From 1979 to present, which bands / solo artists had the best debut albums ?

[Belligerent Ghoul]

In no particular order:

The Smiths - s/t
Morrissey - Viva Hate
Bjork - Debut
R.E.M. - Murmur
Sade - Diamond Life
Yaz - Upstairs at Eric's
Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell
The La's - s/t
The Libertines - Up The Bracket
U2 - Boy
Pet Shop Boys - Please
Franz Ferdinand - s/t
Vampire Weekend - s/t
Violent Femmes - s/t
Postal Service - Give Up
Madonna - s/t
M.I.A. - Arular
Pearl Jam - Ten
Erasure - Wonderland
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
The Stone Roses - s/t
The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Strokes - Is This It
The B-52's - s/t
A-ha - Hunting High and Low
The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

more to follow

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

Holy f***...I forgot MURMUR! Good call.

 

[Anonymous]

i almost put murmur on but i just find reckoning to be so much better that i had to take it off.

 

[Anonymous]

The B'52s - Self titled

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

The Stone Roses - Self titled

The Breeders - Pod

Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy

Ride - Nowhere

The Pixies - Surfer Rosa

The Streets - Original Pirate Material

Oasis - Definitely Maybe

The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge

Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

Counting Crows - August and Everything After

Agree

 

[Anonymous]

In no particular order:

The Smiths - s/t
Morrissey - Viva Hate
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
The Libertines - Up The Bracket
Franz Ferdinand - s/t
Postal Service - Give Up
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
The Stone Roses - s/t
The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Strokes - Is This It

 

[marred]

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

In addition to the 27 debut albums, I already posted...three more:

Beastie Boys - License to Ill

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

 

[Chickpea]

In addition to the 27 debut albums, I already posted...three more:

Beastie Boys - License to Ill

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

Do you consider Off The Wall MJ's solo debut? I know a lot of people do since it was certainly the first album where he had creative control (where the others were essentially just engineered to promote him as an adolescent singer separate from the rest of the J5), but it was actually his 5th "solo" release. Either way, it's a truly great record. Better than Thriller, IMO.

Huge fan of all three of those groups/artists, btw. I keep trying to make a list to reply to this thread, but it has like 75 albums on it. Haha.

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

^^^^^
That's a good point. I just wrote an essay. Then, I realized it's for the reasons you say...creative control. Still, it makes me want to visit / re-visit that middle space between J5 and full fledged solo artist.

 

[MozRecording]

Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill

I would think of that as their 2nd album. Most folks ignore their punk output that was rerelease later.

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

I would think of that as their 2nd album. Most folks ignore their punk output that was rerelease later.

No argument from me. #1

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-debut-albums-of-all-time-20130322

 

[Anonymous]

Titles preceded by an asterisk belong to my favorites.

*The Pop Group: Y
Rickie Lee Jones: self-titled
Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material
*The B-52's: self-titled
The Fall: Live at the Witch Trials
Robert Fripp: Exposure
*Gang of Four: Entertainment!
The Raincoats: self-titled
*Joe Jackson: Look Sharp!
The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms
*Colin Newman: A-Z
*X: Los Angeles
*The Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
*Pylon: Gyrate
*The Durutti Column: The Return of...
*Polyrock: self-titled
The Teardrop Explodes: Kilimanjaro
Echo And The Bunnymen: Crocodiles
The Flying Lizards: self-titled
Pretenders: self-titled
The Monochrome Set: Strange Boutique
*Television Personalities: And Don't the Kids Just Love It
Psychedelic Furs: self-titled
Bauhaus: In the Flat Field
*The Gun Club: Fire of Love
Black Flag: Damaged
Penguin Cafe Orchestra: self-titled
*The Dream Syndicate: Days Of Wine And Roses
*R.E.M.: Murmur
Violent Femmes: self-titled
Swans: Filth
*Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: From Her to Eternity
*The Smiths: self-titled
Cyndi Lauper: She's So Unusual
*Mary Margaret O'Hara: Miss America
*Arcade Fire: Funeral
Joanna Newsom: The Milk-Eyed Mender
Anna Calvi: self-titled

 

[Hadrian]

The list above is mine — I forgot to write my nickname. I also forgot to mention other three great debut albums: "Silvertone" by Chris Isaak, "The Lion and the Cobra" by Sinéad O'Connor and "Down Colorful Hill" by Red House Painters.

 

[Anonymous]

JAMC- Psychocandy
James - Stutter
The Auteurs - New Wave
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Joy Division -Unknown Pleasures
The Strokes - Is this It

 

[Old Mathew]

Some great albums on these lists. Surprised no one has listed:

Liz Phair -- Exile in Guyville

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

Some great albums on these lists. Surprised no one has listed:

Liz Phair -- Exile in Guyville

oh, it would have made my list could I have been bothered to go back and put more than one album on it

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

 

[Chickpea]