What is the best album opener ever?

[portiss]

So lets see, what is in your opinion, the best opening song of any album of all time?

[portiss]

I'll kick off.

Cinematic Orchestra - To Build A Home

So hauntingly beautiful. Tear up every time.

[Josh]

13 year old me: "Welcome to the Jungle", Guns 'n' Roses, obviously!

Me now: "Welcome to the Jungle", I think. Maybe. I dunno.

[Orbited insanitarium]

Check out an album called ‘chemistry is what we are’ by a group called simian, the opening track ‘drop and roll’ is simply fantastic, there’s a lofi build up before a well produced trippy pay off at 1min 32 seconds. The whole album is great!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r8w_MNbcxgM

[NTFMTS]

either this

or this

[rodox_head]

"Bust A Move" by Infected Mushroom from the "Classical Mushroom" album. It honestly kind of sets a high bar for the rest of the album, but I can't imagine it not being the first track.

Runner up would be "Mr. Self Destruct" by Nine Inch Nails from "The Downward Spiral".

[SamuraiDrifter]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues from F#A#. The opening monologue.

Modest Mouse - Horn Intro/The World at Large/Float On, from Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

BOC always have incredible openings, my favorite might be Gemini from TH.

[mechanismj]

Good call on the Queens of the Stone Age track.

I will add
Boards of Canada - Wildlife Analysis
Rush - 2112 Overture
Depeche Mode - In Chains (This is the opener for Sounds of the Universe. It sounds like a synth orchestra tuning up getting ready for a performance. Love that concept.)

[rodox_head]

Depeche Mode - In Chains (This is the opener for Sounds of the Universe. It sounds like a synth orchestra tuning up getting ready for a performance. Love that concept.)

Its like the complete opposite to how Playing the Angel opens with "A Pain That I'm Used To". Have you heard the Alan Wilder mix of In Chains btw? That one sounds amazing.

[sandrail]

Slowdive killed it with Slomo in their 2017 album.

[bungler666]

Talking Heads - Born Under Punches.
Great way to open one of the best albums of all time.

[NTFMTS]

Good call on the Queens of the Stone Age track.

I will add
Boards of Canada - Wildlife Analysis
Rush - 2112 Overture
Depeche Mode - In Chains (This is the opener for Sounds of the Universe. It sounds like a synth orchestra tuning up getting ready for a performance. Love that concept.)

I love the above, and yeah the qotsa intro always gets me super stoked. They are great at opening and closing an album and stitching in a concept in some way.

Also I agree about Born Under Punches by Talking Heads. Excellent track & Incredible record!

[Waterbagel]

Talking Heads - Born Under Punches.
Great way to open one of the best albums of all time.

I only 'found' this album pretty recently! And I agree - fantastic! really sets the (quick) pace for the whole record

Gemini might be my favorite BOC opener

What Life Is by Rubblebucket off 2018's Sun Machine might be one of my faves

Golden Age off Beck's Sea Change, iamundernodisguise from SVIIB's Alpinisms, Only Shallow from MBV's Loveless, Wesley's Theory off Kendrick Lamar's TPAB, ... hard to pick!

maybe they're just my faves; I don't know that I'd argue that any of them are the 'best'

[squid]

Play by Play by Autre Ne Veut is an absolutely incredible track and opener.

Also, the title track from Bowie's Station to Station. Possibly his best track, which is very high praise.

Some others perhaps not quite on the same level, but worthy of a mention: Everything In It's Right Place by Radiohead, Let It Happen by Tame Impala, This Blue World by Elbow, Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) by Arcade Fire, Angel by Massive Attack, Black Sea by Fennesz, One Crowded Hour by Augie March, minipops & Xtal by Aphex Twin

[rodox_head]

Some more rock-oriented ones I think are worth mentioning. I'm not sure if I'd call them "the best" but they sure kick off their albums:
Don't Fall - The Chameleons
Jenny Was A Friend of Mine - The Killers
Spring Collection - The Vapors
Acceleration Group - The Sound
Dalej - Belgrado
Группа крови - Кино
Red Light - Wall of Voodoo
The Holy Hour - The Cure
Shut Up - Savages
Little Girls - Oingo Boingo (having that be the opening track to your debut LP alone makes it worth mentioning)

[Radiobuzz]

Some others perhaps not quite on the same level, but worthy of a mention: Everything In It's Right Place by Radiohead

I was thinking exactly the same, but not for the whole track but rather the first few seconds where is just silence and that awesome keyboard hits loud, so freaking good.

[portiss]

Some others perhaps not quite on the same level, but worthy of a mention: Everything In It's Right Place by Radiohead

I was thinking exactly the same, but not for the whole track but rather the first few seconds where is just silence and that awesome keyboard hits loud, so freaking good.

The first few seconds surely set a mood.

[A_Northern_Soul]

So many good options:

Wildlife Analysis, Ready Lets Go are both great in setting the mood. The slow burn of the Roses' I Wanna Be Adored, the one-two of Leather & Girls on Death in Vegas' Scorpio Rising, Only Shallow (tap, tap, tap, tap, ROAR), but for setting the tone of the album that follows and acting as a great 1st track on approximately half of mixtapes, compilations and playlists I've made for people since 1999:

[Waterbagel]

Also, the title track from Bowie's Station to Station. Possibly his best track, which is very high praise.

YES. this and Blackstar. so strong

and thanks for the reminder of Mogwai! haven't listened to them in a while.. time to turn that on!

[mechanismj]

Also, the title track from Bowie's Station to Station. Possibly his best track, which is very high praise.

YES. this and Blackstar. so strong

and thanks for the reminder of Mogwai! haven't listened to them in a while.. time to turn that on!

Good call on both those Bowie tracks!