The first song of an album can stand out in a variety of ways.
From introducing an artist to the music industry and fans to defining the melody that follows.
For some music fans, it’s kind of hard to sit down and listen to an entire album.
On the other hand, Rock / Metal fans will not only listen to the whole album but will put it in repeat, until their ears are exhausted.
However, the record companies, wanting to reach the first category of listeners, choose a song as an album opener.
Of course, the record companies’ point of view may not always be the right one …
However, we chose the best opening songs, based, of course, on our own preferences!
The Songs
- The Doors – Break On Through (To the Other Side) {Album: The Doors / Year: 1967}
- King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man {Album: In the Court of the Crimson King / Year: 1969}
- Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love {Album: Led Zeppelin II / Year: 1969}
- Black Sabbath – War Pigs {Album: Paranoid / Year: 1970}
- The Who – Baba O’Riley {Album: Who’s Next / Year: 1971}
- Uriah Heep – The Wizard {Album: Demons and Wizards / Year: 1972}
- Night Sun – Plastic Shotgun {Album: Mournin’ / Year: 1972}
- Iggy and the Stooges – Search and Destroy {Album: Raw Power / Year: 1973}
- Rainbow – Man on the Silver Mountain {Album: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow / Year: 1975}
- Queen – We Will Rock You {Album: News of the World / Year: 1977}
- Van Halen – Runnin’ with the Devil {Album: Van Halen / Year: 1978}
- The Clash – London Calling {Album: The Clash / Year: 1979}
- AC/DC – Hells Bells {Album: Back in Black / Year: 1980}
- Rush – Tom Sawyer {Album: Moving Pictures / Year: 1981}
- Venom – Black Metal {Album: Black Metal / Year: 1982}
- ZZ Top – Gimme All Your Lovin {Album: Eliminator / Year: 1983}
- Dio – Stand Up And Shout {Album: Holy Diver / Year: 1983}
- Metallica – Creeping Death {Album: Ride the Lightning / Year: 1984}
- Iron Maiden – Caught Somewhere in Time {Album: Somewhere in Time/ Year: 1986}
- Guns N’ Roses – Welcome to the Jungle {Album: Appetite for Destruction / Year: 1987}
- Testament – Practice What You Preach {Album: Practice What You Preach / Year: 1989}
- Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole {Album: Pretty Hate Machine/ Year: 1990}
- Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit {Album: Nevermind / Year: 1991}
- Megadeth – Skin o’ My Teeth {Album: Countdown to Extinction / Year: 1992}
- Type O Negative – Black No. 1 {Album: Bloody Kisses / Year: 1993}
- Rotting Christ – The Fifth Illusion {Album: Non Serviam / Year: 1994}
- Ozzy Osbourne – Perry Mason {Album: Ozzmosis/ Year: 1995}
- My Dying Bride – Like Gods of the Sun {Album: Like Gods of the Sun / Year: 1996}
- Soilwork – Follow The Hollow {Album: Natural Born Chaos / Year: 2002}
- Lamb Of God – Ruin {Album: As the Palaces Burn / Year: 2003}
- Dream Theater – As I am {Album: Train Of Thought /Year: 2003}
- Neurosis – Burn {Album: The Eye Of Every Storm /Year: 2004 }
- Satyricon – Now, Diabolical {Album: Now, Diabolical /Year: 2006}
- Machine Head – Clenching the fist of Descent {Album: The Blackening /Year: 2007}
- Amon Amarth – Twilight Of The Thunder God {Album: Twilight of the Thunder God / Year: 2008}
- Triptykon – Goetia {Album: Eparistera Daimones / Year: 2010}
- Mastodon – Black Tongue {Album: The Hunter /Year: 2011}
- Woods Of Ypers – Lightning & Snow {Album: Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light /Year: 2012}
- Cult of Luna – A Greater Call {Album: Mariner /Year: 2016}
- Amenra – Children of the Eye {Album: Mass VI /Year: 2017}
- YOB – Adlaze {Album: Our Raw Heart /Year: 2018}
- Automaton – Trap In Darkness {Album: Talos /Year: 2018}
- Morne – To The Night Unknown {Album: To The Night Unknown /Year: 2018}
- Rammstein – Deutschland {Album: Untitled / Year: 2019}
- White Ward – Love Exchange Failure {Album: Love Exchange Failure /Year: 2019}
- Haken – Prosthetic {Album: Virus /Year: 2020}
- Katatonia – Heart Set To Divine {Album: City Burials / Year: 2020}
- Dominia – I Want To Forget (Album: The Withering of the Rose / Year: 2020}
- Marilyn Manson – Red, Black and Blue (Album: We Are Chaos / Year: 2020}
Now whether or not the choice of the above was correct, this can be judged by everyone from their own point of view and not only from the positions of the charts!
