More Debut Rock Albums YOU Think Are All-Time Greats

Earlier this week I decided to dive into a topic very near and dear to my heart: the best debut albums in rock history.

Granted, a topic as subjective as this one was bound to generate some discussion and even controversy, but I navigated things as best as I could and delivered a list I was sufficiently proud of.

However, after receiving many emails (so many, in fact, that I have not gotten around to answering all of them yet, my apologies), you all have let me know that I made some glaring omissions to the pantheon of rock debuts.

I consider myself a man of the people, so I wanted to make an addendum to the list with some of the most requested additions, chosen by YOU, the reader.

One album cleared all the others in the numerous emails I received by a healthy margin, so I will let you think about which one that is, and I will save it for last.

Without further ado, let's dive back in!

The Doors - The Doors (1967)

I don't want to say I was shocked to see this album pop up on a list of my readers' favorite rock debuts (Hell, one guy picked Jagged Little Pill, which caught me off guard), but it was definitely one that I had largely forgotten about when compared to the rest of the band's catalog.

However, after revisiting The Doors' eponymous debut, I was pleasantly surprised at how cohesive and "fully formed" the outfit sounded this early in their careers.

The opening track, "Break On Through (To The Other Side)," is vintage Jim Morrison, as the mystifying frontman yowls his way through the band's greeting to the music world.

Even the first song on side B, "Back Door Man," sounds like a literal pastiche of every Doors' song ever, so it's crazy they had their signature sound so dialed in even in 1967.

I am a huge Doors fan, so I'm mad I forgot to include this one initially, but I'm happy my readers have shown me the error of my ways.

Facelift - Alice In Chains

If you thought I was shocked to see The Doors make more than one or two appearances in my inbox, I about had my socks knocked off when Facelift was brought up on multiple occasions.

And thank God, too!

Alice In Chains is my favorite band of the '90s Seattle Grunge scene, although their credentials for belonging to the genre are dubious at best.

I've always seen AIC as more of a hard rock/heavy metal outfit who got pigeonholed into the grunge movement by way of geography and drug use, and their debut album is a good example of why this may have been the case.

The album kicks off with an absolute banger, as "We Die Young" features groovy metal riffs and haunting vocals from guitarist Jerry Cantrell and singer Layne Stayley, respectively.

Tracks like "Man In The Box," "Sunshine," "Sea Of Sorrow," and "Bleed The Freak" feature more patented grooves and harmonies that would define the band for the better part of a decade.

This is a gem of a debut album and truly one of the most underrated of the 1990s, so I'm happy to see my readers have such great taste.

The Cars - The Cars (1978)

An argument could be made that 1978 was the best year for debut rock albums in the history of the genre.

I know I'll get some pushback for that statement, but for my personal tastes, some of my favorites were released that year.

Van Halen shocked the world with their pyrotechnic debut (as we have discussed), and The Police and Dire Straits also announced their arrivals on the scenes with seminal freshmen efforts as well.

But the band I saw getting the most love other than the one I will be unveiling below this entry is The Cars, and I'm kicking myself for not including their self-titled debut in my initial list.

The Cars are one of my all-time favorite bands of any genre, and the synth-pop/new wave contributions to their first album are unparalleled.

Tracks like "Moving In Stereo," "You're All I've Got Tonight," and "Good Times Roll" have been woven into the fabric of rock music and are still staples on classic rock radio stations the world over.

If you want a fun story and a little inside baseball, fellow OutKick writer and metal head Matt Reigle and I were actually in a short-lived band together in college, and the first song we all learned how to play together as a unit was The Cars' "Just What I Needed," quite possibly their most famous tune.

This record clearly has a lot of memories tied to it for a guy born 14 years after its release, and it's nice to see it receive some love from my readers.

Boston - Boston (1976)

Ho. Lee. Crap.

Of all the debut albums in rock history that you all could have picked from, Boston's eponymous debut was far and away the most requested of them all.

I kid you not, every single email I received on the subject either included Boston among a list of other albums, or it was the only album in the email.

The difference between this album and the other three on the list, however, is that I'm not the biggest fan of it or the band itself.

Sure, I like Boston fine enough, and they have a few songs that catch my ear from time to time, but unlike The Doors, Alice In Chains, or The Cars, Boston isn't high on my list of "need to listen to."

Regardless, I can't deny the impact this album had on the music industry at large.

I doubt there has ever been or will ever be another debut album more polished or packed with hits than this one.

Many would argue this represents the artistic and commercial zenith of the band, and it's easy to see why.

The album has sold over 17 million copies in the United States alone, and is home to a sizable chunk of their biggest hit songs.

Tracks like "Peace Of Mind" and "Foreplay/Longtime" are legends in their own right, but the album opener, "More Than A Feeling," is nearly ubiquitous, transcending rock and becoming one of the most recognizable songs in music history.

Not bad for "just another band out of Boston."

I may not love the album like others do, but dammit do I respect it and the absolute monster it became in the late 70s.

Thanks again for reading my initial list and providing the feedback that allowed me to make a second one of these.

You guys and gals are incredible, and you allow me to really enjoy doing this stuff.

I'm already looking forward to the next one of these articles that has my email inbox full of fans ready to discuss the finer things in life.

Until then, keep on rockin'!