The year 1978 was a good one for debut albums. Here are three that kickstarted successful careers and helped catapult these artists to stardom, from critical and commercial successes to chart hits and more.
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The Kick Inside — Kate Bush
Kate Bush‘s 1978 debut album The Kick Inside featured her no. 1 hit “Wuthering Heights” and propelled her to the Top 5 on the U.K. charts. Peaking at no. 3, it was a huge moment for Bush, who had been recording demos in the early 1970s. The album was released when Bush was only 19, after a friend got her in touch with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. He was impressed with her demos, played them for EMI Records, and got her a recording contract.
It was Kate Bush’s talent as a songwriter that really did the work, however. Once she got her foot in the door with Gilmour’s help, she made it clear what she was all about. The Kick Inside featured many prog-rock artists like Duncan Mackay, Ian Bairson, Gilmour, and Stuart Elliott of the Alan Parsons Project. The album also introduced Bush’s use of movement and dance to represent her songs.
Van Halen — Van Halen
Van Halen is widely considered one of the greatest rock debut albums, and it has held up to the test of time. Initially, Van Halen recorded demos around 1976, produced by Gene Simmons. However, the demos failed to catch anyone’s attention. In 1977, after playing a show at Whiskey a Go Go, the band caught the attention of two Warner Bros. record execs. Work began on the debut album that year.
“We didn’t have a ton of material,” said bassist Michael Anthony in 2010, “so we basically just took our live show and all the songs we knew and went for it. The whole album only took a couple of weeks. [Producer] Ted Templeman wanted to make a big, powerful guitar record, and he had all he needed in what Eddie [Van Halen] was doing.”
Toto — Toto
After mostly working as session musicians, Toto broke out on their own with their self-titled debut album. The band blended many genres while remaining rooted in prog and hard rock. Toto was not initially well-received by critics, but soon after its release, the band gained a huge following. Three singles shot up the charts, with “Hold the Line” staying in the Top 10 for six weeks.
In retrospective reviews, critics remained positive. AllMusic posited that “music-making took craft rather than inspiration and that the musical barriers critics like to erect were arbitrary.” Essentially, Toto’s skills as session musicians helped them make music that appealed widely to mainstream radio audiences, which explains their lasting impact.
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