Best "Rock/Pop" Debut Album?


I've been thinking about this for a while and recently rifled through my catalogue to look at some contenders. The criteria I used for selecting the best debut album is based on both impact to the genre and overall musical quality. For example some of the great Rock/Pop bands of the last 45 years didn't exactly come out of the gate swinging grand slams. For example, as great as the Beatles, Stones and even The Who were or are, they're first offering was largely based on covers of American blues and doesn't represent them hitting full stride. Same full stride scenario could also be said for great bands such as Zeppelin, Tull, Aerosmith, Talking Heads, Prince, CSN&Y etc.

Without further ado here is my list:

1. Yes - "Fragile" (Unbelievable debut album. Ushered in a classical sensibility to Rock music that hadn't been tapped into as deeply prior to their arrival on the scene. The muscianship and composition on Fragile is stunning. I put this album as number 1 on my list because of the incredible muscianship and maturity of this first offering)
2. Steely Dan - "Can't Buy A Thrill" (Damn near a flawless debut album. The Dan's influence was huge and made it difficult for critics to even figure how to categorize their style of music)
3. Chicago "Chicago Transit Authority" (Wham they came out of left field and combined horns, percussions and hot guitar licks the likes of which the music scene hadn't witnessed before. Right out of the gate their debut album sounded like it was a veteran work of art)
4. Nirvana - "Nirvana" (What can you say about this debut? It was a solid musical offering with a huge impact on music. Their debut was an invitation to the Grim Reaper for Old School and Hair Spray rock bands. It's influence is still being felt to this day)
5. The Doors - "The Doors" (Unbelievably good debut album. Light My Fire is one of the best Rock songs of all time IMHO. Right out of the gate The Doors brought a style and sound all their own)
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Here are a few more I missed to add to my 60's/70's era list above:

THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION - 'Freak Out'

PINK FLOYD 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'- I bought this when it first came out in 1967. According to Wikipedia "It is now viewed as one of the better debut albums by many critics." I always thought so even though I may have prefered listening to some of their later work.

JETHRO TULL - 'This Was' - still one of my favorite Tull LPs. Saw them perform on their first US tour right after 'Stand Up' came out with Joe Cocker and Jefferson Airplane. Their performance and especially their sound quality was the best I had seen at the time. I was sorry not to see Mick Abrahams perform, much less leave the band, but apparently there were some disagreements about musical direction and he went on to form his own band, Blodwyn Pig. His replacement, Martin Barre turned out to be just fine, however, and a driving force of the band's sound.

JONI MITCHELL - 'Joni Mitchell'- I can't believe no one has mentioned Joni. Then again I can't believe Sex Pistols are on this list...to each his own I guess.

THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA - 'The Inner Mounting Flame' - I wasn't going to mention this one since it moves more into the jazz realm, but since Metralla did I will too. Saw them in their first tour opening for Yes in Denver. I was pretty amazed and to this day am a huge fan of John McLaughlin.
Can't rank em', but remember catching a good buzz offa these:
1st Cars
Patto
The Damned
1st Budgie
Fear/Fear
Juniors Eyes
1st King Crimson
1st Kollektiv
Capt. Beefheart/Safe as Milk
Scorpions/Lonesome Crow
1st Blue Oyster Cult
Great suggestions - I agree w/ most. Audiofeil, etc. lists were home runs - plus Boston, Costello, CSN, Dire Straits, Santana, Dan Fogelberg, Hornsby & the Range, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Neil Young, etc. (although technically some were solo debuts).
Most of the cream has already risen, but I'd add

Cream-Disraeli Gears
Marshall Crenshaw - Eponymously titled debut
Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure
Polyrock - Polyrock (This was Phillip Glass's rock vehicle)
E - A Man Called E
Los Lobos - How Will The Wolf Survive

Many more I'm sure