Imagine being such a good musician that your debut is already a solid and legendary piece of work on its own! This is far from an easy task, even for the most talented rock outfit ever. Whether you’re a fan of classic prog-rock or a diehard punk rock lover, these are five of the best debut rock albums of all time. And this list isn’t exhaustive, of course.
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1. ‘My Generation’ by The Who
Pop was already clearly defined by the time The Who decided to kick down the doors of that definition in 1965. The release of My Generation was a pretty big deal. Bands like The Beatles had set the tone in pop music with their own brand of songwriting. The Who decided to put even more of a hard rock, power pop energy out there with this album. And we’re glad they did.
2. ‘This Is It’ by The Strokes
This is by far one of the best debut rock albums to come out of the 21st century. And it’s one that set the mood for the garage rock revival movement that kicked off in the 2000s. If you have an indie rock favorite from this era or shortly after, chances are they were inspired by This Is It by The Strokes.
3. ‘The Clash’ by The Clash
The Clash may be best known for their 1979 record London Calling, but their debut record from 1977 is nothing to sneeze at. This self-titled album’s debut was a powerful one that perfectly captures the cultural and political anxieties and motions in London at the time.
It’s a hopeful punk rock record, but one that is realistic about how much people were being beaten down by the world around them. “White Riot” might be the most recognizable song on this album, but the whole thing is essential listening in our opinion.
4. ‘Are You Experienced?’ by Jimi Hendrix
Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix has to be one of the (if not the) best debut rock albums of all time. Hendrix had already made a pretty hefty name for himself as a psychedelic rock guitar legend by the time this record came out in 1967, but its release really catapulted the young rock icon to fame.
If you were around at this time, you know all too well that nothing sounded like this particular record.
5. ‘Definitely Maybe’ by Oasis
Oasis’ debut album Definitely Maybe was a little bit ahead of its time in 1994. That’s quite a compliment, considering that they were a Britpop band seeking movement in a massive sea of other Britpop bands at the time. Definitely Maybe, in more ways than one, defined the whole of the genre.
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