Side 1, Track 1s

In the true spirit of High Fidelity I present to you the best lead off tracks you can find. There were two constraints used in the selection. 1) The track must function as an integral part of the album and lead in to the its general theme and tone. 2) The album itself can't suck. Observe:

5. "Kinky Afro" off Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches by Happy Mondays
They were drunk. They were high. They were belligerent. And they were British. But man, those guys could rock out a funky dance tune like nobody's business. "Kinky Afro", full of hooks and morbid, nonsensical lyrics, kicks off the Monday's best album before they self-imploded due to the aforementioned vices (except for the whole British thing).

4. "Dirty Mind" off Dirty Mind Prince
This aptly named single, from the album bearing its same name, may not sound groundbreaking, but make no mistake: "Dirty Mind" beautifully encapsulates Prince's obsession with art and sex. It was the perfect intro to his first all out effort to fully explore the far reaches of his kinky (and sometimes taboo) fantasies. Sex in cars? Check. Bicurious behavior? Check. Fellatio from a woman on the way to her wedding? Check. Incest? Check. Not coincidentally, this was also the first album that Prince was allowed to produce by himself.

3. "Five Years" off Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
A dark and grim piece that bears the news of Earth's imminent death sets the stage for the album's narrative about a rock n' roll alien that shows up to save humanity... before collapsing under the weight of his own ego. Compelling stuff.

2. "Teenage Riot" off Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
An anthem to end all anthems, "Teenage Riot" begins with a slow strum of a single guitar and an almost ethereal chanting from Kim Gordon. Then everything comes to a halt and, before you can react, swirling guitars kick up and hook you in (the linked video skips the first part, thought). "Teenage Riot" signals the beginning of a masterpiece of dissonance and discord.

1. "Seven Nation Army" off Elephant by The White Stripes
Bass. Drums. "I'm gonna fight 'em all/A seven nation army couldn't hold me back". So begins "Seven Nation Army", a tune that marks not only the beginning of the White Stripes's most consistent and satisfying album to date, but also the start an era of albums that saw the White Stripes rise from garage rock sensations to artistes extraordinaire. In a way, Elephant is their Rubber Soul.