Best opening tracks?

First song that popped into my mind when I saw this thread. Nice choice.

 

Nirvana - "Smells like Teen Spirit" from "Nevermind"

Michael Jackson - "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " from "Thriller"

KISS - "Detroit Rock City" from "Destroyer"

Also agree with "Welcome To The Jungle" from GNR

 

The four that popped into my mind immediately upon seeing the thread title:

"Thunder Road' - Bruce Springsteen (Born to Run, Live 1975-85)
"Like a Rolling Stone" - Bob Dylan (Highway 61 Revisited)
"Badlands" - Springsteen (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
"Tangled Up In Blue" - Dylan (Blood on the Tracks)

Other top contenders (Springsteen division)
"Blinded By the Light" (Greetings from Asbury Park)
"E Street Shuffle" (Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle)
"Born in the USA" (Born in the USA)
"Better Days" (Lucky Town)
"Ties That Bind" (The River)


Other top contenders (non-Springsteen division)
Windfall - Son Volt (Trace)
Jerusalem - Dan Bern (Dan Bern)
Beautiful Disaster - Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers (Honky Tonk Union)
Broke Down - Slaid Cleaves (Broke Down)
Jealous Stars - Rod Picott (Summerbirds)
Rockin' All Over the World - John Fogerty (John Fogerty)
To the Dogs Or Whomever - Josh Ritter (Historical Conquests of)
Timebomb - Old 97s (Too Far To Care)

 

Stones division:

"Rocks Off" - Exile On Main St.
"Start Me Up" - Tattoo You

"Holidays In the Sun" - Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bollocks
"Fuel" - Metallica, Reload

 

"Jet Airliner," Steve Miller.

"Loan Me a Dime," Boz Skaggs.

 

Here's a few of mine

To Be Young is to Be Sad — Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker
Debaser — Pixies, Doolittle
I Will Dare — The Replacements, Let it Be
Timebomb — Old 97s, Too Far to Care
Gloria — Patti Smith, Horses
New York, New York — Ryan Adams, Gold
Misunderstood — Wilco, Being There
Wilco (the song) — Wilco, Wilco (the album)
No Replay — The Beatles, Beatles for Sale
Me and Mia — Ted Leo, Shake the Sheets
Coma Girl — Joe Strummer, Streetcore
Kissing the Lipless — The Shines, Chutes too Narrow
Teenage Riot — Sonic Youth, Daydreeam Nation
Begin the Begin — R.E.M., Life's Rch Pageant
Mass Romantic — New Pornographers, Mass Ronatic
The Way You Move, Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a gravel Road
Two of Us — The Beatles, Let it Be
Waiting for the Sun — The Jayhawks, Hollywood Town Hall
Won't Be Home — Old 97s, Drag it Up

And for the High Fidelity Fans out there:
Rob it's your turn. 2>Ok, I'm feeling kinda basic today. Top five side ones, track ones. Janey Jones, Clash, from the Clash. Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye, From Let's Get It On. Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit, from Nevermind. 3> No. No. Rob, that's not obivious at all, why not Point of No return from Point of No Return. 2> Ok, just shut up! White Light, White Heat, Velvet Underground. 1> That would definitely be on my list. 3> Though not on mine. 2> Last one is Under Attack, No Protection, the ablum is Radiation, Ruling the Nation. 3> Awww, kinda of a new record, very- 4> uh excuse me-3> in a minute very nice rob, a sly declaration of new classic status slipped in with a couple of old safe ones, very PUSSY!

 

Someone mentioned Straight Outta Compton by NWA. How did I not think of that? One our main cruising songs in small town Kentucky in high school.

 

Trina Magna (off Save His Soul, an album 100 percent better than Four) is jealous.

 

"Baba O'Riley" - The Who, Who's Next
"Slip Kid" - The Who, Who By Numbers
"Sweet Jane" - Lou Reed, Rock N Roll Animal
"Just Another Night" - Ian Hunter, You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic (followed by "Wild East" and "Cleveland Rocks", an absolutely killer threesome to start)
"Modern Love" - Bowie, Let's Dance

 

For those of you watching in black and white, this one's in technicolor....

I'd throw in Psychokiller from the Heads' concert album.

But the hands-down greatest opening song of all time is also the greatest debut song of all time:

Radio Free Europe (if you don't know who sung that, you don't belong on this thread!)

 

Welcome to the Jungle was the one that really jumps out at me.