Best Album Openers
 

So what do you consider the best album openers in the history of the music? You know, those tracks that immediately set the tone and make you want to sit all the way through the album. I'm curious to see which songs people would would choice, so bring it on! Of course, it can be the entire song that makes you feel all warm inside, but also just those first few seconds, or even just that first note that makes it so perfect - doesn't matter, just choose! =D

My choices, limited to 10:

The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy - "Just Like Honey"
The Arcade Fire - Funeral - "Neigborhood #1 (Tunnels)"
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights - "Untitled"
Antony & The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now - "Hope There's Someone"
Shiina Ringo - Karuki Zamen Kuri No Hana - "Shuukyou"
Explosions In The Sky - Those... - "Greet Death"
Fra-Foa - 13 Leaves - "Edge Of Life"
Refused - Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent - "Rather Be Dead"
U2 - The Joshua Tree - "Where The Streets Have No Name"
Cocteau Twins - Treasure - "Ivo"

In no particular order, although I like Gwen's best.

Ayumi Hamasaki- Catcher In The Light
It actually made the album start off well despite the not so stellar tracks and actually holds up our interest.

Utada Hikaru- Sakura Drops
Amazing song which grabs your attention at the very start and doesnt let go till the end.

Gwen Stefani- What You Waiting For?
Gives you a taste of the upcoming tracks, like a heavily condensed version of the actual album. Shocking, thought-provoking and stunning.

Natalie Imbruglia- That Day
An oddball, compared to the other tracks. But quite raw and colourful and strong. Like a beautiful disaster.

The Corrs- My Lagan Love
Excellent start of an excellent album. Fits the mood of everything and starts the CD well enough, ethereal and peaceful.

I think LOVEppears has one of the best openers ever. The first song implies what to come, without revealing much, and keeps the tension before the chorus of Fly High starts. ANd then I'm hooked at least.

I agree with those definately.
Also,

Ayumi Hamasaki- Duty
Utada - Exodus (the opening is explaining the album)
Namie Amuro - Style

Bold & Delicious - (miss)understood album - Ayumi Hamasaki









...not!

I actually realized that i like it when albums started out with a short catchy instrumental, just like how Ayu started My Story w/ "Catcher in the Light" or most of her other albums. They can really get you into the mood.

Without a doubt:

1 - Soushun - Hitomi Shimatani - crossover

Free Hand - Answer - SUPERCAR
Catcher In The Light - MY STORY - ayumi hamasaki
Opening - EXODUS - Utada
Identity~intro~ - ID - dream
L'utero - thermo plastic - hitomi
Comodón Johnson - TRAVELER - hitomi
5:09 - LOVE COOK - ai otsuka
Humpty Dumpty - Lost In Space - Aimee Mann
BREAK OF DAWN - BREAK OF DAWN - Do As infinity

Good one as well (and funny enough, I'm just listening to Lost in Space now, haha). Brilliant opening song.

Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing - Building a Mystery
A beautiful song to start Sarah's greatest album imo.

Hamasaki Ayumi - I Am... - I Am...
Perect way to start an album, just Ayu's vocals then the music hits. Coupled with opening RUN and Connected, I Am... has a fantastic start.

Hitomi Shimatani - Heart & Symphony - Sky High
Really makes you believe this song will be a beautiful ballad but transforms into your typical Shimatani dancey song, very good indeed.

Marilyn Manson - Anti-christ Superstar - Irresponsible Hate Anthem
My favourite Marilyn Manson track.

Koda Kumi - grow into one - teaser feat.Clench & Blistah
My favourite intro in any J-Pop album.

Onitsuka Chihiro - Insomnia - Gekkou
Beautiful song, the single version which opens the album will certainly stick with me forever. Chihiro's vocals are goosebump inducing.

Shakespeare's Sister - Hormonally Yours - Goodbye Cruel World
Love this track, from one of my favourite albums ever.

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
The best of them all, my most admired artist to date, Kate Bush and her best album 'Hounds of Love' with the stunning track, 'Running Up That Hill' very good start to an unforgettable album.

I'm quite a fan of Catcher In The Light too. It's a great way to spirit you away into the mood of the album.

Then again, most albums I own have had terrible openers. I almost always skip opening tracks.

BoA's Korean Album Atlantis Princess has a good opening song called, "Time to Begin", but the song loses it after the introduction and the album isn't that good (but It was good at it's time).

Same heree. Some of them just don't fit, like Starting Over in Duty. And tons of others. I hate when first singles become album openers. Hate hate hate. Gwen Stefani's an exception though.

exactly! i was going to list that song too, but for some reason I had forgotten its name.

RURUTIA - WATER FOREST - PAVANU (Pavane)
It is simply, in my opinion, the best J-pop album intro, ever (I don't listen to American music so I wouldn't know).

5:09 am - LOVE COOK - Ai Otsuka
This song's really cool. I love the instruments and I love songs with really constrating choruses. The best song on the album, and one of Ai's best songs ever.

Soushun - crossover - Hitomi Shimatani
I love the bridge, so Tim Burton-y. I think I like the music more than I like the singing, but once again, best song on the album.

Comodón Johnson - TRAVELER - hitomi
Haha. What a great way to start off this album. It's such a cute/nostalgic little intro. The motocycle's a nice touch too. I never get sick of the "La la la la la"s.

Shuukyou - Karuki Zamen Kuri No Hana - Shiina Ringo
Not the best song on the album, but it's still amazing and gets you prepared for whatever's coming up next. This one never really amazed me, but I like it a lot.

Love Goes On - pop/rock2 - globe
This song's really cool, and is pretty much the theme song for the album. It sounds like they all had fun making it.

Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary - You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son ...probably the best song on the album, IMHO

Lots of good ones out there but I can only think of a few at the moment.

*Riders Of The Storm - Hammerfall (Crimson Thunder)
One word...WOW!!! If you haven't heard this song (or the album), you're seriously missing out.

*1000 Years - Sting (Brand New Day)
Really good song. Nice exotic, peaceful sound.

*Introduction - Ayumi Hamasaki (LOVEppears)
Turn it loud. This is probably one of the best tracks on the whole album. :)

*Harem - Sarah Brightman (Harem)
Really exotic sounding song that sets the pace for the whole CD.

Three of Orange Pekoe's albums have introduction tracks that are just perfect. They're all called Introduction. They really make a perfect set-up for the following track, and convey the general mood of the album very well. ^_^ They're all good, but I like the one from their first album Organic Plastic Music best.

Pretty Queen - Zwei ~ For one the song is just awesome. It really bursts forth with a great kind of energy that most of the tracks continue.

shortcut - Bonnie Pink ~ this is from the short album Daisy. The introduction is a bright acoustic guitar bit. Although it's short, it's probably one of my favourite tracks.

Triangle - Hajime Chitose ~ from her second album, this short piece is completely gorgeous. It allows you to listen to Chitose's voice with only a soft piano backing. And what a voice. The emotion conveyed in this simple piece is extrordinary and moving. I've almost cried listening to this song.

INTRODUCTION - HALCALI ~ from their second album, Ongaku no Susume. I love this one. It's great fun. Accapella rapping about how awesome their own cd is going to be hehehehe. HALCALIROXORZ!

Uchuuhikoushi no Uta - Maaya Sakamoto ~ from her 5th original album Shounen Alice. This is a beautiful, soft piano piece with Maaya's gorgeous vocals overtop. The feel of this song is mimicked by the equally pleasing final track, Okitegami.

Lucy - Maaya Sakamoto ~ It's not terribly often that the title track of an album is an instrumental bit. It's true in this case though, and it's just lovely! Strings and piano perfectly set up what is one of my favourite Maaya albums. ^_^

Frater Ave Atque Vale - Faith and the Muse ~ from their special double disc album Vera Causa: The Morning and Night (found on the morning side). This piece is rather amazing actually. It's an entire acappella choir singing~but the trick is the choir is the same woman recording, and re-recodring and layering her vocals over and over and over again. The result is a specacularly haunting and beautiful track.

mfa "the difference it makes" / meek "happy"
both xcellent openers4both discs of "balance005" mixt by james holden

hitomi "It's only access"
too bad da rest of da "LOVE LIFE" album culdnta been mo like dis track, it rox...

wong fei "開到荼蘼" er... "kaidao chami"??? anyways, gr8 opening 2 da only love strangers album...

(t.a.t.u (!!!) dangerous and moving intro... yeah, "all about us" sucked some major ass, an not in a good way, but dis album wasnt as bad as i thought itd be hehe)

theres a load more im sure but i cant think of em @da moment...

You guys are going to think I'm crazy but Jennifer Lopez's song "Love don't cost a thing"is one of my favorite album openers. It is just a really powerful and danceable song. Also all the SOULHEAD intro's are really good album openers.

Gackt's Ares. I've never heard a better opening since.

At the moment:

Misty - DIABOLOS - Gackt
5:09am - LOVE COOK - Otsuka Ai
Opening - EXODUS - Utada
Dynamite - Jamiroquai

A lot of ayu albums have good starters... Catcher in the Light, Bold & Delicious, and I am.... Oh, and RAINBOW was a good opener for A BALLADS. Along with A Song for XX.

Eventhough i'm not crazy for the band.. Pantera wins the prize for me.
Great Southern Trendkill - Pantera

It just occurred to me that CORE OF SOUL's "Natural Beauty" from the album "Natural Beauty" is an absolutely fantastic album opening, both impactful and emotional, it ranks amongst one of the band's best songs.

DJ Irene does the best album intros. They really send you the message that she can mix really well and her style is very "in your face".

Yes I have! It's very nice indeed. Within Temptation are one of my favourite bands. ^^

Namie - Namies Style
Namie - Queen of Hip Pop
Gwen Stefani - What you waiting for?

Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under" (Images & Words
Dream Theater - "6:00" (Awake)
Dream Theater - "The Glass Prison" (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence)
Dream Theater - "As I Am" (Train of Thought)
Dream Theater - "The Root Of All Evil" (Octavarium)
Porcupine Tree - "Blackest Eyes" (In Absentia)
Nightwish - "Bless the Child" (Century Child)
Metallica - "Battery" (Master of Puppets)
Metallica - "Blackened" (...And Justice For All)
Megadeth - "Blackmail the Universe" (The System Has Failed)
Megadeth - "Reckoning Day" (Youthanasia)
Megadeth - "Skin Of My Teeth" (Countdown to Extinction)
Rush - "Animate" (Counterparts)
Rush - "One Little Victory" (Vapor Trails)
Tool - "Stinkfist" (Aenima)
Ayumi Hamasaki - "Catcher In the Light" (My Story)
Ayumi Hamasaki - "Angels Song" (Memorial Address)

The Clash - Janie Jones (The Clash)
Ayumi Hamasaki - I am... (I am...)
Puffy - Boogie Woogie #5 (Spike)
Puffy - Planet Tokyo (Nice)
Rancid - Maxwell Murder(...and out come the wolves)
Tom Waits - Alice (Alice)
Yum! Yum! Orange - Morning (Orange Street 33)

Have you heard the Faith and the Muse cover?

IT fricken rocks.

Namie Amuro-Queen of Hip-Pop
Namie Amuro-Namie's Style
BoA-Silent Screamerz
BoA-Moto
Ayumi Hamasaki-Catcher In The Light
Ayumi Hamasaki-Angel's Song
DAI-Break of Dawn
Ami Suzuki-Around The World

Do As Infinity - TRUE SONG - Kuusou Ryodan
Do As Infinity - DEEP FOREST - Fukai Mori
Amuro Namie - QUEEN OF HIP POP - Queen on Hip Pop
Amuro Namie - STYLE -Namie's Style
Angelina - MUSE - My Life
Utada Hikaru - DEEP RIVER - Sakura Drops
Josh Groban - CLOSER - Oceano
Shaka Labbits - CLUTCH - CAN'T ESCAPE THE CHOCOLATE SYRUP
Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re - PREGNANT FANTASY - Umeboshi Plums - Big Seeds
Evanescence - FALLEN - Going Under

Koda Kumi-Grow into One-Teaser featuring Clench&Blistah
When I first heard it, I was blown away.

Do As Infinity - kuusou ryodan (TRUE SONG)
ayumi hamasaki - Introduction (LOVEppears)
MIKA NAKASHIMA - Venus In The Dark
ayumi hamasaki - Bold & Delicious ((miss)understood)
Do As Infinity - SUMMER DAYS (Do The Best)


those are the ones i can think of at the moment...

Goldfrapp with Ooh la la for the SUPERNATURE album
Namie with Queen of Hip Pop for her QoHP album
Namie with Namie's Style for her STYLE album
Anja Garbarek with Beyond my Control for her Baloon Mood album

ja ne

Ayumi Hamasaki: A Song For XX
An amazing song, it can beat many of her newest releases easily... It really holds the feeling of the whole album too.

Tokyo Jihen: Himitsu
Although the album has many different styles, this song somehow captures the essence of Tokyo Jihen...

Risa Ohki: Prelude
Opening song for Pray-album. The name should explain itself, there really is no other opening song for this kind of album.

Gackt: 4th... and Noah
He really knows how to make openings...

X-Japan - Blue Blood

^^epic opening to a brilliant album

Gackt - Mars

^^Ares is a beautiful opening to Mars.. which is a great album

Hide - Psyence

^^funky opening, If I do say so mehself

Lareine - Fierte No Umi To Tomo Ni Kieyu ~The Last of Romance~

^^dunno why.. I love the opening to that one

A.F.I - Sing The Sorrow

^^it's a crap album, but the opening is powerful enough to entertain me

Ayumi Hamasaki - Rainbow

^^Beautiful opening, the peaceful lala's.. can't go wrong there :P

RURUTIA - Hallelujah (Promised Land)
Amazing music (She writes/co-arranges), amazing lyrics and amazing singing. But I can't decide if that song or Pavane is better, though WATER FOREST is obviously the stronger of the two albums. Both have incredible music and equally amazing lyrics. Both are so heartbreaking too.

globe - Many Classic Moments (Lights)
globe - TRANSCONTINENTAL WAY (Lights 2)
What can I say, TK is a genius, and these are two masterpieces. Many Classic Moments is one of those songs you can never forget, and it's sort of the globe comeback theme song in my view. TRANSCONTINENTAL WAY is sort of simple, but sort of not (I know there's another song that really starts off the album, but it's part two of the same song on Lights, so TW is the real opener). It's probably the only 8 minute instrumental intro I'll ever listen to. TK is awesome.

Do As Infinity - Kuusou Ryodan (TRUE SONG)
As much as the incessent drumming may annoying some, I think that this song, the so called "Soul of Do As Infinity song, is the best thing the group ever made. It's so powerful and beautiful. What's the translation of the title, something like "Fantasy Brigade", "The Imaginary Band", whatever it is, I know it's something amazing. The album was nice, not the best thing ever, but this song sure was.

5:09 am - Ai Otsuka
I am... - Ayumi Hamasaki
A Song for XX - Ayumi Hamasaki
Venus in the Dark - Mika Nakashima
it's only access - hitomi


That wasn't the opening.

globe are the greatest band on this planet imo... ^_^

I love them because they make pretty much the only good trance/techno music. I was talking about it with my sister and she just thinks, "All techno is the same, I don't see what's so special about them". They really are amazing: TK makes some of J-pop's best music, and sometimes it's not even for his group, KEIKO has such an amazing voice, and Marc's rapping isn't completely annoying like that guy in High & Mighty Color. All their albums (Except outernet) are nothing short of incredible, and they've survived for over 11 years, an achievement in modern J-pop.

finally! a person who loves globe just as much as I do ^_^ *hugs*

Hehe. The only reason I found them was because I liked the 'Lights' cover, but when I actually listened to the album I was in awe. I really need to go to BOOKOFF and buy all their albums (except outernet). Would you recommend buying original albums or just buying the 1995-2000 best album and then Lights up to Soldier?

P.S. Have you seen the Many Classic Moments Remix PV? KEIKO looks so cute/funny at the "Many Classic Moments" part.

I think getting every album except for Outernet is good enough. Maybe leave out Love Again too.. I wasn't too much a fan of that album either.. still, beats Outernet by a mile

and I haven't seen that pv..:(

I was going to take a screencap, but this is better:

Many Classic Moments (Remix PV)

thank you <333

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...inky/keiko.png
So yeah, I've attempted to revive the "old" 2004 GLOBE thread, as we're getting very off-topic from "Best Album Openers".

This isn't the opening neither.

Hear hear.

Their first two singles are the only songs where it's not annoying.
And 'Style~get glory in this hand~'. He just seems a little too amateur compared to Marc and the m.o.v.e. rapper. .-.

Teaser feat.Clench & Blistah-Kumi Koda(Grow Into One)
Beauty Queen- Tori Amos (Boys for Pele)
Angeline- PJ Harvey (Is This Desire)
Peek-a-Boo- Siouxsie and the Banshees (Peepshow)
Killing An Arab- The Cure (Staring at the Sea-the singles)
100 Years- The Cure (Pornography)
Welcome to the Jungle- Guns and Roses (Appetite for Destruction)
Shining Road- The Cranes (Loved)
Bold and Delicious- Ayumi Hamasaki ((miss)understood)
Hang On St. Christopher- Tom Waits (Franks Wild Years)
Do you Love me?- Nick Cave (Let Love in)
Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana (Nevermind)
Spinning Around- Kylie Minogue (Light Years)

no one mentioned ayu's everlasting dream? that's my favorite intro of ayu together with not yet and introduction. it sets the mood for the dreaminess of the whole album (though it isn't my favorite album). o wow this thread was made quite some time ago already.

Hmm...

J-Pop/K-Pop:

5:09 AM - Ai Otsuka, LOVE COOK

Very soft and sweet before bursting into something very lovely and lively. Kind of sets the tone for things to come.

Sky High - Hiomi Shimatani, Heart&Symphony

I love how it feels so bright and cheerful and grandoise.

Bold & Delicious - Ayumi Hamasaki, (miss)understood

Filled with bursts of exciting energy, sassiness, confidence, and joy. Gets you up and moving.

MOTO - BoA, Girls On Top

I love how dark and flashy and gritty it is - gets you prepped for the urban/club feel of the uptempo tracks. Definitely unexpected as far as her album starters go.

Time to begin - BoA, Atlantis Princess

Very adventurous and filled with lots of movement and the lush strings I love, setting the blue-skied atmosphere in place just right.

ROLLIN' - Chihiro Onitsuka, This Armor

It feels like a road trip to the beach, and I love how it's like this burst of spring sunlight bringing us in (especially compared to the moonlit sorrow of Gekkou opening INSOMNIA).

Kuusou Ryodan - Do As Infinity, True Song

I don't know why, but even with the rock feel, I always found this opening to be very elegant (yet powerful) and regal (yet raw). Like watching the exciting first act of a play setting up the events to follow.


I'll do non-Asian albums later.

Morcheeba - Big Calm album has the best opener track: "The Sea"

"drowned world/substitute for love" from Madonna's Ray Of Light album has definitely got to be one of the best album openers I've ever heard. That song totally builds the mood of the album. The follow up track "Swim" totally sounds like an album opening as well, so you get the feeling this album has two opening tracks, which is pretty cool.