You Back" by The Jackson Five

...To me, it's the greatest debut single ever.

[NightTrain]

6. They had three unsuccessful singles that predated it.

Sorry.... :shrug:

[General Zod]

18. I never knew that.....

....I had always heard that was their 1st single.

Night Train, your knowledge of music is most impressive.

[Zuni]

20. I love that one

excellent choice

[tuvor]

3. Looks almost as much like a list of one-hit wonders.

With that in mind, here's my additions. Hope you'll allow for a broad definition of "Rock":

Martha and the Muffins - Echo Beach
Devo - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Big Country - In a Big Country
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
The Kings - This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide
Garbage - Vow
ABC - The Look of Love
A-Ha - Take on Me
The Bangles - Goin' Down to Liverpool
The Cars - Just What I Needed
The Church - Unguarded Moment
U2 - I Will Follow
The Datsuns - Motherfucker from Hell
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town
Jack Green - Babe
Kings of Leon - Molly's Chambers
Lone Justice - Sweet, Sweet Baby
The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
The Primitives - Crash
Republica - Ready to Go
Romeo Void - Never Say Never
Sniff 'n' the Tears - Driver's Seat
Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn I Wish I was your Lover

There. I've taken up enough of everyone's time.

[NightTrain]

7. Then you need to take a closer look, buddy!

:eyes:

[tuvor]

10. Well, most of them are!

(Unless a second single peaked at #57 or something, in which case I'm just plain ignorant.)

ON EDIT: I can't spell 'ignorant'. :eyes:

[donheld]

32. at least 50 acts on the list had mutiple hits

some are legend.

[CalebHayes]

4. Green Day - Basket Case

[tuvor]

5. That was off Dookie, which wasn't their first album.

Some of my suggestions might be erroneous, too, to be honest. ;)

[borlis]

8. Runaway by Bon Jovi

How could anyone forget it?

[pie]

9. Very interesting list

I am old enough to recall most of those songs in their prime.

[tuvor]

11. Welcome to DU, pie!

:hi:

[ZoCrowes]

12. Fuckin helluva list

but where is the Jackson 5's I Want You Back?

[NightTrain]

14. "I Want You Back" was NOT their debut single.

The J5 had three flops that predated it.

[ZoCrowes]

15. I was not aware of that

DAMN YOU TWENTIETH CENTURY MASTERS BOOKLET!! YOU LIED TO ME!!

[tuvor]

17. LOL!

What do you want for $7.99 Canadian?

[NightTrain]

19. Unfortunately, a lot of factual errors turn up in liner notes.

Many of them are honest mistakes, but some are attempts at rewriting history to make a particular label's artists look bigger and more important than they were at the time. That's why I've done a lot of outside research into the music I love!

[ZoCrowes]

21. Yeah I notice quite a few of them

You're a DJ aren't you? I would love to spend a day just going through your record collection. Mmmmmmm vintage soul :drools:

[tuvor]

23. That's too bad. I love liner notes.

Thanks for the caveat.

[Left Is Write]

24. I felt the same way when I heard radio stations ten years ago

referring to Shania Twain's "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under" as her "debut" single.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Van Halen - I knew, when I heard it, that this was a band that wasn't

gonna be a fly by night shit band. That was an intro song that made one sit up and listen and go "Wow!".

They weren't Yes or Genesis or Robert Fripp or anything, but Van Halen put out one fucking good album after another, until they brought in that no talent hack Hagar.

That said, I wasn't old enough to notice the Led Zeppelin first single, or any of the other bands of that time and before, so my bias in this poll is indeed skewed, and I admit that.

[Tikki]

16. Elvis Costello (with Clover)......"Alison"....n/t

[Zuni]

22. Some of these I love

Mayballene, 96 Tears, How many more years, Green Onions---there are so many actually

[democracyindanger]

25. Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf

or did Rio come first? :shrug:

Anyway, if you're gonna do the 80's, you have to include Duran Duran. Plus, they're on tour again!

[NightTrain]

26. "Girls On Film" predates it.

And who knows, they might have had some stuff out in Europe even earlier.

[democracyindanger]

27. So it does

and is the better song, IMO

[ZoCrowes]

28. The Jam-In The City

can't understand a single one of the fucking lyrics but who gives a shit! Punk at its best

[democracyindanger]

29. Oooh! And Adam Ant and whoever did Radar Love

[tuvor]

35. Golden Earring.

I don't think it was their debut.

And Adam Ant was Adam AND the Ants before he went solo. Not sure what their first single was. Dirk Wears White Sox?

[donheld]

30. add Whitney Houston's "You Give Good Love"

[shawmut]

31. Chic - "Dance Dance Dance"

The 1977 introduction to the Chic sound.

[Kat45]

33. The Romantics "What I Like About You"

Unless it wasn't their first?

[tuvor]

34. I think John Mellencamp owes them royalties for that (R.O.C.K. in the USA)

And I think they had one album before that one. But I have been rather ignorant this evening.