Confessions of a Fanboy

In Britain, Oasis’ debut Definitely Maybe continues to be monstrously influential but you can make the argument that “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” both from (What’s The Story) Morning Glory come closer to being definitive singles. “I Will Follow” is a great song, but is that the song you think of when you think of U2? “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a great, defining single and Nevermind is the album that launched Nirvana into the stratosphere- it’s just not their debut album. Bruce Springsteen’s first two albums are revered, but was in jeopardy of being dropped by Columbia until Born to Run launched him to icon status.

The Rolling Stones have scads of early singles that are staples of rock radio, but none of them were recorded for England’s Newest Hitmakers. The Beatles recorded hits “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Twist and Shout” for Please Please Me, but there is a different between hits and signature songs.

How many debut albums also have signature singles? This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are a few:

Jimi Hendrix - “Purple Haze” - Are You Experienced?

Are You Experienced? just might be the greatest debut album in rock history, and “Purple Haze” is his signature song. I know, his Woodstock performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is forever etched in pop culture and his cover of “All Along The Watchtower” is so well-known a lot of people don’t know it was actually written by Bob Dylan. He recorded other great songs throughout his career and “Purple Haze” is not my favorite by him, but this is still the song for which he is probably best known.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - “American Girl” - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Two of Petty’s all-time classics are actually on the debut record. “American Girl” and “Breakdown” are still regulars in concert.

Petty has obviously gone on to write a lot of great songs in his Hall of Fame career, but it is not an accident that “American Girl” is often part of the encore. The song is so Byrds-esque that Roger McGuinn wondered if it was something he’d written and forgotten about. Obviously he didn’t, so he went and recorded a cover of it on his own on a later album. Again, it’s not my favorite Petty cut but as much as any song this is the one the Petty mystique is built upon.

The Police - “Roxanne” - Outlandos d’Amour

“Every Breath You Take” was a bigger hit, but it came at the end of the band’s run. This is the song the band played at The Grammys to reintroduce themselves to the world as they launch a reunion tour. That in and of itself tells you how important this song. I promise you, they won’t play a full-length set anywhere in the world without playing “Roxanne.”

My only wish is that Eddie Murphy would have released a cover of it as a novelty single in the ’80s after 48 Hours. The song is a hit on its own merits and The Police have a lot of them, but they should give Eddie a tip of the cap.

Aerosmith - “Dream On” - Aerosmith

A defining song from a debut album that actually wasn’t much of a hit when it was first released. No one is going to accuse Steven Tyler of being any kind of scholar, but this melancholy little number is pretty thoughtful for a goofy-looking guy in his early 20s. It reminds me of The Rolling Stones’ “As Tears Go By” in that regard. I won’t say Mick or Steven were wise beyond their years, but they were writing beyond their years with those two songs.

It is strange to listen to the version from the debut. Steven, unlike a lot of vocalists, seems to have gotten better with age. This is not only a definitive Aerosmith song, it might be the first power ballad ever recorded. I have to remind myself how song this good is, or I would want to beat them every time I hear “House of Pain” by Faster Pussycat.

As a sidenote, I would like to see Train run over with one for having had the gall to cover this one.

The Byrds - “Mr. Tambourine Man” - Mr. Tambourine Man

I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable music fan and until recently, this and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” were the only Byrds songs I could positively identify. Just as with Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” this version became such a hit most people don’t know it was written by Bob Dylan.

This is a good example of a definitve single as it includes all the elements of what made the early Byrds’ records successful: Bob Dylan songs, Rickenbacker guitars, and glorious harmonies.

“Jeremy” - Pearl Jam – Ten

I figure I will get some shit for this from people. Let me stress… I don’t think “Jeremy” is the band’s best song but a lot of what continues to make the band famous can be found in this song. This song has the social consciousness, the great vocal from Eddie Vedder, the earnestness, and the intensity that have continued to be hallmarks of the Pearl Jam sound and ethos.

What this song became is also a defining part of the band’s career. The massive success of the single and the video caused the band to distrust the bullshit corporate machine. They retreated from center stage as fast as they could, and the band is probably still alive and flourishing because of it.

Honorable Mention:

Radiohead - “Creep” - Pablo Honey

Most people probably can’t name Radiohead’s debut album! They are not a singles band and never were, but this song fit the format of the time and is something of an albatross around the band’s neck. No matter how many hipsters show up at one of their concerts, there will always be a throng of people there to hear “Creep.” That they’ll likely go home disappointed is beside the point.

Filed under: Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Musical Musings and Random Ramblings, Oasis, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Beatles, The Byrds, The Police, U2