Best opening track on an album

[The Red Baron]

My top three, for what it's worth:

3. The Smiths. The Queen is Dead. The Queen is Dead.
2. The Stranglers. Tank. Black and White.
1. The Fall. The Classical. Hex Enduction Hour.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Good calls TRB. Here's mine for tonight.

1. Stone Roses: I Wanna Be Adored
2. Frank Black: Whatever Happened to Pong.
3. Simple Minds: I Travel

Special mentions to
Human League: Almost Medieval
Love: Alone Again Or
Manic Street Preachers: The Everlasting
Pulp: Joyriders
Scott Walker: It's Raining Today.
The The: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow
Velvet Underground: Sunday Morning

[BobG]

There's only one. Smoke on the Water.

BobG

[Donnywolf]

Bat out of Hell    on Album of the same name

Bad for Good      on Album of the same name

[nightporter]

I'm a big fan of Depeche Mode. I love the way they evolved on each album, the 1st track often signaling a new direction. My fav openers are

Black Celebration - Black Celebration

I Feel You - Songs of Faith and Devotion.

Special mention to

Plainsong - Disintergration (the cure) goth national anthem.

Now My Heart is Full - Vauxhall and I - Morrissey

Bad Old Man - Theres Something Going On - Babybird  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iwjIYZo_pg

[ravenrover]

The greatest rock song ever! Without it rock as we know it wouldn't exist I give you
The song Like a Rolling Stone - The album Highway 61 Revisited - THE ARTISTE Bob Dylan ........ vitriol at it's best

[RobTheRover]

3. Love Vigilantes - New Order - Lowlife
2. Infected - The The - Infected
1. I wanna be adored - The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

All of them set the tone for the whole album.

Special mention goes to ...

Make Way - Mongol Horde - Mongol Horde
American Idiot - Green Day - American Idiot
I knew Prufrock before he got famous - Frank Turner - Love, Ire & song

[Glyn_Wigley]

Holidays In The Sun - Never Mind The b*llocks - Sex Pistols
Neat Neat Neat - Damned Damned Damned - The Damned
Irk The Purists - Trouble Over Bridgwater - Half Man Half Biscuit

[Dutch Uncle]

Hotel California, album of the same name
Down to the Waterline on the original Dire Straits album
Suzanne - Songs of Leonard Cohen
Life in a Northern Town - Dream Academy first album

Me stuck in the 70's/80's?..........Nah

[wilts rover]

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zepplin II
21st Century Schizoid Man - Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson
Thunderstruck - The Razor's Edge, AC/DC

[IDM]

Difficult one because there are so many to remember and so many running orders that I forgot.

However, for sure you'll go a long way to beat "Kings of the Wild Frontier" by Adam and the Ants, of the album of the same name...

and of course "Teenage Kicks" as the opener on the Undertones' compilation album "all wrapped up"..

[Crowle Rover]

There's only one. Smoke on the Water.

BobG

Sorry to be pedantic Bob but Smoke On The Water opens side two of Machine Head
Track One,Side One is Highway Star

My 3;
21st century Schizoid Man - King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King
Do The Strand - Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
Rocks Off - Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

Honorable mentions;
Calico Girlfriend - Mike Nesmith And The First National Band - Magnetic South
Raindown - The Enid - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Riff Raff - AC/DC - If You Want Blood You Got It
Black Dog - Led Zeppelin - Four Symbols
Do It Again - Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill

[BobG]

Shit!!! I knew Highway Star was the opener on the other side - I crashed a car rto that once - on the 8 track! I got the sides the wrong way round. Doh..... Thanks for putting me right. Given that, I'm going to change my nomination: Highway Star! Chuffing brilliant heavy rock track. I could crash any vehicle on the planet to that. Alex thinks I'm a bit crackers sometimes because even now I still break out, in my 'orrible off key and off tempo voice , with

'Aint nobody gonna take my car
Gonna race it to the endddd............

Oh what a great track that is.

Down to the Waterline too. Completely different but one I still play.  Not sure you can claim Suzanne though Brian. Music to commit suicide too.....

Was 'Woodstock' ever the first track on an album? Sadly, I've only got the single. Pure 60's and pure genius.

I keep forgetting you're a King Crimson man Wilts. . A good suggestiom. Must be. for some reason I have two copies of that LP!

Bob

[Crowle Rover]

Shit!!! I knew Highway Star was the opener on the other side - I crashed a car rto that once - on the 8 track! I got the sides the wrong way round. Doh..... Thanks for putting me right. Given that, I'm going to change my nomination: Highway Star! Chuffing brilliant heavy rock track. I could crash any vehicle on the planet to that. Alex thinks I'm a bit crackers sometimes because even now I still break out, in my 'orrible off key and off tempo voice , with

'Aint nobody gonna take my car
Gonna race it to the endddd............

Oh what a great track that is.

Down to the Waterline too. Completely different but one I still play.  Not sure you can claim Suzanne though Brian. Music to commit suicide too.....

Was 'Woodstock' ever the first track on an album? Sadly, I've only got the single. Pure 60's and pure genius.

I keep forgetting you're a King Crimson man Wilts. . A good suggestiom. Must be. for some reason I have two copies of that LP!

Bob

Don't know if you've heard the version from Last Concert In Japan lp when David Coverdale was the singer.
He changed the line from "Like a moving mouth body control and everything" to "Shes a great big girl great big knockers and everything"
The Benny Hill of rock!!

[coventryrover]

Welcome to the Jungle = GNR
Smells Like Teen Spirit = Nirvana
Wouldn't it be nice = Beach boys

[drfc1951]

Jungle Jenny ,Penthouse Tapes Alex Harvey band.