The 10 best debut releases by bands
From Jimi Hendrix to Arctic Monkeys, many prominent artists have burst onto the scene with a first release of such potency that it manages to change the course of their career whilst having an indelible effect on culture.
When we say first release, we’re stretching it to mean a body of work, which can be an EP, album or compilation. As a listener, if you cast your mind on the matter, there is an extensive list of examples from days long since passed and the contemporary era. Perhaps the most impactful recent example is Wet Leg’s eponymous 2022 debut album. Whilst preceded by singles, to present it as their first body of work was quite something. Accordingly, fans wonder what direction they’ll take in the future, as their arc has just begun.
This spectrum ranges from popular hits such as this to more influential underground releases such as the debut EPs by Ian MacKaye’s respective outfits, Minor Threat and Fugazi. Whilst these efforts had a definitive impact on the trajectory of punk music, they would also go on to permeate alternative music as a whole, with both cited as widely significant today. Now that’s what you call impact.
Without further ado, today we’ve listed the ten best first releases by bands. Expect to revisit some corkers.
The 10 best debut releases by bands:
10. Pixies – Come on Pilgrim (1987)
1987’s Come on Pilgrim is the debut EP by American alternative rock pioneers, Pixies, released in September 1987 by 4AD. It kicked off everything for the band, which is incredibly meaningful as they were to have a monumental impact on alternative rock’s development and its convergence with the masses. Famously, they also greatly impacted Nirvana, who may or may not have lifted an element of their sound.
In March 1987, Pixies checked in to Boston’s Fort Apache Studios with its owner/producer, Gary Smith, and produced a 17-song cassette, which would later be known as The Purple Tape. Featuring cuts such as ‘Caribou’, ‘Vamos’ and ‘Nimrod’s Son’, it eventually found its way to the co-founder and President of the influential British label 4AD, Ivo Watts-Russel, who immediately “adored it”.
He signed Pixies based on the quality of the recordings, trimmed it down to eight songs and released it as Come On Pilgrim. After their career’s later brilliance, such as 1988’s Surfer Rosa and 1989’s Doolittle, the remaining nine songs were released as the 2002 EP Pixies.
9. Strokes – The Modern Age (2001)
New Yorkers The Strokes are one of the most consequential outfits of the 21st century. With their arrival, the band signalled the cultural tidal wave that was the garage rock/post-punk revival of the 2000s, which all started with their January 2001 debut EP, The Modern Age. At the time of the release – which came via Rough Trade – the group had been building a buzz for some time after forming in 1998, and this collection of three songs, ‘The Modern Age’, ‘Last Nite’ and ‘Barely Legal’, confirmed the hype.
Famously, it sparked a giant bidding war between the major labels, the largest engulfing a rock band for years. After a period of intense decision-making, The Strokes were eventually snapped up by their longtime home RCA. They released their now-iconic debut album Is This It in July 2001, with the songs from the EP recorded with slightly different lyrics and structures. The quintet would enjoy a largely fruitful time on RCA, a label with which they are still associated.
8. Buzzcocks – Spiral Scratch (1977)
January 1977’s Spiral Scratch EP is one of the most influential records of the decade and a cornerstone of punk. This actual first release by Buzzcocks is one of the earliest of the British first wave, preceded only by The Damned’s single ‘New Rose’, the Sex Pistols ‘Anarchy in the UK’, and the first two Vibrators singles, all from late the previous year. It’s even more significant as it is the only studio release by Buzzcocks to feature original frontman Howard Devoto before he left to form Magazine.
Comprised of ‘Breakdown’ and ‘Time’s Up’ on side one and ‘Boredom’ and ‘Friends of Mine’ on the other, it’s a powerful debut, with the opening tracks of both sides among the very best the Pete Shelley-led band released. Recorded on a 16-track, per Devoto, “It took three hours (to record), with another two for mixing.” Factory Records whizz Martin Hannett produced it.
In true DIY fashion, the band borrowed £500 from friends and family to pay for the recording and pressing. Released on their New Hormones label, it also made Buzzcocks the first punk group to set up an independent record label, another noteworthy moment. Despite all odds, the quality of the music became a success, selling out its initial batch of 1,000 copies fast and going on to shift 16,000, with the help of Manchester’s Virgin store, whose manager persuaded other regional managers to pick the record up. A classic in every sense.
7. Suede – Suede (1993)
It’s rare that a band releases a handful of singles and then goes for it by dropping a debut album, yet, London’s Suede were never ones to be dissuaded from their path. Their self-titled debut album, one of the most important of the 1990s and one of the best the group has released, was preceded by three classic singles, ‘The Drowners’, ‘Metal Mickey’ and ‘Animal Nitrate’. Unsurprisingly, all three helped create a buzz across the 12 months before Suede was released.
Even before the album arrived, they were dubbed “The Best New Band in Britain” by the now-defunct Melody Maker, with the level of hype engulfing them compared to titans such as The Smiths and even the Sex Pistols. Suede didn’t disappoint either, with the likes of ‘So Young’ and ‘She’s Not Dead’ featured. Their blend of David Bowie-esque glam and classic British indie was incredibly influential for their generation and subsequent ones. The album and band have aged like a fine wine, still going strong today.
6. Arctic Monkeys – Beneath the Boardwalk (2004)
We may be pushing the criteria here. Most of why Arctic Monkeys enjoyed such a buzz and became a hit when they released their 2006 debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, can be attributed to this unofficial collection of 18 demo recordings by the band. It comprises the songs they burned onto CDs to give away for free at gigs.
This collection emerged online in 2004 after a fan compiled the various CDs and was file-shared amongst fans. A buzz quickly ensued, through people actually knowing their songs at gigs. It might sound simple, but boy, was it effective. It led to their debut album becoming the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history and hailed as one of the greatest of all time.
Speaking to Prefix Magazine in 2005, drummer Matt Helders explained: “We used to record demos and then just burn them onto CDs and give them away at gigs. Obviously, there weren’t many demos available, so people used to share them on the internet, which was a good way for everyone to hear it. So we used to share — not us personally, we don’t even know how to do it — but fans did. There’s a guy who has come along to film us — two guys, actually; one of them is the main guy who put the songs on the internet.”
He continued: “So the fans just used to send them to each other, which didn’t bother us because we never made those demos to make money or anything. We were giving them away free anyway — that was a better way for people to hear them. And it made the gigs better, because people knew the words and came and sang along. We can’t complain about it.”
Boasting early demos of future classics such as ‘Scummy’, which became ‘When The Sun Goes Down’, ‘Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ and ‘Still Take You Home’, after nearly 20 years, it is still incredible that teenagers wrote such an accomplished batch of songs.
5. Minor Threat – Minor Threat (1981)
Outside of the first wave of punk, DC’s Minor Threat make a strong claim to be the most influential group the genre has ever seen. Led by the eminent Ian MacKaye, it is truly astounding that in just three short years, between 1980 and 1983, they changed the trajectory of punk and helped set it on a better course, one far removed from the parody it had become by the end of the 1970s.
The band championed DIY ethics, and with their 1981 debut EP Minor Threat, they set a standard for hardcore. Adding to this, the song ‘Straight Edge’ formed the basis of the straight edge movement, an almost religious subculture, promoting a lifestyle of alcohol and drug abstinence and no promiscuous sex. Groundbreaking musically and philosophically, alongside releases by other DC heroes such as Bad Brains, it re-energised punk. Oh, and it also comes with an iconic artwork.
4. Fugazi – Fugazi (1988)
From one Ian MacKaye release to another, this 1988 release was the first arrival from his post-Minor Threat outfit, Fugazi. The band also featured former Rites of Spring lead Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, the latter also formerly of Rites of Spring. The first chapter in the story of the most influential post-hardcore act of all time set a precedent by including two songs still considered their best, ‘Waiting Room’ and ‘Glue Man’. The former is widely believed to be their quintessential cut.
The EP was originally recorded in June 1988 and released in November that year, before it and the ensuing EP Margin Walker were released together as 13 Songs, a highly lauded compilation. Fugazi – also known as 7 Songs – had an extraordinary impact. From Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil claiming that they would listen to the cassette of it on tour to punk hero Walter Shcreifels of Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, and Quicksand ranking it as the best post-hardcore album of all time for Revolver, you don’t have to go far to find its influence.
3. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin I (1969)
An absolute masterpiece, Led Zeppelin I arrived in January 1969 when the band hadn’t released any singles, with its only two, ‘Good Times Bad Times’ backed by ‘Communication Breakdown’, coming jointly in March. It doesn’t take a genius to understand how significant this album was for music and popular culture. Indicating how quickly things moved for the band, it was recorded across September and October 1968 at London’s Olympic Studios, shortly after they formed.
The album comprises original material the quartet constructed in their first rehearsals and new versions of blues and folk pieces. It features famous cuts such as ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘You Shook Me’, two songs that originated with other artists.
The recording sessions occurred before the band had even secured a recording contract. They were paid for by their founder and guitarist, Jimmy Page and manager, Peter Grant, for a total of £1,782 – equivalent to £31,203 in today’s money. They were produced by Page, mixed by Glyn Johns, and packaged by the iconic photograph of the Hindenburg disaster. A marvellous way to sound their coming; things would only get better for Led Zeppelin.
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced (1967)
May 1967 saw The Jimi Hendrix Experience release their debut album, Are You Experienced, one of the greatest albums the pioneering guitarist released, with the UK version featuring cuts such as ‘Foxy Lady’, ‘Manic Depression’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Red House’. The first body of work Hendrix released was preceded by the singles ‘Hey Joe’, ‘Purple Haze’, and ‘The Wind Cries Mary’, meaning that by the time it was released, Hendrix was primed to take over the world.
The North American version is undoubtedly the best, featuring the singles that preceded it, but regardless of edition, it is one of the most significant albums ever released. The introduction to Jimi Hendrix’s short but momentous career; without this release, he wouldn’t have become one of the ultimate pop culture icons and one of his generation’s definitive stars. A blend of hard rock and psychedelia, it was majorly influential, with it remarkable that this was just his first album. Such was the gravity of his talent.
1. Nirvana – Bleach (1989)
June 15th, 1989, welcomed the dawn of Nirvana, a band that would change the course of popular music in just over two years. Bleach is their debut studio album, preceded only by their single ‘Love Buzz’, a cover of Dutch psych-rock band Shocking Blue, which came in November 1988. After releasing the single, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Chad Channing rehearsed for nearly three weeks to prepare for recording Bleach, with sessions taking place between December and January 1989. It became the only Nirvana album released on Sub Pop and the only one to feature Channing.
Whilst it didn’t chart upon release, it became an underground hit, thanks to cuts such as ‘About a Girl’, ‘Blew’ and ‘School’. After Nirvana released their era-defining second record Nevermind in 1991 via Geffen, Bleach was reissued and charted on both sides of the Atlantic. A sludgy blend of pop melodies and punk, Nirvana laid the foundations for the cultural importance of their following two albums on their debut. Not long after, Kurt Cobain would become an icon, mentioned in the same breath as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, a marvellous feat for someone whose time in the sun was so tragically short.
