Dizzee Rascal - "I Luv U"Roxy Music - "Virginia Plain"etc
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:39 (twenty years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:39 (twenty years ago) link
― dan (dan), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:42 (twenty years ago) link
(OK, both had earlier singles but these were the first ones that a lot of people actually heard)
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:46 (twenty years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:48 (twenty years ago) link
Andrew ABBA's pre-Waterloo singles stubbornly refuse to be excised from history :(
Paul Kate Bush totally qualifies - #1 hit, debut single, like nothing else ever heard.
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:50 (twenty years ago) link
Tori Amos - Me And A GunSugababes - OverloadKenickie - In Your CarShivaree - Goodnight MoonLina - Playa No Mo'So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds
― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:52 (twenty years ago) link
Tori's first single was from Y Kant Tori Read, surely. ;-)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:54 (twenty years ago) link
(Right, so a couple of these were only debuts for the artist themselves. But it was considered being a debut for the US market)
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:54 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:55 (twenty years ago) link
Buzzcocks - "Spiral Scratch"
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:56 (twenty years ago) link
*splutter* DEBUT? In 1993? Wheeeeeeee...
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:57 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:59 (twenty years ago) link
??
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 15:59 (twenty years ago) link
ah, but then you couldn't have Bjork's debut in here either, and that would be a great loss ;)
Her debut as Tori Amos, the solo artist, was Me And A Gun, as far as I'm concerned.
And seconding Justin... I cannot believe I forgot him.
― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:00 (twenty years ago) link
2/3 of the bands in NYC today try to sound like Gang of Four did in 1978.
― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:02 (twenty years ago) link
Except without the cod-Marxist lyrics, thank God.
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:03 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:05 (twenty years ago) link
Kinda hard to pull that off with a straight face when your band shamelessly pursues the filthy lucre (see:Interpol).
― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:05 (twenty years ago) link
As for this question:
"Party at Ground Zero" by Fishbone
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:07 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:09 (twenty years ago) link
oh god, this is where I reveal myself to be a little too much of a Tori nut. MAAG was released first, with SATY as a b-side, then deleted (no idea why). Then it was re-released with the same artwork, same b-sides etc. but with SATY as the lead track.
Alicia Keys - Fallin'Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:10 (twenty years ago) link
ha, amateurist I wrote that then erased it - is it really The Impressions absolute first release?
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:10 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:16 (twenty years ago) link
did anyone actually kinda do this?
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:24 (twenty years ago) link
Well sure, Charlie, but Pulp weren't really known in the US, then. If anything, they were barely a blip. It did take a while for people to stop saying, "Who the hell are they"?
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:25 (twenty years ago) link
"Anarchy in the UK"
― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:28 (twenty years ago) link
― Lucas R., Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:32 (twenty years ago) link
which band/artist's first single was their best song of their career? (please name band/artist)
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 16:34 (twenty years ago) link
seal - crazy
― dyl, Monday, 16 July 2018 16:41 (five years ago) link
Good one!
I can't stand "Losing My Edge," as I mentioned on FB.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 July 2018 16:52 (five years ago) link
the field mice - emma's housee-40 - captain save a hoe
― devvvine, Monday, 16 July 2018 16:56 (five years ago) link
Organised Konfusion - Fudge PudgeCurtis Mayfield - (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To GoJanelle Monae - Many MoonsRhythm Formation - Ready for the Darkness (aka Kelli Hand and Claude Young - I think this was the debut single for both of them)Rythim Is Rythim - Nude Photo
― Tuomas, Monday, 16 July 2018 18:16 (five years ago) link
Beyonce - Crazy in Love Cassie - Me & U
how has noone suggested these!?
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 16 July 2018 21:51 (five years ago) link
Beyonce's first solo single was 'Work It Out' no?
― nashwan, Monday, 16 July 2018 21:59 (five years ago) link
I think you’re right.. I used rateyourmusic as the source which separates singles and soundtrack work.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 16 July 2018 22:37 (five years ago) link
Other debut singles still unmentioned:
Young Marble Giants - Final DayNew Order - CeremonyLana del Rey - Video GamesM.I.A. - GalangSugarhill Gang - Rapper’s DelightRamones - Blitzkrieg BopThe Stooges - I wanna be your dogManu Chao - ClandestinoSoda Stereo - Nada PersonalMaldita Vecindad - MorenazaThe Band - The WeightBon Iver - Skinny LoveVan Morrison - Brown eyed girlPhil Collins - In the air tonightLorde - RoyalsErykah Badu - on & on
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 16 July 2018 23:14 (five years ago) link
Moar:
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me MaybeKiiara - GoldAlthea & Donna - uptown top rankingNancy Sesay - C’est FabKraftwerk - AutobahnHuman League - being boiledShura - TouchGrimes - VanessaWhitney - No WomanMaggie Rogers - AlaskaMirah - Cold cold waterJens Lekman - Maple LeavesHaim - Don’t Save MeThe XX - CrystallisedLykke Li - Little BitFever Ray - If I had a heartTv on the radio - staring at the sunSigur ros - svefn g englarAphex twin - windowlicker (was this actually his firsr single?)Rheingold - Dreiklangs dimensionen
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 16 July 2018 23:45 (five years ago) link
I'd be surprised if Windowlicker was even Aphex's 30th single.
Autobahn was far from Kraftwerk's debut, too.
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Monday, 16 July 2018 23:51 (five years ago) link
Rym might not be the most trustworthy source for discographies.
I’m doublechecking on discogs for Aphex and I see remixes, eps and collab singles but no Aphex Twin singles until windowlicker. He did have several under the AFX moniker prior to it though.
I guess if we count eps as singles his first one is Analogue Bubblebath from 1991 which is a pretty great debut single too.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 00:05 (five years ago) link
Aphex singles:
Analogue Bubblebath (1991)Analogue Bubblebath vol 2 (1991)Bradley's Beat (1991, as Bradley Strider)Xylem Tube EP (1992)Digeridoo (1992)Joyrex J4 (1992, as Caustic Window)Joyrex J5 (1992, as Caustic Window)On (1993)Universal Indicator Red (1993)Bradley's Robot (1993, as Bradley Strider)Joyrex J4 (1993, as Caustic Window)Quoth (1993, as Polygon Window)Analogue Bubblebath 4 (1994, as AFX)GAK (1994, as Gak)Ventolin (1995)Donkey Rhubarb (1995)Hangable Auto Bulb EP (1995, as AFX)Hangable Auto Bulb EP 2 (1995, as AFX)Girl/Boy EP (1996)Come To Daddy (1997)
plus Power-Pill as Pac-Man (1992), which I don't think of as being part of the Aphex project per se, and several remixes of other bands that were released with Aphex also front-cover credited as artist. If you count Analogue Bubblebaths 3 and 5, and Universal Indicator Green, as "not-albums" then you just about get to thirty by Windowlicker!
hi silby
X-POST: I don't know how you count Windowlicker as even his first single of 1997!
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 00:19 (five years ago) link
Because all of those you enlisted are EPs or under the AFX moniker as I stated. I too would count most of those as singles though.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 00:22 (five years ago) link
I’m not saying they are not singles that just how discogs and rym have them categorized.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 00:23 (five years ago) link
I refute them! but no matter how you count, it's going against the thread's principle of "the first thing they ever released being so good you wondered if hey could top it"
(Come To Daddy didn't say EP on it, had a video, and went Top 40 months before Windowlicker. Donkey Rhubarb didn't say EP on it, and had a video. Ventolin did say EP on it (not in the US though!), but had a video, and went Top 50. On didn't say EP on it, had a video (famously directed by Jarvis Cocker), and went Top 40.)
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 00:32 (five years ago) link
Sam & Dave had about ten singles out before Hold On, I'm a-Comin'.
My suggestions not yet mentioned itt would include:
The B-52s - Rock LobsterThe Doors - Break On Through (to the Other Side)Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billie Joe/Mississippi DeltaAstrud Gilberto - The Girl from IpanemaThe Go-Go's - Our Lips Are SealedMary Hopkin - Those Were the DaysJanis Ian - Society's ChildGrace Jones - Sorry/That's the TroubleLisa Lisa & Cult Jam - I Wonder If I Take You HomeLaura Nyro - Wedding Bell Blues/Stoney EndThe Marvelettes - Please Mr. PostmanShannon - Let the Music Play
― Josefa, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 01:13 (five years ago) link
Some of my favorites that I don't think have been mentioned
Supergrass - Caught By The FuzzChange - The Glow Of LoveGarbage - Vow The Blue Nile - I Love This LifePrefab Sprout - Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) Art Brut - Formed A Band Minnie Riperton - Les FleursGoldfrapp - Lovely Head Chic - Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) Dexys Midnight Runners - Dance Stance Amerie - Why Don't We Fall In Love Elastica - Stutter OMD - Electricity Life Without Buildings - The Leanover Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground Broadcast - Accidentals Little Boots - Stuck On RepeatGorky's Zygotic Mynci - Merched Yn Neud Gwallt Eu Gilydd Quadron - Slippin' D'angelo - Brown Sugar Altered Images - Dead Pop StarsCherrelle - I Didn't Mean to Turn You OnAnnie - The Greatest Hit
― kitchen person, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 01:47 (five years ago) link
many good choices since I last read this! & how fun to open a thread and find it’s an ancient one you started and forgot about
― Paul, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 02:11 (five years ago) link
even though they’re not exactly considered a singles band, apparently the first two released (in 1966) by The Velvet Underground were:“All Tomorrow’s Parties (edit)”/“I’ll Be Your Mirror” and “Sunday Morning”/“Femme Fatale”makes me wonder if there are four better opening A’s/B’s by any other artist - suspect that’s hard to beat!
― Paul, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 02:43 (five years ago) link
if you have/find a reasonably good condition copy of either of those Velvets singles, you can sell them for serious money, check discogs
― Paul, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 02:48 (five years ago) link
best debut singles that aren't by Richard D. James:
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - Dipper Mouth BluesThe Mills Brothers - Tiger RagThelonious Monk - 'Round About Midnight/Well, You Needn'tThe Fleetwoods - Come Softly to MeLoretta Lynn - I'm a Honky Tonk GirlBarbara Lynn - You'll Lose a Good ThingSly & The Family Stone - UnderdogOs Mutantes -A minha meninaSagittarius - My World Fell DownJeannie C. Riley - Harper Valley P.T.A. Vainica Doble - Un Metro Cuadrado/La BrujaSqueeze - Take Me I'm YoursEBTG - Night and Day/Feeling Dizzy/On My MindA.R. Kane - When You're SadLamb - Cotton Wool
― shaped as cats and postmen (unregistered), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 03:40 (five years ago) link
Something I definitely heard via ILM back in the day comes to mind:
Junior Boys - "Birthday"
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 07:02 (five years ago) link
The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
The Go-Go's actually had earlier versions of "We Got The Beat" b/w "How Much More" out on a single on Stiff prior to signing w/I.R.S. Both recordings are surprisingly obscure: "WGTB" only appeared on CD stateside on a reunion maxi-single, and "HMM" on Rhino's "New Wave Women" comp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJHx1yplIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EToEhep4rco
― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 07:20 (five years ago) link
Would add The Mamas & the Papas - California Dreamin' but there's a technical question since they had a single just before, "Go Where You Wanna Go," that was withdrawn and may just exist in promo copies only
― Josefa, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 13:48 (five years ago) link
Public Image.
Yes
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 15:10 (five years ago) link
Tears For Fears - Suffer the Children
― ant banks and wasp (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 15:44 (five years ago) link
I made a playlist of all of my (available) faves: https://open.spotify.com/user/cryptosicko/playlist/0Q4eNrtXH5YRD2eEEEaJMq?si=oPbdkMk6TeiEdy84mgvOAw
― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 18:31 (five years ago) link
Those not mentioned here yet:
Dusty Springfield - "I Only Want To Be With You"The Dixie Cups - "Chapel of Love"The Honeycombs - "Have I the Right?"The Left Banke - "Walk Away Renee"Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale"Friends of Distinction - "Grazing in the Grass"R.B. Greaves - "Take a Letter, Maria"Commodores - "Machine Gun"Carol Douglas - "Doctor's Orders"Blondie - "X Offender"Nervous Eaters - "Loretta"Buzzcocks - "Orgasm Addict"The Germs - "Forming"Odyssey - "Native New Yorker"The Stranglers - "Get a Grip on Yourself"Talking Heads - "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town"XTC - "Science Friction"Prince - "Soft and Wet"The Buggles - "Video Killed the Radio Star"Machine - "There But For the Grace of God Go I"Pretenders - "Stop Your Sobbing"Indeep - "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life"Cyndi Lauper - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"Big Audio Dynamite - "The Bottom Line"'Til Tuesday - "Voices Carry"Crowded House - "Mean to Me"E.U. - "Da Butt"M/A/R/R/S - "Pump Up the Volume"Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car"Michael Penn - "No Myth"Arrested Development - "Tennessee"Belly - "Gepetto"Veruca Salt - "Seether"Primitive Radio Gods - "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand"Hanson - "MMMBop"The New Pornographers - "Letter From an Occupant"The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"The Postal Service - "Such Great Heights"Scissor Sisters - "Comfortably Numb"Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"Vistosso Bosses - "Delirious"Azealia Banks - "212"CHVRCHES - "The Mother We Share"Savages - "Husbands"Courtney Barnett - "Avant Gardener"The 1975 - "Sex"
― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 18:51 (five years ago) link
Science Friction, yeah. What a killer song. One of their best, certainly of the live period.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 18:53 (five years ago) link
Buzzcocks - "Orgasm Addict"
Spiral Scratch was the debut
Scissor Sisters - "Comfortably Numb"
was the b-side of the first single, not an a-side until their third
Hanson - "MMMBop"
Dust Brothers version was released after they'd had two albums, including one with another version of MMMBop on it. That said I'm almost inclined to accept this, as approximately zero people would ever have heard those albums without hearing them live, first.
Courtney Barnett - "Avant Gardener"
this was a track on her second EP, and another track from that EP was sold as a digital single a year earlier.
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 19:24 (five years ago) link
I was pretty rigorous, when making this list, with consulting Wikipedia and Discogs (and in a few cases, CD liner notes), so I can only imagine that these were just the results of shoddy research on my part. Spiral Scratch I knew about, and I cannot imagine how I forgot it. "Avant Gardner" might have been the result of some incomplete info on Wiki, but you're right--the song doesn't even appear until a year after her first release! As for "Comfortably Numb," I suppose I could count the b-side of a debut single, but (I see now) the song wasn't released as an A-side until their 3rd single, so I'm not counting it either.
Erasing those three from my playlist, but keeping "MMMBop" for the reason you mention: those first two records don't really count. Also, adding "Take On Me," which I just remembered after seeing it on Alfred's list.
― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 19:53 (five years ago) link
The Saints - (I'm) Stranded
― Vernon Locke, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 20:36 (five years ago) link
^ otm
yeah, Comfortably Numb could actually fit Paul's theme, in that one might have heard it before anything else. I definitely heard Laura first though! (maybe on mp3 blogs initially, but it charted slightly in Australia the year before Numb was a single, and it also placed on a Big Deal annual youth radio listener poll of best singles of the year)
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 20:41 (five years ago) link
Hank Williams - Move It On Over
― Hazy Maze Cave (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 21:03 (five years ago) link
The Teddy Bears - To Know Him Is To Love Him
― Hazy Maze Cave (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 21:06 (five years ago) link
Commodores - "Machine Gun"Discogs says their first single was released in 1969, four years before "Machine Gun".
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 22:36 (five years ago) link
I actually like Laura better than Comfortably Numb and love it as a single.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 22:41 (five years ago) link
Hank released four singles prior to "Move It On Over" (though it was his first chart hit).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 23:16 (five years ago) link
i guess his first would be "Never Again (Will I Knock On Your Door)"? still a great song.
― Hazy Maze Cave (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 00:09 (five years ago) link
Thanks Tuomas, re: “Machine Gun.” Wikipedia strikes again!
I like “Laura” too, but it still isn’t their first single; something called “Electrobix” is.
― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 01:56 (five years ago) link
The first one that came to mind upon seeing the thread title was 'New Rose', but I knew someone would have said that already as it's so thoroughly, undeniably classic. Surprised it took so long for it to get mentioned, though.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:18 (five years ago) link
yes, that's why I said that Comfortably Numb was their third
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:30 (five years ago) link
(was noting that as far as singles go, it's not like Laura didn't make an impact well before Numb)
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:33 (five years ago) link
singles that stand out as leaving me instantly in love with the artist when they came out:Neutral Milk Hotel - Everything Is (wrote Jeff Mangum a letter and he left me an answering machine message (never talked))Cornershop - Waterlogged and a couple already mentioned, Upside Down and Ohio River Boat Song.
― by the light of the burning Citroën, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:51 (five years ago) link
SULTANS OF SWING
― ... (Eazy), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:57 (five years ago) link
RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE
― ... (Eazy), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:58 (five years ago) link
Change - The Glow Of Love
this was released as a single well after both "a lover's holiday" (the only single to have come out before the album did) and "searching". imo "a lover's holiday" is an incredible debut single tho!
― dyl, Friday, 20 July 2018 01:50 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A29BMj3v86w
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 6 September 2018 22:21 (five years ago) link
Metallica - WhiplashSlayer - Raining Blood
― Siegbran, Friday, 7 September 2018 06:52 (five years ago) link
If "You Send Me" really is Sam Cooke's first (solo) single, then that
― Josefa, Friday, 7 September 2018 15:12 (five years ago) link