A new countdown: BEST DEBUT ALBUMS #50-41. More: tomorrow.

A Caffè  Lattè spotlight on:

 

THE TOP 50

BEST DEBUT ALBUMS

 

Some recording acts evolve with each album. Others make a splash from their first release. Caffè Lattè looks back on 50 debut albums that were worthy of praise and proved to be an effective introduction to the performers.  

 

50

LOOK SHARP!

Joe Jackson

1979

Joe Jackson would continue demonstrating his versatility with each successive LP. His debut leaned more in the new wave / punk style and offered the tracks “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”, “Sunday Papers” and “Fools In Love”.

 

49

THE CARS

The Cars

1978

Album cuts such as “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Just What I Needed” and “Good Times Roll” helped attract new fans to the group from Boston.

 

48

LIVING IN THE 70’s

Skyhooks

1974

At the time of this LP’s release, no other Australian group had helped carve out a domestic identity. Songs like the title track and “Horror Movie” were quirky. “Smut” and “You Just Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good In Bed” pushed boundaries. Instead of Aussie bands singing about foreign locations, Skyhooks sang about Melbourne suburbs (“Balwyn Calling”), “Toorak Cowboy” and “Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo”).

47

MR. TAMBOURINE MAN

The Byrds

1965

After wisely covering Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” and achieving a global hit, The Byrds showcased their skill with other remakes and included some original compositions written by band members on its first album release.

 

46

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Men At Work

1981

Men At Work played a major role in paving the way for a diverse range of Australian musical exports. The group’s debut album topped the Australian, American, British and Canadian charts: unheard of before 1981. This disc contained the #1s “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?” as well as the Top 10 hit “Be Good Johnny”.

 

45

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT

Pat Benatar

1979

Female rocker Pat Benatar had us all sitting up and noticing her powerful vocal range on her debut LP. This was applied to tracks such as “Heartbreaker”, “We Live For Love” and a remake of John Cougar Mellencamp’s “I Need A Lover”.

 

44

THE BOYS LIGHT UP

Australian Crawl

1980

Australian Crawl stood out from their pub rock contemporaries. This was evident from the start. Its debut album dealt with thought-provoking themes and moods, as demonstrated on the title track, “Beautiful People”, Downhearted”, “Indisposed” and the ballad “Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mama”.

 

43

MY AIM IS TRUE

Elvis Costello

1977

Elvis Costello arrived and looked like an oddball punk rocker. This image was deceptive, as the British singer/ songwriter would go on to hone his skills in a variety of genres. With standout track “Alison”, the LP deserves a place among the Top 50.  

 

42

GET THE KNACK

The Knack

1979

Mystery surrounded the release of this album. For a time, it was suspected to be a secret Beatles reunion disc. Ultimately, The Knack was a group formed in Los Angeles that signed with The Fab Four's US label Capitol Records. Pressure most likely led to the band’s early demise, but not before thrilling the planet with the 70s rock classic “My Sharona” and, to a lesser extent, “Good Girls Don’t”.  

 

41

IN THE LONELY HOUR

Sam Smith

2014

Performers such as Adele, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith reminded us of the power of an emotional song and a skilled vocalist. The latter proved his mettle on debut album 'In The Lonely Hour'. The result was 6 Grammy nominations for a disc bursting with moving tracks such as “Leave Your Lover”, “Stay With Me”, “I’m Not The Only One” and “Lay Me Down”.