The 10 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time
Roxanne Shanté, “Roxanne’s Revenge: From the golden age of hip-hop answer records: The Brooklyn group U.T.F.O. were all over the radio with their putdown “Roxanne, Roxanne.
Kesha, “Tik Tok: The key to a Kesha party is simple: She has never needed too many accoutrements beyond cheap beer, cute boys, and good music.
Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain: Early Seventies prog rock meets London glam and bubblegum pop for a radical three-minute musical manifesto.
The New Pornographers, “Letter From an Occupant: I don’t know what a ‘letter from an occupant’ is, but I’m hoping that I will figure it out at some point,” said Carl Newman of the New Pornographers.
Dire Straits, “Sultans of Swing: One night in the late Seventies, Mark Knopfler got a pint at his local pub, when a crappy band playing there captured his attention with their mediocrity.
Dinosaur Jr., “Repulsion: Punk wolf-boys from the wilds of western Massachusetts, taking a giant step into the forbidden territory of expressing actual human feelings.
Tracy Chapman, “Fast Car: Somebody asked me what kind of car it was in that song,” Chapman told Rolling Stone at the time, laughing at the absurdity.
The Zombies, “She’s Not There: One of the catchiest British Invasion hits, and one of the most innovative, pushing outside Beatlesque cheer with its airy groove.
Billy Ray Cyrus, “Achy Breaky Heart: Lil Nas X knew exactly what he was doing when he recruited Billy Ray Cyrus for a remix of “Old Town Road.
Alabama Shakes, “Hold On: Bless my heart, bless my soul/Didn’t think I’d make it to 22 years old”: With those words, reportedly improvised on the spot at an early gig.