A great album has to start somewhere, and that's (almost always) with an amazing opening song.

The lead song on an album can be judged in a variety of ways. It can stand alone as a great piece of music. It can introduce an artist to the world. It can set the tone for the masterful collection of music that's about to come.

A while back we listed the 50 greatest closing album songs of all time. For this list, we looked at the greatest album opening songs. We limited things to one song per artist and excluded songs that came after intro tracks.

(Photo: Apple Records)

Troy L. Smith, cleveland.com

50 greatest album-opening songs

From The Beatles and Bob Dylan to N.W.A. and R.E.M.

50. Boston - 'More Than a Feeling'

Boston made quite the introduction back in 1976 with the lead track from its self-titled debut album, which has remained one of the most enduring bar jams of all time.

49. LL Cool J - 'I'm Bad'

Before Jay Z, 2pac, Biggie Smalls or Eminem, there was LL Cool J, rap’s first mainstream solo star. His first album “Radio” was a success. But LL really hit the mark with its follow up “Bigger and Deffer,” which featured the title track “Bad,” a warning shot to fellow emcees about who was on the top of the mountain.

48. ZZ Top - 'Gimme All Your Lovin'

Prior to its “Eliminator” album, ZZ Top was regarded as one heck of a blues band. But ZZ Top’s eighth studio album made the band one of the biggest in the world, thanks, in part, to the lead-single and opening track.

47. Beyonce - 'Crazy in Love'

In looking to break away from Destiny’s Child as a solo artist, Beyonce couldn’t have chosen a better song than “Crazy in Love,” featuring future husband Jay Z. The chart-topping track set the tone for her entire career and her debut album “Dangerously in Love.”

46. Elliott Smith - 'Needle in the Hay'

“Needle in the Hay,” the lead song from Elliott Smith’s self-titled sophomore album was probably the influential singer-songwriter’s first iconic track.

45. Queen - 'We Will Rock You'

The opening of Queen’s “News of the World” album features one of the greatest one-two punch openings in rock history. Things kick off with the Brian May-penned anthem “We Will Rock You” before weaving into “We Are the Champions.” Everything else was just icing on the cake.

44. Johnny Cash - 'The Man Comes Around'

When Johnny Cash began his American Recordings series with producer Rick Ruben, who knew it would reach such amazing heights? Arguably, the peak of the series was “American IV” and stunning opener “The Man Comes Around,” which was followed by his now legendary cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.”

43. Beck - 'Devils Haircut'

“Odelay” was Beck’s masterpiece, while somewhat of a surprise back in 1996. Coming off of the somber sounds of “Mellow Gold,” Beck delivered an album full of alt-rock/pop songs with hip-hop influence and chose the best opener he could with the super-catchy “Devils Haircut.”

42. Britney Spears - '...Baby One More Time'

Some tracks introduce an album, while others introduce the world to a megastar. “…Baby One More Time” was the dawn of a new era in pop music and instantly cemented Spears as a force to be reckoned with. It also kicks off one of the greatest selling pop albums of all time.

41. New York Dolls - 'Personality Crisis'

The New York Dolls’ self-titled debut album is one of the most important rock albums of the 1970s and begins with, arguably, the glam punk-band’s greatest achievement in “Personality Crisis.” The song (and the album) would become a blueprint for future hard rock acts like the Ramones, KISS and Guns N’ Roses.

40. Nine Inch Nails - 'Head Like a Hole'

“Down in It” established Trent Reznor’s NIN as a new face of industrial rock. But, taken as a whole, his groundbreaking album “Pretty Hate Machine” and its masterful sequencing begins properly with the flawless “Head Like a Hole.”

39. Van Halen - 'Runnin' with the Devil'

Van Halen’s debut album was a hallmark of the late 1970s/early 1980s heavy metal and while the album as a whole is amazing, it peaks with the opening three and a half minutes of “Runnin’ with the Devil.”

38. The White Stripes - 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground'

It’s easy to go with The White Stripes biggest hit “Seven Nation Army” as the band’s greatest album opener. But “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” is more symbolic of Jack White pulsating garage rock. And it opens his band’s best album – 2001’s “White Blood Cells.”

37. My Bloody Valentine - 'Only Shallow'

As the opening track for one of the greatest and most influential albums of the 1990s (MBV’s “Loveless”), “Only Shallow” is a mesmerizing mood setter, introducing My Bloody Valentine’s avant-garde shoegaze sound that would flow through its sophomore album like an electric current.

36. AC/DC - 'Highway to Hell'

Singer Bon Scott’s crowning achievement with AC/DC is the opening title-track for “Highway to Hell,” a hard rock anthem that remains one of the band’s greatest songs.

35. Beastie Boys - 'Sure Shot'

The Beastie Boys’ best opening track is a clear sign that while the band was venturing into more alt-rock territory (i.e. “Sabotage”), hip-hop would always be in the mix.

34. The Who - 'Baba O'Riley'

Often mistakenly called “Teenage Wasteland,” “Baba O’Riley” is so good it threatens to overwhelm everything else on The Who’s “Who’s Next,” which is saying something for one of the great rock albums ever made. It’s also one half of quite the bookend with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” serving as the closing track.

33. Daft Punk - 'One More Time'

Daft Punk’s “Discovery” is an otherworldly dance album that hasn’t been matched sense its release. Much of that is owed to “One More Time,” the amazing opener that established Daft Punk as house music and post-disco gods.

32. The Verve - 'Bittersweet Symphony'

The fact The Verve was hit with a lawsuit by the Rolling Stones for its sample on “Bitter Sweet Symphony” without permission has often overshadowed just how good of an album “Urban Hymns” was. And “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is one heck of an opening track, with a baroque pop sound that’s downright infectious.

31. Isaac Hayes - 'Walk On By'

Thanks to its smooth and unique soul sound, Isaac Hayes’ masterful “Hot Buttered Soul” is one of the more oft-sampled R&B albums of all time and features one of the best opening soul cuts with the 12-minute opus that is “Walk On By.”

30. U2 - 'Where the Streets Have No Name'

U2 is no stranger to great album openers. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (from “War”) or “Beautiful Day” could sit in this spot. But the buildup at the opening of “Where the Streets Have No Name” is a more than adequate start to the moving nature of the magnificent “The Joshua Tree.”

29. The Strokes - 'Is This It'

Given that the band never really lived up to the buzz generated by its first album, it’s easy to forget just how earth shattering The Strokes’ “Is This It” was back in 2001. Just about every track became an instant garage rock benchmark, led by the quick-hitting opener that clears the way for the fury that follows.

28. Public Enemy - 'Bring the Noise'

To kick off an album like “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” you really need to the kind of song that smacks people in the face. Mission accomplished with “Bring the Noise,” Public Enemy’s scathing hip-hop anthem highlighted by The Bomb Squad’s mind-blowing production.

27. R.E.M. - 'Radio Free Europe'

R.E.M. had great songs before “Radio Free Europe,” but it was certainly the song that put them on the map for mainstream audiences. It also kicks off “Murmur,” a fantastic alt-rock album that seemed to conquer to the world amidst a crowded 1980s pop boom.

26. LCD Soundsystem - 'Dance Yrself Clean'

Where “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” kicked of LCD Soundsystem’s 2005 debut in fun fashion, “Dance Yrself Clean” raised the stakes five years later, showing James Murphy’s ability to build an epic opener from barebones to one of the more riveting dance songs of the last 10 years.

25. King Crimson - '21st Century Schizoid Man'

King Crimson's 1969 debut album was a unique prog-rock effort that combined elements of jazz, rock and orchestral music. And all of that is accomplished within the first seven and a half minutes thanks to "21^st Century Schizoid Man," a true masterpiece that put King Crimson's on everyone's radar.

24. David Bowie - 'Five Years'

After “Hunky Dory” made David Bowie a star, he took a big risk in creating his Ziggy Stardust character. But all worries were laid to rest when fans heard “Five Years,” a song that set the tone for the entire story of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,” which was no easy task.

23. Pavement - 'Summer Babe (Winter Version)'

There are 1990s rock fans who, to this day, will tell you Pavement’s debut album, “Slanted and Enchanted,” is the best indie-rock record of all-time. That all starts with “Summer Babe (Winter Version),” a song that hooks you into the rest of the album and, for that matter, the rest of Stephen Malkmus and company’s career.

22. Run-DMC - 'Peter Piper'

Before “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way” became huge hits, the first song to really establish hip-hop as a commercial art form was “Peter Piper,” the opening cut from Run-D.M.C.’s groundbreaking “Raising Hell.”

21. Iggy and the Stooges - 'Search and Destroy'

The title pretty much says it all. It’s hard to imagine any other song kicking off Iggy and The Stooges “Raw Power.” “Search and Destroy” is a raw form of garage rock that would go onto influence a number of artists.

20. Adele - 'Rolling in the Deep'

Adele had the world in the palm of her hand at the start of 2011, as fans anticipated her sophomore album, “21.” She gave them all they could handle with “Rolling in the Deep,” the lead single and opening track that became a force on the Billboard charts and make Adele the biggest pop star on Earth.

19. Black Sabbath - 'Black Sabbath'

So this is where heavy metal music beings. The opening cut from Sabbath’s debut album is often credited with being the first taste of metal many music fans put their ears too.

18. Smashing Pumpkins - 'Cherub Rock'

If there’s a sound that embodies the brilliance of Smashing Pumpkins it is the opening drumbeat of “Cherub Rock,” which glides you into “Siamese Dream,” one of the most jaw-dropping rock albums of the 1990s.

17. Wu-Tang Clan - 'Bring Da Ruckus'

"Ghostface, catch the blast of a hype verse, My glock bursts, leave in a hearse, I did worse." Now that's how you introduce the grittiest rap group in history to the world.

16. Beach Boys - 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'

Perhaps no act ever jumped from being a fun-loving beach band to being full-on geniuses more suddenly than the Beach Boys. “Pet Sounds” established the group as the forefathers of progressive pop, right from the opening chords of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” a Wall of Sound style single that contains some of the best harmonizing in the history of music.

15. Marvin Gaye - 'What's Going On'

At the start of the 1970s, Marvin Gaye was a changed man. He'd all but moved away from his traditional Motown soul sound and was determined to tackle bigger issues. "What's Going On," the title-track and lead song from his magnificent 11^th album wasn't just a brilliant single. It was a true tone setter and rallying cry against poverty, racism and the Vietnam War.

14. The Clash - 'London Calling'

The Clash’s third album was the one that made the group rock icons that were willing to tackle the biggest social issues of the day. The band wastes no time jumping into “London Calling’s” forceful vibe with a politically charged title track that screamed protest, while containing a serious sense of musicality.

13. The Beatles - 'Come Together'

Believe it or not, The Beatles weren’t really known for their album openers. “Taxman” and “Come Together” are the two that standout. But while the latter dives right into the sounds of “Revolver,” “Come Together’s” unique structure feels more impactful in kicking off “Abbey Road.”

12. Led Zeppelin - 'Immigrant Song'

No band, aside from the Rolling Stones, has as many great opening tracks as Led Zeppelin. If this list wasn’t limited to one song per artist, “Black Dog,” “Whole Lotta Love” and “Good Times Bad Times” would all be here. But “Immigrant Song,” from “Led Zeppelin III,” is really the one that stands out in terms of establishing the band’s new direction, influenced by folk rock.

11. Pixies - 'Debaser'

“Debaser” made it clear the Pixies had reached a new level on their sophomore album “Doolittle.” Written by Black Francis and produced by “Gil Norton,” “Debaser” symbolizes the band’s ability to create upbeat sounding songs with deep meanings that, if you pay attention to the lyrics, slice right to your heart.

10. N.W.A. - 'Straight Outta Compton'

If the point of an opening track is to let people know who you are, where you’re from and what you stand for, look no further than N.W.A.’s debut single. “Straight Outta Compton” put the world on notice that hip-hop wasn’t going to play it safe.

9. Prince - 'Let's Go Crazy'

It’s hard to think of a song with a more career-defining opening than “Let’s Go Crazy”: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life...” Prince wasn’t just kicking off an album in “Purple Rain,” he was also establishing an entire vibe of a movie. In doing so he created one of the more recognizable launching points for any recording in history.

8. Ramones - 'Blitzkrieg Bop'

With four words, Ramones established itself as the ultimate punk rock band for the ages. “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!” became a rallying cry for disenfranchised punk rock fans and made Ramones a viable voice for millions of teens.

7. Michael Jackson - 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"

Michael Jackson knew how to start an album, as evident by “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Bad.” But “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” is an entirely different beast. Perhaps no song showcases Jackson’s brilliance as an artist, fusing funk, disco, R&B and African sounds to begin the biggest album of all-time.

6. Bob Dylan - 'Like a Rolling Stone'

Considered by some to be the greatest song ever written, Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling” began simple enough as the lead song from “Highway 61 Revisited.” Dylan struggled initially to combine the song’s various elements. In the end, he nailed it, giving the world a new standard of songwriting.

5. The Rolling Stones - 'Gimme Shelter'

What begins with a slow lead-in becomes a bluesy, hard rock anthem that knocks your socks of. The Rolling Stones have several career-defining album openers. But “Gimme Shelter” is perhaps the band’s best overall achievement of any kind. Keith Richards opening guitar riff is stunning, as is Charlie Watts’ drum pattern. Mick Jagger drives everything home with vocals that would become the backbone of “Let It Bleed.”

4. Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'

If Nirvana wasn’t as good of a band as it was, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” may have engulfed everything else on “Nevermind.” Instead, the track became the career launching pad for Kurt Cobain and his bandmates, as well as the starting point for an album that would forever change rock music.

3. Radiohead - 'Everything in Its Right Place'

Thom Yorke knew exactly what he was doing when he made “Everything in Its Right Place,” the opening track on “Kid A.” The singer would later have regrets not making it the album’s lead single, but his point was made. “Everything in Its Right Place” is the introduction to the second phase of Radiohead’s career and one of the more complex and brilliant albums of the last 25 years.

2. Guns N' Roses - 'Welcome to the Jungle'

In terms of titling an opening song, it’s hard to beat “Welcome to the Jungle.” The earth-shattering track was actually GNR’s second single. But you’re kidding yourself to think any other song introduced Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler to the world. “Welcome to the Jungle” is the match that sparked the dynamite stick that was “Appetite for Destruction,” signifying a new era of hard rock.

1. Bruce Springsteen - 'Thunder Road'

From an emotional standpoint, it’s impossible to think of a song that sounds more like the opening to a masterpiece than “Thunder Road.” Right from the sounds of Springsteen’s harmonica, it’ clear “Born to Run” is an album about more than just music. It was a concept centered on the American Dream and the ability to look past where you’re from to find where you’re going. “Thunder Road” is essential in establishing a feeling that would ring true for generations to come.