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)
128x128dawgbyte
"Astral Weeks" was Van Morrison's second album released in 1968.

The first, "Blowin' Your Mind" was released in 1967.
I narrowed my list to my top 5 that perhaps had the most impact in my muscial tastes:

Dire Straits
Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
Pearl Jam - 10
Chris Whitley - Living with the Law
Keane - Hopes and Fears - A Stunning debut IMHO (if you've not heard this CD, buy it now!)

Cyndi Lauper - She's so Unusual - 80's icon - Hugely Successful debut

Fat Parrot - Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Debut is not her debut album; prior to this release, Alanis was singing bubblegum tunes like Tiffany....

Calgarian
More corrections not yet noted by others:

Harrison's solo debut was "Wonderwall Music" on Apple in '68.

Morrison's solo debut was "Blowin' Your Mind" on Bang in '67.

As Ben came close to pointing out, Nirvana's debut was "Bleach" on SubPop in (can you believe it?!) '89.

(BTW, that "My Sharona" song really began a long and storied career for The Knack, didn't it?)

Audiofeil has kindly corrected a few others, now I'll return the favor:

"Pick Up The Pieces" was a single off of AWB's '74 Atlantic debut simply entitled Average White Band, but they had an earlier album on MCA, '73's "Show Your Hands".

"Centerfield" (WB '85) was John Fogerty's third solo album, after "John Fogerty & The Blue Ridge Rangers" (Fantasy '73 -- there was no band named The Blue Ridge Rangers, it was just Fogerty) and "John Fogerty" (Asylum '75)

Anyway, this list could obviously go on and on, but some other notable debuts I don't think were mentioned above are Elvis Presley, "Here's Little Richard", The Ramones, The Pretenders, The New York Dolls, Moby Grape, Gene Clark (solo debut after leaving the Byrds), The Dead Kennedys "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables", The Dictators "Go Girl Crazy", The Modern Lovers, NRBQ, The Monkees, The B-52s, Pink Floyd "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn", Television, Wire "Pink Flag", The Cars, The Mothers "Freak Out", The Stooges, Derek & The Dominoes...I'll stop before I list a hundred more...

FWIW, IMO "Are You Experienced?" is probably the most world-changing debut LP ever released, only 'cause The Beatles did it more with singles at the beginning (as did most artists prior to The Beatles).
astral weeks is not a debut

I thought that might be the case, since "Brown Eyed Girl" had come first. Shame on me for trusting Amazon

By the way, I vote Zaikesman forum hall monitor. :-)