The best debut albums of all time

Lorde - 'Pure Heroine' (2013) - Coming straight out of New Zealand, 16-year-old Lorde got a major breakthrough with her coming-of-age mumble-pop album. 

Heading 2

Patti Smith - ‘Horses’ (1975) - Smith’s debut album made her the Queen of Punk. However, she cared more about the poetry in rock, and searched for passion and vision in her lyrics.

Heading 2

M.I.A. - ‘Arular’ (2005) - The British rapper gave the world a political album that incorporates hip hop, dancehall, baile funk, and punk. Hits included 'Pull Up the People' and 'Bucky Done Gun.'

Mary J. Blige - ‘What’s the 411?’ (1992) - Together with producer Sean Combs, Mary J. Blige made a platinum album that combined hip hop and R&B.

Alicia Keys - ‘Songs in A Minor’ (2001) - Including hits like 'Fallin,'' 'How Come You Don’t Call Me,' and 'A Woman’s Worth,' Keys' debut album lives on as a classic.

Kacey Musgraves - ‘Same Trailer Different Park’ (2013) - Kacey Musgraves’ songwriting skills were a focal point of her Grammy-winning debut album. 

Madonna - ‘Madonna’ (1983) - Loaded with hits like 'Borderline,' 'Holiday,' and 'Like a Virgin,' the album introduced one of the most important voices in the history of modern music.

Olivia Rodrigo - ‘Sour’ (2021) - With 'Sour,' the teen queen dropped a debut album loaded with hits for generation Z and millennials alike. On top of that, 'Good 4 U' brought pop-punk back!

Nas - ‘Illmatic’ (1994) - Nas was only 20 when he released his debut album, but he had already mastered the art of storytelling. 

SZA - ‘Ctrl’ (2017) - SZA's first album was a masterpiece that featured intimate, spacey, and low-key songs that crawled into our ears.

Click Here